Kigyoku Picture Album (Kigyoku gafu) 其玉画譜
1901, fourth month (Meiji 34)
Medium
Woodblock printed book; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
11 1/8 × 7 1/2 in. (28.2 × 19 cm)
Classification
Illustrated Books
Culture & Period
Japan · Meiji period (1868–1912)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Mary and James G. Wallach Foundation Gift, 2013
Accession Number
2013.754
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of Meiji-era Japan with *Kigyoku Picture Album (Kigyoku gafu)*, a delicate woodblock-printed book created by artist Seizei Kigyoku in the fourth month of 1901 (Meiji 34). Measuring a compact 11 1/8 × 7 1/2 inches, this ink and color on paper treasure captures the essence of Japanese artistic tradition during a time of profound transformation. The Meiji period (1868–1912) marked Japan's rapid modernization and engagement with the West, yet woodblock printing—rooted in ukiyo-e—remained a cherished medium for illustrated books like this *gafu*, or picture album, which ...