Hanga

Calligraphy Prints (158)

Calligraphic elements and text-based compositions in Japanese woodblock prints. Some artists, particularly in the sosaku-hanga movement, incorporated calligraphy as a primary visual element, merging the arts of writing and printmaking.

Artists Known for Calligraphy

Poem - 7, Shôwa period, by Maki Haku

Poem - 7, Shôwa period,

Woodblock print

Momo chidori kyōka awase (Myriad Birds: A Kyōka Competition) by Kitagawa Utamaro

Momo chidori kyōka awase (Myriad Birds: A Kyōka Competition)

c. 1790

Woodblock-printed book; ink and color on paper

Poem 68-55, Shôwa period, 1968 by Maki Haku

Poem 68-55, Shôwa period, 1968

Woodblock print

Calligraphy by Ansei Uchima

Calligraphy

1955

Color woodblock print

Hebi tsukai / Snake Charmers, signed in pencil and in brush, by Hiroshi Yoshida

Hebi tsukai / Snake Charmers, signed in pencil and in brush,

1932

Woodblock print

Ikenohata, titled in Japanese and in English, signed in pencil and in brush, with by Hiroshi Yoshida

Ikenohata, titled in Japanese and in English, signed in pencil and in brush, with

1937

Woodblock print

Toshogu Shrine, signed in pencil in Roman, and in Brush in Japanese, by Hiroshi Yoshida

Toshogu Shrine, signed in pencil in Roman, and in Brush in Japanese,

1937

Woodblock print

Writing a Note by Miyagawa Shuntei

Writing a Note

c. 1890s

Woodblock print

Cat and Calligraphy B6 by Tadashige Nishida

Cat and Calligraphy B6

Woodblock print

Cat and Calligraphy B6 by Tadashige Ono

Cat and Calligraphy B6

Woodblock print

Ancient Writing by Hiroyuki Tajima

Ancient Writing

Woodblock print

Ancient Writing C 100-2 by Hiroyuki Tajima

Ancient Writing C 100-2

Woodblock print

Hako-O Maru (Soga Goro as a Boy) near Waterfall, Writing Bonji Characters on a Rock, While Holding up an Statue of the God Fudo with one Hand. by Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Hako-O Maru (Soga Goro as a Boy) near Waterfall, Writing Bonji Characters on a Rock, While Holding up an Statue of the God Fudo with one Hand.

Woodblock print

Bijin writing a poem V2 by Kobayakawa Kiyoshi

Bijin writing a poem V2

Not set

Woodblock print

Woman Holding a Lip Brush by Hashiguchi Goyo

Woman Holding a Lip Brush

1920 (Taishō 9), 9th month

Modern Japanese woodblock print; ink, color, mica and gold on paper

Mitate No.79 - Brush (Fude) by Nana Shiomi

Mitate No.79 - Brush (Fude)

2007

Print

Woman with rouge brush by Hashiguchi Goyo

Woman with rouge brush

1920

Woodblock print

Bijin writing a poem V1 by Kobayakawa Kiyoshi

Bijin writing a poem V1

Not set

Woodblock print

Brush Sketch of Bridge by Onchi Koshiro

Brush Sketch of Bridge

Woodblock print

Mariko in Suruga Province: Comic Antics at the Inn (Shukuba no kyôgi), from the series Calligraphy and Pictures for the Fifty-three Stations of the Tôkaidô (Shoga gojûsan eki) by Kawanabe Kyosai

Mariko in Suruga Province: Comic Antics at the Inn (Shukuba no kyôgi), from the series Calligraphy and Pictures for the Fifty-three Stations of the Tôkaidô (Shoga gojûsan eki)

Woodblock print

Murasaki Shikibu Writing on a Veranda Overlooking a Lake by Ogata Gekko

Murasaki Shikibu Writing on a Veranda Overlooking a Lake

Woodblock print

Woman Writing by Kitagawa Utamaro

Woman Writing

1753–1806

color woodblock print

Ehon kyoka yama mata yama (Picture book of Kyoka: Mountains upon Mountains) by Katsushika Hokusai

Ehon kyoka yama mata yama (Picture book of Kyoka: Mountains upon Mountains)

Woodblock print

Yoshida-hiroshi by Hiroshi Yoshida

Yoshida-hiroshi

1933

Woodblock print

Courtly event modeled on the Lanting Gathering by Katsushika Hokusai

Courtly event modeled on the Lanting Gathering

c. 1801/07

Color woodblock print; ebangire, surimono

Shuga hyakunin isshu 秀雅百人一首 by Katsushika Hokusai

Shuga hyakunin isshu 秀雅百人一首

Woodblock print

Chinese Verses on Itako (Itako zekku shu) by Katsushika Hokusai

Chinese Verses on Itako (Itako zekku shu)

