{"product_id":"north-american-ship-utagawa-yoshitora","title":"North American Ship - Utagawa Yoshitora","description":"\u003cp\u003eA nineteenth-century Japanese woodblock print depicting a Western steamship, created during the opening of Japanese ports to international trade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis woodblock print by Utagawa Yoshitora belongs to the Yokohama-e genre, a category of Japanese art that emerged following the opening of Japanese ports to foreign trade in the mid-nineteenth century. These prints functioned as visual news reports, documenting the unfamiliar technology, clothing, and customs of the foreigners arriving in Japan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe composition depicts a steam-powered paddle ship, a vessel that would have appeared alien to the Japanese public at the time. Yoshitora employs a combination of traditional woodblock techniques and a fascination with Western industrial design. The ship is rendered with a focus on its mechanical features, such as the paddle wheel and the thick plume of smoke billowing from the funnel, which contrasts with the stylised, rhythmic waves of the sea below.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the upper left corner, a portrait of a Western figure is enclosed within a circular frame, a common device in Yokohama-e to provide context or identify the nationality of the visitors. The surrounding text provides a contemporary Japanese interpretation of North American geography and politics, reflecting the curiosity and apprehension of the era. The colour palette is restrained, relying on the characteristic pigments of the period, including Prussian blue and earthy tones for the smoke.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a historical document, this print captures the collision between the isolationist traditions of the Edo period and the encroaching influence of global industrialisation. It is a record of how Japanese artists attempted to process and categorise the rapid changes occurring on their shores. The work remains a clear example of the intersection between reportage and artistic expression in nineteenth-century Japan.\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\/mountains-and-rivers-along-the-kisokaido-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;\"\u003eMountains and Rivers Along the Kisokaidō - Utagawa Hiroshige — Utagawa Hiroshige\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/jo-and-uba-of-takasago-looking-at-the-rising-sun-totoya-hokkei\" 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;\"\u003eJo and Uba of Takasago Looking at the Rising Sun - Totoya Hokkei — Totoya Hokkei\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Utagawa Yoshitora","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58513022550351,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58513033331023,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58513033363791,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58513033396559,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58513033429327,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58513033462095,"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":58513033494863,"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":58513033527631,"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":58513033560399,"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":58513033593167,"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":58513033625935,"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":58513033658703,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/North-American-Ship_Poster_CompositorV1_1786453324856.jpg?v=1787118196","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.co.uk\/products\/north-american-ship-utagawa-yoshitora","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}