Antique Japanese Woodblock Print by Chikanobu Parody of the Twelve Zodiac Animals (Sheep) c. Born in 1838 in Niigata Prefecture, Toyohara Chikanobu was the elder of two sons. His father was a samurai, a retainer of the Sakakibara clan. He studied Kano school painting as a child and developed an interest in ukiyo-e in his teens. He studied with Kuniyoshi and then with Kunisada and Kunichika. During the Meiji Restoration, he joined the Tokugawa shogun’s elite samurai brigade, the shogitai, and fought against the emperor’s forces in the Battle of Ueno and the Battle of Hakodate. After the fall of the shogun, he went to Tokyo and started to make a living as a woodblock print artist. The print presented was published in 1893 – 1894 as part of the series “Parody of the Twelve Zodiac Animals”. This series consisted of 12 prints, one for each of the animals of the Chinese zodiac. Adopted by both Japan and Korea, the Chinese zodiac is composed of these animals: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. Each of the prints in this series depicts festivals and temples most closely associated with each of the various animals, with women and children taking part in seasonal activities in the foreground, with a landscape inset above. Even though the print is called “The Sheep, ” you can hardly see the animal – it is seen in the very background behind a fence in the Ueno Zoo. This is a famous Zoo in Tokyo that is still extremely popular. You can see a group of visitors – a woman with a friend (or attendant) and a little girl. The focus is on the group and their ornate and beautiful garments – kimonos and kimono coats. The girl is wearing “hifu” – a kimono overcoat that is not tied by obi. Even nowadays, some people visiting the Ueno Park with its museums and the Zoo often wear traditional Japanese clothing. We can also see that a man in the background is wearing European-style clothes. Chikanobu is famous of bringing the views and details of the everyday life of Japanese people during the Meiji Restoration. Many museums in the world have Chikanobu works: British Museum Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY Museum of Fine Arts in Boston Tokyo National Museum Museum of Fine Arts in Houston Honolulu Museum of Art and many others The print was made using the Japanese woodblock technique during Chikanobu’s lifetime. Signed by the author and sealed with the publisher’s seal. It is framed with a modern wooden frame. AUTHOR: Toyohara (Yoshu) Chicanobu TITLE: The Sheep SERIES: Parody of the Twelve Zodiac Animals CREATED: 1893 PAPER. Paper METHOD OF PRINTING: Woodblock printing PRINTED: Lifetime printing circa 1890s OVERALL SIZE: Frame 18.5″ X 14.5″ PRINT VISIBLE: 13.5″ X 9.5″. The condition is very good. Good detail and colors, some minor toning and soiling of the paper. No losses to the image. The frame shows some wear. Please note – the price in the post is for the framed print. Get Supersized Images & Free Image Hosting. Attention Sellers – Get Templates Image Hosting, Scheduling at Auctiva. Track Page Views With.