Red Collar 1928

Yamakawa Shuho created this woodblock print titled “Red Collar,” sometime during his career in the first half of the 20th century. The image presents a side-view portrait of a woman, her elaborate hairstyle and the titular red collar immediately drawing our attention. Prints like this one, known as *shin-hanga*, emerged in Japan during the Taisho and Showa periods. These prints revived traditional *ukiyo-e* techniques, but often depicted more modern subjects and sensibilities. The *shin-hanga* movement was in part a response to the rapid Westernization of Japan, and the role of women was changing during this time. Some prints celebrated traditional female roles, others depicted women embracing new freedoms. To understand this print more fully, we might investigate the artist's biography, the rise of the *shin-hanga* movement, and the social changes that were occurring in Japan at the time. By examining these elements, we can appreciate the complex interplay between tradition and modernity in Yamakawa Shuho’s work.