Battle before Kumamoto Castle 1877

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi created this woodblock print of the Battle before Kumamoto Castle. Woodblock printing, or *ukiyo-e*, was a highly developed process involving a team of skilled artisans. The artist created a drawing, which was then transferred to a woodblock, typically cherry. A carver would then painstakingly cut away the negative space, leaving the lines of the design in relief. Separate blocks were needed for each color, and a printer would then apply the colors in layers, using a *baren*, a padded disk, to transfer the image to paper. The final print reflects the labor-intensive process of production, and the collaborative nature of the *ukiyo-e* tradition. These prints were commercial objects, produced in large numbers for a wide audience, but the level of skill involved in their creation elevates them beyond mere commodities. Yoshitoshi and other *ukiyo-e* artists occupied an interesting position in the social hierarchy of the time, somewhere between artisan and artist. Appreciating the making of this print allows us to move beyond traditional distinctions between art and craft.