Hives with Wasps, and a Box with a Spoon for Honey 19th century

Kubo Shunman made this woodblock print of hives with wasps, and a box with a spoon for honey, likely in the early 19th century. You can see the intricate process in the registration of the different colors; each would have required a separate block. The print makes use of humble materials: paper, wood, and natural dyes. Yet the skill involved is considerable. Notice, for example, the subtle gradations of tone in the wasp’s nest. It’s a tour de force of the printer’s art. The paper itself also bears mention; it has a warmth and texture quite unlike the industrially produced sheets we are accustomed to seeing today. The whole composition speaks to a close observation of nature, and a respect for the labor involved in procuring honey – not just by beekeepers, but the bees themselves. Woodblock printing, though a means of mass production, always retains an intimacy with the hand. It’s a perfect medium for this vision of natural abundance.