Ceremonial New Year's Stand 1827

Curator: Hasegawa Settan’s "Ceremonial New Year's Stand," an etching in ink made around 1827, offers a glimpse into Japanese New Year celebrations during the Edo period. Editor: Well, doesn’t that little crustacean just dance off the page! It has such whimsical energy. It perches above what looks like gift boxes, like some curious insect exploring new territory. I'm already wondering what sort of celebration would feature such a creature. Curator: These arrangements of boxes, greenery and sea creatures weren't arbitrary. These arrangements known as *okazari* used particular materials—certain ferns, citrus fruits, and even lobsters as we see here— to symbolize longevity, prosperity, and good fortune. Examining similar works gives a richer picture of social rituals during the Edo period, in that sense it is more social document than art object. Editor: I can dig that. The lines are so delicate and almost playful. The stark background and simple composition draw me straight to those charming imperfections, it feels less like an observation of celebration and more like an invitation to one. The boxes look humbly made and carefully arranged, maybe the maker crafted and designed the stand with love. Curator: Right, and consider the process—each print pulled from a woodblock, meaning labor intensive practices and wide accessibility. Editor: It definitely speaks of a communal festivity, something grounded in practicality rather than ostentatious display. It does trigger my sentimental side with this handmade feel to it. Curator: Seeing it through the lens of materials and processes allows us to move beyond a romantic view, really allowing the material reality of the time to show itself to us. Editor: And yet it holds a captivating beauty in its deliberate simplicity. The etching, though replicated, feels like a deeply intimate gesture, a captured breath of festivity. Curator: It speaks volumes, about labor, and celebration, even today. Editor: Absolutely, that crustacean will happily celebrate another two centuries.