Hakurai taizo no zu|View of the Large Imported Elephant
1863 (Bunkyo 3, 4th month)
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Image: 14 3/4 × 10 3/16 in. (37.5 × 25.9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Lincoln Kirstein, 1959
Accession Number
JP3284
Tags
Art Historical Context
In 1863, during the final years of Japan's Edo period (16151868), ukiyo-e artist Tag (Utagawa) Yoshimori captured a rare spectacle in his woodblock print *Hakurai taizo no zu (View of the Large Imported Elephant)*. Part of the celebrated Utagawa school, Yoshimori specialized in vibrant prints depicting contemporary life, news, and curiosities. This *nishiki-e* (brocade picture)—inked and hand-colored on paper—measures about 14¾ × 10¼ inches, showcasing the meticulous woodblock technique where multiple blocks created rich layers of color and fine detail. The artwork immortalizes the arrival of...
About the Artist
Taguchi (Utagawa) Yoshimori · 1830–1884
**Taguchi Yoshimori (Utagawa Yoshimori), 1830–1884** Born in 1830 as Taguchi Sakuzō, Utagawa Yoshimori emerged as a talented ukiyo-e print designer during Japan's turbulent late Edo period. Little is known of his early life, but he trained under the renowned Utagawa Kuniyoshi, a master of the Utagawa school whose dynamic compositions and innovative themes profoundly shaped Yoshimori's style. Adop...