Set of 36 Stencils for Illustrated Don Quixote (Ehon Don Kihōte) Possibly 1936

Curator: This work is a set of 36 stencils for an illustrated version of Don Quixote—Ehon Don Kihōte—by Serizawa Keisuke. Editor: It feels like a secret, doesn't it? Like stumbling upon a hidden book, a forgotten language. Curator: Serizawa was deeply involved in the mingei movement, and we see that here. The stencils echo traditional Japanese folk art, reimagining a classic Spanish text. Editor: The choice of Don Quixote is so interesting. The man who tilts at windmills, filtered through a Japanese lens. It becomes a symbol of cultural translation itself, doesn't it? Curator: Absolutely. The floral motifs too, placed alongside the text, create a layering of meaning. How the East reinterprets the West, but also how stories travel and transform. Editor: It makes you wonder what stories these stencils have told over time—stories of collaboration, of interpretation, even of the slight absurdity of human endeavor. Curator: Indeed. It's a beautiful example of cross-cultural dialogue. Editor: Well, it certainly gives you something to chew on, doesn't it? A whole world in red and gold.