Portrait of the Meiji Emperor

On view

Asian Art
Huo Pavilion

Portrait of the Meiji Emperor,

1872

Uchida Kuichi 内田九一, 1844–1875; born Nagasaki, Japan; died Tokyo, Japan; active Yokohama, Japan
2009-100
The Meiji era (1868–1912) was a period of transition in Japan from a feudal government ruled by the military Tokugawa shogunate to one modeled after Western political institutions, with the Emperor Meiji as its symbolic leader. Prior to this time, Japan’s imperial family was not seen by the public, and Emperor Meiji was the first to be photographed. The photographer Uchida Kuiichi was awarded the singular honor of being the only artist permitted to photograph the Meiji Emperor in 1872 and again in 1873. In this image, which became the emperor’s official imperial portrait, the Western military uniform has been hand painted with gold accents.

Information

Title
Portrait of the Meiji Emperor
Dates

1872

Maker
Uchida Kuichi 内田九一
Medium
Albumen print with applied color
Dimensions
25.7 × 19.5 cm (10 1/8 × 7 11/16 in.) mat: 43.2 × 35.6 cm (17 × 14 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. George Packer Berry in honor of her husband, Class of 1921 and Charter Trustee of Princeton University, 1956–1969
Object Number
2009-100
Place Made

Asia, Japan, Tokyo

Culture
Japanese
Period
Meiji
Type
hand coloring, photographs, albumen prints, black-and-white photographs
Techniques
hand coloring, albumen process
Subject
regalia, swords, Costumes, chairs, uniforms, tables (support furniture), figures (representations), emperors, portraits, men

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The Museum regularly researches its objects and their collecting histories, updating its records to reflect new information. We also strive to catalogue works of art using language that is consistent with how people, subjects, artists, and cultures describe themselves. As this effort is ongoing, the Museum’s records may be incomplete or contain terms that are no longer acceptable. We welcome your feedback, questions, and additional information that you feel may be useful to us. Email us at collectionsinfo@princeton.edu.

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