About this artwork
Editor: This is Kitagawa Utamaro's "Waterfall of Flowers: Caring for the Aged in the Quarter," a late Edo period print. The figures are so dynamic, but I'm curious about the title's reference to aging. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Notice the gourds and maple leaves; gourds symbolize longevity, while maple leaves can represent the passage of time and the beauty found even in decline. The title itself might be an ironic commentary. Editor: I see, so it's about layers of symbolism and cultural context. That's fascinating.
Waterfall of Flowers: Caring for the Aged in the Quarter (Hana no taki sato no yoro), from the series Comical Dances of the Yoshiwara (Yoshiwara niwaka)
c. 1795
Kitagawa Utamaro åå¤å·æéº?"Late Edo period
@kitagawautamaroaaaaeeolateedoperiodHarvard Art Museums
Harvard Art MuseumsArtwork details
- Dimensions
- 33.2 x 23.4 cm (13 1/16 x 9 3/16 in.)
- Location
- Harvard Art Museums
- Copyright
- CC0 1.0
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About this artwork
Editor: This is Kitagawa Utamaro's "Waterfall of Flowers: Caring for the Aged in the Quarter," a late Edo period print. The figures are so dynamic, but I'm curious about the title's reference to aging. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Notice the gourds and maple leaves; gourds symbolize longevity, while maple leaves can represent the passage of time and the beauty found even in decline. The title itself might be an ironic commentary. Editor: I see, so it's about layers of symbolism and cultural context. That's fascinating.
Comments
Share your thoughts