Fishing for Whitebait in the Bay off Tsukuda 1830

Keisai Eisen created this woodblock print, Fishing for Whitebait in the Bay off Tsukuda, capturing a scene from the Edo period. The dominant image is the large fishing net, held aloft, resembling a kind of open mouth ready to swallow its prey. Nets as symbols are ancient, appearing in numerous cultures from the Mediterranean to East Asia. The image of a fisherman casting a net extends back to classical antiquity, often associated with the capturing of souls or the trapping of fate. Consider the tale of Perseus using a net to ensnare Medusa, linking the net to themes of cunning and subduing the monstrous. In Christian iconography, nets symbolize the apostles as "fishers of men," drawing believers into the fold of the church. The cyclical recurrence of the net motif reminds us that despite cultural and temporal distances, humanity grapples with similar existential themes. The net persists, not just as a tool, but as a potent symbol of capture, transformation, and the weaving together of destinies.