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.
49 Products
Yoshimori
Arai in Totomi Province: Panoramic View of the Open Sea
JPR-209984
Gekko
Picture of Captain Osawa and Six Others, the Seven-man Suicide Squad from the Warship Yaeyama, Pushing Forward in Rongcheng Bay
JPR-210348
Gekko
The Naval Battle and Capture of Haiyang Island
JP-96290
Kiyochika
Torpedo Fireworks at Nakasu on Sumida River
JP-111894