Courtesans Writing on Gaku as Offerings to the Temple Asakusa (Asakusa Kannon hōshoku-gaku no zu) 

Editor: Here we have Kitagawa Tsukimaro's "Courtesans Writing on Gaku as Offerings to the Temple Asakusa," a beautiful woodblock print. It seems to depict women engaged in some type of ritualistic writing. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: I'm drawn to the materiality of it. Consider the woodblock printmaking process itself – the labor involved in carving, in applying pigment, in the multiple impressions needed to create this image. How does the means of production influence our understanding of these women and their offerings? Editor: That's interesting. I hadn’t considered the physical act of creating the print. Curator: Think about the paper, the ink, the blocks themselves. Each element contributes to the final product and its meaning. Are these materials simply tools, or do they carry a social or economic weight? Editor: So, examining the process gives us insight into the context of its creation and reception. Thanks!