Japanese Prints from the Collection | Spencer Museum of Art

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Exhibition

Japanese Prints from the Collection

Japanese Prints from the Collection

Cori Sherman, curator

North Balcony and South Balcony, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

Highlights from the collection provide an overview of printmaking in Japan, from the early 1700s through 1971. Forty-three works on paper include a variety of formats, such as triptychs and other multi-sheet assemblages, a bound book, and a table screen. Most works are examples of the traditional color woodcut techniques popularized in Japan’s Edo period (1615-1868). The images included are of kabuki theater actors, pleasure district courtesans, famous places, historical events and a selection of ghost and demons.

Exhibition images

Works of art

Nakamura Utaemon III in six roles, Asayama Ashikuni; Nakamura Utaemon III — Asayama Ashikuni; Nakamura Utaemon III

Nakamura Utaemon III in six roles, 1817, Edo period (1600–1868)

Kishū hidakagawa no tsuki kiyohime (Kiyohime and the Moon over Hidaka River in Kii Province), Toyohara Chikanobu — Toyohara Chikanobu

Kishū hidakagawa no tsuki kiyohime (Kiyohime and the Moon over Hidaka River in Kii Province), 1885, Meiji period (1868–1912)

Yamashiro rokuhara yuki: dajō nyū dō jōkai (#14 Priest Premier Jōkai Looking at Snow in Rokuhara), Toyohara Chikanobu — Toyohara Chikanobu

Yamashiro rokuhara yuki: dajō nyū dō jōkai (#14 Priest Premier Jōkai Looking at Snow in Rokuhara), 1884, Meiji period (1886–1912)

untitled (mitate on Kume Sennin), Suzuki Harunobu — Suzuki Harunobu

untitled (mitate on Kume Sennin), circa 1769, Edo period (1600–1868)

The Courtesan Mitsunotsu of the Ōhishiya Burning Incense, Suzuki Harunobu — Suzuki Harunobu

The Courtesan Mitsunotsu of the Ōhishiya Burning Incense, 1770, Edo period (1600–1868)

Ikarugadera Temple in Early Autumn, Hiratsuka Unichi — Hiratsuka Unichi

Ikarugadera Temple in Early Autumn, 1942, Showa period (1926–1989)

Satomi Hakkenden (The Legend of the Eight Dog-Warriors of the Satomi), Gosōtei Hirosada — Gosōtei Hirosada

Satomi Hakkenden (The Legend of the Eight Dog-Warriors of the Satomi), 1800s, Edo period (1600–1868) or Meiji period (1868–1912)

#47 Fudō Waterfall at Ōji, Utagawa Hiroshige — Utagawa Hiroshige

#47 Fudō Waterfall at Ōji, 1857, 9th month, Edo period (1600–1868)

#55 Komagatadō Azumakyō (The Komagatado Hall and Azuma Bridge), Utagawa Hiroshige — Utagawa Hiroshige

#55 Komagatadō Azumakyō (The Komagatado Hall and Azuma Bridge), 1857, Edo period (1600–1868)

Hokusai manga shichi hen (Hokusai's Sketched Pictures, Volume 7), Katsushika Hokusai — Katsushika Hokusai

Hokusai manga shichi hen (Hokusai's Sketched Pictures, Volume 7), 1817, Edo period (1600–1868)

Bandō Hikosaburō as Hayano Kanpei and Sawamura Tanosuke as Okaru, Kakujujo Meirindō — Kakujujo Meirindō

Bandō Hikosaburō as Hayano Kanpei and Sawamura Tanosuke as Okaru, 1862, 3rd month, Edo period (1600–1868)

Kyōto, Chion-in, Kawase Hasui — Kawase Hasui

Kyōto, Chion-in, 1933, Showa period (1926–1989)

Sugawara no Michizane (The Poet Sugawara no Michizane), Kobayashi Kiyochika — Kobayashi Kiyochika

