Tanabata, 7th month, from the series Customs of the Four Seasons and Children at Play (Shiki no tei osana asobi) 

Curator: This is "Tanabata, 7th month, from the series Customs of the Four Seasons and Children at Play," a print by Keisai Eisen. Editor: What a charming scene! The colors are so delicate, and there's a feeling of quiet concentration among these figures. Curator: The Tanabata festival, or Star Festival, was an important cultural event, and this print shows children engaged in activities related to it, like writing poetry. Editor: Ah, I see the papers and brushes now. The celestial aspect is there in the fan-shaped landscape, like a window onto a different world. It really underscores the yearning and hope inherent in the festival. Curator: The commercial print market, and indeed Eisen himself, played a significant role in shaping popular understanding of such traditions in 19th-century Japan. Editor: It is a striking representation of both cultural celebration and the commercialization of the art world. I am drawn to how the details communicate the emotional weight of this holiday.