Combs and Hairpin, with poem by Sashineya Benjiku c. early 19th century

Curator: Look at this delicate print, “Combs and Hairpin, with poem by Sashineya Benjiku,” by Kubo Shunman, dating back to the late 18th or early 19th century. It's housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It has a quiet elegance. The composition feels so deliberate, almost like a still life seen through a dream. Curator: Shunman masterfully balances the objects with the calligraphy, doesn’t he? The poem adds another layer of meaning. I wonder what secrets the poem holds. Editor: The poem, paired with the domesticity of the objects, evokes a sense of intimacy and perhaps a meditation on beauty and transience. Curator: Absolutely. And the limited palette creates a sort of timelessness, like a memory captured on paper. Editor: It leaves one pondering the rituals of daily life, elevated to an art form through Shunman's unique vision. It’s a glimpse into a very private, beautiful world.