Gosho Ningyö (Palace Doll)
Artist: Kawase Hasui
Name: Gosho Ningyö (Palace Doll)
Date: c. 1930
Source: Honolulu Museum of Art
Description: The technology for making color prints had existed in Japan since the 17th century and was used in the printing of mathematical and scientific books. But it was not until the mid-18th century that single-sheet polychrome prints began to appear. A single sheet of paper is precisely positioned on each woodblock with different carved area and colors. Numbers of different colors in a print suggests the numbers of different woodblocks used. Look at the pillow. Can you tell how many woodblocks were used for the pillow alone? (from “Doll! Doll! Doll! / Kawase Hasui” exhibition, 2/14/2003-)