Ikoku kotobaTITLE TRANSLATION:Foreign words. – Historic Reproduction
(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)
Description
Few images capture their era like this historic print of Ikoku kotobaTITLE TRANSLATION:Foreign words.. An authentic image from the Library of Congress, it carries the weight of the real historical record.
The framed print arrives ready to hang; the unframed option suits custom framing. A conversation-starting piece for home, office, or as a meaningful gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past, founded in 2001, has served tens of thousands of customers worldwide.
Ikoku kotobaTITLE TRANSLATION:Foreign words.
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This color woodcut, titled *Ikoku kotoba* ("Foreign Words"), stands out for its inscriptions, which label figures as "Amerika" (American) and "Nankin" (Chinese), a reminder that Japanese printmakers in the 1860s were trying to sort the newly arriving foreigners into distinct nationalities. The print is signed by Keisai Yoshiiku, a prolific artist of the period, and its subjects of foreign visitors, horseback riding, and language point to the years after Japan reopened its ports to foreign trade in 1859. Such images, often sold as cheap, colorful novelties, gave Japanese viewers a playful and sometimes satirical look at the unfamiliar newcomers and their customs.
| Created / published | 304 |
|---|---|
| Creator | Matsushima Seikichi engraver. |
| Medium | 1 print on hōsho paper : woodcut color ; 35.5 x 24.5 cm. (block) 37.5 x 25 cm. (sheet) |
| Notes | Title from item. Signature: Keisai Yoshiiku ga. Engraving attributed to: Horikō Fuka Chō. Seal date: Monkey 12. Annotations stamps etc.: 69; 47623a. DLC Inscriptions: Amerika (American) Nankin (Chinese). Earlier control number: 9942.1-6. Gift; Mrs. E. Crane Chadbourne; 1930; (DLC/PP-1930:47623a). Forms part of: Chadbourne collection of Japanese prints (Library of Congress). |
| Subjects | Foreign visitors--Japan--1860. Horseback riding--Japan--1860. Japanese language--1860. |
| Source | Library of Congress, Japanese Fine Prints |
| Original scan | 3,996 × 5,000 px · prints to 13 × 17 in at 300 dpi |
| Reference | AMZ-SOTP-JFP-227669 |
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