Japanese Prints @ St. Kate's: Selections from the Archives & Special Collections at St. Catherine University

From Flowers to Warriors





 

From the excitement of spring’s first bloom and summer festivals to the energy of Japanese plays and battles, the “flowers” portion of this exhibition illustrates how floral kimono textiles, decorative backdrops, and single flowers can set the mood for events, performances, and scenes that are as varied as the seasons. In viewing, one can enjoy the simple beauty of a single flower, pause to consider the falling cherry blossoms or consider the Buddhist question of what it means to be human in this impermanent world.

Depictions of cherry blossom petals and hollyhock flowers invoke late spring while other illustrations convey the cooler seasons using fall chrysanthemums, winter cherry blossoms, and evergreens. Although the seasons often feel divergent, Aoyama Masaharu and Asada Benji show how spring and fall flowers can unite harmoniously into a single genre with their focal bird-and-flower compositions. Flowers are appreciated for their respective seasons and symbolism in Japan. Throughout these prints, we see people reacting to the fleeting rise and fall of seasonal life. Some figures are cheerfully moving, such as the dancers in Tsukioka Yoshitoshi’s Bon Festival Moon, while others are quietly appreciating nature, such as the woman on the veranda of Toyohara Kunichika’s Morning Glory, no. 20. Other prints replicate well-known stories and theater, bringing the artist’s creative vision to a visual interpretation of a famous tale. While impermanent by nature, the use of flora also attests to the stability of Japanese flower iconography through the Meiji (1868–1912) and Shōwa (1926–1989) eras. In a period of massive cultural and social change in Japanese history, print artists used a flower's meaning and symbolism to create a link to traditions and images of the past.


AOYAMA Masaharu  青山正治
Japanese, 1893–1969

[Hollyhock]
c. 1950 (Shōwa 25)

Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

The hollyhock (aoi, 葵) sits broadly with its full white, pink, and red blooms framed by extending buds and basal leaves. As a relatively modern work of printmaking, Aoyama draws upon the style of earlier bird-and-flower compositions (kachō-e, 花鳥絵) found in past eras.

 

ASADA Benji  麻田辨自
Japanese, 1899–1984

[Chrysanthemum]
1949 (Shōwa 24)

Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

The rose chrysanthemum (kiku, 菊) spreads its beautifully radiating petals next to its half-bloomed yellow partner. In this modern print, Asada revitalizes the style of earlier bird-and-flower compositions (kachō-e, 花鳥絵).

 

YŌSHŪ Chikanobu  楊洲周延
Japanese, 1838–1912

[Kabuki Theater Performance]
From the series Customs of the Inner Palace of Chiyoda Castle

1895 (Meiji 28)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

A troupe of kabuki performers makes their way to the distant stage in celebration of Tango no Sekku (端午の節句), a festival held at the imperial court renamed as Children’s Day in 1948. Male figures in vivid makeup are marshaled by an attendant as an actor playing Musashibō Benkei carries an enormous bronze bell to the Chiyoda Inner Palace. Two other actors—one playing Soga Gorō with his red stage make-up and the other playing the wild child Kintarō with red skin and hair—lead the way as they process behind a striped awning. The plum blossoms indicate that the scene takes place in either late winter or early spring. The full triptych features additional figures, including a boy holding a bird of prey next to a lady-in-waiting and guests arranged around a stage in the distance not pictured here.

 

TOYOHARA Kunichika  豊原国周
Japanese, 1835–1900

Morning Glory, no. 20
第二十号　朝顔

From the series Fifty-four Chapters of The Tale of Genji in Modern Times
1884 (Meiji 17)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

A woman stands barefooted on a veranda peering at the blossoming morning glories (asagao, 朝顔). Her hair and robes are still in disarray after her slumber. The flower symbolizes the arrival of summer in Japan and both the flowers and woman relish in the midsummer heat. The colors in her robe mimic the purple, light blue, and red hues found in the flowers. In light of the series title, the morning glory could be a veiled reference to Princess Asagao. She was the High Priestess of Kamo and was pursued by Prince Genji in Chapter 20 of the Heian-period classic The Tale of Genji, written by lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu.

