Courtesan and Kamuro with Wheeled Writing Table (Fuguruma), Number Six, Right (Rokuban migi, kurumao) from the series A Contest of Fowls (Tori-awase) c. 1825

Editor: Here we have Utagawa Kunisada's woodblock print, "Courtesan and Kamuro with Wheeled Writing Table." The courtesan's robes are so vibrant! It makes me wonder, what story do you think Kunisada is trying to tell here? Curator: Oh, I find it quite intriguing. The wheeled writing table, or "fuguruma," suggests a world of refined entertainment. Don't you feel as if you've just stumbled upon a secret, intimate moment? Editor: Yes, now that you mention it, I do get that sense! Thank you for that. Curator: The contrast between the courtesan's elaborate attire and the kamuro's more subdued presence whispers of the hierarchy within the pleasure quarters. It makes you wonder about their individual stories, doesn’t it? Editor: Absolutely! I hadn't considered the power dynamics at play. I will definitely need to remember these points.