Girls pearl-divers 

This print of pearl divers was made by Kitagawa Utamaro, using the Japanese technique of woodblock printing. The process involved carving separate blocks for each color, a painstaking task requiring great skill. Because of the labor involved, it was essentially a collaborative manufacturing process. The artist's vision came to life through the hands of the carvers and printers. Notice how the subtle gradations of color, and the crispness of the lines, lend the image its delicate beauty. Utamaro was working at a time when the merchant class was rising in prominence, and prints like these were made for their enjoyment. They are an example of ukiyo-e, or "pictures of the floating world." As the pearl industry expanded, manual laborers, such as these women, were brought into the capitalist system. It is important to recognize the making of this image as a process rooted in materials, tools, and skilled traditions.