Yokkaichi: The Mie River (station # 44)

Catalog note / 解説

This well-known print, which seems to anticipate animation, is one of several variants in the Academy collection. Prior to conservation, the clever design was obscured by structural problems in the washi, or handmade Japanese paper, including a prominent vertical crease, dents, folds, and losses around the edges. In addition, the print had paper remnants on the verso, or back, and soil and spots. A conservation treatment employed surface-cleaning with a kneaded eraser, and the print’s losses were filled with washi. Weak and folded areas were reinforced from the verso and pressed under weight. After these initial steps, the print was humidified using a permeable material called Gore-tex, gen…