Japanese multicoloured woodblock prints

Multicoloured woodblock prints, or nishiki-e, became established in the latter half of the 18th century. Unlike earlier forms of art, nishiki-e were created for general consumption and could be mass-produced relatively inexpensively. The subjects of nishiki-e include actors, beautiful women, landscapes and celebratory occasions from everyday life including this Topping Out Ceremony, or Jōtō-shiki, which marks the completion of a building's framework when the last beam is put in place. Many nishiki-e portraying the process of construction, from erecting a building frame to topping out, were published during the latter part of the Edo period (1603–1868). This suggests that the celebratory nature of construction milestones were widely appreciated.

One Hundred Famous Views of Edo: Ōdenma-chō Gofukuten

Utagawa Hiroshige 

Ink on paper

1860

Reproduction

After the Topping Out Ceremony, or Jōtō-shiki, the craftsmen parade from the construction site to the master carpenter's home or workshop. The master carpenter walking in front holds a ritual staff, or heigushi, and the next two craftsmen hold the ceremonial arrows, kabuto-ya and kabura-ya. While the craftsmen wear kamishimo (formal male samurai attire), the master carpenter wears a sword and a ceremonial hat called eboshi. His robe is decorated with a family crest of a hammer under crossed chisels.

Four social classes: artisans

Toyokuni Utagawa III 

Ink on paper

1858 

First edition, complete set of 3 prints

Reproduction

The scene depicts the construction process known as tatemae, where the framework of a building is assembled. Carpenters stand on various parts of the scaffolding made of logs, passing materials by hand up from the ground. The construction is progressing from right to left, with the two workers on the right lifting components of the roof structure, while the long piece being raised by the two in the centre is likely to be the ridgepole. The two workers on the left are carrying the kabura-ya (whistling arrow) and heigushi (ritual staff) used in the Jōtō-shiki (Topping Out Ceremony), indicating the framework is almost complete.

Carpenters on a scaffold building a construction

Kōchōrō Kunisada (Toyokuni Utagawa III)

Ink on paper

1843 

Complete set of 3 prints

Reproduction

This print depicts a Jōtō-shiki (Topping Out Ceremony) with an accompanying explanation. Normally, the roof is completed after the ceremony, but in this picture, the event takes place after the roof has already been covered with wooden shingles. The ceremony is being conducted on a stage made of logs, and mochi rice cakes are being thrown down from both sides.