Step 3 of 9

Mica and the censor

Detail in the original

Detail in the original

Below the name, there’s an imprint of the seal of the censor. Each print was checked for content, porn and politics by a government worker. Below that, we see the logo of the publisher of the print: Tsutaya Juzaburo (1750-1797), the most famous print publisher.

In the original, it’s all a bit more difficult to see – a side-effect of the luxurious materials of the original print. Materials such as mica pigments were used to get that dark, shiny background. It’s this mineral that gives the print a metallic, luxurious look.

Let’s move on to the actors.