Komatsu Shigemori (Heike monogatari), from the series Twenty-Four Japanese Paragons of Filial Piety for the Honchō Circle (Honchōren honchō nijÅ«shikō), with poem by Kanenoya Arizumi c. 1821 - 1822

Curator: This is Yashima Gakutei’s woodblock print of Komatsu Shigemori, a work that belongs to the series *Twenty-Four Japanese Paragons of Filial Piety for the Honchō Circle*. Editor: It feels so contained, doesn't it? Like a little world captured in a box, with those muted colors and the reflective surface. Curator: The mirror motif is key here. The reflection shows Shigemori absorbed in study, a symbol of his intellectual devotion and filial piety, while the woman in the foreground seems more earthbound. Editor: I get a sense of quiet dedication from him. Trapped maybe? He's not really in nature, reading away, but she is just sitting, almost imprisoned by domesticity. Curator: Precisely! The poem inscribed adds another layer, linking Shigemori’s virtue to broader cultural ideals. Editor: It's a small, still moment, but somehow, it feels like it holds so much unspoken tension and a silent commentary on duty. Curator: Indeed, and it brings to light Gakutei’s ability to weave together visual and textual narratives to showcase the complexities of virtue. Editor: I am still captivated by this miniature stage where duty and domesticity meet.