JAPANESE WOOD-CUTTING AND WOOD-CUT PRINTING. 231 



reason why it is made so hard, besides making the filling of twisted 

 cord, is to prevent its bending during use. Moreover, if it were not so 

 hard and rigid, the full stretching of the bamboo sheath would be im- 

 possible. The ribbed surface of the bamboo serves not only to get a 

 sharper impression, by limiting the contact to the ribs, but it also pre- 

 vents the adhesion of the wet paper to the " baren," which would occur, 

 to the spoiling of the paper, if the covering were smooth. The con- 

 tacting surface should be applied only to those parts of the plank which 

 have been left standing in relief. If this precaution is neglected, there 

 is the possibility of smearing from the depressed parts of the block. 

 The direction in the movement of the " baren " should be zigzag, as 

 shown on Plate xi, but if a very small and isolated part of the design is 

 to be printed, it is better to give a lighter rub with the edge of the in- 

 strument. On Plate xn the dotted line shows the direction of the 

 "baren," while the solid curved lines mark the outlines of the design. 

 The rib of the bamboo sheath should be kept as nearly as possible 

 at a right angle to the direction, of the " baren." 



Smearing from the depression* of the block. As the depressions of the 

 cut planks — that is to say, those parts which have been cut away be- 

 tween the lines and masses of the design — are rather shallow, and at 

 the same time in many cases quite extensive, it would seem almost im- 

 possible to prevent the sinking of the sheet into the depressions and 

 taking the color in these places, more especially when the method of 

 applying the printing color with a brush is considered, which makes it 

 impossible to keep the depressions clean. Experienced printers, never- 

 theless, work without fear of smearing, and no special precautions are 

 used to guard against it. 



Registering. As each color requires a separate cut, each plank must 

 have certain fixed marks [registering marks], so that all the sheets may 

 be laid down in exactly the same position, to insure the fitting of each 

 color upon the others. No mechanical means whatever are used, either 

 in placing the sheet, or for holding it in position after it has been placed. 

 The Japanese printer, in these mattersas in all others, depends simply 

 upon experience. The manner of placing the sheet on the block is 

 shown on Plate xiii. The same figure shows also the registering marks 

 on the block or plank, which consist of a rectangular notch | at 



the right, and a straight notch at the left. 



General remarks about printing. The printing may differ in quality, 

 but the method employed is always about the same. The printing of 

 a picture like u Xandina domestica" [which is an imitation of a water 

 color painting without outlines] requires, of course, greater skill than 

 the printing of u Yinaka genji" [which is a drawing in outlines, with 

 colorwashes]. The aim in this case is to produce impressions which 

 an inexperienced eye can hardly distinguish from the original. But 

 there is no special way of treating either class of prints. The difference 

 between the best and the less good is due eutirely to the skill of the 



