Suzuki Harunobu 鈴木春信 (1725?-1770)
Wrapping Herself in a Silk Garment
Japan, Edo period (1615-1868), c. 1770
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Gift of James A. Michener, 1991
(24667)

In this print, Harunobu employs the technique of colorless embossing (karazuri) to describe subtly a white, silk robe with which the woman covers her nudity. Though centuries of wear and discoloration have dulled the visual impact that this technique was intended to produce, we can certainly imagine the appearance of the print when the paper was perfectly white and when the shadows cast by the embossing were more easily noticed.

View info on museum database (enabled through support by the Robert F. Lange Foundation)