Lucky God Stepping on a Rat, from the series Twelve Treasures of the Rat 

Curator: Keisai Eisen, who lived from 1790 to 1848, created this woodblock print, "Lucky God Stepping on a Rat," as part of his "Twelve Treasures of the Rat" series. Editor: My goodness, there's a lot going on! It's chaotic, even a little unsettling, with the awkward angles and that poor rat. I find the god's expression, almost gleeful, really clashes with the rather unpleasant task at hand. Curator: Well, it's a complex piece. The composition does play with perspective, creating a dynamic, almost unstable feel. That tension, I think, reflects the uncertainty and constant struggle associated with the rat, a symbol of both resourcefulness and, sometimes, pestilence. Editor: Pestilence indeed! I guess it’s like, you need luck to get rid of it. Still, there is something strangely humorous and self-aware about the way Eisen combines the sacred with something so utterly profane. Curator: Exactly! And by combining them, maybe Eisen is also showing the two sides of ourselves? What we think of as ‘high’ vs ‘low’ culture, is just a matter of perspective. Editor: Hmm, yes, I hadn't considered that interpretation. Well, this has certainly given me something to chew on; thanks for sharing.