Aizuri-e
Encyclopedia
Aizuri-e literally means “blue printed picture”. The term usually refers to Japanese woodblock prints
that are printed entirely or predominantly in blue. When a second color is used, it is usually red. Even if only a single type of blue ink was used, variations in lightness and darkness (value
) could be achieved by superimposing multiple printings of parts of the design or by the application of a gradation of ink to the wooden printing block (bokashi
).
The theory that aizuri-e production was prompted by the 1842 sumptuary laws
known as the Tenpō reforms
is no longer widely accepted.
Woodblock printing in Japan
Woodblock printing in Japan is a technique best known for its use in the ukiyo-e artistic genre; however, it was also used very widely for printing books in the same period. Woodblock printing had been used in China for centuries to print books, long before the advent of movable type, but was only...
that are printed entirely or predominantly in blue. When a second color is used, it is usually red. Even if only a single type of blue ink was used, variations in lightness and darkness (value
Lightness (color)
Lightness is a property of a color, or a dimension of a color space, that is defined in a way to reflect the subjective brightness perception of a color for humans along a lightness–darkness axis. A color's lightness also corresponds to its amplitude.Various color models have an explicit term for...
) could be achieved by superimposing multiple printings of parts of the design or by the application of a gradation of ink to the wooden printing block (bokashi
Bokashi (printing)
Bokashi is a technique used in Japanese woodblock printmaking. It achieves a variation in lightness and darkness of a single color by hand applying a gradation of ink to a moistened wooden printing block, rather than inking the block uniformly...
).
The theory that aizuri-e production was prompted by the 1842 sumptuary laws
Sumptuary law
Sumptuary laws are laws that attempt to regulate habits of consumption. Black's Law Dictionary defines them as "Laws made for the purpose of restraining luxury or extravagance, particularly against inordinate expenditures in the matter of apparel, food, furniture, etc." Traditionally, they were...
known as the Tenpō reforms
Tenpo reforms
The were an array of economic policies introduced in 1842 by the Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan.These reforms were efforts to resolve perceived problems in military, economic, agricultural, financial and religious systems....
is no longer widely accepted.