The Actor Asao Tamejuro I as Drunken Gotobei Doing a Sambaso Dance (Goto Sambaso), in Act Three of the Play Yoshitsune Koshigoe Jo (Yoshitsune's Koshigoe Petition), Performed at the Ichimura Theater from the Ninth Day of the Ninth Month, 1790 c. 1790

This print by Katsukawa Shun'ei, made in 1790, shows the actor Asao Tamejuro I in a theatrical role. Woodblock printing, the technique used here, was not considered high art in Japan, yet it involved exceptional skill. Consider the labor involved. First, the artist designs the image. Then, highly trained wood carvers translate the design into a series of blocks, one for each color. Finally, printers apply ink to these blocks in precise registration, layering them to build up the final image. The success of woodblock printing relied on division of labor, and a capitalist system of production and distribution. The publisher was the key figure, commissioning the artist, hiring the carvers and printers, and marketing the final product. Looking closely, you can appreciate the crisp lines and subtle color gradations achieved through this process. This artwork challenges our assumptions about art and craft, revealing how both are deeply embedded in social and economic structures.