Picture Book of Mount Asaka (Ehon Asakayama) 1739

This is a page from *Picture Book of Mount Asaka*, made in Japan by Nishikawa Sukenobu. It's a woodblock print, a process that dates back centuries, involving the slow, painstaking carving of an image into a block of wood, inking it, and then pressing paper onto the block to transfer the design. Looking closely, you can see how the qualities of the wood itself would influence the final print. The grain, the way it accepts the ink, and the skill of the carver all contribute to the image’s final appearance. The fine lines that define the figures and their garments speak to the skill and labor that went into production. Woodblock printing was not just a means of artistic expression, but also a vital part of the publishing industry, allowing for the mass production and distribution of images and texts. By considering the materials and processes involved in its creation, we can appreciate *Picture Book of Mount Asaka* not only as a work of art, but also as a cultural artifact.