Woodblock Print: Ukiyo-e, A Tea Party by Toyokuni II

A section of the triptych ukiyo-e called “A Tea Party” created by Toyokuni II who lived from 1777-1835. During the Edo period (1603-1868), Toyokuni II was a part of a larger art trend centered around the creation of ukiyo-e, a style of paintings depicting both the real and mythological. As a small artist, much is unknown about Toyokuni II. He began painting around 1823 under his master Toyokuni I’s guidance and inherited his name after his passing. His style of ukiyo-e focused on landscapes or Bijin-ga, or portraits of women. The triptych is likely one of his bijin-ga, as seen with this particular section’s center figure wearing a long, flowy dress. This section is part of a larger scene from the story The Tale of Genji, but who they are or what their role in the tea ceremony is unclear. The artist’s signature in the bottom left reads, “Ichiyōsai Toyokuni-ga.”

Andreas Marks. Japanese Woodblock Prints : Artists, Publishers, and Masterworks, 1680-1900 /.
Tokyo ; Rutland, Vt. : Tuttle Pub., 2010.

““Featured Object: Woodblock Print: Ukiyo-e a Tea Party by Toyokuni II,” n.d.
https://www.spurlock.illinois.edu/blog/p/featured-object-woodblock/50.

“Lyon Collection : Artist : Utagawa Toyokuni II (二代目歌川豊国) [Utagawa Toyokuni II],”
n.d. https://woodblockprints.org/index.php/Detail/entities/36.

Toyokuni ii (toyoshige) | the art of Japan. Accessed December 6, 2024.
https://theartofjapan.com/artist/toyokuni-ii-toyoshige.

Utagawa Toyoshige (歌川豊重 Toyokuni ii) | british museum. Available at:
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG6956 (Accessed: 06 December 2024).

Woodblock Print: Ukiyo-e, a Tea Party by Toyokuni II, Search the Collection, SpurlockMuseum, U of I,” n.d. https://www.spurlock.illinois.edu/collections/search-collection/details.php?a=1900.43.0019A.