Shiro Kasamatsu - A Glimpse at the Blocks

(June 2003 -- Kyoto, Japan)

Following a cordial greeting, I was then guided by Mr. Yamada into Unsodo's fire-safe storage area, known as a kura. There, on tall staircases of this storage room, where apart from many books and paper supplies stored on several steel shelves, were stored many sets of woodblocks for the prints by Kasamatsu, Okada and likely additional artists. Here then, these valuable woodblocks were kept under the appropriate steady climatic conditions; as changes of temperature and humidity are the worst enemies of woodblocks, causing warping and cracking.

As we can see, during storage each carved face is separated by several layers of newsprint to prevent scratches and damage, with the set of blocks is tied together with a cord. Some of the apparent aging of these old cords tells us how long already the blocks have been stored tied together. On top of each stack is one original print, sometimes two or three for immediate identification and probably an aid for the printer to correctly match the colors for the later reprints. For me, as a collector I somehow feel pain, seeing such excellent prints abused as merely "wrapping paper."

 The Blocks:

Note, on the blocks 8 and 9 we can clearly still see where some paper is left. In the process of making of a print first the "key-block" (No. 1) is carved. Then, several prints on very thin paper are pulled (printed) from this "key-block," showing only the print's black contours, and subsequently glued face down on further blocks, one for each color. Next, the artist or the printer "paints" on each block, or better, the paper on its face, the color, which are the parts to remain (uncarved) on the block. In the final step the carver removes all unnecessary material on the block. (To learn more about the "printing process," see our article article titled "Hanshita," or Black Ink "Key-block" Outlines.")

 The newspaper which was used to wrap the blocks is dated May 25, 2002, thus indicating that the last run of reprints, done by Unsodo's contract printer Toda, was just before this date.

Surprisingly however, the "right" margin of the keyblock - which later becomes the left margin of the paper - does not show any seals!! I expected there to find at least the Unsodo Han "publisher's seal" and the Shinmi/Nagashima "printer/carver seals." I always thought (and this was an understanding I got from Unsodo) that such essential information was a part of the "keyblock," or at least inserted as a "koma", a kind of insert into the "keyblock." Now I learned that these data are printed separately onto the print - so it seems, we never stop to learn appearently! A study of further sets of blocks further confirmed this - no seals on the "keyblocks."

Closing thoughts:     In the end then, "How to end such a day after visiting Unsodo in Kyoto....??"

Simple. I visited the dance festival "Kamogawa Odori," strolled along the famous river banks of the Kamo River, enjoyed together with Japanese friends food and beer, and then finally went back to my home in Tokyo that same evening - the Nozomi Shinkansen Train taking only 2:16 for the 300 miles!!