Japanese Woodblock Prints

Colorful prints of actors and beauties from traditional Japanese theater, highlighting clothing styles and cultural motifs.

Nakamura shikan III als ushiwakamaru, c. 1837 print Rechter Blad Van DIPTIEK. Nakamura Shikan III als Ushiwakamaru, in Het Stuk "Kiichi Hôgen Sanryaku no Maki", Naka Theater, September 1837. paper color woodcut actor (on the stage). blanket

Ogino Isaburo as Asamajiro; Sanogawa Ichimatsu as Fujitaro. Artist: Torii Kiyonobu (Japanese, 1664-1729). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: H. 12 1/2 in. (31.8 cm); W. 5 7/8 in. (14.9 cm). Date: 1748. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Taira no Tadanori, from the series Six Immortal Samurai Poets (BukeRokkasen). Artist: Yashima Gakutei, Japanese, ca. 1786-1868

Kusonoki Tatewaki Masatsura (Warrior From the Book: Taiheiki). Artist: Yashima Gakutei (Japanese, 1786-1868). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 8 1/4 x 7 1/4 in. (21 x 18.4 cm). Date: ca. 1840. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

The Monkey's Quiver (Utsubo-zaru), from the series "Popular Kyogen Plays (Furyu kyogen asobi)". Isoda Koryusai; Japanese, 1735-1790. Date: 1768-1778. Dimensions: 9 3/4 x 7 14 in. Color woodblock print; chuban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Arashi Murajiro as a Courtesan Holding a Letter, late 1780s. Katsukawa Shunkō (Japanese, 1743-1812). Color woodblock print; sheet: 30.8 x 14 cm (12 1/8 x 5 1/2 in.).

Young woman with parasol in falling snow from the series Snow, Moon and Flowers by Katsukawa Shunsen, c1762-1830, colored woodblock print, circa 1812

Silhouette Image of Kabuki Actor 19th century Japan. Silhouette Image of Kabuki Actor 58270

Actor with a goose in hand, Utagawa Kunisada (I), 1820 print Actor Ichikawa Danjûrô (1791-1859) In the role of Konoshita Tôkichi stands in front of a gate, with an umbrella and a goose pierced in hand. This print is the left sheet of a diptych that is part of a pyramid-shaped triptych; The right leaf and the leaf that hears diagonally above the skin leaves are missing. With one poem on the pillar: 'Praised as the' thousand gourds 'of Naritaya, again a successful season awaits this actor of the first rank' Naritaya was one of the names that Ichikawa Danjûrô used in writing poems. Japan paper color woodcut water-birds: goose

A geisha leans on the box of her shamisen, A geisha reads a letter by candlelight, while she leans against the chest containing her shamisen (stringed instrument). A willow can be seen in the garden through the paper (shoji) windows. The poem on the wall compares the strings of the shamisen with the 'threads' of the willow. Two texts written by two different authors in the letters, courtesan, hetaera, Keisai Eisen (mentioned on object), Japan, 1825 - 1829, paper, polishing, h 211 mm × w 184 mm

The Actor Iwai Hanshiro IV as Otatsu-gitsune in the Play Nue no Mori Ichiyo no Mato, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1770. Ippitsusai Buncho; Japanese, active c. 1755-90. Date: 1765-1775. Dimensions: 31.5 x 14.5 cm (12 3/8 x 5 11/16 in.). Color woodblock print; hosoban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

A Dancer, Kiyohime, a cherry tree and the bell of Dojo-ji. Origin: Japan. Period: Edo period. Ink and color on paper. Date: 1760-1868. Museum: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

The Actor Nakamura Nakazo I as Monk Shunkan in the Play Hime Komatsu Ne no Hi Asobi (Outing to Pick Pine Seedlings on the Rat-Day of the New Year), Performed as the Last Act of Part Two at the Ichimura Theater in the Seventh Month, 1778. Katsukawa Shunko I; Japanese, 1743-1812. Date: 1773-1783. Dimensions: 32.5 x 14.7 cm (12 13/16 x 5 13/16 in.). Color woodblock print; hosoban; probably right sheet of diptych. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

