Young Man Playing Ushiwaka c. 1725

This is Okumura Toshinobu's woodblock print, made in Japan in the mid-1700s, depicting a young man in the guise of Ushiwaka, a childhood name of the legendary warrior Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Note the fan held aloft—a symbol that transcends mere adornment. Here, it evokes a sense of refined authority and alludes to the theatrical world of Noh drama, where such gestures convey complex emotions. Notice how the figure is perched atop a box: even this elevates his status, turning the ordinary into a stage. The fan reminds me of similar motifs found in ancient Greek theater—the mask, for instance—used to amplify emotion and project character. Like those masks, the fan isn't just an object; it's a conduit for expressing deep psychological truths. The figure's controlled pose, the almost reverential way he holds the fan, engages us on a subconscious level. It speaks to our primal understanding of power and display. The image’s enduring appeal lies in this cyclical return to fundamental human experiences, where symbols continually evolve yet remain rooted in our collective psyche.