Overturn Rikisha 19th-20th century

This hand-colored albumen print, titled "Overturn Rikisha", presents a staged scene of a rickshaw accident. The image is rich with cultural symbols from the late 19th century. The rickshaw itself is a potent symbol of modernity and the shifting social landscape of Japan, while the traditional clothing and hairstyles denote specific social roles and identities. The overturned rickshaw and the exaggerated gestures of the figures evoke a sense of chaos and disruption. We find echoes of this theatricality in commedia dell'arte, where exaggerated movements convey intense emotional states. Consider the archetype of the harlequin, whose chaotic energy mirrors the rickshaw driver’s flailing limbs. These gestures, passed down through generations of performance, tap into our collective understanding of distress and disorder. The artist captures a moment of disruption and emotional intensity engaging viewers on a subconscious level. These symbols have resurfaced and evolved in different contexts.