Washing the Manuscript, from the series Refined Beauties as the Seven Komachi (FÅ«ryÅ« bijin nana Komachi: Soshi arai Komachi) c. 1804

Editor: Here we have Kikugawa Eizan’s “Washing the Manuscript, from the series Refined Beauties as the Seven Komachi," a woodblock print. I find the scene quite intimate, the figure seems so absorbed in her task. What do you make of it? Curator: I'm drawn to the materiality of the print itself. The woodblock process, the labor involved, and even the paper's texture all speak to a specific mode of production. How does this process relate to the depiction of Komachi and her literary work? Editor: That's a great question. It makes me think about the contrast between the seemingly delicate nature of poetry and the rather involved process of creating the print. Thanks for your insights! Curator: Indeed, considering the labor and material transforms our understanding.