Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

This untitled print by Inuzuka Taisui adds to the artist's documented output of shin-hanga kacho-e works. The production of these prints required blocks carved from yamazakura (mountain cherry) wood, chosen for its fine, even grain that could hold the delicate lines needed for botanical detail. A single print design might require ten to twenty separate blocks, each carrying a different color, and the printer had to apply each block in precise alignment using the kento registration system. For flower prints, where petals overlap and colors blend at the edges, even slight misregistration would create visible errors. The technical rigor of this process ensured that each impression of a Taisui design maintained the fidelity to his original drawing that botanical subjects demand.