ca. 1870
Medium
One sheet of a triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Triptych 14 1/16 x 28 1/8 in. (35.7 x 71.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture
Japan
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Lincoln Kirstein, 1959
Accession Number
JP3229
Tags
Art Historical Context
This woodblock print by Shōsai Ikkei, created around 1870, forms one panel of a triptych that captures the lively urban atmosphere of early Meiji Japan. Rendered in ink and color on paper, the sheet depicts men and women moving among buildings, reflecting the period’s rapid social and architectural changes following the opening of Japan to international influence. As a single component of a larger composition, it would have originally joined two companion sheets to present a panoramic view, a popular format in ukiyo-e that encouraged viewers to imagine the complete scene. Woodblock printing w...