Japanese Woodblock Prints & Meiji Triptychs

Masterpiece Shin-Hanga and Meiji-era Japanese woodblock prints, Kabuki triptychs, and portfolio sheets from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Archival Category: Prints | Era: 19th & 20th Century | Geography: Asia | Holdings: 5 items.

Cataloged Works in this Collection

  • Shin-Hanga Masterpieces Portfolio Album: Yasaka Pagoda in Snow

    Cartographer / Artist: Tokuriki Tomikichirō and Hasui Kawase (Uchida Kyoto Publisher)

    Date: c. 1950

    Medium: Woodblock print portfolio album with gallery documentation

    Dimensions: 13.4 × 18.0 in

    Location: Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan

    This atmospheric Shin-Hanga woodblock print depicts a five-story pagoda towering above snow-draped rooftops and pine branches in Kyoto during a serene winter evening. Utilizing soft color gradations (bokashi) and crisp architectural linework, the print captures the peaceful silence of falling snow clinging to traditional tiled roofs and frozen boughs. The image embodies the poetic nostalgia and refined technical craftsmanship characteristic of mid-20th century Japanese printmaking. The print forms part of an authentic multi-sheet woodblock print portfolio album produced by the celebrated Uchida Woodblock Printing Co. of Kyoto. The album highlights iconic landscape compositions by modern masters, including Hasui Kawase's 'Snow at Yanaka Tennoji' and Tokuriki Tomikichirō's architectural depictions. Each print is tipped onto decorative patterned paper mounts reflective of mid-century art presentation standards. Included with the portfolio is original Uchida Kyoto publishing collateral and vintage documentation from the Ronin Gallery addressed to prominent collector Dr. Joseph R. Rubini. This provenance offers clear historical verification of the portfolio's acquisition and its place within American collections of Japanese graphic arts during the mid-to-late 20th century.

  • Kabuki Actors as Historical Figures: Oda Nobunaga, Akechi Mitsuhide, and Tokugawa Ieyasu

    Cartographer / Artist: Toyohara Kunichika (1835–1900)

    Date: 1878 (Meiji 11)

    Medium: Original woodblock print triptych album sheet with gallery documentation

    Dimensions: 27.7 × 13.5 in

    Location: Tokyo, Japan

    This vivid Meiji-era woodblock print triptych was created in 1878 (Meiji 11) by master printmaker Toyohara Kunichika, depicting renowned Kabuki actors in the roles of legendary Sengoku-period warlords and figures including Oda Nobunaga, Akechi Mitsuhide, and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Set against a striking crimson backdrop—a signature hallmark of late 19th-century Japanese woodblock art—the composition highlights the intense facial expressions (mie poses) and dynamic dramatic interaction characteristic of Kabuki theater. Detailed crests, elaborate brocade costumes, and mythical dragon iconography adorn the figures, demonstrating exceptional carving and printing craftsmanship.\n\nAs one of the final great masters of the ukiyo-e tradition, Kunichika specialized in actor portraits (yakusha-e) during a period of rapid modernization in Japan. The work illustrates how traditional historical dramas (jidai-mono) maintained high popularity among urban audiences during the Meiji period. This multi-panel print preserves both the theatrical performance history of the era and the vibrant aesthetic innovations introduced by modern imported dyes.

  • Kabuki Theater Scene Album Sheet Featuring Kagekiyo and Demon Confrontation

    Cartographer / Artist: Unknown (Japanese School)

    Date: c. 1930

    Medium: Woodblock print portfolio album sheet with color woodcut illustrations

    Dimensions: 9.1 × 6.7 in

    Location: Tokyo, Japan

    This vibrant Japanese woodblock print album sheet features two distinct rectangular panels depicting iconic Kabuki theatrical scenes. The right panel is explicitly labeled with a yellow cartouche reading Kagekiyo (景清), referring to the famous Heian-era warrior Taira no Kagekiyo, a central hero in the Kabuki Juhachiban (Eighteen Greatest Plays). Dressed in elaborate, heavily patterned garments of crimson, yellow, and deep green, Kagekiyo displays dramatic red kumadori makeup, signaling righteous fury and heroic spirit, as he grips a sword guard in a powerful mie pose. The left panel depicts an intense supernatural confrontation between a demon-like antagonist with striking blue kumadori makeup and wild black hair, wielding a wooden mallet, and a devout figure below clad in yellow robes holding Buddhist prayer beads (juzu). Set against rich purple background fields, both scenes exhibit traditional Japanese color block techniques, expressive theatrical facial anatomy, and dynamic linework characteristic of twentieth-century theatrical printmaking.

  • Kabuki Scene Depicting Imōto Otsuru and Seigen

    Cartographer / Artist: Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)

    Date: c. 1855

    Medium: Color woodblock print (nishiki-e) on paper

    Dimensions: 9.6 × 14.1 in

    Location: Edo (Tokyo), Japan

    This dynamic mid-19th-century ukiyo-e woodblock print by Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) depicts a dramatic scene from a Kabuki play. The central figure, labeled in the red cartouche as Imōto Otsuru (Sister Otsuru), is rendered in an elaborate purple kimono adorned with white floral motifs, geometric patterns, and layered red undergarments. She bends dramatically with an outstretched hand, set against a dark background of dense foliage. In the upper-left corner, a circular yellow cartouche displays a brooding portrait labeled Seigen, depicting a bearded male character resting his chin on his folded hands. The composition highlights the emotional tension and theatricality central to late Edo-period Kabuki prints, supported by vibrant pigment saturation and detailed textile rendering. The lower right corner contains the artist's signature (Toyokuni ga) alongside publisher and censor seals.

  • Chūshingura e-kyōdai (Picture Brothers of the Treasury of Loyal Retainers)

    Cartographer / Artist: Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)

    Date: c. 1850

    Medium: Color woodblock print (nishiki-e) on paper

    Dimensions: 9.6 × 13.7 in

    Location: Edo (Tokyo), Japan

    This dramatic mid-nineteenth-century woodblock print by Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) belongs to the series Chūshingura e-kyōdai ('Picture Brothers of the Chūshingura'). The central composition depicts figures dressed in the iconic dark blue haori decorated with bold white saw-tooth (dandara) mountain patterns, directly referencing the theatrical costumes worn by the 47 Ronin during their famous night raid. The main figures engage in an intense, physical struggle while wearing white headcloths (zukin), creating a striking dynamic full of kinetic energy and theatrical emotion. In the upper left circular inset (kagamie), a miniature dramatic scene depicts a key dramatic moment from the Kabuki adaptation of the revenge of the Loyal Retainers, featuring samurai in night-attack attire engaged in combat. To the right, a tall pile of tatami mats with small sake or tea cups on top anchors the background. Printed with rich indigo dyes, fine detailing on textiles, and crisp line work, this sheet exemplifies the peak of late Edo period ukiyo-e printmaking.