Hiroshige in Focus: Works Made with Karazuri

Karazuri (embossing) is a technique in which the woodblock is printed without pigment, creating raised and recessed areas in the washi paper. Many artists used this technique to emphasize three-dimensional form and the distinctive texture of washi, applying it to a wide range of subjects, including fur, feathers, plants, snow, and kimono patterns.
Hiroshige made masterful use of this technique, rendering delicate textures such as the snow in his masterwork Kinryuzan Temple at Asakusa and the feathers of birds.