A Monkey Trainer and His Monkey. Okumura Masanobu; Japanese, 1686-1764. Date: 1720-1730. Dimensions: 32.8 x 16.1 cm (13 x 6 1/4 in.). Hand-colored woodblock print; hosoban, urushi-e. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

The Actor Iwai Hanshiro IV in an Unidentified Role 1787-1797 Japan. Color woodblock print; hosoban . Katsukawa Shunsho

The actor Segawa Kikunojo III as Oshizu, wife of Tanabe Bunzo 1794 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban . Tôshûsai Sharaku

The Actors Ichikawa Danjuro V as Hige no Ikyu, Nakamura Riko as Agemaki, and Ichikawa Ebizo as Agemaki's attendant in the play "Sukeroku Yukari no Edozakura" at the Nakamura Theater in the third month, 1784. Torii Kiyonaga; Japanese, 1752-1815. Date: 1779-1789. Dimensions: 35.4 x 24.4 cm (right sheet). Color woodblock print; right sheet of oban diptych. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Sugawara no Michizane. Kondo Kiyoharu; Japanese, active c. 1704-36. Date: 1715-1725. Dimensions: 12 5/8 x 5 15/16 in. Hand-colored woodblock print; hosoban, urushi-e. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

The Actor Nakamura Nakazo I as Taira no Tomomori Disguised as Tokaiya Gimpei, in the Play Yoshitsune Sembon-zakura, Performed at the Morita Theater in the Fourth Month, 1777. Katsukawa Shunsho ; Japanese, 1726-1792. Date: 1772-1782. Dimensions: 31.8 x 14.5 cm (12 1/2 x 53/4 in.). Color woodblock print; hosoban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Yodaime ichikawa danzo, Ichikawa Danzo I., Katsukawa, Shunsho, 1726-1793, artist, between 1776 and 1781, 1 print : woodcut, color ; 30.1 x 14.5 cm., Print shows Ichikawa Danzo I, a kabuki actor, full-length portrait, standing, facing slightly left, holding a sword over right shoulder, possibly in the role of a samurai or as Shoki the demon queller.

A Courtesan Reading a Letter. Chobunsai Eishi; Japanese, 1756-1829. Date: 1815-1830. Dimensions: 87.5 x 31.1 cm. Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA. Author: Chobunsai Eishi.

Kiseru o motsu onna | Library of Congress

Silhouette Image of Kabuki Actor. Artist: Utagawa Yoshiiku (Japanese, 1833-1904). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: Approx. 14 1/2 x 9 1/2 in. (36.8 x 24.1 cm). Date: 19th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

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

Flower saleswoman, Woman with hat and in kimono with pattern of shells, seaweed and waves, carrying a yoke on which bamboo stands with flower arrangements., Okumura Toshinobu (mentioned on object), Japan, 1730 - 1740, paper, copper powder, h 308 mm × w 153 mm

Chinzei Hachirō Tametomo and Oniyashi on a Beach. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892). Japan, 1879, April. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

The Actor Segawa Tomisaburo II in an Unidentified Role 1788-1798 Japan . Katsukawa Shun'ei

Man with bare feet in pine, 1834 print Play player Arashi Rikan II in the role of Matsuemon (Higuchi Jirô Matsuemon), with bare feet in a pine. In the background army banners. Scene from the play "Hiragana Seisuiki", staged in the Naka Theater in the fifth month of 1834. paper color woodcut portrait of actor, actress. climbing up a tree. warfare; military affairs

Saigō Takamori, original name Kichibe or Kichinosuke, literary name Nanshu, was one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history. He lived during the late Edo Period and early Meiji Era, and became a leader of the Meiji restoration. In 1867, Saigos troops supported the Emperor in the Meiji Restoration; with Katsu Kaishu, who was the representative of the Shogunate government, he achieved the bloodless surrender of Edo Castle and successfully conducted the coup detat of 'Osei Fukko' (Restoration of Imperial rule). He was later put in command of over 50,000 samurai, a large segment of the Imperial army. As a 'Sangi' (councillor) in the new government, he helped to push through reforms. His participation in the restoration made him a legendary hero, but the same reforms dissolved the samurai system and caused him to lose his status. In 1873, he resigned his government post after losing in the 'Seikanron' (Debate over conquering Korea). In 1877, with the encouragement of the stude

