Detailed Print of Yokohama Hon-chō and the Miyozaki Pleasure Quarter 1860

This detailed triptych of Yokohama, including Hon-chō and the Miyozaki pleasure quarter, was produced as a woodblock print by Utagawa Sadahide in the 19th century. This is no ordinary painting; each line, color, and detail results from a labor-intensive, collaborative process. Woodblock printing, or *ukiyo-e*, involves carving separate woodblocks for each color. Highly skilled artisans would spend hours meticulously transferring the artist’s design onto the wood, carving away the negative spaces, and then inking and pressing the blocks onto paper. This print's vibrant colors and crisp lines show the expertise of these anonymous craftsmen. Mass production was essential to the format. These images of Yokohama as a newly opened port circulated widely, feeding the public's imagination about this burgeoning center of international trade. Appreciating the materiality and making of works like this challenges our conventional understanding of art. It reminds us that behind every artwork lies a network of skilled labor, cultural exchange, and technological innovation.