Woodblock print

Naido (Motomu), Shôwa period, dated 1963 by Amano Kazumi

Naido (Motomu), Shôwa period, dated 1963

Woodblock print

Word by Mitsuaki Sora

Word

20th century

Woodblock print, color on paper

Description (part 2) by Amano Kazumi

Description (part 2)

July 1957

Woodblock print, ink on paper

Explanation (Toku), Shôwa period, dated 1969 by Amano Kazumi

Explanation (Toku), Shôwa period, dated 1969

Woodblock print

Love Letter by Okamoto Yoshimi

Love Letter

Woodblock print

Drawing by Cheung Chung-Chu

Drawing

素描

2024

Screen printing on Somerset paper

POEM 71-64 by Maki Haku

POEM 71-64

Woodblock print

Work 76 - 25 by Maki Haku

Work 76 - 25

Woodblock print

Poem 72-81 by Maki Haku

Poem 72-81

Woodblock print

Poem 71-43 by Maki Haku

Poem 71-43

Woodblock print

Work 75-24 by Maki Haku

Work 75-24

1975

Color woodblock print; edition 132/204

Poem 92-18 by Maki Haku

Poem 92-18

Woodblock print

Sekino, Junichiro by Jun'ichiro Sekino

Sekino, Junichiro

Woodblock print

print / album by Kawanabe Kyosai

print / album

Woodblock print

Kyōsai's Idle Drawings by Kawanabe Kyosai

Kyōsai's Idle Drawings

1881

Woodblock printed book, ink and color on paper

Genealogy of the Japanese Emperor by Toyohara Chikanobu

Genealogy of the Japanese Emperor

Woodblock print

Imperial Lineage by Toyohara Chikanobu

Imperial Lineage

Woodblock print

Contents by Ogata Gekko

Contents

Woodblock print

Kyosai gafu 狂斎画譜 by Kawanabe Kyosai

Kyosai gafu 狂斎画譜

Woodblock print

Kyōsai gadan by Kawanabe Kyosai

Kyōsai gadan

1887

Woodblock printed book, ink on paper

Untitled (toko-shinoda) by Toko Shinoda

Untitled (toko-shinoda)

c. 1940–2020

Woodblock print

Table of Contents by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

Table of Contents

October 1888

Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper

Gyōsai's Discourses on Painting (Gyōsai gadan), vol. 1 by Kawanabe Kyosai

Gyōsai's Discourses on Painting (Gyōsai gadan), vol. 1

1887 (Meiji 20)

Woodblock-printed book; ink and on paper

Title Sheet for the series Eimei nijūhachi-shūku by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

Title Sheet for the series Eimei nijūhachi-shūku

Meiji period, 1867

Unmatted ukiyo-e woodblock print in ōban format; ink and colors on paper

Sheet of letter paper by Kawanabe Kyosai

Sheet of letter paper

Woodblock print

Mitate No.77 - Scroll (Jiku) by Nana Shiomi

Mitate No.77 - Scroll (Jiku)

2006

Print

Heap - 14 by Maki Haku

Heap - 14

c.1960

Woodblock print, ink and color on paper

Moonsong-1 by Maki Haku

Moonsong-1

Woodblock print

Heap - 100 by Maki Haku

Heap - 100

1960

Woodblock print, ink and color on paper

Incres-2 by Maki Haku

Incres-2

Woodblock print

Hantou-74 by Maki Haku

Hantou-74

Woodblock print

Emanation-7 by Maki Haku

Emanation-7

20th century

Color woodblock print; edition 15/30

Ren - 2 by Maki Haku

Ren - 2

1960s

Woodblock print, ink on paper

Related Subjects

Frequently Asked Questions

Calligraphic elements and text-based compositions in Japanese woodblock prints. Some artists, particularly in the sosaku-hanga movement, incorporated calligraphy as a primary visual element, merging the arts of writing and printmaking.

Maki Haku, Shinichi Nakazawa, and Shoichi Hasegawa are among the artists most associated with calligraphy in our collection. Browse the full list of artists who explored this subject above.

Hanga currently catalogues 158 prints tagged with calligraphy, spanning ukiyo-e, shin-hanga, and sōsaku-hanga traditions where applicable.