Japanese Woodblock Prints

Vibrant woodblock prints illustrating scenes of Japanese culture, featuring warriors, traditional attire, and dynamic compositions reflecting historical narratives.

Mori Ranmaru, TSUKIOKA YOSHITOSHI, 1868 print The bloody warrior Mori Ranmaru, with a spear in the hands, under a window. paper nishiki-e / color woodcut battle, fighting in general. infections and wounds. the soldier; the soldier's life

Saying: The will can even move mountains and Shōgun Ri and Tiger rocks, from the series: one hundred pictures of Kyōsai. .

HARA HAYATO MASAKATSU, from A Series: Twenty FOUR GENERALS from the Eastern Provinces of Ka / KOYO NIJUSHI SHO NO HITORI Utagawa, kuniyoshi (1797 1861)

Ichikawa Danjūrō VII as Soga no Gorō and Bandō Mitsugorō III as Kobayashi no Asahina in a Soga Play. Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) (Japan, Edo, 1786-1865). 1827. Prints; woodblocks. Surimono; color woodblock print with brass, copper, tin and embossing

Popular ōtsu-e-picture: something rare to which you have been waiting for. .

Mori Ranmaru, TSUKIOKA YOSHITOSHI, 1868 print The bloody warrior Mori Ranmaru, with a spear in the hands, under a window. paper nishiki-e / color woodcut battle, fighting in general. infections and wounds. the soldier; the soldier's life

Summer Willow in the Breeze. Artist: Ishikawa Toyonobu (Japanese, 1711-1785). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 12 7/32 x 5 5/8 in. (31.1 x 14.3 cm). Date: ca. 1748. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

The kabuki actors (right to left) Ichimura Kakitsu IV as Asahina Tobei, Nakamura Shikan IV as Washi no Chokichi and Sawamura Tosshi II as Yume no Ichirobei, IV/1868. Date/Period: 1868. Print. Nishiki-e, oban triptych, colour woodblock print. Height: 37 mm (1.45 in); Width: 25 mm (0.98 in). Author: TOYOHARA KUNICHIKA.

Toki Daishirō Fighting the Demon. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892). Japan, 1865, 2nd month. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

Among the Night's Moon, Yoshitoshi, Tsukioka

Susukida Hayato swinging with a flag, 1868 print Man with a helmet and in a white coat with red emblem on the back, waving with purple-white flag against dark sky with clouds of smoke; Two men in black clothing in the background. paper color woodcut flags (~ signalling)

A fragment of the fight on boats on a rough sea Utagawa, kuniyoshi (1797 1861)

Division of knights on the lake shore HIROSHIGE II, UTAGAWA (1826 1869)

The Actors Ichikawa Masugoro as Kusunoki Masatsura and Hayakawa Denshiro as Shinzaemon in the play Hachijin Taiheiki, performed at the Nakamura Theater in the eleventh month, 1727 1727 Japan. Hand-colored woodblock print; hosoban, urushi-e . Torii Kiyonobu II

Ōtomo no Kanemura Fighting the Usurper Ōtodo Matori. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892). Japan, 1880, February. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

Mori Ranmaru, TSUKIOKA YOSHITOSHI, 1868 print The bloody warrior Mori Rammaru, with a spear in your hands, under a window. paper color woodcut casting weapons: spear. adult man. blood

The Actor Onoe Kikugoro as a Woman Standing by a Gate ca. 1755 Torii Kiyomasu I Japanese. The Actor Onoe Kikugoro as a Woman Standing by a Gate. Torii Kiyomasu I (Japanese, active 1696-1716). Japan. ca. 1755. Woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Edo period (1615-1868). Prints

Samoerai in de Regen, Utagawa Kunisada (i), 1825 print Nacht scene, with actor Ichikawa Danjûrô VII (1791-1859) in the role of Soga No Gorô Tokimune, in the rain with a sword in his hand. This scene comes from the Soga Nakamura play, staged in the Nakamura Theater in Edo in 1825. Right magazine of Triptiek. With one poem. Japan paper color woodcut rain. portrait of actor, actress. hacking and thrusting weapons: sword

KURTYZANA SHIRATAMA Z DOMU UCIECH TAMAYA W EDO MACHI Itchôme W Nowej Yoshiwarze, Kamuro Hachiyo I TSUBAKIgift (provenance), graphics, Japanese (culture), Japanese art

The Actors Ichikawa Danjuro II as Kamada Matahachi and Ichikawa Monnosuke I as Hisamatsu in the play "Osome Hisamatsu Shinju Tamoto no Shirashibori," performed at the Morita Theater, 1720. Torii Kiyonobu I; Japanese, 1664-1729. Date: 1720. Dimensions: 35.4 x 15.4 cm (13 7/8 x 5 7/8 in.). Hand-colored woodblock print; hosoban, urushi-e. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

The big horse circus from Osaka; Osaka Kudari Daikyokuba. Man dressed as a warrior, with sword in court and drum in left hand, on horse in battle with a Hannya (jealous female spirit).

