The First Nakamura Denkuro and the First Otani Hiroemon in a Scene from a Soga Play 1707 - 1711

Okumura Masanobu created this woodblock print depicting actors in a Soga play. Notice the repetition of circular motifs throughout the image. One actor’s robe is emblazoned with floral emblems resembling chrysanthemums, symbols of longevity and imperial power in Japan. But let us consider the circle in its primal form, traced back to antiquity: the sun, the wheel, the cyclical nature of life. This echoes in the other actor’s costume, marked with what is called a ‘kuyo’ or ‘nine-star’ crest, symbolizing cosmic order and protection. The circle carries a universal appeal. It represents wholeness, completion, and the eternal return, concepts deeply embedded in our collective unconscious. From mandalas in Eastern spirituality to the Ouroboros, the snake eating its own tail in ancient Egypt, the circle taps into a fundamental human desire for unity and continuity. The artist’s intention matters less than the emotional resonance these symbols evoke. These circular forms, potent in their simplicity, act as vessels, carrying ancestral memories and stirring profound emotional responses within us. They remind us that art is not merely a visual experience but a conduit to our shared human heritage.