Japanese Woodblock Prints

A collection of colorful Japanese woodblock prints featuring historical Kabuki actors in traditional attire and dynamic poses, capturing the essence of Edo-period theatre.

Ichikawa Danjuro V ca. 1780 Katsukawa Shunkō Japanese. Ichikawa Danjuro V 56853

PRINSES SHOKUSHI, 1847-1850 print Hisamatsu looks from the window at his beloved Osome, sitting on the veranda with their farewell letter in her hand. Scene from a kabukitis piece. Poem by Princess Shokushi. paper color woodcut taking leave. group of actors, troupe; actors on the stage. human figure at (open) window, seen from outside - AA - feigned window

The Actor Segawa Kikunojo III in an Unidentified Role 1780-1784 Japan. Color woodblock print; hosoban . Katsukawa Shunsho

Woman Holding a Baby, c. 1823-1825, Utagawa Kunisada, Japanese, 1786 - 1865, 7 5/8 × 4 7/8 in. (19.3 × 12.4 cm) (image, sheet, koban), Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper, Japan, 19th century

Man looks over a curtain. Kabuki actor Ichikaiwa Danjûrô VII (1791-1859) Dressed for his 'Shibaraku' role, looks over a curtain with three ropes at the top. Scene from the play 'Shitennô', a number of times raised in the Tamagawa Theater in Edo in the 1820s. With one poem about the Kiba District where Danjûrô lived, the stacks of wood sing a song on the session of the songbird and the rhythm of the frogs - spring has arrived in Kiba.

Sanbaso Dance in a Brothel (Ageya sanbaso), no. 1 from a series of 12 prints depicting parodies of plays. Okumura Masanobu; Japanese, 1686-1764. Date: 1711-1740. Dimensions: 27.1 x 37.1 cm. Hand-colored woodblock print; oban, sumizuri-e. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839 - 9 June 1892) one of the last great masters of the classical Japanese colour woodcut, here the work Horin Temple Moon

Actor Nakamura Gentaro as Takiguchi's Wife Shinonome Torii Kiyonobu I (Japanese, 1664-1729). Actor Nakamura Gentaro as Takiguchi's Wife Shinonome, circa 1702. Woodblock print, Sheet: 28 x 22 in. (71.1 x 55.9 cm). A sign painter by training, Torii Kiyonobu I was one of the first artists to design actor prints. Such early prints consisted of a single woodblock impression in black. The subject of this print, the actor Nakamura Gentarō, was an onnagata, or specialist in playing female roles. Although Kabuki began with all-female casts, in 1629 the Japanese government prohibited women from participating because their presence onstage was considered too erotic. However, substituting men for women did little to quell audience infatuations. As a result, onnagatas became popular with both potential suitors and followers of fashion. Asian Art circa 1702

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Moon of Enlightenment (Godo no tsuki), from the series "One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (Tsuki hyakushi)". Tsukioka Yoshitoshi; Japanese, 1839-1892. Date: 1881. Dimensions: 35.3 x 24.1 cm (13 7/8 x 9 1/2 in.). Color woodblock print; oban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, FLORENCIA, USA.

Ogura imitation of the one hundred poems. Betrayed by his former beloved kaya, visible in the background, Satô tadanobu, with sword and swamped go game, is ready to defend himself against his opponents. Isami Tomokichirô in battle with Rokuya Ongundayû, who has just thrown a knife in the sword of Tomokichirô. Scene from a Kabukite team. Poem by Sakanoue No Korenori.

