Export Empire: Japan and the modern world

Export Empire explores a transformative era in Japanese art and culture coinciding with rapid political and industrial changes that forged modern Japan.

Known as the Meiji era (1868–1912), this period is defined by the emergence of innovative media and the creation of opulent and extravagant export wares for western tastes, which graced international exhibitions and inspired a global craze for Japanese art and culture. The rise of the Empire of Japan as a world power also revitalised the woodblock print industry and inspired the creation of evocative textile designs.