{"product_id":"an-elephant-from-india-ichiryusai-yoshitoyo","title":"An Elephant from India - Ichiryūsai Yoshitoyo","description":"\u003cp\u003eA nineteenth-century Japanese woodblock print by Ichiryūsai Yoshitoyo depicting an elephant being washed by its handlers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis woodblock print by Ichiryūsai Yoshitoyo depicts a rare encounter with an elephant in nineteenth-century Japan. During the Edo period, exotic animals were subjects of immense public curiosity, often appearing in travelling shows or as illustrations in popular media. The composition features a large, dark-grey elephant being washed by a handler, with a stream of water spraying from its trunk towards a second figure. The artist employs a clear, graphic style typical of the Ukiyo-e tradition, using bold outlines and flat areas of colour to define the forms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe print includes a cartouche in the upper right corner, which provides context for the subject, identifying it as an elephant from India. Yoshitoyo, a pupil of Utagawa Kuniyoshi, was active during the final years of the Edo period. His work often reflects the fascination with foreign subjects that permeated Japanese urban culture at the time. The elephant is rendered with a degree of stylisation, focusing on the heavy, rounded mass of the animal and the texture of its skin, rather than strict anatomical precision. The background is a simple, muted wash, which allows the figures to occupy the primary visual space without distraction. This piece offers a glimpse into the visual culture of the era, where prints functioned as both entertainment and a means of disseminating information about the wider world. The use of traditional woodblock techniques, including the application of pigment to paper, results in a distinct aesthetic that balances observation with the conventions of the Utagawa school.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:2rem;padding-top:1.5rem;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.85rem;color:#888;font-weight:600;margin:0 0 0.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.05em;\"\u003eYou might also like\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/evening-glow-at-ryogoku-bridge-keisai-eisen\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eEvening Glow at Ryogoku Bridge - Keisai Eisen — Keisai Eisen\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/bamboo-quay-by-kyobashi-bridge-utagawa-hiroshige\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eBamboo Quay by Kyōbashi Bridge - Utagawa Hiroshige — Utagawa Hiroshige\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Utagawa Yoshitsuya","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ -","offer_id":59016007516495,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ -","offer_id":59016045691215,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ -","offer_id":59016045723983,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":59016045756751,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":59016045789519,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":59016045822287,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":59016045855055,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":59016045887823,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":59016045920591,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":59016045953359,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":59016045986127,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":59016046018895,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/An-Elephant-from-India_Poster_CompositorV1_1791247619099.jpg?v=1791247937","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.co.uk\/products\/an-elephant-from-india-ichiryusai-yoshitoyo","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}