Mukōjima c. 1914 - 1916

Editor: Here we have "Mukōjima," a woodblock print made by Ishii Hakutei around 1914-1916. The composition is really striking. I’m initially drawn to the woman’s contemplative expression and the sort of window-within-a-window view of the landscape behind her. What symbols or meanings jump out at you in this piece? Curator: Well, first observe how the landscape “framed” behind the figure both echoes and contrasts the woman’s own internal state. The soft colors of the kimono and the hazy view, for example, suggest a tranquil emotional atmosphere. It hints at the complex relationship between the individual and their surrounding world. What feelings are evoked when viewing such carefully curated artifice? Editor: Tranquility, definitely, but also a sense of melancholy, almost like a memory. I wonder about the landscape itself, with what appears to be industrial structures on the horizon. Curator: Precisely. The print uses visual language to reconcile an idealized past, depicted in her traditional garments, and the encroaching modernization seen in the smokestacks in the distant landscape. They're symbols that, coexisting here, convey cultural memory adjusting to the changing times. Editor: So the tension between the traditional and the modern is visualized through both the figure and the setting? Curator: Indeed. The fan and the inkstand by her side contrast to the smokestacks, too. Think about the fan being an instrument for cooling but perhaps also concealing. What secrets, perhaps, is she gently hiding? Editor: It's fascinating to consider the many layers of symbolism embedded in this print. Thank you for opening my eyes to this rich symbolism. Curator: And thank you, I leave this print contemplating our memories and how we negotiate time’s flow!