Sagami Jirō and Taira no Masakado Attacking an Opponent on Horseback. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892). Japan, 1883, December. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

In the mountains Yoshino Yoshitsune attacks KakuhanKoreywo, Olgierd (1909-1977)-collection, yoshitsune, gift (provenance), woodcuts, samurai, Japanese art, ukiyo-e

Two actors between flames and smoke, 1862 print TREADERS ONOE TAMIZô II (left) in the role of Mino Shôkuro and Arashi Kichisaburô III (Right) as Ise Shinkuro, in the piece "Keisei ômonguchi", performed in the first month of 1862 in the Naka Theater paper color woodcut portrait of actor, actress

Furuichi Dance (No. 4 of a Set of Four) 19th century Yashima Gakutei Japanese. Furuichi Dance (No. 4 of a Set of Four) 54549

Utagawa Kuniyoshi 1798-1861. Nozarashi Gosuke Series: Men of Ready Money with True Labels Attached. Kuniyoshi Fashion (Kuniyoshi moyo shofuda tsuki genkin otoko). about 1845. Oban vertical.

The Actors Nakamura Nakazo I and Ichikawa Komazo I in the dance scene "Shakkyo" ("The Stone Bridge") in the play "Ima o Sakari Suehiro Genji" ("The Genji Clan Now at Its Zenith"), performed at the Nakamura Theater from the first day of the eleventh month, 1768. Katsukawa Shunsho ; Japanese, 1726-1792. Date: 1763-1773. Dimensions: 29.9 x 14 cm (11 3/4 x 5 1/2 in.). Color woodblock print; hosoban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Kunisada, Actor Ichikawa Danzo VI in the play Heike nyogo ga shima (Island of the Ladies of the Taira family), 1857, colored woodcut, graphics

The Actors Ichikawa Danjuro I as Yamagami Gennai Saemon and Yamanaka Heikuro I as Suzuka no Oji. Torii Kiyomitsu II (Kiyomine); Japanese, 1787-1869; After Torii Kiyonobu I; Japanese, 1664-1729. Date: 1812. Dimensions: 49.4 x 22.9 cm (19 7/16 x 9 in.). Hand-colored woodblock print. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Actors in a confrontation before some steps. Colour woodcut by Kunikazu, early 1860s.

Illustration of Crossing the Sumida River in the Evening, left sheet of a triptych. Date: 1855. Dimensions: 38 cm x 26 cm, 90 cm x 45 cm. Museum: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. Author: TOYOHARA KUNICHIKA.

Utagawa Yoshiiku (1833 - February 6, 1904, also known as or Ochiai Yoshiiku), was a Japanese printmaker and newspaper illustrator. The son of a tea house proprietor, he was a student of Utagawa Kuniyoshi. Utagawa went to school with Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, recognized as the last great masters of Ukiyo (woodblock printing). Eimei nijuhasshuku (28 Famous Murders with Verse)., also known as the 'Bloody Prints', is a collection of Japanese ukiyo-e from the 1860s, which depicted gruesome acts of murder or torture based on historical events or scenes in Kabuki plays. Although most of the works are solely violent by nature, it is perhaps the first known example of ero guro or the erotic grotesque in Japanese culture, an art sub-genre which depicts either erotic or extreme images of violence and mutilation.

