Comb (Kushi)

A traditional Japanese comb (kushi) is the sole subject of this 1980 mezzotint and aquatint, techniques that produce rich tonal gradations through the manipulation of a roughened metal plate surface. The kushi, used for both hair grooming and ornamental display, is rendered with the velvety darks and luminous highlights that mezzotint uniquely achieves. The comb's teeth create a rhythmic pattern of parallel lines that echoes the technical process of the mezzotint rocker, which scores the plate with evenly spaced grooves. Saito's choice of an intaglio technique for this subject, rather than the woodblock method used in other works, allows for a subtlety of tonal transition that suits the comb's polished, light-catching surface.