Key block for Autumn at Tsutenkyo

This print reveals the technical skeleton behind Suizan's finished "Autumn at Tsutenkyo" composition, showing only the key block (hangi) impression before color printing begins. The key block, carved from a single cherry-wood plank, carries all the black outlines that define the image's structure: the bridge timbers, leaf clusters, tree trunks, and spatial relationships. Without the overlaid colors that transform the finished print into a blazing autumn scene, the key block impression resembles an ink drawing, exposing Suizan's draftsmanship in its purest form. Key block proofs like this were normally working documents used to align the subsequent color blocks, and their survival as collectible objects reflects modern interest in the craft process behind shin-hanga. Each line visible here was carved in reverse by the block cutter, translating Suizan's brush drawing into the sharp, printable ridges of wood.