The Actor Nakamura Nakazo I as Abe no Sadato ( ) in the Play Date Nishiki Tsui no Yumitori ( ), Performed at the Morita Theater ( ) in the Eleventh Month, 1778 ( ) 1773-1783 Japan. Color woodblock print; hosoban . Katsukawa Shunsho

The Actors Ichikawa Ebizo II as Mushanosuke, Segawa Kikunojo I as Ochiyo, and Matsushima Kichisaburo as Ochiyo's spirit in the play "Higashiyama Gojitsu Yaoya Hanbei," performed at the Nakamura Theater in the eighth month, 1744. Torii Kiyonobu II; Japanese, active c. 1725-61. Date: 1744. Dimensions: 29.9 x 14.5 cm (11 3/4 x 5 11/16 in.). Color woodblock print; hosoban, benizuri-e. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

A tayu (elite courtesan) on parade with her two kamuro (child attendants): a male attendant shields them with a parasol. Colour woodcut, ca. 1850 ().

Daoist immortal Li Tieguai (Japanese: Tekkai). Katsushika Taito II; Japanese, active c. 1810-53. Date: 1825-1849. Dimensions: 35 x 8.5 cm. Color woodblock print; section of harimaze sheet. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Kyoto: The actor Nakamura Utaemon IV as Ishikawa Goemon, Leaf 30 from the series: The 53 stations of the Tōkaidō. .

The Actor Nakamura Nakazo I as Ono Sadakuro in the Play Kanadehon Chushingura, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Fifth Month, 1776. Katsukawa Shunsho ; Japanese, 1726-1792. Date: 1771-1781. Dimensions: 30.7 x 14.8 cm (12 1/16 x 5 13/16 in.). Color woodblock print; hosoban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Takenouchi-no Sukune, from the series: Kotobuki goban-no uchi (Five examples of longevity); surimono. Shigenobu, Yanagawa (1787-1832), graphic artist

The Snow Ball 1770 Suzuki Harunobu Japanese. The Snow Ball 55145

Yan Qing (Roshi Ensei), from the series One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Popular Water Margin (Tsuzoku Suikoden goketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori) 1822-1835 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban . Utagawa Kuniyoshi

The Courtesans Hinazuru and Karauta of the Chojiya Holding a Letter. Isoda Koryusai; Japanese, 1735-1790. Date: 1771-1786. Dimensions: 13 3/4 x 6 3/4 in. Color woodblock print; hosoban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Oiwa (Oiwa-san), from the series One Hundred Ghost Tales (Hyaku monogatari) 1831-1832 Japan. Color woodblock print; chuban . Katsushika Hokusai

Two actors, Ishikawa Komazo III and Ishikawa Monnosuke II, with swords, on the background of a stream, board 20 pasted onto a makimono: Selection of a hundred painters from the Ukiyo e school from Edo /Toto ukiyo e hiakkasen; part 5 TOYOMARU, UTAGAWA (FL.1785 1797)

The Actor Segawa Kikunojo III as Otora in the Play Ume-goyomi Akebono Soga, Performed at the Ichimura Theater in the Third Month, 1780. Katsukawa Shunko I; Japanese, 1743-1812. Date: 1775-1785. Dimensions: 33 x 14 cm (13 x 5 1/2 in.). Color woodblock print; hosoban; left sheet of diptych (). Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

The Actor Ichikawa Omezō I as the Young Daimyo Momonoi Wakasanosuke 1795 (Kanei 7), 4th month Katsukawa Shun'ei 勝川春英 Japanese The Kabuki actor Ichikawa Omezō I (1769?-1833) played the brash, young daimyo Momonoi Wakasanosuke, who along with chief retainer, Kakogawa Honzō, hatched the plot for revenge that is at the heart of popular play “The Treasury of Loyal Retainers” (Kanadehon Chūshingura). (Note that birth date given for Omezō in most sources, 1781, must be wrong, if one takes into account records of his early performances from the mid-1780s.)In 1795, three theaters in Edo performed Chūshingura at the same time, and to commemorate the spectacle, the publisher Iwatoya issued a series of at least sixteen ōban-format prints by Shunei, each with a full-length portrait of one of the main actors performing at the Miyakoza and Kiriza theaters. None has any inscription, except the artists signature and (on most examples) the publishers seal, as here. At the time of the performances, K

