Woman Digging Bamboo Shoots in the Snow, or Parody of Meng Zong (Mōsō), from Twenty-Four Paragons of Filial Piety 1755 - 1775

Suzuki Harunobu created this woodblock print, sometime before his death in 1770. The print is made using multiple blocks of wood, each carefully carved and inked with a different color. It is a technically difficult, collaborative process. The image references the story of Meng Zong, one of the Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety. The original story tells of a man who goes out in winter to find bamboo shoots for his ailing mother. This print shows a woman doing the same, in soft colors that bring out the texture of the paper. The labor involved in the printmaking process parallels the hard work depicted in the image. Prints like this were not considered high art at the time, they were made for a mass market. Yet, it is clear that great skill and artistry went into their production. By looking closely at the materials and making of this print, we can appreciate the creative labour that went into it, and challenge traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.