 

TSUKIOKA Yoshitoshi  月岡芳年
Japanese, 1839–1892

Bon Festival Moon
盆の月

From the series One Hundred Aspects of the Moon
1887 (Meiji 20)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections
 

A group of villagers revel in the moonlight during the annual Bon (盆) festival. They laugh and wave their fans in celebration of their ancestors’ return to the living world.


Bon is held every year during the full moon in July. The festival is known for its dance (bon odori, 盆踊り), where groups of people move in circles performing choreographed movements along to the music. Although a night scene, Yoshitoshi’s bright colors and composition make the joyous occasion feel almost as if it was daytime. He uses a visual aesthetic based on a simplified painting style of the 18th century Shijō school.

 

TSUKIOKA Yoshitoshi  月岡芳年
Japanese, 1839–1892

Gojo Bridge Moon
五条橋の月

From the series One Hundred Aspects of the Moon
1888 (Meiji 21)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi depicts a classic tale from the Noh play Benkei on the Bridge: the fateful meeting of the monk-warrior Musashibō Benkei and child Minamoto Ushiwaka. At Gojo Bridge in Kyoto, Ushiwaka jumps and evades the undefeated Benkei. When Benkei learns of the youngster’s high birth, he humbly surrenders. Ushiwaka would later become the famous general Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159–1189), and Benkei would go from enemy to loyal follower. In this print, Yoshitoshi spotlights Yoshitsune’s side of the fight as the child playfully creates a distraction with his fan.

 

TSUKIOKA Yoshitoshi  月岡芳年
Japanese, 1839–1892

Shinobugaoka Moon, Gyokuensai
忍岡月　玉淵斎

From the series One Hundred Aspects of the Moon
1889 (Meiji 22)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

Shinobugaoka (present-day Ueno) is known for the beauty of its cherry blossom trees (sakura, 桜). People often congregate under the blossoms where they enjoy each other’s company and picnic. At the time, it was common to hang kimono garments between the trees to create temporary enclosures for privacy. Here, the young samurai warrior Gyokuensai is startled by an abrupt wind that comes out-from-under his kimono carrying blossom petals. The breeze reveals his lacquered picnic box, but he appears alone in the light of the crescent moon. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi creates an ode to the fleeting beauty of spring.

 

TSUKIOKA Yoshitoshi  月岡芳年
Japanese, 1839–1892

Mount Otowa Moon: Tamura Myōjin
音羽山月　田村明神

From the series One Hundred Aspects of the Moon
1886 (Meiji 19)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

This print highlights a scene from the Noh play, Tamura. One moonlit night, three itinerant monks visit Kiyomizu Temple. A youth appears, sweeps the fallen cherry blossoms (sakura, 桜), reveals the temple’s history, and then disappears. The monks later discover that the man was the ghost of the general Sakanoe no Tamuramaro, who assisted with the founding of the temple on Mount Otowa. Here we see the general’s ghostly visage sweeping away the petals in solitude under a cloudy moon.

 

MIZUNO Toshikata  水野年方
Japanese, 1866–1908

Shirabyōshi Dancer: Woman of the Kenkyū Era [1190-99]
白拍子　建久頃婦人

From the series Thirty-six Beauties Compared
1893 (Meiji 26)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

Shirabyōshi are female entertainers who perform for the Gods at the imperial court. Per the tradition, they sport men’s attire: a tate-eboshi hat (worn by samurai), a tachi (samurai's sword), a red hakama and a white/red suikan (an outfit worn by male Shintō priests), and a kawahori hand fan. The seated shirabyōshi holds a drum, wears her hair down, and dons a white face painted with dark brows. Above her, a striped curtain opens to the outdoor landscape featuring a small stream and pine trees.

 


The “warriors” portion of this exhibition showcases visual narratives of battles and power in both past wars and folk stories. These prints were produced during the cultural upheaval of the Meiji period (1868–1912), a time when Japan’s modernized military would lead the country to decisive victories against China and Russia respectively in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905).

