Gok'koku jimbutsu gyo...no zu|Picture of a Parade of the Five Nations

Art Historical Context

This striking triptych, created by Utagawa Sadahide in the third month of 1861, captures a lively parade of figures from five nations parading through the streets. Rendered as three woodblock prints in ink and color on paper, the work exemplifies the vibrant ukiyo-e tradition of the late Edo period. Sadahide, a skilled print designer associated with the Utagawa school, was renowned for his detailed Yokohama-e scenes that documented the newly arrived Western communities following Japan’s opening to international trade. The composition highlights men and women in varied attire, accompanied by fluttering flags and horse-drawn carriages, reflecting the cultural encounters of the time. Produced just seven years after Commodore Perry’s arrival, the print offers a fascinating glimpse into Japan’s transition from isolation to global engagement. Its panoramic format allows viewers to appreciate both the spectacle of the procession and the artist’s keen observation of foreign customs. Woodblock printing enabled such colorful, affordable images to reach a wide audience, making works like this important records of a rapidly changing society. Today, the triptych in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection invites us to imagine the excitement and curiosity that surrounded these early international meetings.

About the Artist

Utagawa (Gountei) Sadahide · 1807–1873

Utagawa Sadahide was born Hashimoto Kenjirō in 1807 in Fusa Province, in the area of modern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. In the 1820s he entered the studio of the enormously prolific and influential master Utagawa Kunisada, becoming one of Kunisada's most prominent pupils and adopting the studio name Sadahide along with the Utagawa school's celebrated lineage. By 1828 his name appeared on a monument l...