Woodblock print

Object Type
Woodblock prints such as this were produced in large numbers in 18th- and19th-century Japan. They were created by artists, block cutters and printers working independently to the instructions of specialist publishers.This print was published in the 1760s when the techniques of full-colour printing were being perfected. Prints such as this are sometimes called ukiyo-e, which means 'pictures of the floating world'.This world was one of transient delights and changing fashions centred on the licensed pleasure districts and popular theatres found in the major cities of Japan.

Subjects Depicted
Suzuki Harunobu, the artist of this print, was well known for his portrayals of young lovers. Here we see an intimate scene in an apartment in the Yoshiwara, the licensed brothel district of Edo (modern day Tokyo). It is winter and the bamboo trees outside the window are laden with snow. The plum blossoms that decorate the courtesan's kimono also allude to the season. She sits, with her obi (sash) casually tied at the front, at a kotatsu (brazier) covered with a futon (quilt), reading one end of a long scroll letter. Her lover kneels at her side, keeping warm under the covers, reading the other end of the letter.