{"product_id":"ayaoka-butterfly-and-mask-of-yakko-the-footman-of-a-samurai-18th19th-century-sticker-vinyl-kiss-cut-decal","title":"Ayaoka - Butterfly and Mask of Yakko (the footman of a samurai) - 18th–19th century - STICKER Vinyl Kiss-Cut Decal","description":"\u003ch1\u003eAyaoka - Butterfly and Mask of Yakko (the footman of a samurai) - 18th–19th century - STICKER Vinyl Kiss-Cut Decal\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Surimono woodblock print by Ayaoka pairs a fragile butterfly with a bearded Yakko mask, the footman who served a samurai.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eVisual Elements \u0026amp; Composition\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe composition is built on a tall rectangular panel of pale cream, with pale aqua and teal set against it. Vermilion red sits on the striped head of the bearded mask, a daruma-like face that carries the most vivid colour in the print. Charcoal black defines the mask's features and a curved dark line that reads as a string. Opposite the mask hovers a patterned moth with outstretched wings, its outline open and light against the empty ground. The mask is the anchor, the butterfly the lift, and the open space between them does most of the work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eMeaning \u0026amp; Symbolism\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSurimono were privately commissioned prints, made for poets and patrons and prized for their fine detail, and this example comes from the 18th or 19th century. The Yakko mask identifies the figure as a footman in a samurai household, a servant whose role was defined by rank. Pairing that social role with a butterfly brings nature and social hierarchy into one frame. The butterfly is ephemeral and the mask is fixed in its station, so the image holds a contemplative tension between what passes and what is held in place. Its roots lie in Japanese folklore and the printmaking tradition of Ayaoka's era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhere the Design Lands on a Sticker\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA kiss-cut sticker is cut to its own outline, so the butterfly and mask keep their true silhouettes once the surrounding field falls away. The print's curved string and open wings translate cleanly to a die line, letting the figures sit on a surface with no border to frame them. Placed on a laptop, journal or window, the artwork carries a piece of Edo-period social history into everyday objects.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Sticker Space","offers":[{"title":"2\" × 2\" \/ Transparent","offer_id":48295125876954,"sku":"TSS-STICK-YKBTT-2X2","price":2.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2\" × 2\" \/ White","offer_id":48295125909722,"sku":"TSS-STICK-YKBTT-2X2-2","price":2.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"3\" × 3\" \/ Transparent","offer_id":48295125942490,"sku":"TSS-STICK-YKBTT-3X3","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"3\" × 3\" \/ White","offer_id":48295125975258,"sku":"TSS-STICK-YKBTT-3X3-2","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"4\" × 4\" \/ Transparent","offer_id":48295126008026,"sku":"TSS-STICK-YKBTT-4X4","price":3.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"4\" × 4\" \/ White","offer_id":48295126040794,"sku":"TSS-STICK-YKBTT-4X4-2","price":3.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"6\" × 6\" \/ Transparent","offer_id":48295126073562,"sku":"TSS-STICK-YKBTT-6X6","price":3.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"6\" × 6\" \/ White","offer_id":48295126106330,"sku":"TSS-STICK-YKBTT-6X6-2","price":3.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0493\/3949\/8646\/files\/ayaoka-butterfly-and-mask-of-yakko-the-footman-of-a-samurai-18th19th-century-sticker-vinyl-kiss-cut-decal-TSS-STICK-YKBTT-2X2-2-alt-3.webp?v=1785823049","url":"https:\/\/thestickerspace.com\/products\/ayaoka-butterfly-and-mask-of-yakko-the-footman-of-a-samurai-18th19th-century-sticker-vinyl-kiss-cut-decal","provider":"The Sticker Space","version":"1.0","type":"link"}