Kitagawa Utamaro Dōjōji Temple Ukiyoe

Kitagawa Utamaro - Dōjōji Temple Ukiyoe 
 
This is modern reprint of the striking image by Kitagawa Utamaro called Dōjōji Temple.
 
This ukiyoe has been reprinted by the highly regarded woodblock printers in Tokyo: Adachi (their seal is printed on the reverse of the ukiyoe). 
 
The Adachi Institute is well-known for its superior skill in training young artisans. Skilled craftsmen carve the woodblocks, faithfully replicating  the original. Mountain cherry tree wood is used for the woodblocks, and the carver carefully chisels a woodblock for each colour that is used in the woodblock print.
 
When the carving is complete, the printer takes the woodblocks made for each individual colour and prints onto the paper, one colour at a time, just as the original was created.

The printer prints the image onto handmade Japanese paper, and uses water-based pigment inks, exactly as the original woodblock print.
 
This ukiyoe is printed on Echizen kizuki hosho washi, a unique Japanese paper,  which has been handmade by Ichibei Iwano, a living national treasure.
 
The depth of the colours are clear and beautiful. Particularly lovely is the horizontally printed white background which has a pearlescent quality. It illuminates the courtesan's face and pale lemon hair ornaments and fan.
 
The beautiful detail of her black cherry blossom kimono echoes  the fine drawing of her swept up hair. It's a very lovely piece.