Preview the Exhibition

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Takeout Sushi Suggesting Ataka, about 1844. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection. 

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Takeout Sushi Suggesting Ataka, about 1844

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection. 

Utagawa Kunisada I's print, Three-color Shading Made to Order, 1859

Utagawa Kunisada, Three-color Shading Made to Order, 1859. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection.

Utagawa Kunisada, Three-color Shading Made to Order, 1859

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection.

Utagawa Kunisada I's print, Clearing Weather (Seiran), 1833.

Utagawa Kunisada, Clearing Weather, 1833. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Gift of L. Aaron Lebowich. 

Utagawa Kunisada, Clearing Weather, 1833

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Gift of L. Aaron Lebowich. 

Utagawa Kuniyoshi's print, "Oh, ouch!" (Oo, itai)/ Giant Octopus from the Nameri River in Etchu, 1852.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, “Oh, ouch!” and Giant Octopus from the Nameri River in Etchu, 1852. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Gift of Sue Cassidy Clark in honor of Sarah E. Thompson.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, “Oh, ouch!” and Giant Octopus from the Nameri River in Etchu, 1852

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Gift of Sue Cassidy Clark in honor of Sarah E. Thompson.

Utagawa Kunisada, A Modern Shuihuzhuan, 1859. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Bequest of William Perkins Babcock.

Utagawa Kunisada, A Modern Shuihuzhuan, 1859.

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Bequest of William Perkins Babcock.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi's, Hayakawa Ayunosuke,about 1830.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Hayakawa Ayunosuke, about 1830. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Bequest of Maxim Karolik.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Hayakawa Ayunosuke, about 1830

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Bequest of Maxim Karolik.

Utagawa Kunisada I's print, Shirasuka: (Actor Onoe Kikugoro III as) a Cat Monster (Nekozuka), 1852.

Utagawa Kunisada, Actor Onoe Kikugoro III as a Cat Monster, 1852. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection.

Utagawa Kunisada, Actor Onoe Kikugoro III as a Cat Monster, 1852.

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, The Origin Story of the Cat Stone at Okabe, 1847. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, The Origin Story of the Cat Stone at Okabe, 1847

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection

Utagawa Kunisada, The In-demand Type (detail), 1820s. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Nellie Parney Carter Collection—Bequest of Nellie Parney Carter.

Utagawa Kunisada, The In-demand Type, 1820s

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Nellie Parney Carter Collection—Bequest of Nellie Parney Carter.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi's print, Nozarashi Gosuke (detail), about 1845

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Nozarashi Gosuke, about 1845. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Nozarashi Gosuke, about 1845

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Takeout Sushi Suggesting Ataka, about 1844. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection. 

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Takeout Sushi Suggesting Ataka, about 1844

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection. 

Utagawa Kunisada I's print, Three-color Shading Made to Order, 1859

Utagawa Kunisada, Three-color Shading Made to Order, 1859. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection.

Utagawa Kunisada, Three-color Shading Made to Order, 1859

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection.

Utagawa Kunisada I's print, Clearing Weather (Seiran), 1833.

Utagawa Kunisada, Clearing Weather, 1833. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Gift of L. Aaron Lebowich. 

Utagawa Kunisada, Clearing Weather, 1833

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Gift of L. Aaron Lebowich. 

Utagawa Kuniyoshi's print, "Oh, ouch!" (Oo, itai)/ Giant Octopus from the Nameri River in Etchu, 1852.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, “Oh, ouch!” and Giant Octopus from the Nameri River in Etchu, 1852. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Gift of Sue Cassidy Clark in honor of Sarah E. Thompson.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, “Oh, ouch!” and Giant Octopus from the Nameri River in Etchu, 1852

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Gift of Sue Cassidy Clark in honor of Sarah E. Thompson.

Utagawa Kunisada, A Modern Shuihuzhuan, 1859. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Bequest of William Perkins Babcock.

Utagawa Kunisada, A Modern Shuihuzhuan, 1859.

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Bequest of William Perkins Babcock.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi's, Hayakawa Ayunosuke,about 1830.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Hayakawa Ayunosuke, about 1830. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Bequest of Maxim Karolik.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Hayakawa Ayunosuke, about 1830

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Bequest of Maxim Karolik.

Utagawa Kunisada I's print, Shirasuka: (Actor Onoe Kikugoro III as) a Cat Monster (Nekozuka), 1852.

Utagawa Kunisada, Actor Onoe Kikugoro III as a Cat Monster, 1852. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection.

Utagawa Kunisada, Actor Onoe Kikugoro III as a Cat Monster, 1852.

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, The Origin Story of the Cat Stone at Okabe, 1847. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, The Origin Story of the Cat Stone at Okabe, 1847

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection

Utagawa Kunisada, The In-demand Type (detail), 1820s. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Nellie Parney Carter Collection—Bequest of Nellie Parney Carter.

Utagawa Kunisada, The In-demand Type, 1820s

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Nellie Parney Carter Collection—Bequest of Nellie Parney Carter.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi's print, Nozarashi Gosuke (detail), about 1845

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Nozarashi Gosuke, about 1845. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Nozarashi Gosuke, about 1845

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection.