Japanese Woodblock Print Identification & Dating: Useful Links

Japanese Woodblock Print Identification & Dating: Useful Links

Below is a list of helpful links to accompany our YouTube video on "How to Identify and Date a Japanese Woodblock Print". You can also check our page on useful "Woodblock Links" here.

 

Annotated Bibliography: Japanese Woodblock Print Identification & Dating

Databases & Online Tools

  1. Ukiyo-e.org
    https://ukiyo-e.org/
    An image search engine for Japanese woodblock prints with over 250,000 entries aggregated from museum and library collections worldwide. You can upload a photo of a print to find matches, making it one of the most effective tools for identification.
  2. British Museum Collection Online
    https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/search?keyword=ukiyoe
    The British Museum’s searchable collection includes thousands of ukiyo-e prints with detailed metadata, including artists, publishers, and historical notes.

  3. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) Collection
    https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search#!/search?material=Woodblock%20print&geolocation=Japan
    Searchable online archive of Japanese woodblock prints with high-resolution images, curatorial notes, and thematic essays on ukiyo-e.

  4. National Diet Library (Japan) – Digital Collections
    https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/en/gallery
    The NDL provides digitized exhibitions such as The Landmarks of Edo in Color Woodblock Prints along with a broader searchable gallery of prints and rare materials.

  5. Ukiyo-e Signature Database
    https://www.ukiyoesig.net/
    A dedicated database of artist signatures and seals used between ~1680 and 1912, invaluable for confirming attribution.

  6. MFA Boston – Ukiyo-e Print Colorant Database
    https://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/Ukiyo-e_Print_Colorant_Database
    Focused on pigments and dyes used in ukiyo-e prints, especially useful for technical dating and conservation research.


Reference Books

  1. Marks, Andreas. Japanese Woodblock Prints: Artists, Publishers and Masterworks, 1680–1900.
    Archive.org link: https://archive.org/details/japanesewoodbloc0000mark
    A comprehensive reference cataloguing artists and publishers, richly illustrated, and covering the development of ukiyo-e over 300 years.

  2. Marks, Andreas. Publishers of Japanese Woodblock Prints: A Compendium.
    Publisher seals reference: https://pages.uoregon.edu/jsmacollections/home/articles/publisher-seals---this-collection-s-prints.html
    The standard reference for identifying publisher’s marks and seals, critical for dating prints within specific production eras.


Supplementary Sites

  1. ViewingJapanesePrints.net
    https://www.viewingjapaneseprints.net/texts/topics_faq/other_sites.html
    A resource with essays, FAQs, and links focusing on Osaka prints and broader ukiyo-e topics, helpful for context and visual comparisons.

 

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