Kamigata surimono album 1800 - 1900

This is an image from a Kamigata surimono album, created by various makers. Here, we see circles that appear to be floating on a dark field, and the circular motif has a history of rich symbolism. Historically, the circle represents wholeness, infinity, and the cyclical nature of existence. Consider the sun, a universal symbol of life and energy, depicted as a circle across cultures from ancient Egyptian art to Renaissance paintings. It’s no coincidence that we find similar forms in mandalas, employed as tools for meditation. The mind seeks patterns, and the circle, with its comforting completeness, offers a sense of order. This geometrical figure resurfaces through time, modified, yet eternally recognizable. The circle appears and reappears, bearing the weight of our collective aspirations for unity and completion, and engaging our subconscious with its elemental simplicity.