Japan: Lei Heng or Soshiki Raio, one of the 'One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Water Margin', attacking Kahushuei, his right fist raised to strike 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.

fine arts, Kunisada, Utagawa, (1786 - 1865), graphics, ""prince Genji vistiting a house of courtesans"", circa 1860, colour woodcut, 35,8 cm x 24,9 cm, Museum of East Asian Arts, Berlin,

Kinugawa Yoemon, with Poem by Harumichi no Tsuraki, from the series Ogura Versions of the One Hundred Poets (Ogura nazorae Hyakunin isshu) 1840-1853 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban . Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Two Men Wearing Yellow Coats and Straw Hats with Red Bows 1840 Yashima Gakutei Japanese. Two Men Wearing Yellow Coats and Straw Hats with Red Bows 54382

Sakata Kintoki Wrestling with a Tengu 1710-1718 Japan. Hand-colored woodblock print; o-oban, tan-e . Torii Kiyomasu I

Shiei Riding a Carp over the Sea. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892). Japan, 1882, May. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

Enormous spider. Katsushika Hokusai (school of) (飾北斎) (Japan, mid- to late 19th century). 19th century. Drawings. Drawing; ink on paper

Murai Chōan Killing His Younger Brother at the Crossroads. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892). Japan, 1886, February. Prints; woodblocks. Diptych; color woodblock prints

Rori Hakucho Chojun (from the series 108 Heroes of the Novel Shui Hu Chuan), late 1820s. Utagawa Kuniyoshi (Japanese, 1797-1861). Color woodblock print; sheet: 38 x 25.7 cm (14 15/16 x 10 1/8 in.).

Mariko station dancing woman, stop 20 on the Tokaido road, from the series: Comparison to fifty three stages on the Tokaido road

The Actor Nakamura Kichibei. Artist: After Okumura Masanobu (Japanese, 1686-1764). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 10 1/4 x 14 11/16 in. (26 x 37.3 cm). Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Tamashima itto tenjiku tokubei tsukimoto inabanosuke, Actors in the roles of Tamashima Itto, Tenjuku Tokubei, and Tsukimoto Inabanosuke., Utagawa, Kuniyoshi, 1798-1861, artist, between 1848 and 1854, 1 print (3 sheets) : woodcut, color ; 36.5 x 24 cm (left panel), 36.7 x 24.5 cm (center panel), 35.8 x 24.4 cm (right panel), Print shows three actors portraying the roles of Tamashima Itto, possibly from the popular play known as Benten Kozo, Tenjuku Tokubei, perhaps the adventurer/magician, and

Orchidee, 1896 print Woman sitting at a folding screen, looking at a running animal at broken flowerpot. paper color woodcut housing. breaking something. animals

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839 - 9 June 1892) one of the last great masters of the classical Japanese colour woodcut, here the work Does The Cuckoo Also Announce its Name

Two men with a huge carp and a woman among rough waves Kunisada, UTAGAWA (1786 1864)

Disobedient Wife and others from Moral Lessons of Good and Evil. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892). Japan, 1880. Books. Album; color woodblock prints

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (30 April 1839 9 June 1892, also named Taiso Yoshitoshi) was a Japanese artist. He is widely recognized as the last great master of Ukiyo-e, a type of Japanese woodblock printing. He is additionally regarded as one of the form's greatest innovators. His career spanned two eras the last years of Edo period Japan, and the first years of modern Japan following the Meiji Restoration. Like many Japanese, Yoshitoshi was interested in new things from the rest of the world, but over time he became increasingly concerned with the loss of many aspects of traditional Japanese culture, among them traditional woodblock printing. Eimei nijuhasshuku (28 Famous Murders with Verse), also known as the 'Bloody Prints', is a collection of Japanese ukiyo-e from the 1860s, which depicted gruesome acts of murder or torture based on historical events or scenes in Kabuki plays. Although most of the works are solely violent by nature, it is perhaps the first known example of ero guro or the

Yamato-e is a style of Japanese painting inspired by Tang Dynasty paintings and developed in the late Heian period. It is considered the classical Japanese style. From the Muromachi period (15th century), the term Yamato-e has been used to distinguish work from contemporary Chinese style paintings (kara-e), which were inspired by Song and Yuan Dynasty Zen Buddhism paintings. The Yamato-e often tell narrative themes with text along with them, show the beauty of nature, e.g. famous places (meisho-e), and the four seasons (shiki-e). The pictures are non-symbolic and have the objective of depicting the beauty in nature. The pictures are often on scrolls that can be hung on a wall (kakemono) or handscrolls (emakimono) that could be read from right to left with the accompanying story or on a folding screen (byoubu) or panel (shouji). Although they received their name from the Yamato period (250-710 CE), Yamato-e pictures rather stand for a style and are not restricted to a particular period.

