Illustrated Poem Book (Katsura kasane かつらかさね : [volume 2] 1803

This is volume two of "Katsura kasane," an illustrated poem book made in Japan by Nichōsai, who lived from 1780 to 1789. It’s made with ink on paper, using woodblock printing to create the images and text. Woodblock printing is an indirect process. The artist first creates a drawing, which is then transferred to a block of wood. A specialist carves away the areas that will not be inked, leaving a raised surface. This block is then inked and used to print the image onto paper. The character of the lines in this book—clean, sharp, and consistent—is a direct result of this carving process. Woodblock printing, like any form of printing, allows for the mass production of images. It democratizes artmaking, and it is a highly skilled labor that requires painstaking attention to detail. So, while this book might seem simple in its materials, it represents a complex interplay of artistic skill, technical process, and social context.