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.
126 Products
Sadanobu
The Precincts of the Kitano Tenmangu Shrine
JPR-210290
Yoshitoshi
Pulling Young Pines on the Day of the Rat
JPR-209587
Kyosai
Even Pigeons Roost at Different Heights According to Seniority; Even Crows Show Filial Piety When the Young Feed Their Parents
JP-208821
Kyosai
Hateful Things Are Feared by the World, A Crow Imitating a Cormorant
JP-208818
Kyosai
A Day Late for the Festival: No Curse from the God You Don't Touch
JP-208816
Kyosai
A Bell Hanging from a Lantern, Three People Together are as Wise as the Bodhisattva Monju
JP-208815
Kyosai
The Blessings of the Buddha are in Proportion to the Offerings, A God Lives in the Head of an Honest Person
JP-208814
