Key block for Cherry Blossoms at Omuro

This key block proof strips the finished Omuro cherry blossom print back to its linear foundation, showing the carved outlines before any color impressions are applied. The black lines define the contours of the low-growing cherry trees, the temple structures in the background, and the spatial recession of the grove. Without the soft pink of blossoms or the green of foliage, the composition reads as an architectural blueprint of the image, revealing how Suizan organized the dense visual information of a flowering grove into printable zones. The key block was the first and most critical step in the collaborative woodblock process: the carver's interpretation of the artist's brush drawing determined every subsequent color registration. Seeing this proof alongside the finished color print illuminates the transformation that occurs across ten or more printing stages.