WOMAN HOLDING SCROLL IN HER MOUTH 

Curator: This print, residing here at the Harvard Art Museums, is called "Woman Holding Scroll in Her Mouth" by Katsukawa Shunko. Editor: The first thing that strikes me is the figure's stillness, the way the scroll interrupts the face and seems to silence the woman. Curator: Katsukawa Shunko worked primarily with images of Kabuki actors, but here the scroll being held is significant, suggesting secrets or hidden messages. Editor: Is she a messenger then, literally embodying the message? The tall grasses behind her seem to be whispering. I think this is a very constrained representation. Curator: Perhaps the print alludes to the limited roles and voices available to women at the time, but simultaneously celebrates their ability to transmit knowledge through art and storytelling. Editor: Yes, she's holding onto something powerful and the gaze feels both complicit and defiant. Despite the title, it's less about holding and more about conveying. Curator: Ultimately, this print leaves us pondering the symbolic weight of silence and the transmission of knowledge. Editor: Agreed, it's a reminder that even in silence, there is profound communication occurring.