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.
157 Products
Kunichika
Ushiwaka-maru and Benkei on the Gojo Bridge
JP110819
Yoshitoshi
Yoshitsune Learns Martial Arts on Mt. Kurama with a Tengu
JPR1-25000
Kokunimasa (aka Kunimasa V)
Azuma Genji: Baby's First Shrine Visit
JPR-97269
Kunichika
Kabuki Actors Onoe Kikugoro, Kataoka Gado and Bando Kakyo
JP1-51184
Yoshitoshi
Fujiwara no Yasumasa Plays the Flute by Moonlight
JPR1-70129
Yoshitoshi
Taira no Kiyomori Buring with Fever Hallucinates About Hell. Burns with Fever
JP6109
Yoshitoshi
Taira no Kiyomori Sees Skulls of His Victims
JPR-92240
Yoshitoshi
Title Page: Yoshitoshi's One Hundred Views of the Moon
JP-110760
Kunichika
Onoe Kikugoro and Bando Mitsugoro as Courtesans with Nakamura Juzaburo and Bando Minosuke
JP110830
Kunichika
Kyogen: Actors Onoe Matsusuke, Nakamura Fukusuke, and Onoe Kikugoro
JP1-51190
Kunichika
Scene from the Kabuki Play Chujo-hime Taima Engi
JP110452
Kunichika
Ichikawa Gonjuro and Ichikawa Danjuro at the Bath from the Play Kiwametsuki Banzui Chobei
JP110817
Kunichika
Kabuki Scene from the Play Oshu Adachigahara
JP110844
Kunichika
Kabuki Actors Ichikawa Sadanji and Ichikawa Danjuro
JP110824