Japanese Actors in Woodblock Prints

Vibrant woodblock prints of Japanese actors in traditional clothing, depicting scenes from theater with beautiful colors and intricate patterns.

Woman in kimono by Keisai Eisen, colour woodcut, 1825-1835, 1790-1848, Russia, Moscow, State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, 35, 3x24, 5

Musashibô Benkei drags with a large temple bell, A ferocious looking man drags with a huge temlokloklok. The man is the famous warrior Musashibô Benkei, who, according to tradition, already possessed enormous strength at a young age. Exiled from the Miidera Temple, he tried to drag the temple bell from Miidera to the Enrykuji Monastery on Mount Hiei., Totoya Hokkei (mentioned on object), Japan, c. 1810 - c. 1820, paper, colour woodcut, h 141 mm × w 192 mm

Toyotomi Hideyoshi (February 2, 1536 or March 26, 1537 - September 18, 1598) was a daimyo in the Sengoku period who unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle. He is noted for a number of cultural legacies, including the restriction that only members of the samurai class could bear arms. Hideyoshi is regarded as Japan's second 'great unifier'.

Courtesans of the Three Capitals: Kyoto, Osaka, and Edo. Date: 1777. Origin: Japan. Period: Edo period. Ink and color on silk. Museum: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

Ukon, from the series Pictures of No Performances (Nogaku Zue) 1893-1903 Japan. Color woodblock print . Tsukioka Kôgyo

Ryotoja Kaichin hunter binding in the rain of a fallen attacker / Ryotoja Kaichin, from a series: one hundred eight heroes of Suikoden / Tsuzoku Suikoden Goketssu Hyakuhachi Nin No Hitori Utagawa, kuniyoshi (1797 1861)

Gamo Sadahide's Servant, Toki Motosada, Hurling a Demon King to the Ground at Mount Inahana, from the series "New Forms of Thirty-Six Ghosts (Shinkei sanjuroku kaisen)". Tsukioka Yoshitoshi; Japanese, 1839-1892. Date: 1890. Dimensions: . Color woodblock print; oban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

FIGHT ON THE ROOF BETWEEN THE RIVALS GENPACHI En Shino On the Hotherûkaku, TSUKIOKA YOSHITOSHI, 1887 print A fight between the brothers Inuzuka Shino and Inukai Genpachi on the roof of the Hôryûkaku pavilion. This print depicts a part from the story 'The adventures of the eight dogs of Satomi' (Nansô Satomi Hakkenden), written between 1814-41 by Takizawa Bakin. It talks about the eight brothers who had Princess Fuse as a mother and a dog as a father. To be lost after each other and many adventures and fights later, they recognize each other again by their tattoo. (vertical diptych) paper color woodcut fighting. roof (of house or building)

Close-up of Japanese paper (Washi), Mino, Gifu, Japan

Sparrowhawk (Konori taka) 1711-1721 Japan. Hand-colored woodblock print; vertical o-oban, tan-e . Torii Kiyomasu I

Utagawa Kuniyoshi 1798-1861. Iwanuma Kichirokuro Nobusato Series: One of the Eight Hundred Heroes of the Water Margin of Our Country (Honcho Suikoden goketsu happyakunin no hitori). about 1836. Oban vertical cm 37.4 x 25.6.

Two female penguins. Artist: Sergey Sudeykin (Russian, Smolensk 1882-1946 Nyack). Dimensions: sheet: 12 1/16 x 7 11/16 in. (30.7 x 19.5 cm). Date: n.d.. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi 1798-1861. Sudden Shower in the Summer Heat (Shochu no yudachi). about 1849-1851. Oban vertical triptych cm 37.6 x 25.4 - 37.4 x 25.5 - 37.5 x 25.2.

