A Woman Weaving, Seated at a Hand Loom
Original title: A Woman Weaving, Seated at a Hand Loom
kurzbeschreibung
Around 1796 Kitagawa Utamaro portrayed a woman in traditional Japanese dress absorbed in work at a wooden handloom. The colour woodblock print, made with ink and colour on paper, belongs to ukiyo-e and captures an everyday scene of craft.
Description
Seated behind the wooden loom, the woman grips the cloth beam with both hands. A headscarf covers her head, and her blouse carries a pattern of flowers and leaves. The loom itself is built from several carefully joined parts. A plain, functional room is only hinted at. Muted tones, grey above all, dominate the palette, with accents falling on her clothing and the loom.
Context
Utamaro worked during the Edo period, when woodblock prints were widely circulated. He became known for pictures of women from many social classes, often engaged in ordinary tasks. This sheet comes from a series on the lives of artisans and working women. The weaver reflects the late eighteenth-century interest in women's labour and domestic subjects.
Impact
Her calm, concentrated posture gives the image a quiet dignity. Clear lines and restrained colours produce a harmonious, almost meditative mood. The viewer can sense the precision of the work and the beauty of the everyday.
Technique
For the print, the design was cut into a woodblock and inked. Several blocks carried the different colours and were printed onto Japanese paper. Delicate lines and detailed patterns attest to the high craftsmanship of ukiyo-e printing.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)