Meiji Modern: Fifty Years of New Japan

This exhibition catalogue explores Japans Meiji era through 175 objects from American collections, highlighting the art's role in constructing the Japanese nation-state and its engagement with European and Asian trends. It will be on display at the Asia Society, Smart Museum of Art, and Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 26 September 2023
Publisher: Yale University Press

Charting Japan's unique engagement with modernity during the Meiji era, this exhibition catalog presents a captivating selection of approximately 175 objects drawn from early public and private collections across the United States. These objects, spanning various mediums such as prints, photographs, textiles, paintings, and craft items, offer a fresh perspective on the art of Japan's Meiji era (1868–1912).

Featuring motifs such as the sea, nature, Buddhist deities, contemporary life, and mythical animals, Meiji Modern showcases the transformation of these themes as they intersect with art, industry, and society. The Meiji era was a complex period characterized by unprecedented cultural and technological transition, occurring amidst intense global competition.

The objects assembled in this stunning catalog also document the history of American collections of nineteenth-century Japanese art. By highlighting the active role of art in the construction of the Japanese nation-state, the works in a variety of mediums capture the hopes and aspirations of Japanese modernization, as well as the challenges it faced.

In addition to providing a comprehensive overview of the art of the Meiji era, the essays in the catalog emphasize modern Japanese artists' engagement with both European and Asian trends. This publication further explores the role of art in constructing and reflecting identity, particularly in the context of Japan's often overlooked non-Western modernity.

Distributed for the Japanese Art Society of America, this exhibition catalog is scheduled to be showcased at prestigious institutions such as the Asia Society in New York, the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. The exhibition will provide a platform for audiences to appreciate Japan's rich artistic heritage and its profound impact on global culture.

Weight: 1996g
Dimension: 242 x 299 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780300263572