The Actor Nakamura Kichibei After Okumura Masanobu Japanese. The Actor Nakamura Kichibei 57148

Five Popular Actors as the Gonin Otoko or Five Otokodate, in "Ume Wakana Futaba Soga". Artist: Torii Kiyohiro (Japanese, active ca. 1737-66). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: H. 16 1/4 in. (41.3 cm); W. 11 1/4 in. (28.6 cm). Date: ca. 1755. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Volare Digital Camera

Actors Nakamura Utaemon III as Mino no Shōkurō, Ichikawa Ebijūrō I as Gantetsu, actually Miura Arajirō, and Nakamura Karoku I as the Prostitute Hinazuru, actually Shōkurōs wife Kochō, c. 1823, 1st month, Shunkōsai Hokushū; Publisher: Izutsuya Denbei, Japanese, active c. 1802 - 1832, 14 1/2 × 10 in. (36.83 × 25.4 cm) (sheet, each, approx., vertical ōban), Woodblock prints (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper with mica, Japan, 19th century, Related to the play 'Keisei Ōmonguchi' けいせい廓大門 (The Great Gate of the Licensed Quarter), performed at the Kado Theater, Osaka, in the 1st month of 1823 (Bunsei 6).

The Utter Defeat of the Taira Clan in the Great Genpei War at Akama Bay in Nagato Province (Nagato no Akama no ura ni oite Genpei ogassen Heike ichimon kotogotoku horobiru zu). Utagawa Kuniyoshi; Japanese, 1779-1861. Date: 1840-1850. Dimensions: . Color woodblock print; oban triptych. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Falling books on a man with sword, Utagawa Yoshitora, c. 1850 - c. 1880 print paper color woodcut hacking and thrusting weapons: sword. book

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

Actor Nakamura Utaemon IV as Red Shôki, from the series Renowned Dance of Seven Changes (Onagori shosagoto nanabake no uchi)Japanese wookblock print by Hasegawa Sadanobu, 1838.

Oiran () were the courtesans of Edo period Japan. The oiran were considered a type of yujo () 'woman of pleasure' or prostitute. However, they were distinguished from the yujo in that they were entertainers, and many became celebrities of their times outside the pleasure districts. Their art and fashions often set trends among the wealthy and, because of this, cultural aspects of oiran traditions continue to be preserved to this day. The oiran arose in the Edo period (1600-1868). At this time, laws were passed restricting brothels to walled districts set some distance from the city center. In the major cities these were the Shimabara in Kyoto, the Shinmachi in Osaka, and the Yoshiwara in Edo (present-day Tokyo). These rapidly grew into large, self-contained 'pleasure quarters' offering all manner of entertainments. Within, a courtesan’s birth rank held no distinction, which was fortunate considering many of the courtesans originated as the daughters of impoverished families who wer

Captain Asakawa and Kimura Gensho, 1895, Woodcuts, Color, Paper / Sheet 14 9/16 x 10 1/16 in. (37 x 25.5 cm)

New Year Picture of Door Gods of Fortune, Emolument, and Longevity (paired with CP392, right) early 20th century Unidentified artist(s). New Year Picture of Door Gods of Fortune, Emolument, and Longevity (paired with CP392, right). Unidentified artist(s) , Chinese, early 20th century. China. early 20th century. Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Republic period (191249). Prints

Woman walking through the snow, Kajita Hanko, 1900 - 1917 print Woman in beige Kimono on which a purple short jacket, a white cloth on her head, walking through a bald snow landscape. paper color woodcut adult woman. snow. walking - AA - female human figure

Musashibô Benkei drags with a large temple clock, Totoya Hokkei, c. 1810 - c. 1820 print A wild looking man drags with a huge temple clock. The man is the famous warrior Musashibô Benkei, who, according to tradition, had enormous power at a young age. After he was banned from the Miidera Temple, he tried to drag the temple clock from Miidera to the Enrykuji monastery on the mountain Hiei. Japan paper color woodcut adult man. bell ~ acoustic signalling. temple, shrine ~ non-Christian religions

GRABADO JAPONES. Location: PRIVATE COLLECTION. France.

Crabs Near the Water's Edge. Artist: Yashima Gakutei (Japanese, 1786-1868). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 8 x 7 5/16 in. (20.3 x 18.6 cm). Date: ca. 1830.As the poem at the left is by the leader of the Katsushika poetry group, Bunbunsha Kanikomaru (Little Crab), it is not surprising that the subject of this surimono is the tiny benkei crab, drawn, as customary, to appear somewhat comical. The second poem, on the right, is by the important actor and figure in Edo, Ichikawa Danjuro VII, signed Sansho the seventh, his pen name. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Japan: White Spotted Serpent Yang Chun or Hakkaja Yoshun, one of the 'One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Water Margin', grasping his sword with both hands, a waterfall behind him. 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.