The Actor Ichikawa Omezo I as Kamei Rokuro Disguised as the Servant Dadahei in the Play Kimmenuki Genke no Kakutsuba, Performed at the Ichimura Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1791. Katsukawa Shun'ei; Japanese, 1762-1819. Date: 1786-1796. Dimensions: 32 x 14.5 cm (12 5/8 x 5 11/16 in.). Color woodblock print; hosoban; left sheet of diptych (). Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

The Actors Ichikawa Danzo III as I no Hayata Tadazumi (right), and Matsumoto Koshiro II as Osada no Taro Kagemune (left), in the Play Nue no Mori Ichiyo no Mato, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1770 1765-1775 Japan. Color woodblock print; hosoban . Katsukawa Shunsho

Nagasaki, Komojinmen kurobo, Portrait of a red-haired foreigner and a black boy., under print - stamped, Dutchman with long stone pipe in right hand, looking at Javanese servant with tray on which two carafes and a glass. (Nagasaki-e), print, prints, Japan (collection), height 441 mm, width 166 mm, print maker, printmaker, 1840 - 1850, second quarter 19th century, paper, colour woodcut

America”: A Native American Woman on Horseback in the Snow 1860 Utagawa Hiroshige II Japanese In Yokohama prints, created to memorialize the arrival of foreigners in Japan in the mid-1850s, Americans were generally visualized in two different ways: either in fanciful representations of Native Americans, as seen here, or as elaborately garbed white aristocrats. Such stereotypes were created when artists, lacking direct experience of foreigners, relied on visual information through unreliable sources such as newspaper cartoons and other printed ephemera.. America”: A Native American Woman on Horseback in the Snow. Utagawa Hiroshige II (Japanese, 1826-1869). Japan. 1860. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper; vertical ?ban. Edo period (1615-1868). Prints

. A woman mask lying on a piece of brocade. With one poem. The print is a B copy.

The Actor Nakamura Tomijuro I as Akushichibyoe Kagekiyo in the Play Kite Hajime Hatsugai Soga, Performed at the Morita Theater in the First Month, 1774 1769-1779 Japan. Color woodblock print; hosoban; right sheet of diptych ( ) . Katsukawa Shunsho

Kanagawa, Totoya, Hokkei, 1780-1850, artist, between 1860 and 1910 from a print between 1818 and 1830, 1 print : woodcut, color ; 21.7 x 19 cm., Print shows several kinds of fish including an octopus in a tray, possibly representative of the Kanagawa Prefecture.

Tachibana no Hayanari preparing to make the first writing of the New Year 1823 Japan. Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono . Totoya Hokkei

Two Actors; a Scene from the Soga Play. Artist: Kubo Shunman (Japanese, 1757-1820). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 6 3/16 x 7 3/16 in. (15.7 x 18.3 cm). Date: 19th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

China

The Actor Sanjo Kantaro as an Itinerant Buddhist Nun. Artist: Attributed to Kondo Kiyoharu (Japanese, active ca. 1704-1720). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 12 1/4 x 5 3/4 in. (31.1 x 14.6 cm). Date: ca. 1715. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Three Crabs at Waters Edge. Artist: Yashima Gakutei, Japanese, ca. 1786-1868

Takeda Shoungen in the Povincie Kai and Mishima Osen in Izu.; A modern collection of the provinces in the Edo Brocade style; Koto Nishiki Imayo Kunizukushi. Two images of famous heroes; Above: General Takeda Shingen hiding in the reeds; Under: A portrait of the actor One Baiko in the role of the Mishima Osen maid.

Japan: Ten Feet of Green Hu Sanniang or Ichijosei Kosanjo, one of the 'One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Water Margin', using her two swords to block a hail of arrows coming towards her. 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.

