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Sign board says,  by Kobayashi Kiyochika — Japanese Woodblock print

Sign board says,

by Kobayashi Kiyochika

Medium:
Woodblock print
Image courtesy of
Library of Congress

Description

This print, whose title appears to reference a signboard inscription as a compositional or narrative element, likely depicts a street scene or commercial setting in Meiji Tokyo where printed or painted signage was becoming increasingly prominent. The integration of text—whether on shop curtains (noren), painted boards, or the new Western-style placards appearing on Ginza storefronts—was a distinctly Meiji subject that Kiyochika documented as part of his broader record of Tokyo's transformation. The partial title suggests either a damaged or incomplete catalog entry, or a print in which the signboard text itself is the focal point of the scene, perhaps identifying a well-known establishment or serving as an ironic framing device. Kiyochika's commercial street scenes typically balance architectural recession with the lively surface detail of shop fronts and pedestrian activity.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Sign board says, was created by Kobayashi Kiyochika (小林清親).