About This Print

One of twenty prints contributed by Kotozuka Eiichi (1906-1979) to the series Fifty Kinds of Flowers issued in 1935.  This print, the blocks for which were carved by Eiichi, but published by Unsodo Publishing, show a gekko-like lizard emerging from spreading cucumber vines. 

"In this print the bare paper of the composition is well suited to feature the organic mottled print textures. To achieve this atenashi [bokashi]¹ effect the block and washi paper are quite damp and the baren is used sparingly. The leaves and tendrils are printed from three blocks using three tones of the same blue-grey ink. The ink has been diluted with water, and printed without any starch. The darkest tones of blue were reprinted to give accent to the linework. The buttery yellow flowers and red highlights give a little extra spark to the design."<sup>2

1</sup> Lit. indeterminate shading. A type of fukui bokashi 拭きぼかし, a technique for producing gradated tones (shading) on woodblock prints ukiyo-e 浮世絵. Called 'indeterminate' because the shape and position of the final shaded color area is not fixed and will vary from impression to impression. The technique employs extra water that is sprinkled onto the broad, raised area to print the required color on the woodblock. Next, a small amount of pigment is daubed on and mixed with the water, and an impression is taken. (JAANUS website http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/a/atenashibokashi.htm)
² Baren forum website http://barenforum.org/blog/archives/2005/07/eiichi_kotozuka.html