Becoming Modern, Becoming Global: Japanese Prints from the Meiji Period (1868-1912)
In 1868 the Tokugawa military rulers were overthrown by supporters of Emperor Meiji (whose name means “enlightened rule”), marking the end of the Edo period and ushering in a new era of Japanese government. The restoration of the emperor brought centuries of leadership by feudal military lords to an end and set in motion a series of sweeping changes in the Japanese political system. The Meiji period brought practical power of rule back to the emperor but also led to the establishment of a new form of representational government. Meiji-period reforms introduced a constitutional system whereby the rights and powers of hereditary lords were severely limited, new standardized tax laws established, and a host of other measures directed toward the modernization of the country enacted. The Meiji restoration also marked the beginning of a new level of engagement with other nations. For centuries, Japan had operated under a strict isolationist policy, which came to an end just prior to the Meiji period. The impact of global interaction would become a crucial storyline throughout the new era.
By the beginning of the Meiji period, print culture in Japanese cities had been flourishing for well over a century. Pre-Meiji prints feature brightly colored images of actors, courtesans, and scenic views, but the Meiji period’s dramatic social, political, and cultural changes provided a wealth of new subjects for printmakers to capture. This installation presents three groups of Meiji prints-focusing on foreign customs and styles, global warfare, and the modern print-that vividly capture the transformation of Japan.
Zoe S. Kwok
Assistant Curator of Asian Art
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Illustration of the Issuing of the State Constitution in the State Chamber of the New Imperial Palace (Shin kōkyo ni oite seiden kenpō happushiki no zu 新皇居於テ正殿憲法発布式之図)Illustration of the Issuing of the State Constitution in the State Chamber of the New Imperial Palace (Shin kōkyo ni oite seiden kenpō happushiki no zu 新皇居於テ正殿憲法発布式之図), 1889 [Meiji 22], March 14
Meiji era, 1868–1912
Japanese -
Admiral Ding Ruchang of the Chinese Beiyang Fleet, Totally Destroyed at Weihaiwei, Commits Suicide at his Official Residence (Shinkoku hokuyō kantai oite Ikaiei zenmetsu tsui teitoku Tei Joshō waga kaigun teki funō oite kantaku jisatsu zu 清国北洋艦隊於威海衛全滅遂提督丁昌汝我海軍敵不能於官宅自殺啚)Admiral Ding Ruchang of the Chinese Beiyang Fleet, Totally Destroyed at Weihaiwei, Commits Suicide at his Official Residence (Shinkoku hokuyō kantai oite Ikaiei zenmetsu tsui teitoku Tei Joshō waga kaigun teki funō oite kantaku jisatsu zu 清国北洋艦隊於威海衛全滅遂提督丁昌汝我海軍敵不能於官宅自殺啚), 1895 [Meiji 28]
Meiji era, 1868–1912
Japanese -
The Humane Great Japanese Red Cross Medical Corps Tending to the Injured in the Russo-Japanese War (Hakuai naru dai Nihon Sekijūji eiseitai Nichiro sentōchū fushōsha kyūgo no zu 博愛ナル大日本赤十字衛生隊 日露戦闘中負傷者救護之啚)The Humane Great Japanese Red Cross Medical Corps Tending to the Injured in the Russo-Japanese War (Hakuai naru dai Nihon Sekijūji eiseitai Nichiro sentōchū fushōsha kyūgo no zu 博愛ナル大日本赤十字衛生隊 日露戦闘中負傷者救護之啚), 1904 [Meiji 37], printed March 16, published March 20
Meiji era, 1868–1912
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America: a Steam Boat in Motion (Amerika koku jōkisha ōrai 亜墨利加国蒸気者往来)America: a Steam Boat in Motion (Amerika koku jōkisha ōrai 亜墨利加国蒸気者往来), 1861 [Man’en 2/Bunkyū 1], 10th month
Edo period, 1603–1868
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Fireworks at Ike-no-hata (Ike-no-hata hanabi 池の端花火)Fireworks at Ike-no-hata (Ike-no-hata hanabi 池の端花火), 1881 [Meiji 14]
Meiji era, 1868–1912
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Heavy Rain at Ochanomizu Bridge (Ochanomizu-bashi ō-ame 御茶ノ水橋 大雨), from the series “The Distribution Committee of Kiyochika’s Landscape Prints” (Kiyochika fūkei shinga hanpukai 清親風景真画頒布会)Heavy Rain at Ochanomizu Bridge (Ochanomizu-bashi ō-ame 御茶ノ水橋 大雨), from the series “The Distribution Committee of Kiyochika’s Landscape Prints” (Kiyochika fūkei shinga hanpukai 清親風景真画頒布会), ca. 1915 [Taishō 4]
Meiji era, 1868–1912
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Summer Moon at Imado (Imado natsuki(?) 今戸夏月), from the series “Pictures of Famous Places in Tokyo” (Tōkyō meisho zu e 東京名所図絵)Summer Moon at Imado (Imado natsuki(?) 今戸夏月), from the series “Pictures of Famous Places in Tokyo” (Tōkyō meisho zu e 東京名所図絵), 1881 [Meiji 14]
Meiji era, 1868–1912
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Night Scence of Dōgashima in Hakone (Hakone Dōgashima no yakei 箱根堂ヶ島の夜景), from the series “The Distribution Committee of Kiyochika’s Landscape Prints” (Kiyochika fūkei shinga hanpukai 清親風景真画頒布会)Night Scence of Dōgashima in Hakone (Hakone Dōgashima no yakei 箱根堂ヶ島の夜景), from the series “The Distribution Committee of Kiyochika’s Landscape Prints” (Kiyochika fūkei shinga hanpukai 清親風景真画頒布会), ca. 1915 [Taishō 4]
Meiji era, 1868–1912
Japanese
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