Newly Imported Great Elephant (Shinto hakurai no daizō) - Ichiryūsai Yoshitoyo

A 1863 woodblock print from the Yokohama-e genre depicting a newly imported elephant and foreign visitors in Japan.

This woodblock print by Ichiryūsai Yoshitoyo, produced in 1863, belongs to the Yokohama-e genre. These prints documented the arrival of foreigners and exotic goods in the port of Yokohama following the opening of Japan to international trade. The subject is a large elephant, a creature that fascinated the Japanese public at the time. The animal is depicted consuming straw, while a Western man in a military-style uniform and a woman in a voluminous blue dress observe from the background. A smaller figure, likely an attendant, is also present.

The composition is divided into two panels, typical of the format used for such broadsheets. The artist employs a flat, graphic style, prioritising clear outlines and bold colour blocks over realistic shading. The text integrated into the upper portion of the print provides context for the event, serving as a news report for contemporary viewers who were eager to learn about the strange and new arrivals from overseas. The elephant is rendered with stylised features, reflecting the artist's interpretation of a creature that was likely unfamiliar to him. The colour palette is restrained, relying on deep greens, muted blues, and earthy tones to ground the figures against the paper background.

As a piece of Yokohama-e, this work captures a specific moment in Japanese history when the isolationist policies of the Edo period were ending. It functions as a visual record of the curiosity and cultural exchange that defined the era. The print provides insight into how Japanese artists visualised the foreign presence, often blending accurate observation with imaginative interpretation. The inclusion of the Western figures in their distinct attire highlights the visual contrast between the local population and the new arrivals, a common theme in prints of this period.