Kuniyoshi Project

Eight Selected Flowers from the Garden

(Enchû hassen ka, 園中八撰花)

Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô

1845

This series of fan prints (uchiwa) is listed as number 219 in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961).

Flower: Bush clover (hagi, はぎ)

Description: Beauty wiping her hands

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

This is a key block print. It is an impression pulled from the first woodblock made by a carver from the artist’s original drawing. The artist would write instructions for each color on a separate key block print, and the woodblock for each color was cut using one of these as a guide. Registration marks (kento) are characteristically found on Japanese key block prints. Kento are cut in each woodblock, so that the paper can be properly aligned on each woodblock during printing. A kento is visible in this print’s right lower corner. In addition to being a guide for carving the color woodblocks, the key block was also used to apply black ink (usually) in the printing process.