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Edo Period History
Periods
JAPANESE HISTORY IS RECORDED IN PERIODS, not centuries as is western culture. These periods were set by ruling families and were named primarily for the location of the capital at that time. The heart of this collection is based upon the Edo Period, which started when the War Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu took control of Japan, became Shogun, and moved his capital to Edo (now called Tokyo). Since these Periods represent a change in the control of the people, the arts usually took on a radical new direction and is readily associated with whatever that ruler represented.
Since the paintings in this collection are primarily from the Edo Period, we have divided the collection into three sections, followed by the Meiji era. Throughout the Edo Period, the style of its various schools did not really change, it just matured, until it finally subsided under the onslaught of western technique and knowledge.
Early Edo (1615 - 1700)
Middle Edo (1700-1800)
Late Edo (1800 - 1868)
Meiji and beyond (1868 -