Schetsen van vele handwerken 1850

Editor: This is "Schetsen van vele handwerken" by Katsushika Taito II, created around 1850. It’s a print and drawing made with ink and paper. I am curious to hear what you think of this seemingly simple book cover? Curator: The simplicity is deceiving. Think about the paper itself, its source, the labor involved in its production, the ink made from minerals and soot. Each component is a product of material processes tied to larger systems of resource extraction, manufacturing, and distribution, all within a specific social context. Editor: So you’re saying the cover is a kind of index to these broader processes? How so? Curator: Exactly. Consider how the ink was applied, likely using woodblocks. This implies a printmaking workshop with skilled artisans. And what about the book’s content? It presumably depicts handcrafts, other forms of material production. How does the making of this book intersect with, comment on, or celebrate these other crafts? What kinds of consumerism fuelled these activities and their representation? Editor: That’s fascinating. It completely shifts how I see this object. Instead of a plain cover, it is a kind of lens onto the material conditions of 19th-century life. I guess I never thought of a book cover having so much to say! Curator: Every object is evidence of its making. Recognizing that material labor and production transforms everything we thought we knew. This humble book can illuminate forgotten economies and labour relations. Editor: This gives me a lot to consider. It seems looking at the process, material and historical social context opens up a whole new understanding of art. Curator: Indeed. And that perspective can inform how we perceive and engage with our contemporary material world too.