Mizuki Kikusaburo as a Woman Standing near a Small Stream and Looking at a Wandering Puppet-showman Impersonated by Ichimura Takenojo (Later Known as the 8th Ichimura Uzaemon) 1707 - 1711

Curator: This print, currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is by Okumura Masanobu. The rather long title is "Mizuki Kikusaburo as a Woman Standing near a Small Stream and Looking at a Wandering Puppet-showman Impersonated by Ichimura Takenojo," dating from 1707-1711. It's rendered in ink on paper. Editor: It has a quiet, observant feel, almost as if we're eavesdropping on a scene. I'm drawn to the starkness of the lines and the flat perspective. How do you interpret the spatial arrangement? Curator: The composition speaks volumes about class and performance in the Edo period. Look at how the central figure, a Kabuki actor in the guise of a woman, observes the puppet showman, another actor. This blurring of identities points to the fluid social performance characteristic of theater. Editor: Absolutely. The figure in the kimono, Mizuki Kikusaburo, displays the mon, or crest, associating her with a particular lineage or guild—highlighting her manufactured identity. What’s striking is how fashion itself functions as a visual language. The patterns on the kimonos—their material construction, too—they signify social status and seasonal appropriateness. The very act of viewership becomes another type of consumption. Curator: Precisely! And notice how the puppet show itself mirrors the larger social theater. We see figures mimicking authority, with the puppet master embodying a powerful, perhaps satirical, figure. It's like a play within a play, a layered commentary on power and illusion. Editor: The water motif also can't be ignored, insinuating the ephemeral, transient aspects of life and art in Ukiyo-e. Considering its symbolism in dreams and folklore, water frequently serves as an omen of transformation. Curator: A keen observation! In terms of its materiality, the print demonstrates the efficiency and accessibility of woodblock printing. Produced for a wide audience, it speaks to the rise of a consumer culture that blurred boundaries between artistic expression and commercial enterprise. It’s fascinating to examine how ink and paper could convey such sophisticated social commentaries. Editor: I’m left thinking about how these images create lasting symbols—enduring representations of the roles we perform and the ways in which society continues to mimic and consume them. Curator: And for me, this artwork reflects the social realities and industrial techniques that can often become indistinguishable within an artwork.