Knight Sada Mutsu no Kami Armas on a horse, board 40. From the series: from the life of Taiheiki heroes novels about the Great Peace / Taiheiki Eiyuden Utagawa, kuniyoshi (1797 1861)

The Actor Shinomiya Heihachi I. Attributed to Torii Kiyonobu I; Japanese, 1664-1729. Date: 1698-1708. Dimensions: 28.5 x 14.1 cm (11 1/4 x 5 5/8 in.). Hand-colored woodblock print; hosoban, tan-e. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Actor Otani Oniji with raised sword, standing at Poort; at night., Katsukawa Shunei, 1793 - 1797 print print maker: Japanpublisher: Tokyo paper color woodcut portrait of actor, actress. gate, entrance. hacking and thrusting weapons: sword

Tenaraicho o motsu musume, Young lady carrying a calendar., Utagawa, Kunisada, 1823-1880, artist, 1843., 1 print : woodcut, color ; 36.1 x 24.5 cm (top print), 33.1 x 22.3 cm (bottom print), Print shows a young woman carrying a parasol over her left shoulder and a calendar in her right hand.

Actor Nakamura Shikan IV as Nihon (Yamato) Saemon, print from the series: Toyokuni manga zue" (Toyokuni’s Caricature Pictures). Utagawa, Kunisada I (1786-1864), graphic artist

The Actors Otani Hiroji II as Kawazu Saburo and Nakamura Sukegoro I as Matano Goro in the play Kashiwa ga Toge Kichirei no Sumo, performed at the Ichimura Theater in the eleventh month, 1755 1755 Japan. Color woodblock print; hosoban, benizuri-e . Torii Kiyomitsu I

Katsugorô Fighting, Wife Under Waterfall, Utagawa Kunisada (I), 1856 print Katsugorô in a fight with his enemies, while his deceased wife Hatsuhana appears as a spirit in a waterfall. Scene from the play Izari No Adauchi paper color woodcut group of actors, troupe; actors on the stage. fighting. waterfall

Brush: Ono No Tôfû; Fude - Tôfû; The four comrades of the Ichiyôren writing table; Ichiyôren Bunbô Shiyû. The statesman and calligraft Ono No Tôfû, or Michikaze (894-966) is a red lacquered table. In the tradition of calligraphy, Tôfû is most appreciated for his development of Chinese characters in Japanese style. With two poems.

Takenouchi-no Sukune, from the series Five examples of longevity" (Kotobuki goban-no uchi); surimono, copy. Shigenobu I, Yanagawa (1787-1832), graphic artist

Young Girl with Umbrella, 1830s, Utagawa Kunisada, Japanese, 1786 - 1865, 28 3/8 × 9 5/8 in. (72 × 24.5 cm) (image, sheet, kakemono-e), Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper, Japan, 19th century

The actor Bando Matataro IV as Gempachibyoe in the play Mutsu no Hana Ume no Kaomise ( Snowflakes Plum Blossoms Kaomise ) 1764-1774 Japan. Color woodblock print; hosoban . Katsukawa Shunsho

Susano-o no Mikoto Killing the Eight-headed Dragon. Torii Kiyomasu II; Japanese, 1706 ()-1763 (). Date: 1748. Dimensions: 31.9 x 4.7 cm. Color woodblock print; hosoban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

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

'Harmonious Spirit'. China, late 19th - early 20th century. Dimensions: 30x49 cm. Museum: State Hermitage, St. Petersburg.

Bagu, Saddlery., Kubo, Shunman, 1757-1820, artist, 1810, printed later, 1 print : woodcut, color ; 20.6 x 18.4 cm., Print shows a riding crop leaning against a saddle resting on the ground.

