7. Shops with Cotton Goods in Ōdenma Chō 1857

This print by Utagawa Hiroshige depicts cotton shops in Ōdenma Chō and was made using woodblock printing, a complex process involving carving a design into a block of wood, inking it, and pressing paper onto the block. Woodblock prints like this were a product of their time; commercial, replicable, and widely available. The imagery itself—shops selling cotton goods—speaks volumes about the burgeoning textile industry and consumer culture of the Edo period in Japan. Consider the labor involved: from cultivating cotton and weaving fabric, to the artisans who carved the woodblocks and printed the final image. Each stage represents human effort, and the final product reflects the social and economic conditions of its creation. By paying attention to the materials, processes, and the wider context, we gain a deeper appreciation of the intricate relationships between art, labor, and society, challenging traditional distinctions between art and commerce.