Benzaiten, by Tomikawa Fusanobu

It is difficult these days to get good wood for my work. The people who prepare the blank blocks for me are good at what they do, but what they are not able to do properly is choose good timber; they can only work with what 'comes to them' in the normal course of the modern wood business. In the old days, men scoured the mountainsides looking for particular trees that would suit the requirements of the woodblock carvers, but those days are long gone. The piece I had to use for this print was acceptable ... but just. And it certainly wasn't adequate for the delicate lines of the face.

So I got out my tools and inserted a small plug of boxwood at that place in one of the blocks, a difficult job that was done by specialists in the old days, but which I have had to learn to do myself.

Worth it though!

Blocks: 8 cherrywood (one with boxwood inlay)
Printing impressions: 10

• Keyblock
• Lilac on kimono
• Green on leaves and kimono
• Vermillion underdress
• Light tone on biwa (lute), and footwear
• Tree, and highlights on biwa
• Cherry blossoms
• Grey on lower clothing
• Face (printed on boxwood)
• Background tone