Sacred Wine Bottles and Yema (Sacred Picture for Dedication in the Temple) 1813

This print, "Sacred Wine Bottles and Yema," was made in Japan by Katsushika Hokusen, likely in the first half of the 19th century. Hokusen was working in a period when the woodblock print was a very popular and highly developed medium. Here, a flat plane of paper becomes the setting for layered cultural meanings, as well as a display of technical virtuosity. The key block is printed first, the other colors added one by one. Note the contrast between the rooster print with its folk charm, the more refined decoration of the bottles, and the elegant calligraphy. The print invites us to consider the distinctions between fine art and craft. Woodblock prints like this one were made for a mass market, and they helped to popularize a uniquely Japanese aesthetic. The work presents a still-life that speaks to the artist’s culture and beliefs, which are all printed in ink onto thin paper.