Actor in Lion Dance costume., 1825 - 1875. Woodcuts., Color; surimono. Paper/Sheet 8 1/16 x 6 7/8 in. (20.5 x 17.5 cm)

Bakst, Leon (1866-1924) Wadsworth Athenaeum, Hartford 1911 68x48,5 Pencil, watercolour, gouache, gold and silver colours on paper

Actor Matsumoto Koshiro III in the role of Soga no Goro, Man, in robe with butterfly and fan patterns, standing, with long sword in hand, in front of a closed gate, Ichikawa Danjûrô V, Ippitsusai Bunchô (mentioned on object), Japan, 1769, paper, colour woodcut, h 315 mm × w 146 mm

The Actors Sawamura Sojuro II as the Chinese Sage Huangshi Gong (on horseback), and Ichikawa Danzo III as the Chinese Warrior Zhang Liang (mounted on a dragon), in the Finale of the Play Otokoyama Yunzei Kurabe (At Mt Otoko, a Trial of Strength in Drawing the Bow), Performed at the Ichimura Theater from the First Day of the Eleventh Month, 1768 1763-1773 Japan. Color woodblock print; hosoban . Katsukawa Shunsho

The Actor Ichikawa Danz IV in the Role of Ono Sadakur ca. 1781 Katsukawa Shun'ei Japanese. The Actor Ichikawa Danz IV in the Role of Ono Sadakur. Katsukawa Shun'ei (Japanese, 1762-1819). Japan. ca. 1781. One sheet of a triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper. Edo period (1615-1868). Prints

Young Samurai and Female Attendants Practicing Archery, Half of a Diptych Utagawa Toyokuni I (Japanese, 1769-1825). Young Samurai and Female Attendants Practicing Archery, Half of a Diptych, ca. 1800. Woodblock print, 15 1/8 x 10 in. (38.4 x 25.4 cm). In addition to his celebrated kabuki actor prints, Toyokuni excelled at pictures of beautiful women, incorporating the long, lithe figure type that had come into vogue with the work of Kitagawa Utamaro (1750-1806) and Torii Kiyonaga (1752-1815) in the preceding decades. Archery was a refined activity associated with the samurai warrior class; the man kneeling in the middle is clearly identified as a young samurai with his shaved forelock and hakama pants. Asian Art ca. 1800

Love couple views a Shunga booklet, Anonymous, 1800 - 1899 print A few views a Shunga booklet. The clothes opened shows the man's member. paper color woodcut scabrous scenes, pornography. penis, phallus

Japan: Konsei Mao or Kotenmao Hazui, one of the 'One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Water Margin', grasping his spear, falls back before an apparition of demons. Woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1863), 1827-1830. The Water Margin (known in Chinese as Shuihu Zhuan, sometimes abbreviated to Shuihu, known as Suikoden in Japanese, as well as Outlaws of the Marsh, Tale of the Marshes, All Men Are Brothers, Men of the Marshes, or The Marshes of Mount Liang in English, is a 14th century novel and one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Attributed to Shi Nai'an and written in vernacular Chinese.

Xie Zhen (Ryotoda Kaichin), from the series "One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Popular Water Margin (Tsuzoku Suikoden goketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori)". Utagawa Kuniyoshi; Japanese, 1797-1861. Date: 1822-1835. Dimensions: 38.8 x 27.0 cm (15 1/4 x 10 5/8 in.). Color woodblock print; oban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Sumo Wrestler, Japanese Prints

A Lohan (disciple of Buddha), with very long eyebrows, seated on a rock. Woodcut in manner of ink stone rubbing, China, 18--

Woman Playing with a Cat, Parody of Nyosan no Miya Suzuki Harunobu (Japanese, 1724-1770). Woman Playing with a Cat, Parody of Nyosan no Miya, ca. 1767. Woodblock color print, Sheet: 26 x 4 5/8 in. (71.0 x 11.8 cm). Asian Art ca. 1767

Japan: The tattooed Zhang Shun or Rorihakucho Cho Jun, one of the 'One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Water Margin', smashes a water-gate with a sword between his teeth. Woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1863), 1827-1830. The Water Margin (known in Chinese as Shuihu Zhuan, sometimes abbreviated to Shuihu, known as Suikoden in Japanese, as well as Outlaws of the Marsh, Tale of the Marshes, All Men Are Brothers, Men of the Marshes, or The Marshes of Mount Liang in English, is a 14th century novel and one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Attributed to Shi Nai'an and written in vernacular Chinese.

