Osaka album 1847 - 1849

This Osaka Album was produced by Utagawa Hirosada in Japan. Here we see an album cover, with the blue label used to identify the contents. Woodblock printing, or Ukiyo-e, flourished in Japan during the Edo period, from the 17th to the 19th century. Ukiyo-e, meaning "pictures of the floating world," captured the ephemeral beauty of everyday life, especially the pleasure districts and Kabuki theatre which rose in prominence in the larger cities. The prints were not just art objects but commodities, reflecting the social values and consumer culture of the time. Artists like Hirosada, working in Osaka, found themselves in competition with the more established schools of Edo and Kyoto. Osaka prints often focused on local Kabuki actors and performances. Today, prints such as these can be studied to reconstruct an understanding of urban life in Japan, allowing us to explore aspects of social identity and commercial culture.