Prostitute of Osaka, Left Sheet, c. 1745, Ishikawa Toyonobu; Publisher: Urokogataya Magobei, Japanese, 1711 - 1785, 27 7/16 × 9 3/4 in. (69.7 × 24.8 cm) (image, sheet, kakemono-e), Woodblock print (beni-e); ink on paper, with hand-applied color, Japan, 18th century, This print was originally one of a set of three prints. In each print, a young female attendant accompanies a sumptuously dressed woman who is meant to embody one of Japan's major cities: Osaka (shown here), Kyoto, and Edo. In the case of Osaka, the attendant carries a sake ewer and a cup on a ceremonial serving stand. Her mistress seems to be engrossed in a love letter. Each of the prints also bears a poem that associates a flower or tree with the city. In this example, the poem likens the whitened faces of prostitutes to plum blossoms in early springtime

Goyi Hashiguchi (Hashiguchi Goyi, December 21, 1880 - February 24, 1921) was a Japanese painter and woodblock artist. Hashiguchi was born Hashiguchi Kiyoshi in Kagoshima Prefecture. His father Hashiguchi Kanemizu was a samurai and amateur painter in the Shijo style. His father hired a teacher in the Kano style of painting in 1899 when Kiyoshi was only ten. Kiyoshi took the name of Goyo while attending the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, from which he graduated best in his class in 1905.

Yang Zhi (Seimenju Yoshi), 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 26.6 cm (15 1/4 x 10 1/2 in.). Color woodblock print; oban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Immortal Poet. Artist: Kano Shoun (1637-1702). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 7 1/4 × 6 1/2 in. (18.4 × 16.5 cm). Date: 17th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

The Actors Ichikawa Raizo II as Kojiro Masahira (right) and Ichikawa Danzo IV as Doi no Yataro (left), in the Play Kaomise Ama no Iwato, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1774. Katsukawa Shunko I; Japanese, 1743-1812. Date: 1769-1779. Dimensions: 29.6 x 13.7 cm (11 5/8 x 5 3/8 in.). Color woodblock print; hosoban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Awabi or Abalone fishers, ukiyo-e print, Edo period, late 18th century

The Actor Segawa Kikunojo III in an Unidentified Role 1771-1781 Japan. Color woodblock print; hosoban . Katsukawa Shunsho

Funanoya Tsunando, one of the characters in Suikoden" (Water Margin). unknown, author

The Actor Sawamura Sojuro III as the Monk Seigen () in the Play Saikai Soga Nakamura (), Performed at the Nakamura Theater () in the First Month, 1793 (). Katsukawa Shun'ei; Japanese, 1762-1819. Date: 1788-1798. Dimensions: 30.8 x 13.7 cm (12 1/8 x 5 3/8 in.). Color woodblock print; hosoban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Genre Figures, c. 1816. Takebe Sōchō (Japanese, 1760-1814). Triptych of hanging scrolls; ink and color on paper; overall: 125.4 x 49.6 cm (49 3/8 x 19 1/2 in.). Though rarely mentioned in official histories, Socho was an accomplished painter whose talent is readily apparent to the modern eye. For his compositions he chose traditional Japanese stories or everyday events. This painting belongs to a triptych (set of three) that was recently converted from folding screen panels to hanging scrolls.

