This print features four figures. A woman holds a sheathed blade while couching to the left, a square brown cloth in her hands. A man sits to the right of her, legs crossed on the open air patio, hands hidden by his garment sleeves. To his right and within the building is a bowing woman, covering her mouth with her sleeve. Outside the building and to the far right is a woman with a short sword at her waist.

Weight (lbs): 0.25
Height (In.): 10.25
Width (In.): 14.75
Depth (In.): N/A
Size: 14.75X10.25
Maker: Utagawa School
Material: Paper
Date: 19th C
Provenance: N/A
Condition: Some wear to the edges, light toning.
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 wear to the edges, light toning. 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.