A print depicting Empress Shoken in Western dress and bonnet — a companion image to works showing Emperor Meiji in Western clothing, documenting the imperial couple's deliberate adoption of Western costume as a modernization statement. The empress's bonnet and Western-style dress, adapted from European court fashion of the period, were among the most visible markers of Japan's commitment to Western cultural forms, and prints depicting her new appearance circulated widely as documents of the imperial family's transformation.
Meiji period, dated October 10, 1896
Woodblock print in "ōban" format; ink and color on paper
Woodblock print
Woodblock print
Woodblock print
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Empress Shoken in Western Dress and Bonnet was created by Toyohara Chikanobu (豊原周延).
Empress Shoken in Western Dress and Bonnet depicts figures, bijin-ga, and portraits.