Korea: Empress Myeongseong (1851 - 1895), known informally as Queen Min, was the first official wife of Gojong of Korea, the twenty-sixth king of Joseon and the first emperor of the Korean Empire. Portrait in ceramic tiles, Seokbong Ceramic Museum, Seoul, 1997

The Kabuki Actor Segawa Kikunoj II as a Woman Reading a Letter ca. 1760s Torii Kiyomitsu Japanese. The Kabuki Actor Segawa Kikunoj II as a Woman Reading a Letter. Torii Kiyomitsu (Japanese, 1735-1785). Japan. ca. 1760s. Woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Edo period (1615-1868). Prints

Musashi, section of sheet no. 6 from the series "Cutout Pictures of the Provinces (Kunizukushi harimaze zue)". Utagawa Hiroshige ; Japanese, 1797-1858. Date: 1852. Dimensions: 32.5 x 8 cm (12 13/16 x 3 1/8 in.). Color woodblock print; section of harimaze sheet. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Torii Kotondo is known to have made only 21 prints - all of them images of bijin or beautiful women. They belong to the finest works of art of the Shin Hanga movement. Shin hanga ('new prints') was an art movement in early 20th-century Japan, during the Taisho and Showa periods, that revitalized traditional ukiyo-e art rooted in the Edo and Meiji periods (17th-19th century). The movement flourished from around 1915 to 1942, though it resumed briefly from 1946 through the 1950s. Inspired by European Impressionism, the artists incorporated Western elements such as the effects of light and the expression of individual moods, but focused on strictly traditional themes of landscapes (fukeiga), famous places (meisho), beautiful women (bijinga), kabuki actors (yakusha-e), and birds and flowers (kachoga).

Courtesan Admiring Morning Glories while Cleaning Her Teeth 1770-1780 Japan. Color woodblock print; hashira-e . Isoda Koryusai

Jean de Villiers-l'Isle-Adam, Lord of L'Isle-Adam, governor of Paris, 1384-1437. Chromolithograph from Loredan Larchey's Ancien Armorial Equestre de la Toison d'Or et de l'Europe au 15e siecle (Ancient Equestrian Armorials of the Order of the Golden Fleece and Europe in the 15th century), Paris, 1890. From illustrated manuscript 4790 in the Bibliotheque de l'Arsenal.

FemaleImmortal. Artist, attributed to: Kitagawa Utamaro, Japanese, 1753-1806

Bancho Sarayashiki or Bancho Sarayash ('The Dish Mansion at Banchō') is a Japanese ghost story (kaidan) of broken trust and broken promises, leading to a dismal fate. The story of Okiku and the Nine Plates is one of the most famous in Japanese folklore, and continues to resonate with audiences today.

A Mandarin Duck on a Snowy Bank. Utagawa Hiroshige ; Japanese, 1797-1858. Date: 1830-1839. Dimensions: 13 3/8 x 4 1/2 in. Color woodblock print; ko-tanzaku. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Moon and Smoke, Yoshitoshi, Tsukioka

The revenge of the Forty-seven Ronin (Shi-ju-shichi-shi), also known as the Forty-seven Samurai, the Aki vendetta, or the Genroku Aki incident (Genroku aki jiken) took place in Japan at the start of the 18th century. One noted Japanese scholar described the tale as the country's 'national legend'. It recounts the most famous case involving the samurai code of honor, bushidi. The story tells of a group of samurai who were left leaderless (becoming ronin) after their daimyo (feudal lord) Asano Naganori was forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court official named Kira Yoshinaka, whose title was Ki zuke no suke. The ronin avenged their master's honor after patiently waiting and planning for two years to kill Kira. In turn, the ronin were themselves ordered to commit seppuku for committing the crime of murder. With much embellishment, this true story was popularized in Japanese culture as emblematic of the loyalty, sacrifice, persistence, and honor that all good peopl

An Umbrella Jump ca. 1769 Isoda Koryūsai Japanese. An Umbrella Jump 54578

Head of an Unidentified Actor as a countryman in Rags ca. 1793 Katsukawa Shun'ei 川春英 Japanese. Head of an Unidentified Actor as a countryman in Rags 55701

Leaf from an Album Tosa Mitsuyoshi (Japanese, 1539-1613). , 16th century. Hanging scroll, ink and color on paper, Painting Section: 9 11/16 x 8 3/8 in. (24.6 x 21.3 cm). Asian Art 16th century

Utagawa Hiroshige (1797 - October 12, 1858) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, and one of the last great artists in that tradition. He was also referred to as Ando Hiroshige, and by the art name of Ichiyusai Hiroshige. Among many masterpieces, Hiroshige is particularly remembered for 'The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaido' (1834-1842) and 'Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji' (1852-1858).