Sugawara no Michizane (The Poet Sugawara no Michizane), 1884, 2nd month, Meiji period (1868–1912)

actors Hangorō II and Hikosaburō II, Torii Kiyomitsu I — Torii Kiyomitsu I

actors Hangorō II and Hikosaburō II, late 1750s, Edo period (1600–1868)

Russian warships sunk by the Japanese Destroyers, Hayatori and Asagiri, at Port Arthur, 3 a.m. February 14th 1904, Kōkyo — Kōkyo

Russian warships sunk by the Japanese Destroyers, Hayatori and Asagiri, at Port Arthur, 3 a.m. February 14th 1904, 1904, Meiji period (1868–1912)

Jūhachiban no uchi (The 18 Favorites), Toyohara Kunichika — Toyohara Kunichika

Jūhachiban no uchi (The 18 Favorites), 1898, 3rd month, Meiji period (1868–1912)

Scene from Banchō Sarayashiki, Toyohara Kunichika — Toyohara Kunichika

Scene from Banchō Sarayashiki, 1892, 10th month, Meiji period (1868–1912)

Prince Genji Amusing Himself on the beach at Futami, Utagawa Kunisada — Utagawa Kunisada

Prince Genji Amusing Himself on the beach at Futami, 1857, 5th month, Edo period (1600–1868)

courtesans and attendants under a plum tree, Utagawa Kunisada — Utagawa Kunisada

courtesans and attendants under a plum tree, circa 1820s–1830s, Edo period (1600–1868)

Ariwara No Narihira as the Ghost of Seigen, Utagawa Kunisada — Utagawa Kunisada

Ariwara No Narihira as the Ghost of Seigen, 1852, 10th month, Edo period (1600–1868)

Minikuchi eki goto kaigo no zu (A Gathering of Magicians at Minakuchi on the Tōkaidō), Utagawa Kunisada — Utagawa Kunisada

Minikuchi eki goto kaigo no zu (A Gathering of Magicians at Minakuchi on the Tōkaidō), circa 1850, Edo period (1600–1868)

Gishi yo uchi rannyū no zu [The Night Attack (Scene 11)], Utagawa Kuniyoshi — Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Gishi yo uchi rannyū no zu [The Night Attack (Scene 11)], 1840s–1850s, Edo period (1600–1868)

Akaguchi [Red Mouth] (5 Shakku, not a good day), Utagawa Kuniyoshi — Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Akaguchi [Red Mouth] (5 Shakku, not a good day), 1860, 10th month, Edo period (1600–1868)

政岡 Masaoka, #16 (The Spectre of Nikki Danjō), Utagawa Kuniyoshi — Utagawa Kuniyoshi

政岡 Masaoka, #16 (The Spectre of Nikki Danjō), circa 1841–1842, Edo period (1600–1868)

Nissaka (The Nightly Weeping Rock), Utagawa Kuniyoshi; Iba-ya Sensaburo — Utagawa Kuniyoshi; Iba-ya Sensaburo

Nissaka (The Nightly Weeping Rock), circa 1845–1846, Edo period (1600–1868)

#44 Kuwana Funanori Tokuzō no Den (The Story of Funanori Tokuzō and the Sea Ghost at Kuwana, #44), Utagawa Kuniyoshi; Kojimaya Jubei — Utagawa Kuniyoshi; Kojimaya Jubei

#44 Kuwana Funanori Tokuzō no Den (The Story of Funanori Tokuzō and the Sea Ghost at Kuwana, #44), circa 1845–1846, Edo period (1600–1868)

Jigoku dayū (Hell Courtesan), Kawanabe Kyōsai; Sawamuraya Seikichi — Kawanabe Kyōsai; Sawamuraya Seikichi

Jigoku dayū (Hell Courtesan), 1874, Meiji period (1868–1912)

Fūryū kume sennin (A Fashionable Depiction of Kume the Transcendent), Okumura Masanobu — Okumura Masanobu

Fūryū kume sennin (A Fashionable Depiction of Kume the Transcendent), 1710s or late 1800s, Edo period (1600–1868)

