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.
134 Products
Yoshitoshi
In the Moonlight Under the Trees a Beautiful Woman Comes
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Kiyochika
Three Geisha: Kayo of Osaka, Hitosuru of Kyoto, and Kokichi of Tokyo
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Kunichika
Kabuki Actor Ichikawa Sadanji I as Konoha no Minezo
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Kunichika
Geisha from the Hiramatsu Restaurant in Nihonbashi
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Kunichika
Kabuki Actor Ichimura Kakitsu IV in the Play Yagura Daiko Oto mo Yoshiwara
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