Tanigami, Konan (1879 - 1928 )
Konan Tanigami was a nihonga painter and printmaker best known for his kacho-e, or “bird-and-flower pictures.” Born in Hyogo Prefecture, he produced five known print albums of Western flowers that were published by the Kyoto-based Unsodo c. 1917-1918. Titled A Picture Album of Western Plants and Flowers (Seiyo Soka Zofu), the series is organized by season. In 1917, Konan produced a series of 24 peony prints for the Teiten (imperial exhibition). Konan’s floral designs were published in three volumes as A Book of Flower Shapes and Forms in 1923 and 1926.
Meiji Period Prints (1868-1912)
Meiji-period woodblock prints reflect an era of change. In 1853, the arrival of Commodore Perry’s black ships brought over 250 years of Japanese isolation to an abrupt end. The following year, as Japan engaged in international trade, Yokohama-e (Yokohama pictures) captured an influx of unfamiliar peoples, places and things entering Japan through Yokohama harbor. By 1868, the Imperial line attained control of the country under Emperor Meiji, terminating the feudal rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate and dissipating the culture of the floating world. Under the emperor, national modernization progressed rapidly. From Western-style clothes and pastimes, to exciting new inventions from overseas, Japan absorbed the massive influx of the foreign and developed a distinctly Japanese modern identity. While photography and lithography gained popularity at this time, the woodblock print continued to serve as a powerful medium. Meiji period artists made sense of a transitioning world with a familiar medium.