Japan: Fujiwara no Tsunetsugui (-840 CE), Japanese scholar and diplomat during the Heian Period (794-1185). Kikuchi Yosai, mid-19th century

The Third Sawamura Sojuro as a Man Standing in a Room ca. 1793 Katsukawa Shun'ei 川春英 Japanese. The Third Sawamura Sojuro as a Man Standing in a Room 36786

Raj_mon , Japanese Prints

Tokyo, Akiyama Buemon, Japan, Enkatsu, Noguchi, Yoshitoshi, Tsukioka, Tsuki hyakushi, One Hundred Aspects of the Moon, Ugo no sangetsu - Tokimune, Tokimune and the Moon above the Mountains after Rain, verso - stamped, The hero Tokimune, with drawn sword, looking up at a cuckoo flying by a crescent moon and clouds., print, engraving, prints, engravings, Japan (collection), height 368 mm, width 248 mm, Japanese, 1839 - 1892, print maker, printmaker, 1885-12-10, fourth quarter 19th century, paper, colour woodcut, blind stamping, polishing, block cutter, Publication (Event), Publication, publisher

The Actor Ichikawa Monnosuke II as Otaka Gengo, from Chushingura Katsukawa Shunei (Japanese, 1762-1819). The Actor Ichikawa Monnosuke II as Otaka Gengo, from Chushingura, 1783. Color woodblock print on paper, 11 13/16 x 5 3/4 in. (30.0 x 14.5 cm). Asian Art 1783

Rokugō Ferry between Shinagawa and Kawasaki: The actor Onoe Kikugorō III as Hirai Gonpachi, leaf 2.5 from the series: The 53 stations of the Tōkaido. .

Parody of Matsukaze dancing beneath Yukihira's robe 1766-1776 Japan. Color woodblock print; hashira-e . Isoda Koryusai

Actor Sakata Hangorō III as Tanba no Suketarō, 1791, 8th lunar month, Katsukawa Shun'ei, Japanese, 1762 - 1819, 12 9/16 × 5 11/16 in. (31.9 × 14.4 cm) (image, sheet, hosoban), Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper, Japan, 18th century, Actor Sakata Hangorō III as Tanba no Suketarō in the play Kanagaki Muromachi bundan, performed at the Nakamura Theater in the 8th lunar month 1791. Right panel of a diptych; on the left is Ichikawa Monnosuke II.

Cherry Snow 1906 United States. Color etching on cream Japanese paper . Helen Hyde

Color print by James Ensor depicting the Salon des Cent exhibition in December 1898.

The revenge of the Forty-seven Ronin (Shi-ju-shichi-shi), also known as the Forty-seven Samurai, the Aki vendetta, or the Genroku Aki incident (Genroku aki jiken) took place in Japan at the start of the 18th century. One noted Japanese scholar described the tale as the country's 'national legend'. It recounts the most famous case involving the samurai code of honor, bushidi. The story tells of a group of samurai who were left leaderless (becoming ronin) after their daimyo (feudal lord) Asano Naganori was forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court official named Kira Yoshinaka, whose title was Ki zuke no suke. The ronin avenged their master's honor after patiently waiting and planning for two years to kill Kira. In turn, the ronin were themselves ordered to commit seppuku for committing the crime of murder. With much embellishment, this true story was popularized in Japanese culture as emblematic of the loyalty, sacrifice, persistence, and honor that all good peopl

Contes bleus de ma mère-grand.. Robert-Dumas, Charles (d. 1946). Illustrations. 1912. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection. Snow, Geese, Horses, Winds, Capes (Clothing), Men , Clothing & dress, Girls , Clothing & dress

The caption for this print readsKiyomasu: Theatrical trio (print in hoso-ye form). This art form of theatrical prints had its origin in the large posters displayed outside the theaters as advertisements of the play. Torii Kiyomasi was a Japanese painter and printmaker of the school known as Torii. The style of painting was ukiyo-e. Kiyomasi is believed to have been active in early 1700s. Ukiyo-e is Japanese for "picture or pictures of the floating world."

