Three Kabuki Actors Playing Hanetsuki 1813 - 1833

This triptych of woodblock prints of Kabuki actors at play was created by Utagawa Kuniyasu in Japan during the late Edo period. These prints are known as Ukiyo-e, or "pictures of the floating world." They were made by carving a separate block for each color, then carefully registering each impression on the paper. The crisp lines and flat planes of color are characteristic of the process. The actors are shown playing Hanetsuki, a game similar to badminton, in elaborate costumes and makeup. These prints were not considered high art, and were instead made for mass consumption and sale. They were a part of the burgeoning culture of Edo period Japan, made available to a broad public. The production of these prints involved a team of artisans, from the artist who made the initial design, to the carvers, and the printers who produced the final product. These prints give insight into the daily life and culture of Japan during this period, capturing a sense of the vibrant society and the material conditions under which these images were created. They remind us that the value of an artwork lies not just in its aesthetic qualities, but also in the labor and context that produced it.