Many prints were created to celebrate Japan’s battle prowess and successful westernization. For example, Picture of the Japanese Imperial Line shows the newly restored Meiji Emperor and his wife within the imperial lineage. His western style military uniform stands out against the traditional clothing of past emperors, asserting him as a new kind of leader for Japan. Yōshū Chikanobu defines the background in aniline red—a predominately favored color for nineteenth-century print artists—which spotlights both the emperor and new print technologies.

The remaining prints on display speak to a more nostalgic understanding of battle by invoking sword fights between samurai. The color red is used to spotlight the tensions in each fanciful interpretation. Hishikawa Harunobu uses pops of red in The Story of Momotarō (The Peach Boy) as a stately color to garment the folk hero Momotarō. Here, he returns wearing his warrior garb. He is with his animal friends, and he grasps treasure he retrieved from demons. In contrast, Utagawa Yoshitora’s historical battle scenes from the Genpei War (1180–1185) unfold through clashing colors, lines, and shapes, creating gripping suspense for the viewer. The imagery mimics the excitement and discord between opposing clans through literal and figurative designs, recalling the vivid scenes recounted in the famous literary work The Tales of the Heike. In a world quickly changing due to new military and naval technologies, these prints attest to a nostalgic interest in the samurai, whose power and authority faded in the Meiji period.


 

HISHIKAWA Harunobu  菱川春宣
Japanese, active 1875–1891

The Story of Momotarō (The Peach Boy)
伽噺桃太郎

1890 (Meiji 23)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

These two prints feature the popular Japanese folk hero Momotarō (桃太郎) proudly returning from his quest on Onigashima, or demon island, alongside his three companions: a talking dog, a monkey, and a pheasant. After slaying a band of marauding demons, the adventurers make their way home with their island treasures in tow. The left panel of the triptych, which illustrates the monkey and Momotarō’s waiting parents, is not pictured here.

Click here to view the Triptych, The Story of Momotarō (The Peach Boy)

 

UTAGAWA Yoshitora  歌川芳虎
Japanese, active 1836–1887

The Great Battle at Yashima (1185)
讃州屋嶋源平大合戦之図

c.1847-52 (Kōka 4 – Kaei 5)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

In bright colors and swirling waves, Utagawa shows the naval battle between the Taira and Minamoto clans at the Battle of Yashima (1185) during the late-Heian period Genpei War (1180–1185). The national civil war ended with a string of Taira clan defeats and their final retreat to the island Yashima. The battle portrayed here shows the ensuing Minamoto victory as the Taira clan succumbs to their force. The Battle of Yashima features prominently in the famous literary work The Tales of the Heike.

Click here to view the Triptych, The Great Battle at Yashima (1185)

 

UTAGAWA Yoshitora  歌川芳虎
Japanese, active 1836–1887

The Battle of Ichinotani (1184)
寿永三年一ノ谷合戦之図

c.1847-52 (Kōka 4–Kaei 5)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

This print illustrates a famous scene from the Heian-period Genpei War (1180–1185). In The Battle of Ichinotani (1184), the Taira clan defends the town of Suma (west of present-day Kobe) against an attack by the rivaling Minamoto clan. Despite their best efforts, the Taira clan suffered a critical defeat by the Minamoto clan, which was led by leaders Yoshitsune and Noriyori. Somewhere in the tumult of the battle, leader Taira no Atsumori is killed by the hand of Minamoto soldier Kumagai no Naozane, a scene that is recounted in a famous passage of the literary work The Tales of the Heike. This print captures the clash of swords off the coast, as calvary warriors lead the charge.

Click here to view the Triptych, The Battle of Ichinotani (1184)

 

YŌSHŪ Chikanobu  楊洲周延
Japanese, 1838–1912

Picture of the Japanese Imperial Line
大日本皇統図畧

1879 (Meiji 12)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

This portrait of Emperor Meiji (明治天皇) and Empress Shōken (昭憲皇后) shows the fusion between Japanese tradition and newly imported goods from the West at the turn of the twentieth century. Emperor Meiji wears a Western military-style uniform as Empress Shōken, and other emperors and empresses of the past, contrast his attire with their traditional kimonos. The saturated red background of the print became a common way for artists to highlight the newly imported aniline dyes of the Meiji period (1868–1912).

Click here to view the Triptych, Picture of the Japanese Imperial Line
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