Warming the Sake by Maple Leaf Fire 1725 - 1770

Suzuki Harunobu created this woodblock print, Warming the Sake by Maple Leaf Fire, in eighteenth-century Japan. The print employs traditional materials, ink and wood, to depict everyday life. Consider the materiality of this artwork. The flat planes and distinct outlines are characteristic of the woodblock printing process. Multiple blocks would have been needed, one for each color. These were painstakingly carved, inked, and then pressed onto paper, layer by layer. The texture of the wood subtly influences the appearance, adding depth. This wasn’t just a technical exercise; it was a cultural one. Ukiyo-e prints like this one democratized art, making it accessible to a wider audience beyond the elite. The subject matter, too, focused on the everyday—the lives of courtesans, actors, and the urban middle class, rather than traditional landscapes or religious themes. The labor-intensive process democratized art, making it accessible to a wider audience. This print offers a window into a specific time and place, reflecting the shifting social values and material culture of the Edo period.