Weaving the Lines for Nishiki-e: Creativity of Craftsmen in Pre-Modern Japan

This paper aims to re-examine the roles of engravers and printers in the producing process of Nishiki-e, multicolored woodblock prints made in 18th–19th century Japan. Previous research has privileged the creative ideas of artists while regarding the craftsmen’s work as mere reproduction. In contrast, this paper re-evaluates the Nishiki-e production process, comprising publishers, painters, engravers, and printers, as a “meshwork,” a concept proposed by anthropologist Tim Ingold. By examining documents and specific works from three perspectives of imagery, coloring, and texture, this paper argues that the engravers and printers were also deeply involved in selecting lines and colors in the finished work. It reveals that Nishiki-e were products woven through the correspondence between humans and materials, reflecting economic factors and spectators’ pleasure.