Right sheet of triptych Children at Play: Tennō Festival (Kodomo asobi Tennō matsuri) c. 19th century

Curator: This is the right sheet of the triptych *Children at Play: Tennō Festival* by Utagawa Yoshitora. It’s held at the Harvard Art Museums and printed on paper. Editor: It feels incredibly energetic. The upper and lower registers seem like two distinct moments, yet they're unified by the implied movement and the crowd. Curator: It depicts a festival scene, likely offering insights into the social and cultural activities involving children in 19th-century Japan. Note how they are the bearers of the festival itself. Editor: The production of these prints—the carving, the layering of color—speaks volumes about the collaborative labor involved and the accessibility of art forms for mass consumption. Curator: Precisely. These prints were tools for circulating ideas, shaping public perceptions, and documenting contemporary life, very different to the elite paintings of the same period. Editor: Seeing this, I think about the hands that brought this print to life, from the artist's initial concept to the artisans who painstakingly brought it into being. Curator: Indeed, it encourages us to consider the artwork's role beyond mere aesthetics and appreciate its socio-political influence. Editor: A fascinating piece—it's really got me thinking about labor and the means of production.