1895 Meiji Woodblock Design Prints
These vivid woodblock prints are from the Meiji era circa 1895, a turbulent and stunning time of modernization. In a quest to Westernize his country, Emperor Mutsuhito invited foreigners from the west to instruct the people of Japan. Meanwhile, thousands of Japanese students traveled to Europe and the United States. Artists were among those to experiment seeing through the Western eye, composing prints using traditional woodblock methods.

Each print measures approximately 9 7/8 inches by 6 3/5 inches, some enhanced with silver which does not show in the scans. The colors are vibrant and the paper toned. They are sample designs for screens, murals, cloth decorations, kimonos and all sorts of other applications. The condition is very good for the age of the prints and a copy of the orginal title page will be included with each print

About Antique Prints

We try to select antique prints in the best possible condition, with as few defects as possible.  Nevertheless, these prints are often hundreds of years old and show the effects of time, as noted below

1. Most common is paper darkening, or toning, resulting in the paper becoming shades darker, from off white to light brown.  We rarely offer very toned prints, unless the issue is particularly scarce.

2.  Text offset occurs over time, when the text page is against the image and ink from the text makes lines on the image.  Conversely, image offset occurs when the hand coloring transfers slightly to the text.  Again, we rarely offer heavily offset prints.

3.  Spotted or foxing is also common due to age and handling over a long period of time and while a small degree of foxing is common and acceptable, we avoid extensively foxed prints. 

SHIPPING

Shipping is first class and we pack the prints flat and well protected in foam core, unless they are large, when we very carefully roll them with several protective layers. They roll out flat very quickly.

PAYMENT

We are delighted to combine shipments to save on postage. If you wish to combine, please wait to pay until your last purchase up to 4 days. We ship within one day any lots that you have paid for.

RETURNS

Items May be Returned for a Full Refund within 30 days.