Kyogen Dancer Yokoyama Seiki (Japanese, 1793-1865). , 19th century. Hanging scroll, ink and color on silk, Image: 10 1/2 x 16 1/2 in. (26.7 x 41.9 cm). Asian Art 19th century

A Sudden Police Raid on Unlicensed Prostitutes. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892). Japan, 1875, April. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

Rensho arriving at Mt. Koya (Rensho Koya-iri), from the series "Famous Scenes from Japanese Puppet Plays (Yamato irotake)". Okumura Masanobu; Japanese, 1686-1764. Date: 1700-1711. Dimensions: 27.1 x 39.4 cm. Woodblock print; oban, sumizuri-e. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Poetess, One of Pair of Scrolls Depicting a Poet and Poetess Mitsuoki Tosa (Japanese, 1617-1691). , 17th century. Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, Image: 12 3/4 x 19 1/4 in. (32.4 x 48.9 cm). Asian Art 17th century

Sono no Goro without saddle riding to Oiso; Sono No Tokimune Hadaka Uma Ni Nori Oiso Ni Kakeru; Benkei, seen on the back, reading a hand roller; Shinnyo Tsuki; Sketches of Yoshitoshi. Sheet on which two prints are printed in the chuban format.

A Man Attended by a Servant Carrying a Lantern. Artist: After Okumura Masanobu (Japanese, 1686-1764). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 10 1/4 x 14 11/16 in. (26 x 37.3 cm). Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Ukiyo-e, literally 'pictures of the floating world', are a genre of Japanese woodblock prints (or woodcuts) and paintings produced between the 17th and the 20th centuries, featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history, the theatre, and pleasure quarters. It is the main artistic genre of woodblock printing in Japan. Usually the word ukiyo is literally translated as 'floating world' in English, referring to a conception of an evanescent world, impermanent, fleeting beauty and a realm of entertainments (kabuki, courtesans, geisha) divorced from the responsibilities of the mundane, everyday world; 'pictures of the floating world', i.e. ukiyo-e, are considered a genre unto themselves.

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

Seppuku (Hara-Kiri), Handscroll Painting Seppuku (Hara-Kiri), Handscroll Painting, 20th century. Handscroll, ink and color on paper, 11 3/4 x 62 3/4 in. (29.8 x 159.4 cm). Asian Art 20th century

Utagawa Kunisada (1786 January 12, 1865), also known as Utagawa Toyokuni III) was the most popular, prolific and financially successful designer of ukiyo-e woodblock prints in 19th-century Japan. In his own time, his reputation far exceeded that of his contemporaries, Hokusai, Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi.

Beauties of the Three Classes 18th-19th century Yanagi Buncho II Japanese. Beauties of the Three Classes. Yanagi Buncho II (active ca. 1764-1801). Japan. 18th-19th century. Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk. Edo period (1615-1868). Paintings

The Heian Court Calligrapher Ono no Tōfū (894-966); Calligraphy Brush” (Fude), from Four Friends of the Writing Table for the Ichiyō Poetry Circle (Ichiyō-ren Bunbō shiyū)From the Spring Rain Collection (Harusame shū), vol. 1 ca. 1827 Yashima Gakutei Japanese Surimono are privately published woodblock prints, usually commissioned by individual poets or poetry groups s a form of New Year’s greeting card. The poems, most commonly kyōka (witty thirty-one-syllable verse), inscribed on the prints usually include felicitous imagery connected with spring, which in the lunar calendar begins on the first day of the first month. Themes of surimono are often erudite, frequently alluding to Japanese literary classics in both texts and images.. The Heian Court Calligrapher Ono no Tōfū (894-966); Calligraphy Brush” (Fude), from Four Friends of the Writing Table for the Ichiyō Poetry Circle (Ichiyō-ren Bunbō shiyū)From the Spring Rain Collection (Harusame shū), vol. 1 54508

Ichikawa Yaozo lll in the Role of Fuwa no Banzaemon Shigekatsu 1789-1799 Japan. Color woodblock print; hosoban . Tôshûsai Sharaku

Bonito and Gurnard, c. 1835-1839, Utagawa Hiroshige; Publisher: Tsujiya Yasubei, Japanese, 1797 - 1858, 5 7/8 × 8 1/4 in. (15 × 21 cm) (image, horizontal chūban), Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper, Japan, 19th century

