Woodblock Puzzle No. 6

Woodblock Puzzle No. 6 depicts a traditional Japanese puzzle box (karakuri bako or himitsu-bako), intricately crafted wooden objects that open only through a specific sequence of sliding panels. The "No. 6" designation places this print within a numbered series, suggesting Wako has returned to the subject multiple times to explore different box configurations, angles, or lighting conditions. These puzzle boxes, often produced in the Hakone region using the yosegi-zaiku marquetry technique, feature geometric wood-mosaic surfaces that present a demanding technical challenge for a printmaker: each parquetry pattern must be rendered with the kind of linear precision more commonly associated with engraving than lithography. Wako's mastery of the medium allows him to capture the crisp geometry of interlocking wood veneers while preserving the warmth of natural grain, the whole composition set against the deep black ground that defines his signature aesthetic.