Great Illustrated Encyclopedia, Revised and Enlarged (Sōbo tōsho kinmō zui taisei), vol. 2 Possibly 1789

Curator: Look at this open book, *Great Illustrated Encyclopedia, Revised and Enlarged*, attributed to Nakamura Tekisai. The pages are filled with delicate line drawings and text. Editor: There's a quiet, industrious feel to it. The scenes depict rural life; fields, thatched-roof buildings, and people working the land. Curator: Exactly. These images would have served as educational tools, showcasing the natural world and different occupations. Consider how this knowledge was curated and disseminated, shaping perceptions of labor and the environment. Editor: And how this informed social hierarchies, dictating who had access to knowledge and the means of production represented. Curator: Right. The book itself becomes a site of power, defining cultural values. Editor: Thinking about it this way makes me see the images as less bucolic and more like carefully constructed narratives.