Boating on the Sumida River. Utagawa Kunisada II (Japan, 1823-1880). Japan, circa 1860. Prints. Print of chirimen crepe silk

Ukiyo-e print illustration showing Ronin deflecting arrows with a long-handled sword. Dated 1869

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 led 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

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839 - 9 June 1892) one of the last great masters of the classical Japanese woodblock print, here the work Moon and the Helm of a Boat

A Wicked Foreigner Refuses to Pay a Young Prostitute. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892). Japan, 1875, April. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

Japan: Daredevil Third Brother Shi Xiu or Shameisaburo Sekishu, one of the 'One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Water Margin', in a wide hat standing at the base of a castle wall. 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.

China / Japan: Yang Lin (Kinhyoshi Yorin), one of the 'One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Water Margin' holding a sodegarami type of pole weapon. 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.

Emperor Kōkō (孝天皇 Kōkō-tennō, 830 - August 26, 887) was the 58th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Kōkō reigned from 884 to 887. Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was Tokiyatsu (時康親王) or Komatsu-tei. He would later be identified sometimes as 'the Emperor of Komatsu'. This resulted in the later Emperor Go-Komatsu adopting this name (go- meaning 'later', so 'Later Emperor Komatsu' or 'Emperor Komatsu II'). Tokiyatsu Shinnō was the third son of Emperor Nimmyō. His mother was Fujiwara no Sawako. Kōkō had four Imperial consorts and 41 Imperial sons and daughters.

The Laughing Demoness (Warai Hannya), from the series "One Hundred Ghost Tales (Hyaku monogatari)". Katsushika Hokusai ; Japanese, 1760-1849. Date: 1831-1832. Dimensions: 9 15/16 x 7 1/16 in. Color woodblock print; chuban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

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

Above, a man with a closed sack operates a string puppet; below, the man opens the sack to reveal children inside. Colour woodcut, 18--.

Picture Book of Chinese and Japanese Warriors (Wakan ehon sakigake). Artist: Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, Tokyo (Edo) 1760-1849 Tokyo (Edo)). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 8 13/16 × 6 1/8 in. (22.4 × 15.6 cm). Date: 1836. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi 1798-1861. Kamei Rokuro Series. Mirror of the Four Succesful Retainers of Yoshitsune (Yoshitsune koshin shitenno shusse kagami no uchi). Oban vertical triptych.

Ichikawa Danjuro IX ALS DE GEEST VAN KAGEKIYO, TORII KIYOTADA, 1896 print The actor Ichikawa Danjuro IX in the role of the spirit of Kagekiyo, a famous general, in a robe with stylized gourd, leaf and flower patterns. paper color woodcut / polishing portrait of actor, actress

Drawings Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, 1760-1849). Drawings, 1615-1867. Ink with reddish wash on cream colored paper, 8 1/8 x 11 7/16 in. (20.7 x 29 cm). Asian Art 1615-1867

Hoveling and naked people; The big tail. Humorous erotic print; Hoveling, running naked woman and tired naked men.

Women make prints (middle part). Center part of a triptych with women making prints.

Lord Sadanobu Threatens a Demon in the Palace at Night. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892). Japan, 1889, April. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

Murasaki Shikibu (English: Lady Murasaki) (c. 973 c. 1014 or 1025) was a Japanese novelist, poet and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial court during the Heian period. She is best known as the author of The Tale of Genji, written in Japanese between about 1000 and 1012. Murasaki Shikibu is a nickname; her real name is unknown, but she may have been Fujiwara Takako, who was mentioned in a 1007 court diary as an imperial lady-in-waiting. She was raised in her father's household where she learned Chinese, the written language of government, from which women were traditionally excluded. She married in her mid to late twenties and gave birth to a daughter before her husband died, two years after they were married. It is uncertain when she began to write The Tale of Genji, but it was probably while she was married or shortly after she was widowed. In about 1005, Murasaki was invited to serve as a lady-in-waiting to Empress Shi shi at the Imperial court, probably because of her reputation as a wr

Japan, Chikushin, Procession of the Gods of Fortune, From above the gods of fortune walk down in a procession. Daikoku and Ebisu lead the way. With Japanese text., print, image, surimono, prints, images, Japan (collection), height 195 mm, width 252 mm, print maker, printmaker, 1899 - 1899, fourth quarter 19th century, paper, colour woodcut

Actor as Musashibō Benkei in Kanjinchō. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892). Japan, 1879, February. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

of 2