Yashima Gakutei, 1786–1868, Moonlit night over Suehiro Bridge, Tenpōzan from the series Famous places in Naniwa: a view of the opening of Tenpōzan (Naniwa meisho Tenpōzan kaigyō no zu), 1834, Osaka, colour woodblock print (nishiki-e), ōban, 24.2 × 36.0 cm; Bequest of M.J.M. Carter AO through the Art Gallery of South Australia Foundation 2026
In this talk, Russell Kelty, Curator, Asian Art at the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA), explores the creation and subsequent depiction of the artificial mountain Mount Tenpō . It was created between 1831–33 in present day Minato-ku, Osaka to serve as a visual landmark guiding large trading ships into Osaka. The mound, planted with cherry blossom and pine trees, became a popular Edo-period leisure spot integrated into the diversity of images celebrating the famous places (meisho-e) of Osaka as well as provinces throughout Tokugawa Japan in the early part of the 19th century.
Woodblock prints featuring landscapes are not often considered a part of the woodblock-printed culture of the Kamigata region, however this talk seeks to dispel that misrepresentation. The discussion is presented in the context of the unique woodblock print culture which emerged in Osaka and Kyoto from the late 18th century, historically referred to as ‘Kamigata’. The woodblock prints created in the Kamigata region between c.1790 and c.1900 are collectively described as kamigata ukiyo-e and demonstrate a mastery of materials and an inventive design language distinct from works created in Edo (present-day Tokyo). Although Edo fostered Japan’s most prolific print industry, the Kamigata region cultivated an exceptional and remarkably distinctive aesthetic, as well as a level of craftsmanship rarely achieved elsewhere in the world.
The talk explores the extraordinary collection of woodblock prints in the M.J.M. Carter AO collection at AGSA which forms the basis of a ground-breaking exhibition (and publication) on show at AGSA from 30 January to 17 April 2027.
Suzuki Toshimoto, active 1877–1898, Famous places in Osaka (Ōsaka meisho), 1885, Osaka,
lithograph, 18.8 × 25.7 cm; Bequest of M.J.M. Carter AO through the Art Gallery of South
Australia Foundation 2026
Russell Kelty is Curator, Asian Art, AGSA, and specialises in the art and culture of Japan, with particular emphasis on global trade and the influence of foreign ideas during the Edo period (1603-1868). He has curated and contributed to exhibitions and catalogues, including Treasure ships: art in the age of spices (2015–16), Ever Blossoming (2016), Chiharu Shiota (2018), Samurai (2020) and Pure form: Japanese sculptural ceramics (2022). He received an MA in Art History from Adelaide University and is currently completing his doctoral thesis at the University of Sydney, the focus of which is the depiction of foreign ships in Japan during the Edo period.
Bookings need to be made on this website before 23 October.
