1889, Yōshū Chikanobu, The Emperor Meiji Leaving the Palace on the Occasion of His Marriage -- Legion of Honor (San Francisco)
From the museum label:
In 1889, the Meiji government established a Western-inspired constitutional monarchy with a parliament called "the Diet" and an elected lower house. This print was originally designed to commemorate the celebrations for Japan's new constitution held on February 11, 1889. That afternoon, Emperor and Empress Meiji took part in a groundbreaking imperial procession, the first instance in Japan's history where they were observed riding together in the same carriage. This event underscored the empress's prominence and heralded a new era for Japanese women.
This print, however, is a later impression of this composition bearing an alternative title in the red cartouche in the upper right corner: The Emperor Meiji Leaving the Palace on the Occasion of His Marriage. To save money, publishers who owned woodblocks would occasionally repurpose them to honor another event, such as the imperial couple's twenty-ffth, or silver, wedding anniversary five years later in 1894.
1889, Yōshū Chikanobu, The Emperor Meiji Leaving the Palace on the Occasion of His Marriage -- Legion of Honor (San Francisco)
From the museum label:
In 1889, the Meiji government established a Western-inspired constitutional monarchy with a parliament called "the Diet" and an elected lower house. This print was originally designed to commemorate the celebrations for Japan's new constitution held on February 11, 1889. That afternoon, Emperor and Empress Meiji took part in a groundbreaking imperial procession, the first instance in Japan's history where they were observed riding together in the same carriage. This event underscored the empress's prominence and heralded a new era for Japanese women.
This print, however, is a later impression of this composition bearing an alternative title in the red cartouche in the upper right corner: The Emperor Meiji Leaving the Palace on the Occasion of His Marriage. To save money, publishers who owned woodblocks would occasionally repurpose them to honor another event, such as the imperial couple's twenty-ffth, or silver, wedding anniversary five years later in 1894.