The Actor Ichikawa Danjuro II, 1688-1758 Nishimura Shigenobu Japanese. The Actor Ichikawa Danjuro II, 1688-1758 56107

Takagi Umanosuke and the Ghost of a Woman. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892). Japan, 1866, 10th month. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

Zhang Qing (Botu'usen Chosei), from the series One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Popular Water Margin (Tsuzoku Suikoden goketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori) 1822-1835 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban . Utagawa Kuniyoshi

The Actor Ichikawa Yaozo II as Sakura-maru in the Play Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami, Performed at the Ichimura Theater in the Seventh Month, 1776. Katsukawa Shunsho ; Japanese, 1726-1792. Date: 1771-1781. Dimensions: 31.2 x 13.4 cm (12 5/16 x 5 1/4 in.). Color woodblock print; hosoban; left sheet of triptych. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Minamoto no Tametomo with a Bow. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892). Japan, 1878. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

The Actor Ichikawa Danjuro II as Soga no Goro. Torii Kiyomasu II; Japanese, 1706 ()-1763 (). Date: 1720-1730. Dimensions: 12 1/4 x 6 in. Hand-colored woodblock print; hosoban, tan-e. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Kintoki in fight with a carp, totoya hokkei, c. 1800 - c. 1850 print Kintoki struggles with a carp that swims against a waterfall. With one poem. Japan paper color woodcut bony fishes: carp

A Dandy of More Than Questionable Morals Out Walking on a Cold Day. Artist: Attributed to Ishikawa Toyonobu (Japanese, 1711-1785). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 10 1/2 x 15 in. (26.7 x 38.1 cm). Date: ca. 1728. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Sakakaki Genzo Masakata, Sheet 7 from the series: History of Loyal Fools. Gift by Justus Brinckmann

Urashima Tarō Returning on the Turtle. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892). Japan, 1882, May. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

A Man and a Woman in a Fight, 1832 print A woman falls to the ground during a fight with a man with a bow in his hand. The man is actor Sawamura Gennosuke II (1802-53) and the wife actor Segawa Kikunojô V (1802-32). This may be the Kabuki play Matsuochikara Tomoe No Fujinami, staged in 1831 in the Kawarazaki Theater in Edo. Left part of a diptych, possibly center leaf of a triptych. With three poems. paper color woodcut actor (on the stage). fighting. archer's weapons: bow

The Kiritsubo Chapter from "The Tale of Genji" (Genji Kiritsubo), from a series of Genji parodies. Okumura Masanobu; Japanese, 1686-1764. Date: 1705-1715. Dimensions: 37.3 x 38.3 cm. Woodblock print; oban, sumizuri-e. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

The Actor Nakamura Nakazō in the Role of Kan Shōjō ca. 1780 Katsukawa Shunshō　川春章 Japanese Based on the legend of Sugawara Michizane, Sugawara's Secrets of Calligraphy (Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami) became one of the most popular Kabuki plays. In it, Kan Shōjō (Sugawara Michizane; 845-903), a distinguished statesman, poet, and scholar, was deified as the god Tenjin to appease his spirit's righteous vengeance after his death in exile. The storm in this print is the dramatic personification of Michizane's wrathful spirit. The actor Nakamura Nakazō is depicted in a vengeful pose, brandishing a plum branch (the plum was closely associated with Michizane).. The Actor Nakamura Nakazō in the Role of Kan Shōjō 45036

Half-Length Portrait of the Actor Onoe Matsusuke I as Retired Emperor Sutoku in Act Three of the play Kitekaeru Nishiki no Wakayaka (Returning Home in Splendor), Performed at the Nakamura Theater from the First Day of the Eleventh Month, 1780. Katsukawa Shunko I; Japanese, 1743-1812. Date: 1775-1785. Dimensions: 32.1 x 23.5 cm (12 5/8 x 9 1/4 in.). Color woodblock print; aiban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Scene from a legend a woman knocking her attacker Kunisada, UTAGAWA (1786 1864)

