Een poppenspeler met pop en gô speelbord c. 1890 - 1900

This woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai features a puppeteer, his female assistant, and a Go board. Here, the game of Go isn't just a pastime; it is symbolic of strategy, intellect, and the human condition itself. The Go board, with its grid-like structure, echoes the stages of life, where each move can determine one's fate. Consider how chess, in medieval Europe, served a similar role, used in didactic allegories to teach moral lessons and strategies for life. These symbols resonate across cultures, revealing shared concerns about destiny and control. The puppeteer's focused expression invites us to reflect on our existence, and how we often play out pre-set roles. The recurring motifs of games and performance serve as potent reminders of the cyclical nature of human experience, echoing through art history, and resurfacing in varied cultural contexts. They tap into our subconscious, evoking the intense emotional states tied to the human condition, in a continuous loop of cultural memory.