Spring Rain Collection (Harusame shū), vol. 2: Young Woman with a Birdcage 1810s Ryūgetsusai Shinkō Japanese Surimono are privately published woodblock prints, usually commissioned by individual poets or poetry groups as a form of New Years 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 first song of the warbler (uguisu) announced the coming of spring and was said to sound like hi-tsuki-hoshi (sun, moon, and stars), as expressed in the kyōka poem on this print.. Spring Rain Collection (Harusame shū), vol. 2: Young Woman with a Birdcage 55063

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

Memorial Portrait of the Actor Ichimura Takenojo V. Utagawa Kunimaro I; Japanese, active c. 1850-75. Date: 1851. Dimensions: . Color woodblock print; oban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

The Actor Nakamura Nakazo I as Ippei () in the Play Koi Nyobo Somewake Tazuna (), Performed at the Ichimura Theater () in the Eighth Month, 1778 (). Katsukawa Shunko I; Japanese, 1743-1812. Date: 1773-1783. Dimensions: 32.7 x 15 cm (12 7/8 x 5 7/8 in.). Color woodblock print; hosoban; right sheet of diptych. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Nakamura Sukegoro I holding a sword 1752-1762 Japan. Color woodblock print; o-hosoban, benizuri-e . Torii Kiyoshige

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839 - June 9, 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 feudal 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 outstanding aspects of traditional Japanese culture, among them traditional woodblock printing.

Zhong Kui. Wang Zhen (1866-1938). Hanging Scroll, Ink And Colour On Paper, 1954.

Two actors in the a drama scene

The Yang Guifei Cherry (Y Kihi Zakura), from the series Flower Matching, No. 3 (Hana awase sanban). Artist: Yashima Gakutei, Japanese, ca. 1786-1868

Ichikawa Danjuro II in the Role of Soga Goro from the Play "Yanone". Artist: Torii Kiyonaga (Japanese, 1752-1815). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 14 3/5 x 9 15/32 in. (37.1 x 24.1 cm). Date: ca. 1790.The Torii school dominated the production of prints of Kabuki actors in the eighteenth century. The fourth grandmaster of the Torii school, Kiyonaga, copied this image from a print by Torii Kiyonobu II (1706-1763). The poem at the top of the print was inscribed by Danjuro V, a contemporary of Kiyonaga. As shown here, Danjuro II (1688-1758) performs the role of Soga Goro, a portrayal that made him a superstar as a swaggering aragoto actor. The print captures the dramatic moment when Soga Goro, sharpening an arrow, has a vision of the danger that threatens his elder brother. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Memorial Portrait of the Actor Ichikawa Danjuro IX. Utagawa Kunisada III (Kunimasa IV, Toyokuni V); Japanese, 1848-1920. Date: 1902-1903. Dimensions: . Color woodblock print; oban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Kataoka nizaemon, Katsukawa, Shunʼei, 1762-1819, artist, 1793, printed later, 1 print : woodcut, color., Print shows actor Kataoka Nizaemon, full-length portrait, facing left, wearing ceremonial costume.

Water Margin (known in Chinese as Shuihu Zhuan, sometimes abbreviated to Shuihu), also 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, 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, the story, set in the Song Dynasty, tells of how a group of 108 outlaws gathered at Mount Liang (or Liangshan Marsh) to form a sizable army before they are eventually granted amnesty by the government and sent on campaigns to resist foreign invaders and suppress rebel forces. In 1827, Japanese publisher Kagaya Kichibei commissioned Utagawa Kuniyoshi to produce a series of woodblock prints illustrating the 108 heroes of the Suikoden. The 1827-1830 series, called '108 Heroes of the Water Margin' or 'Tsuzoku Suikoden goketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori', made Utagawa Kuniyoshi's famous.

Courtesan and Two Attendants on New Year's Day ca. 1780s Isoda Korysai A young courtesan dressed in spring finery decorated with plum blossoms and fan motifs promenades with two of her girl attendants called kamuro, bedecked in matching garments. The obi sash tied in front indicates that she is a courtesan of the pleasure quarters since such knots were easier to unravel than those tied behind, as was the custom for most women. The temporary stands of pine boughs and bamboo stalks were set up along Nakanoch, the main thoroughfare of the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters in Edo (present-day Tokyo). The artist Isoda Korysai was born into a warrior-class family but became a masterless samurai (rnin) after the death of the head of his clan. He moved to Edo where he first made prints on samurai themes but soon shifted to the more salable theme of beautiful women. Occasionally he created deluxe paintings for a wealthier clientele.. Courtesan and Two Attendants on New Year's Day. Isoda Korysai

