Actor Ichikawa DanjÅ«rō 7th Holding a Document, with poem by Rokukitsuen Yoshika c. 1830 - 1835

Editor: This is a woodblock print by Utagawa Kunisada, depicting the actor Ichikawa Danjuro VII holding a document. The details in the actor's robe and the texture of the paper are striking. What can you tell me about the materials and production of this print? Curator: Considering Kunisada's workshop, this print reveals much about 19th-century Edo's commercial art production. The paper's sourcing, the pigments used, and the labor division in creating the woodblocks all speak to a complex system of materiality and consumption. Notice the poem; how does that textual element intersect with the image in its making and reception? Editor: That's fascinating! So, beyond just the image, the material elements tell their own story. I'll definitely look closer at those production aspects now. Curator: Precisely! It opens up a wider dialogue about art and social history.