Singing by the Plum Garden

The Meiji period (1868–1912) was a time of rapid change in Japan. After centuries of relative isolation, Japan’s forced opening to trade in the 1850s led to the overthrow of feudal rule, a new government, and intense efforts at “modernization” in order to resist exploitation by Western powers. Woodblock prints of the era often reflected the many changes in Japan, and this print is a perfect example of the cultural synthesis and foment of the period.

Yōshū Chikanobu often portrayed members of Japan’s elite interacting with the latest imports from the West. In this 1887 triptych, or three-sheet print, elegant Japanese women dressed in fashionable Western clothes play Western music in a Western-style architectural setting. In fact, the print probably represents the Meiji empress and crown prince, at the center, with the empress’s ladies-in-waiting performing. The imperial family in Western dress was a subject frequently portrayed by Chikanobu. Despite the imported clothing and architecture, the setting in the Plum Garden of the Imperial Palace reflects continued respect for the plum as a traditional symbol.