Actor Ichimura Uzaemon (1699–1762) as a Comb Vendor 1720 - 1740

Curator: This woodblock print, dating from around 1720 to 1740, is by Okumura Toshinobu. It’s titled "Actor Ichimura Uzaemon as a Comb Vendor.” Editor: The palette is striking – warm reds and yellows offset by the almost severe black linework. There's a real balance in the composition despite the apparent imbalance of the load he's carrying. Curator: Absolutely. That “load” reveals a lot. What appears at first glance to be a simple vendor’s wares becomes complex when we recognize Ichimura Uzaemon, a celebrated actor, playing a role within a role, embodying labor. It blurs boundaries. He is a performer presenting a comb vendor. This reflects the vibrant, often fluid social identities in Edo-period Japan. Editor: The visual weight, then, mirrors a conceptual weight. The object's physical design echoes and emphasizes social issues with each color layer, which is not necessarily simple to obtain in woodblock prints. And then consider that he is, himself, made to look like an object! Curator: Indeed. Notice the way the comb boxes themselves mirror miniature stages, almost. These spaces allowed commoners access to stories, news, trends and sometimes, political commentary, circumventing the rigid structures imposed by the shogunate. The Ukiyo-e style was, itself, subversive in this respect. Editor: And the way the lines describe form! Minimal, yet so precise. Each curve communicates so much. It is highly impressive how his expression is so defined with so few elements. Curator: He looks to the side, doesn't he? As if beckoning someone to enter this intersection of theater, commerce, and identity. What this artwork presents is a layered performance, a play within a print, questioning fixed roles and societal expectations. Editor: It’s a compelling distillation of form and function and what you point out reveals a wealth of social critique in even the smallest details. It makes you consider the significance and multiple possibilities inherent in representation. Curator: Right! Hopefully our listeners will reflect on what they've observed here as well. Editor: It is time for our listeners to reach new viewpoints about it!