Illustrated Collection of Old Tales (Iwaki e-zukushi), Volume 1 Possibly 1683

Editor: Here we have a page from Hishikawa Moronobu’s "Illustrated Collection of Old Tales," isn't it? The lines are so clean, almost architectural. I'm struck by the bird's-eye view; it feels like peeking into another world. What captures your imagination in this piece? Curator: The intimacy, perhaps. Moronobu invites us into these domestic spaces, seemingly frozen in time. The stark contrast, the lack of color, it forces us to fill in the blanks with our own stories. Do you wonder what tales these figures might be sharing? Editor: Absolutely! It's as if the artist has given us the stage, and we are the actors. Curator: Precisely! And isn't that the beauty of art, to spark our own narratives? I find a quiet joy in that collaboration. Editor: It certainly makes you think, doesn't it? Thanks for that lovely insight!