When Colour Was Banned: Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s Fabric Dyeing Animals in Late Edo Japan

Why are a fox, squirrel and other animals dyeing clothes beside a river? Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s late Edo print plays with fabric colours, animal names and the clothing restrictions of the Tenpō Reforms. Each character carries a small joke about textiles and language. Explore how Japanese dyeing traditions and witty visual satire came together at a moment of social regulation.