Woman in Red late 18th century Katsukawa Shunsh Japanese Shunsh was a master at capturing the drama of the moment. He was the founder of the Katsukawa school, which devoted itself to depicting Edo's actors. Shunsh excelled at dramatic designs for pillar prints, which were made to be hung from house posts. He created linear figures that related in ingenious ways to this expressive and demanding shape.In this subtle yet erotic work, Shunsh exploits a single color to accentuate the sweeping lines of his drawing. An ordinary courtesan is defined by the fabric of her clothing, except for one arm, which pierces the folds of her long sleeve. She holds the bottom of this sleeve up to her face in a contrived gesture of modesty. A sheaf of tissue paper is in her other hand. Her simple robe is decorated with tie-dyed dots (kanoko shibori) in the traditional hemp-leaf pattern, a stylized motif often used for clothing.. Woman in Red. Katsukawa Shunsh (Japanese, 1726-1792). Japan. lat

Japan: Red Haired Devil Liu Tang or Sekibakki Ryuto, one of the 'One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Water Margin', half-naked seated on a throne beneath a brocade curtain. Woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1863), 1827-1830. The Water Margin (known in Chinese as Shuihu Zhuan, sometimes abbreviated to Shuihu, known as Suikoden in Japanese, as well as Outlaws of the Marsh, Tale of the Marshes, All Men Are Brothers, Men of the Marshes, or The Marshes of Mount Liang in English, is a 14th century novel and one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Attributed to Shi Nai'an and written in vernacular Chinese.

Courtesan and Her Attendant on a Balcony Overlooking River 1766-1776 Japan. Color woodblock print; hashira-e . Isoda Koryusai

The 1910 image shows: A Song dynasty 960-1279 princess finds a swallow egg. Woodcut from the Book of Famous Women.

Vive La resistance Ukrainienne (Long live the Ukrainian resistance), symbolic painting for the Ukrainian resistance on a house wall, Paris, France, Europe

Japan: Advertising poster for Shiseido Cosmetics, Ginza, Tokyo, 1925

Shunga Album (Woodblock Print) Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, 1753-1806). Shunga Album (Woodblock Print), 18th-19th century. Ink and color on paper, 8 3/4 x 12 1/2 in. (22.2 x 31.8 cm). Asian Art 18th-19th century

Japan: Advertising poster for Shiseido Cosmetics, Ginza, Tokyo, 1925

Geisha Seated dated 1795 Katsukawa Shuntei. Geisha Seated 45792

Actors in a confrontation in a Chinese palace. Colour woodcut by Yoshitaki, early 1860s.

Rank Badge Korea. Rank Badge. Korea. Silk. Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). Textiles-Embroidered

'No dance', Japan, 1904. Artist: Unknown

The ghost of Sakura No Kiuchi Sogoro Ichikawa Udanji is avenges on warriors of the Shogun, 1893 print Vertical triptych with female ghost that attacks two warriors. paper

Exposition poster art in Japan between approximately 1925 and 1941 mirrors the rapid militarisation of society and the growth of militarism, statism and fascism during the Showa Era. In the 1920s expo poster art features elements of modern art and even Art Deco. Themes are whimsical and outward looking, representing Japan's growing importance and influence in the world of international commerce and art. By the 1930s this kind of poster art had grown much more bleak, less concerned with human themes and more directed towards statism and social control. Feminine imagery disappears to be replaced by wheels of industry, with distinct similarities to contemporary Nazi art in Fascist Germany. From the outbreak of full scale hostilities with China through to Pearl Harbour and Japan's entry into World War II, ponderous, heavy machinery, marching soldiers, menacing guns and above all bomber aircraft combine to give the posters a crushing, inhuman, Orwellian aspect. This epitomises Japanese fasc

Sunset Magazine ca. 1900 William Stevens. Sunset Magazine 680853

of 2