The Actors Ichimura Uzaemon VIII as Taira no Koremochi and Arashi Koroku I as Makomo no Mae in "Shusse Momijigari," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the eleventh month, 1747 1747

This striking print was made by Okumura Masanobu in 1747. It presents actors in the play "Shusse Momijigari," performed at the Ichimura Theater. Like other prints of the Ukiyo-e school, it’s made with woodblocks and vividly colored inks on paper. Note the exacting registration of different colors, and the crispness of the lines describing the figures' robes. The production of these prints involved a division of labor. An artist such as Masanobu would design the image, but then skilled wood carvers and printers would take over. Each color required a separate block, meticulously carved to match the artist's design, and printed in precise alignment with the others. The making of these prints was tied to a wider culture of consumption. They were made available at an affordable price, and in large numbers, catering to the urban classes. The aesthetic qualities – flat planes, bold outlines, and the emphasis on surface pattern – are all directly linked to these social and economic conditions of production. So, next time you look at a print like this, consider the collaborative labor and material processes that brought it into being.