Migi: Kaku no Osan (Right: The Courtesan Osan), Nishimura Shigenobu — Nishimura Shigenobu

Migi: Kaku no Osan (Right: The Courtesan Osan), early 1730s, Edo period (1600–1868)

Portrait of the Actor Matsumoto Kōshirō IV, Katsukawa Shun'ei — Katsukawa Shun'ei

Portrait of the Actor Matsumoto Kōshirō IV, 1794, Edo period (1600–1868)

scene from the play "Shiten'ō ōeyamairi", Katsukawa Shunkō — Katsukawa Shunkō

scene from the play "Shiten'ō ōeyamairi", 1785, Edo period (1600–1868)

actors with "Chronicle of the Future", Katsukawa Shunshō — Katsukawa Shunshō

actors with "Chronicle of the Future", mid 1770s, Edo period (1600–1868)

Tamaya uchi Hanamurasaki Sekiya, Teriha [Hana-murasaki of the Tamaya], Kitagawa Utamaro — Kitagawa Utamaro

Tamaya uchi Hanamurasaki Sekiya, Teriha [Hana-murasaki of the Tamaya], 1794, Edo period (1600–1868)

The Spring Horse Dance, New Years (Harugoma), Kitagawa Utamaro — Kitagawa Utamaro

The Spring Horse Dance, New Years (Harugoma), circa 1801–1803, Edo period (1600–1868)

Monument Valley, Yoshida Tōshi — Yoshida Tōshi

Monument Valley, 1971, Showa period (1926–1989)

Gods disguised as prospective customers of a brothel (demons disguised as brothel customers), Utagawa Yoshiiku — Utagawa Yoshiiku

Gods disguised as prospective customers of a brothel (demons disguised as brothel customers), 1860, Edo period (1600–1868)

The Actor Nakamura Ganjirō I as Kamiya Jihei, Yoshikawa Kanpō — Yoshikawa Kanpō

The Actor Nakamura Ganjirō I as Kamiya Jihei, 1923, Taisho period (1912–1926)

Minamoto no yoshitsune taira no tomomori no rei ni au zu (Meeting of Minamoto no Yoshitsune and the ghost of Taira no Tomomori), Utagawa Yoshikazu — Utagawa Yoshikazu

Minamoto no yoshitsune taira no tomomori no rei ni au zu (Meeting of Minamoto no Yoshitsune and the ghost of Taira no Tomomori), circa 1851–1853, Edo period (1600–1868)

Pine, Bamboo, Plum: Picture at Yushima, 月岡芳年 Tsukioka Yoshitoshi; Matsui Eikichi — 月岡芳年 Tsukioka Yoshitoshi; Matsui Eikichi

Pine, Bamboo, Plum: Picture at Yushima, 1885, Meiji period (1868–1912)

The Sumō Wrestler Umegatani Tōtarō, 月岡芳年 Tsukioka Yoshitoshi — 月岡芳年 Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

The Sumō Wrestler Umegatani Tōtarō, 1891, Meiji period (1868–1912)

痛そう:寛政年間女郎の風俗 Ita sō: Kansei nenkan jorō no fūzoku (Looking in Pain: The Appearance of a Kansei-era Prostitute), 月岡芳年 Tsukioka Yoshitoshi; 和田彫勇 Wada Hori Yu; 綱島亀吉 Tsunashima Kamekichi — 月岡芳年 Tsukioka Yoshitoshi; 和田彫勇 Wada Hori Yu; 綱島亀吉 Tsunashima Kamekichi

痛そう:寛政年間女郎の風俗 Ita sō: Kansei nenkan jorō no fūzoku (Looking in Pain: The Appearance of a Kansei-era Prostitute), 1888, Meiji period (1868–1912)

Tsuchigumo (Earth Spider), Utagawa Yoshitsuya — Utagawa Yoshitsuya

Tsuchigumo (Earth Spider), circa 1847–1852, Edo period (1600–1868)