Princess Toyotama, daughter of the Dragon King of the Sea, gives birth to the Divine Prince Ugayafuki Aezu, by turning from her human form into a dragon (1886). Toyohara Chikanobu () (1838-1912), better known to his contemporaries as Yoshu Chikanobu (), was a prolific woodblock artist of Japan's Meiji period. His works capture the transition from the age of the samurai to Meiji modernity. In 1875 (Meiji 8), he decided to try to make a living as an artist. He travelled to Tokyo. He found work as an artist for the Kaishin Shimbun. In addition, he produced nishiki-e artworks. In his younger days, he had studied the Kano school of painting; but his interest was drawn to ukiyo-e. Like many ukiyo-e artists, Chikanobu turned his attention towards a great variety of subjects. His work ranged from Japanese mythology to depictions of the battlefields of his lifetime to women's fashions. As well as a number of the other artists of this period, he too portrayed kabuki actors in character,

Woman with washable. Donation Gerhard Schack

The Actor Ichikawa Monnosuke II in an Unidentified Role 1774-1784 Japan. Color woodblock print; hosoban . Katsukawa Shunsho

WRESTLER THE WRESTLER onogawa Kisaburo

TWEE DANSERS EN Een Kind, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, 1808-1861 drawing paper. watercolor (paint) brush

The conflict of the leaders of Minamoto No Yoshitsune and Kajiwara Kagetoki before the Battle of the Gulf of Yashima Utagawa, kuniyoshi (1797 1861)

The Courtesan Umematsu of the Atarashiya Brothel Costumed as an Ohara Maiden early 1790s Ryūkōsai Jokei 光斎如圭 Japanese This exceedingly rare early print by the pioneering Osaka print artist Ryūkōsai presents the courtesan Umematsu dressed as an Oharame, peasant women who brought bundles of charcoal and other goods from the Ohara area, north of Kyoto, into Osaka. She is garbed for a costume parade held in the summer by local courtesans and teahouse attendants.. The Courtesan Umematsu of the Atarashiya Brothel Costumed as an Ohara Maiden 55586

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839 - 9 June 1892) one of the last great masters of the classical Japanese colour woodcut, here the work Received Back Into Moon Palace

The Actor Third Sawamura Sojuro as a Man of High Position. Artist: Katsukawa Shun'ei (Japanese, 1762-1819). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 12 7/16 x 5 17/32 in. (31.6 x 14.1 cm). Date: ca. 1791. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

The Actors Segawa Kikujiro I as Nobutsura's wife Karumo and Otani Oniji I as Tahara Matataro in the play "Shusse Momijigari," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the eleventh month, 1747. Torii Kiyonobu II; Japanese, active c. 1725-61. Date: 1747. Dimensions: 12 x 5 3/4 in. Color woodblock print; hosoban, benizuri-e. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Yashima Gakutei was a Japanese artist and poet who was a pupil of both Totoya Hokkei and Hokusai. Gakutei is best known for his kyoka poetry and surimono woodblock works.

The Actor Sanogawa Mangiku I. Torii Kiyomasu II; Japanese, 1706 ()-1763 (). Date: 1726-1736. Dimensions: 32.7 x 15.6 cm. Hand-colored woodblock print; hosoban, urushi-e. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

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

Courtesan on Parade, Calligraphy in Rubbing Style, from an untitled series of harimaze Katsushika Taito (Japanese, active 1810-1853). Courtesan on Parade, Calligraphy in Rubbing Style, from an untitled series of harimaze, ca. 1830-1844. Color woodblock print on paper, 14 5/16 x 10 1/16 in. (36.4 x 25.5 cm). Asian Art ca. 1830-1844

Yūgiri, leaf 39 from the series: Genji clouds together with Ukiyo-e. Donation Gerhard Schack

A Group Enjoying Themselves at a Tea House Near Mount Fuji. Date: c. 1875. Dimensions: 22.9 cm x 16 cm. Museum: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. Author: ONBEKEND.

