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With the emergence of a new middle class in Japan at the end of the seventeenth century, the need for a more affordable art form became more pressing than ever. Woodblock printing which permitted multiple copies became the ideal medium for Japanese artists of this time period. The Japanese word for woodblock prints, "Ukiyo-e", means "pictures of the floating world." The surreality of woodblock prints, the vibrancy of their colors, and the immediate nature of their presentation, brings to mind a more sharply defined world. For example, Akasaka Kiribtake by Hiroshige [shown right], seems to transport the viewer into another world. The colors blend into each other in a sophisticated style. Each woodblock print is actually the product of up to three processes: the design, the woodblock cut, and the print. An original design is drawn and then pasted down on a cherry block of wood. Next, the cutter chisels the design into the woodblock. The block is then inked and a sheet of dampened paper (called a key print) is rubbed until the impression is transferred on to it. The artist then chooses the colors he wants and a separate block is carved for every color to be used in the print. Finally, the blocks go to the printer, who, using mulberry paper, rubs the dyes onto the blocks and transfers each impression. The resulting print was a more affordable piece of art, within the reach of middle class households throughout Japan and the world. One interesting aspect of woodblock prints was the mulberry paper on which the final product emerges. The mulberry paper was custom-made for each woodblock print. The dyes used to produce the print sink into the paper, and their colors deepen as the print becomes older. Unfortunately, few of these prints survive precisely because of the fragile nature of this paper. However, the prints left behind give us a window into a fantastic "floating" world.
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