Chikudō Picture Album 1815

Curator: Here we have a page from the "Chikudō Picture Album" by Ki Chikudō, dating to around 1815. It’s currently housed right here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: My initial reaction is one of serene isolation. The muted palette of ink on paper, depicting figures in a humble dwelling, evokes a quiet, reflective mood. Curator: The piece is ink on paper and part of an album; it pushes at boundaries between art, craft, and commodity, doesn’t it? Think of the rice paper, the inks, the binding – a complex web of production. Editor: Absolutely, and considering its context, this seemingly idyllic scene likely obscures socio-political realities. How did the labor and materials involved impact the lives of ordinary people in that time and place? Was this leisure equally available across gender, class, and social positions? Curator: The very act of creating a picture album was a mark of elite culture. And consider the distribution – the creation of networks between artists and patrons, and ultimately the consumption of such luxury goods. The materiality informs so much of the artistic and social landscape of the time. Editor: True, and there is more to consider; there is a definite gaze towards the other – an Orientalism, if you will, as applied within Asia, by an intellectual class reflecting on culture from an imagined elevated and distanced perspective. There’s an inherent power dynamic at play, isn’t there? What story isn’t being told in this artwork? Curator: An important point to make! And you are absolutely right, that element of power, so embedded within the artistic ecosystem, has its foundation in the manufacturing and social stratification, and distribution of goods that are depicted in an artwork such as this album leaf. The use of color is kept to a minimum, drawing greater importance to the application of ink. The application must have demanded refined knowledge, understanding, training and resources. Editor: Precisely. Art like this, at first glance seemingly detached, becomes a window into power structures, inequalities, and cultural perceptions that shaped the era, if only you start looking beneath the surface. Curator: Understanding that informs how we engage with such pieces today. A lens into a world of labour and material creation. Editor: A reminder to always question the narratives that are presented and unearth the complexities of art's place in shaping cultural and social identities.