Stilleven met poppetjes c. 1855 - 1870

This print, made by Tojin, showcases the possibilities of woodblock printing. Look closely, and you’ll see the careful carving evident in the precisely rendered text and the delicate texture of the paper. The process would have begun with a design transferred to a woodblock, each color requiring a separate block. These would have been carved by skilled artisans, who would have needed intense concentration to produce the sharp lines and smooth surfaces, before applying ink and pressing the paper to transfer the image. The woodblock prints are intrinsically tied to commerce, which made images accessible and affordable for everyday life, in a world before photography. The materiality of woodblock prints, the labour, the mode of production, and its relationship to the social context in which they were created, all become a powerful means of understanding their cultural significance.