Returning Sails of the Towel Rack

Catalog note / 解説

The year 1765 marked a watershed in the history of Japanese prints. A technological advance increased the number of colour blocks that could be used for each print and thus allowed for the development of full-colour prints, called nishiki-e or 'brocade pictures'. Although unsigned, this print is believed to be by the man credited with the 1765 revolution in Japanese woodblock printing, Suzuki Harunobu. Set in the entertainment quarters of Edo (modern-day Tokyo), the series alludes to the 'Eight Views' theme popular in Chinese painting. The towel on the rack in the bottom left corner is meant to remind us of the sails of boats returning to shore. Materials: Colour print from woodblocks