Onoe Kikugorō in the role of Yaoya Oshichi and Nakamura Kiyosaburō as her lover the koshō (page) Kichisaburō 1750

This print was made by Okumura Masanobu in the first half of the 18th century. It depicts two actors on stage, created using woodblock printing, a painstaking process that demanded the collaboration of the artist, block carver, printer, and publisher. The image is constructed from multiple blocks, each meticulously carved to represent a different color. Note how the flat planes of color define the figures and their elaborate costumes. This approach highlights the materiality of the print. Each impression required careful registration to ensure crisp lines and accurate color alignment, so take a moment to admire the precision of this print. Woodblock printing was a commercial process, integral to the circulation of images and ideas in Japan. This print, like others of its kind, reflects not only artistic skill but also the dynamics of labor, production, and consumption in the vibrant urban culture of the Edo period. Appreciating the making of this artwork deepens our understanding of its cultural significance.