新皇居於テ正殿憲法発布式之図|Illustration of the Issuing of the State Constitution in the State Chamber of the New Imperial Palace (Shin kōkyo ni oite seiden kenpō happushiki no zu)
March 14, 1889
Medium
One sheet of a triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Image: 14 5/8 × 10 in. (37.1 × 25.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Meiji period (1868–1912)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Lincoln Kirstein, 1959
Accession Number
JP3233
Tags
Art Historical Context
This vibrant woodblock print by Adachi Ginkō a pivotal moment in Japanese history: the issuing of the Meiji Constitution on March 14, 1889, in the State Chamber (Seiden) of the newly constructed Imperial Palace in Tokyo. one sheet of a triptych, it offers a detailed interior view of the opulent hall, filled with dignitaries—men in formal attire and even women among the observers—gathered for the ceremony. Adachi, a prominent Meiji-era artist known for his "nishiki-e" (brocade pictures) that illustrated current events like newspapers in print form, masterfully blends traditional ukiyo-e techniq...
About the Artist
Adachi Ginkō · 1853–1908
Adachi Ginkō (安達 吟光, 1853–after 1908), born Adachi Heishichi in the spring of 1853, emerged as a prolific Japanese printmaker during the transformative Meiji era. Little is known of his early years beyond his birth in the second month of Kaei 6 (roughly March or April), but he pursued formal training under the painter Goseda Hōryū, a master of Western-style yōga techniques. This exposure to Europe...