View of Ise Divers Processing Abalone (Ise no ama nagaawabi tsukuri no zu) 

Curator: Utagawa Kunisada's "View of Ise Divers Processing Abalone" presents a vibrant scene. It really makes you wonder about the processes of abalone harvesting and preparation. Editor: There's a definite visual hierarchy at play. Note the contrast between the opulence of the kimono worn by the figure in the center panel and the relative bareness of the divers, suggesting differing social roles in the harvesting economy. Curator: Exactly! The print likely served not just as art, but as a kind of advertisement, almost like a visual document of the labor behind a sought-after food product. The materiality of the abalone and the diver's work are key to the image's meaning. Editor: The positioning and depiction of women is also interesting. You have the almost idealized divers by the seaside juxtaposed with the woman in elaborate garb with a fan. The print presents a controlled, constructed image of labor for public consumption. Curator: It really does highlight the intersection of labor and visual culture in 19th-century Japan. Editor: Absolutely, and considering the cultural and social forces that shaped its production and reception gives us much to consider.