Woman Holding a Letter Box/ Letter Box (Fubako), from the series Seven Designs for the Katsushika Circle (Katsushika shichiban tsuzuki), with poems by Bunkeisha Shiomichi and Bunrinsha Matsunami c. 1826

Editor: This is Yashima Gakutei’s "Woman Holding a Letter Box," a woodblock print. She seems lost in thought, maybe contemplating the letter's contents. What does this image evoke for you? Curator: I see a powerful commentary on women's limited agency in expressing themselves. The letter box becomes a symbol of both connection and confinement, reflecting the societal constraints placed upon women and their communication during that era. Editor: Confinement? I hadn't considered that. Curator: Indeed. How might her physical posture – seated, enclosed – reinforce these ideas of restricted expression within a patriarchal structure? This connects to broader discussions around gender and communication in 19th-century Japan. Editor: That’s a very interesting, and thought-provoking perspective!