Description
In the Japan of the Meiji period (明治時代) national and international exhibitions represented an important component in the construction of a national identity. The exhibitions and expositions quickly became official events that promoted the values of the state and it was not, therefore, unusual for the imperial family to show its public support on such occasions.
In this precious triptych, made in March 1890 by the artist Yosai Nobukazu (楊斎延一), we can see on the right the emperor Meiji (明治天皇) and, in the central panel, the empress consort Shoken (昭憲皇后) holding the hand of the crown prince Yoshihito (嘉仁), the future emperor Taisho (大正天皇), on the occasion of the “Great Japan Art Exhibition” (大日本美術展覧会) at the “Third National Industrial Exposition” (第三回内國勸業博覽会).
The prints, produced by the publisher Tsunajima Kamekichi (綱島亀吉), despite the right signs of aging and rippling of the Japanese washi paper (和紙), are in overall good condition.
