A Peddler of Colored Cloth (fukusa)

Art Historical Context

This elegant woodblock print, "A Peddler of Colored Cloth (fukusa)," was created around 1724 by Torii Kiyotomo. At just 32.1 × 14.5 cm, the narrow hosoban format was well suited to intimate scenes of daily life. Executed in the urushi-e technique, the image combines hand-applied color with a glossy black ink mixed with lacquer, producing a subtle sheen that heightens the textures of the fabrics on display. Such early eighteenth-century prints offered affordable glimpses of Edo-period commerce and material culture. Here, a traveling merchant displays bolts of vividly dyed cloth—fukusa being the luxurious silk squares often used for gift-wrapping or tea-ceremony accessories—capturing the vibrancy of urban trade and the growing appreciation for colorful textiles among townspeople. Kiyotomo’s work reflects the Torii school’s skill in lively, accessible imagery before the rise of full-color printing. Preserved in the Art Institute of Chicago’s Arts of Asia collection, the print remains a charming record of both artistic innovation and everyday elegance in Japan’s Edo period.