Untitled

[Bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) gradation—the technique of applying ink to a block surface that has been partially dampened so that pigment density varies from one end of the impression to the other—is among the most technically demanding aspects of woodblock printing, and this untitled abstract print by Kiyochika likely employs it as a primary compositional tool. In representational work, bokashi serves to model skies, water surfaces, and the atmosphere around light sources. In abstract compositions, it becomes visible as a device in its own right, creating passages of sustained tonal transition that have no equivalent in the flat-color conventions of earlier [ukiyo-e](/glossary/ukiyo-e). Achieving consistent bokashi across multiple impressions of an edition required precise coordination between the printer and the wetted block surface.