Yamatoya: Iwai Hanshiro IV as Okaru, from the series "Portraits of Actors on Stage (Yakusha butai no sugata-e)" 1795

This print was created by Utagawa Toyokuni I in Japan, using woodblock printing, or *ukiyo-e*. To create this kind of print, an image is carved into a block of wood, usually cherry. Ink is then applied, and paper is pressed to the block. Each color requires a separate block, making registration a complex task. This print would have been made by a team of artisans: the artist who designed the image, a block carver, and a printer. The division of labor speaks to the industrialized nature of *ukiyo-e*, which emerged in the Edo period as a product for Japan’s growing urban class. Consider the fine lines of the actor's robes, and the subtle gradations of color. This demands remarkable skill, both in the carving and in the printing. *Ukiyo-e* prints like this one were not considered "high art" at the time, but rather a form of popular culture. Yet they demonstrate an intense dedication to craft, and offer valuable insights into the social context in which they were made.