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.
58 Products
Kunichika
Barber: Kabuki Actor Sawamura Tossho II as Misao, the Wife of Takechi Mitsuhide
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Kabuki Actor Ichikawa Sadanji I as Konoha no Minezo
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Kabuki Actors Nakamura Sensho as Sodehagi and Kawarasaki Sakimatsu as Her Daughter
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Kabuki Actor Ichikawa Danjuro as Shibata Katsuie
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Kabuki Actor Ichimura Uzaemon XIII as Jiraiya
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Kabuki Actors Nakamura Sojuro as Akoya, Nakamura Shikan IV as Kagekiyo, and Nakamura Sagisuke
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Kabuki Actor Ichikawa Udanji as Thunder God and Kataoka Gado as Monkey Trainer
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Kabuki Play Modoribashi, Inoue Kikugoro V as the Demon of Mt. Atago Disguised as Sayuri
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The Husband's Beloved Red Hat, Shaking Like the Ghost of the Potato Jelly
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Pulling Young Pines on the Day of the Rat
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Okame Laughing at the Silhouette of a Matsutake Mushroom
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