Red Berry Plant and Butterfly Shibata Zeshin Japanese. Red Berry Plant and Butterfly. Shibata Zeshin (Japanese, 1807-1891). Japan. Album leaf; lacquer on paper. Edo period (1615-1868). Paintings

fine arts, Sukenobu, (1671 - 1751), graphics, ""a girl dressing hair of man sitting in front of mirror and playing shamisen"", circa 1730, woodcut, 26 cm x 17,5 cm, private collection, Washington,

It is good to make sake; Saketsukuriyochi; A series for the Hanazono poets association; Hanazono bantsuzuki. A woman makes rice wine (sake) in a large barrel. Behind her are two metal sacrifice bottles. With two poems. The prints from this series are in line with the belief that the first activities of the new year were extra special. The red cartouche on the prints refers to almanacs that indicated which activities did not or better not to be taken on certain days by people born in a given year.

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

Shangguan Wan'er (664-21 July 710), imperial consort rank Zhaorong, posthumous name Wenhui, was the granddaughter of Shangguan Yi (formally Duke of Chu) and was one of the women most famous in Chinese history for her talent. She was a poet, writer and politician of the Tang Dynasty, as well as an imperial consort (concubine) of Emperor Zhongzong.

The Actor Ichikawa Danjuro II as Soga no Goro 1720-1730 Japan. Hand-colored woodblock print; hosoban, tan-e . Torii Kiyomasu II

Portrait of the Artist's Great-Granduncle Yizhai at the Age of Eighty-Five Ruan Zude Chinese dated "xinyou" (1561 or 1621) View more Listen to experts illuminate this artwork's story #7609. Portrait of the Artist's Great-Granduncle Yizhai at the Age of Eighty-Five 0:00 RWSkip backwards ten seconds. FWSkip forwards ten seconds. 0:00 Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio. Here is a link to download the audio instead. View Transcript. Portrait of the Artist's Great-Granduncle Yizhai at the Age of Eighty-Five. Ruan Zude (Chinese, 16th or early 17th century). China. dated "xinyou" (1561 or 1621). Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk. Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Paintings

Chrysanthemum Festival: The Tamaya in Shin-Yoshiwara Edomachi itchōme; the courtesan Shinmachi and her attendants Kitsune and Komatsu, 1830s, Utagawa Kunisada; Publisher: Ōmiya Heihachi, Japanese, 1786 - 1865, 14 1/2 × 9 13/16 in. (36.83 × 24.92 cm) (image, sheet, vertical ōban), Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper, Japan, 19th century

Adorantka - founder with daughter, With two sons and court; copy of the Fresku from Dunhuang; Rong Bao Zhai (1672-); 1951 (1951-00-00-1951-00-00);Sobecka, Chinese (culture), gift (provenance), graphic prints, Chinese art, Lucia (1919-1993), Łucja (1919-1993)-collection

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

"High-Ranking Courtesan" (Oiran), from the series Five Shades of Ink in the Northern Quarter (Hokkoku goshiki-zumi),. Artist: Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, ca. 1754-1806). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: Oban 14 3/4 x 9 3/4 in. (37.5 x 24.8 cm). Date: 1794-95.A high-ranking courtesan (oiran) from the Yoshiwara brothel district is captured by the artist in a private moment. Having just washed herhair, she wets the tip of the brush with her lips as she contemplates writing a letter. The black of her uncoiffed hair and the red accents on her lips, the brush, and the rim of her sleeve contrast with the solid yellow background. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

DRIE COURTISANES, c. 1814 - C. 1815 print The Courtisanes Komurasaki from the Tamaya house, Tachibana from the Tsuruya house and Egawa from the Ebiya house, against a background of flowering peonies. paper color woodcut adult woman (+ three persons). flowers

