Empress Jingu (left), and Her Minister Takenouchi no Sukune (right) c. late 1780s

This print of Empress Jingu and her minister Takenouchi no Sukune was created by Katsukawa Shun'ei, a leading artist of late 18th-century Japan. It's a woodblock print, or *ukiyo-e*, meaning it was made by carving an image into wood, inking the surface, and pressing paper against it. Like other *ukiyo-e* prints, this one would have been created in a workshop, with labor divided between the artist, block carver, and printer. These images were not unique works of art but rather mass-produced commodities, made for ordinary people. Look closely, and you'll notice the textures created by the wood grain, the way the colors are laid down in flat planes, and the delicate lines that define the figures. All of these qualities are direct results of the *ukiyo-e* process. By focusing on the materials and processes of production, we can see how traditional craft practices were adapted to meet the demands of an emerging consumer culture, blurring the lines between art, craft, and commerce.