Kenji Morita
1886
Medium
Ambrotype
Dimensions
Image: 9.6 x 6.8 cm (3 3/4 x 2 11/16 in.) Case: 1.3 x 11.1 x 8.3 cm (1/2 x 4 3/8 x 3 1/4 in.)
Classification
Photographs
Department
Photographs
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Funds from various donors, 2004
Accession Number
2004.282a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, Japan's Meiji era of rapid modernization, photography emerged as a powerful tool for portraiture, bridging traditional aesthetics with Western technology. This ambrotype, titled *Kenji Morita* and created by the photographer Fujita in 1886, captures the solemn gaze of a young boy, likely from a prominent family. Measuring a compact 9.6 x 6.8 cm, the image is housed in a protective case, evoking the intimate, treasured keepsakes of the time. Ambrotypes, produced via the wet collodion process on glass, were prized for their rich tonal depth and one-of-a-kind nature—no ...