Li Kui (Kokusenpu Riki, ichimei Ritetsugyu), from the series One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Popular Water Margin (Tsuzoku Suikoden goketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori) 1822-1832 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban . Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Japan: A Meiji Period woodblock print depicting Chikako as she commits suicide by jumping into the Asano River, from a series of prints titled 'Kyodo Risshiki' by Toyohara Chikanobu (1838-1912), c. 1886

KRIJGER MET WAAIER, KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI, 1770-1849 drawing paper brush

Lu Zhishen, nicknamed 'Flowery Monk', is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He is the lead character in the first major story cycle of the novel, in which he comes to epitomise loyalty, strength, justice but also brashness. He ranks 13th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes. Utagawa Kunisada (Japanese: 川国貞; also known as Utagawa Toyokuni III (三代川豊国); 1786 - 12 January 1865) 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.

The Actor Nakamura Nakazo I in the Role of an Evil Courtier, Probably Prince Takahito, Illegitimate Son of Emperor Takakura, Disguised as Aso no Matsuwaka, in Part One of the Play Iro Moyo Aoyagi Soga (Green Willow Soga of Erotic Design), Performed at the Nakamura Theater from the Thirteenth Day of the Second Month, 1775 1770-1780 Japan. Color woodblock print; hosoban . Katsukawa Shunsho

Tattooed Kimmoken Dankeiju with a burning torch under the feet / Kimmoken Dankeiju, from a series: one hundred eight heroes Suikoden / Tsūzoku Suikoden gōtsso hyakuhachi nin no Htori Utagawa, kuniyoshi (1797 1861)

Young Woman Leaning over a Tall Lamp Utagawa Kuniyasu Japanese. Young Woman Leaning over a Tall Lamp 56118

The Actor Ichimura Uzaemon IX as Aza-maru in the Play Yui Kanoko Date-zome Soga, Performed at the Ichimura Theater in the First Month, 1774. Katsukawa Shunsho ; Japanese, 1726-1792. Date: 1769-1779. Dimensions: 31 x 14.6 cm (12 3/16 x 5 3/4 in.). Color woodblock print; hosoban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

Guan Sheng, Sheet 1 from the series: The five tiger generas of the suicides. .

Adultery, totoya hokkei, c. 1825 The warrior Taira No Kiyomori (1118-81) is on cushions, his arms on a support, behind him a sword on a standard. Kiyomori was not of special origin, but he managed to get great power by getting his 3 -year -old grandson on the throne as emperor. With two poems. Japan paper color woodcut

The Actor Ichikawa Ebizo (Danjuro V) as the Lady-in-Waiting Iwafuji in the Play Gozen-gakari Sumo Soga, Performed at the Kawarazaki Theater in the First Month, 1793 ( ) 1788-1798 Japan. Color woodblock print; hosoban; right sheet of diptych ( ) . Katsukawa Shun'ei

featuring the Mikado in person Date: first produced 1885

The Actor Nakamura Riko I as Lady Manko (Manko Gozen) ( ) in the Play Soga Musume Choja ( ), Performed at the Nakamura Theater ( ) in the First Month, 1784 ( ) 1779-1789 Japan. Color woodblock print; hosoban . Katsukawa Shunjô

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

Hotei, late 1300s-early 1400s. Kichizan Minchō (Japanese, 1352-1431). Hanging scroll; ink and slight color on paper; image: 77.5 x 31 cm (30 1/2 x 12 3/16 in.); overall: 160 x 43.8 cm (63 x 17 1/4 in.).

Woman with a fan on the shore, from the series: Ise Monogatari

Emperor Go-Nij (1285 - 1308). 94th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.

The Actor Segawa Kikunojo III as the Lady-in-Waiting Suho Disguised as Tsunokuniya Tsuna, in the Play Shitenno Tonoi no Kisewata, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1781 1776-1786 Japan. Color woodblock print; hosoban . Katsukawa Shunsho

The Actor Nakamura Utaemon I, from "A Picture Book of Stage Fans (Ehon butai ogi)". Katsukawa Shunsho ; Japanese, 1726-1792. Date: 1770. Dimensions: 9 5/8 x 6 in. Color woodblock print; page from illustrated book. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, USA.

