{"product_id":"long-live-japan-one-hundred-victories-one-hundred-laughs-kobayashi-kiyochika","title":"Long Live Japan: One Hundred Victories, One Hundred Laughs - Kobayashi Kiyochika","description":"\u003cp\u003eA satirical Meiji-era woodblock print by Kobayashi Kiyochika, mocking Russian officials during the First Sino-Japanese War.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003cp\u003eThis woodblock print belongs to the series Long Live Japan: One Hundred Victories, One Hundred Laughs, produced by Kobayashi Kiyochika in 1894. The series functions as a form of political satire and propaganda during the First Sino-Japanese War. Kiyochika, a master of the Meiji period, employs a style that deviates from traditional ukiyo-e, incorporating Western-influenced caricature techniques to mock foreign adversaries.\n\nThe composition features two distinct figures. In the foreground, a heavily distorted, bulbous figure represents a Russian official, rendered with exaggerated features to convey incompetence and absurdity. He holds a document, likely a telegram or report, while his oversized, rounded form dominates the visual space. In the upper left, a smaller, seated figure wearing a crown and holding a banner with a double-headed eagle emblem represents the Russian Tsar. The use of space is deliberate, creating a contrast between the seated authority and the bumbling official in the foreground.\n\nKiyochika uses a clean, graphic line quality to define the figures, while the colour palette remains relatively restrained, relying on flat areas of pigment typical of late nineteenth-century Japanese printmaking. The inclusion of extensive Japanese text, or kashira, provides context for the satire, detailing the perceived failures and anxieties of the Russian military leadership. This work offers a window into the visual culture of Japan during a period of rapid modernisation and nationalistic fervour. By adopting the visual language of European political cartoons, Kiyochika engages with international artistic trends while maintaining a distinctly Japanese perspective on the geopolitical conflicts of the era. The print serves as a historical document of wartime sentiment, capturing the public mood through humour and visual ridicule.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv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\/keisei-ichikawa-denzo-utagawa-toyokuni-i\" 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;\"\u003eKeisei Ichikawa Denzo - Utagawa Toyokuni I — Utagawa Toyokuni I\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/gathering-shellfish-at-low-tide-at-susaki-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;\"\u003eGathering Shellfish at Low Tide at Susaki - Utagawa Hiroshige — Utagawa Hiroshige\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Kobayashi Kiyochika","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58062662369615,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58062673051983,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58062673084751,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ B2 (50x70 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58062673117519,"sku":null,"price":50.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A1 (59.4 x 84.1  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58062673150287,"sku":null,"price":55.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/Long-Live-Japan_-One-Hundred-Victories-One-Hundred-Laughs_Poster_CompositorV1_1782522252342.jpg?v=1782527816","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.co.uk\/products\/long-live-japan-one-hundred-victories-one-hundred-laughs-kobayashi-kiyochika","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}