Stained glass

Stained glass is an uncommon subject in Japanese woodblock prints and points specifically to Nagasaki's Christian heritage. The most likely referent is Ōura Tenshudō (Ōura Cathedral), Japan's oldest extant Gothic-style church, completed in 1864 by French missionaries and later designated a national treasure. Its pointed-arch windows hold imported stained glass that filters the harbor light. Alternatively, the print may depict a window from Urakami Cathedral or another Nagasaki church. Translating the luminous quality of stained glass into mokuhanga is technically demanding — the medium has no equivalent of light passing through colored glass, so the printmaker must rely on saturated color blocks, careful registration, and the contrast between dark lead-came outlines, carved as keyblock lines, and the chromatic panes between them. Bokashi can suggest the diffused glow at the edges of each pane. The subject reinforces the documentary interest in Nagasaki's Christian sites that runs through the body of work attributed to Tagawa Ken, alongside the synagogue, castle, bridge, and natural landmarks of the surrounding prefecture.