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.
44 Products
Kunichika
Kabuki Actor Ichikawa Danjuro IX as Matsuomaru
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Kabuki Actor Ichimura Kakitsu IV in the Play Yagura Daiko Oto mo Yoshiwara
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Actors Sawamura Tossho II as Mitsushima Samon, Otani Konohei as a Police Officer (Torite) (R), Nakamura Shikan IV as Jinriki Tamigoro, Nakamura Nakazo III as Kimyo-in (C), Otani Monza as a Bad Guy, and Otani Tomoemon V as Shirataki no Yokichi
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Kabuki Actors Ichikawa Kyuzo, Bando Kakyo, Onoe Kikugoro, Nakamura Dengoro, and Onoe Matsusuke
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Raiko and the Earth Spider with Kabuki Actor Onoe Kikugoro as the Earth Spider
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Children Blowing up Hotei's Belly and Painting It Like Candy
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Even Pigeons Roost at Different Heights According to Seniority; Even Crows Show Filial Piety When the Young Feed Their Parents
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The Fruit of the Tree Is Known from Its Flowers, Fighting Like Dogs and Monkeys
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Hateful Things Are Feared by the World, A Crow Imitating a Cormorant
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A Day Late for the Festival: No Curse from the God You Don't Touch
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