Craftsman by the Twelve Sign of Zodiac
19th century
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Image: 13 5/8 × 9 5/8 in. (34.6 × 24.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of the Estate of Samuel Isham, 1914
Accession Number
JP212.23
Tags
Art Historical Context
Utagawa Kuniyoshi *Craftsman by the Twelve Signs of the Zodiac*, a vibrant 19th-century woodblock print from Edo period (16151868), captures the ingenuity of ukiyo-e, the "pictures of the floating world" democratized art for everyday people. Produced using intricate woodblock techniques—where artisans carved blocks for ink and color layers on paper—this affordable medium allowed Kuniyoshi's dynamic compositions to reach wide audiences. Measuring about 13½ by 9½ inches, the print exemplifies the precision and bold colors typical of the genre. The artwork depicts human figures engaged with mask...
About the Artist
Utagawa Kuniyoshi · 1797–1861
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861) was born in Edo to the silk-dyer Yanagiya Kichiyemon, originally bearing the childhood name Yoshisaburō. From a young age, he assisted in his family's pattern design work, which sharpened his innate mastery of color and textile motifs that would permeate his later prints. At around twelve years old, his prodigious drawing skills drew the attention of the renowned Utag...