Kempo happu shiki no zu|View of the Issuance of the Constitution
March 1889
Medium
Triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Oban; 14 1/2 x 28 5/8 in. (36.8 x 72.7 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, 1960
Accession Number
JP3384
Tags
Art Historical Context
In March 1889, Japanese Baiju Kunitoshi a pivotal moment in his triptych woodblock printKempo happu sh no zu (View of the Issuance the Constitution)*. This vibrant work, rendered in ink and color on, depicts the grand ceremony at which Emperor Meiji promulgated Japan's first constitution, transforming the nation from a feudal shogunate into a modern monarchy. The oban-sized panels (14 1/2 x 28 5/8 in.) unfold a bustling scene filled with dignitaries, blending men and women in formal attire amid ornate architecture and fluttering banners. Created during the Meiji period (1868–1912), a time of ...