Ceremonie van volwassen worden c. 1822

This print, "Ceremonie van volwassen worden," was made by Totoya Hokkei, probably in the early 19th century, using woodblock printing. The process begins with a drawing, transferred to a woodblock, usually cherry. The areas that will print as white are then carved away, leaving a raised surface. Ink is applied, and then paper laid on top, rubbed to transfer the image. Given that this print has many colours, that means there were multiple blocks, and each sheet of paper had to be aligned for each impression. This was painstaking and highly skilled work, and the result is this deceptively simple image of a young woman preparing for her coming-of-age ceremony. Notice the rich texture of the paper and ink, and the flat planes of colour, each laid down with precision. The labour invested in this relatively small object is immense, a testament to the collaborative labour practices of the time. Appreciating these processes helps us to appreciate the depth of skill and craft that has gone into creating this colourful print.