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.
242 Products
Tomioka, Eisen
Woman Looking at Silhouette of a Prisoner
JP-92768
Yoshitoshi
Buddhist Monk Receives Cassia Seeds on a Moonlit Night
JPR-92050
Chikanobu
Musashi: Moon at Tatsumi, Lord Tsunayoshi, and Lady Osame
JPR-208634
Yoshitoshi
Received Back into the Moon Palace: Bamboo Cutter
JP1-46968
Chikanobu
Two Brothers Choko and Chorei (Zhang Xiao and Zhang Li)
JPR-111290