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

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839 - 9 June 1892) one of the last great masters of the classical Japanese woodblock print, here the work Monkey-music Moon

Ichikawa Danjuro IX ALS SOGA NO GORO TOKIMUNE, TORII KIYOTADA, 1896 print The actor Ichikawa Danjuro IX in the role of Soga No Goro Tokimune, with both hands on stick; The white stylized butterfly motif on its red sleeves is the emblem of Soga No Goro Tokimune; The squares symbol and the langoustine on his armor are emblems of the Ichikawa family. paper color woodcut / polishing portrait of actor, actress

Chief Kagesuge on a penalty of a horse flowing through the Uji River / Ujigawa Kassen No Zu Utagawa, kuniyoshi (1797 1861)

Kunisada, Actor in Nakamura Shika's play Motomishi hana otogi Heike (The follower from Taira's family), 1828-29, colored woodblock print, graphics

Actor Dancing the Fox Dance Utagawa Toyomaru (Japanese, active 1785-1797). Actor Dancing the Fox Dance, ca. 1780. Color woodblock print on paper, 11 1/8 x 5 3/8 in. (28.3 x 13.7 cm). Asian Art ca. 1780

Onoe Matsusuke in the Role of Asahina in "Edo no Haru Meisho Soga". Artist: Katsukawa Shunsho (Japanese, 1726-1792). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 12 11/32 x 5 1/2 in. (31.4 x 14.0 cm). Date: 1773. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Actor Ichikawa Danjuro, probably as the Rover Sadakuro in the piece over the 47 Ronin. Hosoe, Utagawa Toyomaru, 1790 print Japan paper nishiki-e / color woodcut portrait of actor, actress. rain. standing figure

The Actor Onoe Matsusuke I as Baramon no Kichi in the Play Hatsumombi Kuruwa Soga, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the First Month, 1780. Katsukawa Shunsho ; Japanese, 1726-1792. Date: 1775-1785. Dimensions: 30.5 x 14.6 cm (12 x 5 3/4 in.). Color woodblock print; hosoban; right sheet of diptych. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

The Actors Otani Tomoemon I and Bando Mitsugoro I. Artist: Katsukawa Shunsho (Japanese, 1726-1792). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: Uncut double hosoban 12 3/4 x 11 15/16 in. (32.4 x 30.3 cm). Date: ca. 1776. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

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

New Year Picture of Pair of Door Gods with Knife-mounted Poles early 20th century Unidentified. New Year Picture of Pair of Door Gods with Knife-mounted Poles. Unidentified artist(s), Chinese, early 20th century. China. early 20th century. Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Republic period (191249). Prints

The Actors Ichikawa Danjuro II as Soga no Goro and Ogawa Zengoro as Kudo Suketsune. Date: ca. 1715. Origin: Japan. Period: Edo period. Ink, color, and gold on paper. Museum: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

De Acteur Matsumoto Kóshiró VII, NATORI SHUNSEN, 1935 print Play player Matsumoto Kóshiró VII in the role of the Musashi-Bô Benkei, from the play Kanjinchô (Diptiek). paper color woodcut portrait of actor, actress

The Namazu, also called the Onamazu, is a creature in Japanese mythology and folktales. The Namazu is a gigantic catfish said to cause earthquakes and tremors. Living in the mud under the Japanese isles, the Namazu is guarded by the protector god Kashima, who restrains the catfish using the kaname-ishi rock. Whenever Kashima lets his guard down, Namazu thrashes about and causes violent earthquakes. The Namazu rose to new fame and popularity after the Ansei great earthquakes that happened near Edo in 1855. This lead to the Namazu being worshipped as a god of world rectification (yonaoshi daimyojin), sent by the gods to correct some of the imbalances in the world. Catfish woodblock prints known as namazu-e became their own popular genre within days of the earthquake. They were usually unsigned and often depicted scenes of a namazu or many namazu atoning for their deeds. They were quickly squashed by the Tokugawa Shogunate, the prints censored and destroyed, with only a handful surviving

Paris, Bernard, Émile, Bretonneries, Breton women, Le retour du pardon, Two Breton women and a man on a boat, Three boats are sailing on the river., print, prints, engravings, height 330 mm, width 278 mm, French, 1868-04-28 - 1941-04-16, print maker, printmaker, 1889 - 1889, paper, papier, zincografie, handkleuring

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