The Actor Ichikawa Danzo in a Shibaraku Role Torii Kiyotsune (Japanese, active 1760-1779). The Actor Ichikawa Danzo in a Shibaraku Role, ca. 1777. Color woodblock print on paper, 11 9/16 x 5 3/16 in. (29.3 x 13.2 cm). Asian Art ca. 1777

Fujikawa station: ONOE Tamizô II actor as Sasaki Fujitarô, No. 38 from the series "Pi Ten three stations on him on him

. Fragment batted textile, representing an oriental warrior with shield, in the colors blue, black and red. Put hardboard on linen.

Young man arranging irises in a vase 1773-1828 Japan. Color woodblock print; hashira-e . Utagawa Toyohiro

Cock on Drum. Artist: Totoya Hokkei (Japanese, 1780-1850). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 10 x 7 in. (25.4 x 17.8 cm). Date: ca. 1825. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Young Woman Walking on a Windy Day 1753-1763 Japan. Color woodblock print; hashira-e, benizuri-e . Ishikawa Toyonobu

Scholar Viewing a Painting center of a triptych of Scholar with Heron and Myna, mid 17th century, Kusumi Morikage, Japanese, c. 1620 - 1690, 66 x 11 1/2 in. (167.64 x 29.21 cm) (mounting)36 x 11 1/2 in. (91.44 x 29.21 cm) (image), Ink and color on paper, Japan, 17th century, Japanese hanging scrolls often come in groups of three: a central figure painting flanked by birds, landscapes, or complementary figures. Kusumi Morikage made this triptychs central figure a Chinese scholar whose servant boy holds a pole to display a hanging scroll painting of bamboo. Though unidentified, the scholar is likely Su Dongpo (1037-1101), a famous Chinese statesman, poet, and painter. Bird-and-flower paintings in an abbreviated, quasi-Chinese style complement this portrait of an ancient Chinese literary hero.

The Actor Iwai Hanshiro IV in the Hanagasa Dance in the Play Iromi-gusa Shiki no Somewake, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Ninth Month, 1781 1776-1786 Japan. Color woodblock print; hosoban . Katsukawa Shunjô

Young Woman Returning a Kite to a Young Man 1767-1777 Japan. Color woodblock print; hashira-e . Isoda Koryusai

Kawasaki: The actor Iwai Hanshirō V as Shirai Gonpachi, from the series: The 53 stations of Tōkaido. .

The Actor Nakamura Shikan in as Miyamoto Musashi Hokuei (Japanese, active ca.1824-1837). , ca. 1830. Color woodblock print on paper, 14 3/4 x 10 in. (37.5 x 25.4 cm). Asian Art ca. 1830

Memorial Portrait of Hiroshige. Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) (Japan, Edo, 1786-1865). Japan, 1859, 9th month. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

Kitagawa Utamaro (ca. 1753 - October 31, 1806) was a Japanese printmaker and painter, who is considered one of the greatest artists of woodblock prints (ukiyo-e). He is known especially for his masterfully composed studies of women, known as bijinga. He also produced nature studies, particularly illustrated books of insects.

Nitta Shirō Tadatsune Entering a Cave with a Torch. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892). Japan, 1886, January. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

Sumiyoshi Full Moon, Yoshitoshi, Tsukioka

The actor Kataoka Nizaemon Vll as Iyo no Taro in the play "Seiwa Nidai Oyose Genji," performed at the Miyako Theater in the eleventh month, 1796. Utagawa Kunimasa; Japanese, 1773-1810. Date: 1796. Dimensions: 35.2 x 25.2 cm (13 7/8 x 9 13/16 in.). Color woodblock print; oban. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Tokaido Yotsuya KaidanOnoe Matsusuke as the Ghost of the Murdered Wife Oiwa, in "A Tale of Horror from the Yotsuya Station on the Tokaido Road". Artist: Utagawa Toyokuni I (Japanese, 1769-1825). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: H. 14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm); W. 10 1/8 in. (25.7 cm). Date: 1812. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

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