Five women are drawn holding hexagonal containers while kneeling before a man holding the scabbard of his sheathed sword. A bluebird sits on a tree branch behind the man.

Weight (lbs): 0.25
Height (In.): 10.25
Width (In.): 14.75
Depth (In.): N/A
Size: 14.75 x 10.25"
Maker: Utagawa School
Material: Paper
Date: 19th C
Provenance: N/A
Condition: Some wrinkling to the toned paper, some wear to the top edge.
History: Woodblock printing in Japan (moku-hanga) is a technique best known for its use in the ukiyo-e artistic genre of single sheets, but it was also used for printing books in the same period. Woodblock printing had been used in China for centuries to print books, long before the advent of movable type, but was widely adopted in Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868). Although similar to woodcut in Western printmaking in some regards, the moku-hanga technique differs in that it uses water-based inks—as opposed to western woodcut, which often uses oil-based inks. The Japanese water-based inks provide a wide range of vivid colors, glazes, and transparency.
Condition: Some wrinkling to the toned paper, some wear to the top edge. History: Woodblock printing in Japan (moku-hanga) is a technique best known for its use in the ukiyo-e artistic genre of single sheets, but it was also used for printing books in the same period. Woodblock printing had been used in China for centuries to print books, long before the advent of movable type, but was widely adopted in Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868). Although similar to woodcut in Western printmaking in some regards, the moku-hanga technique differs in that it uses water-based inks—as opposed to western woodcut, which often uses oil-based inks. The Japanese water-based inks provide a wide range of vivid colors, glazes, and transparency.