Japan: 'Niigata Minato no Shinkei (View of Niigata Port)', woodblock print by Inoue Bunsho, 1859,...

"Nishiki-e" were a type of multi-coloured woodblock print from Japan. The technique was primarily used in "ukiyo-e", and was invented in the 1760s. Before this woodblock prints were usually in black-and-white and were coloured either by hand or with the addition of one or two colour ink blocks, but "nishiki-e" printing changed that. "Nishiki-e" was credited to an engraver named Kinroku, but it was popularised and perfected by Suzuki Harunobu. "Nishiki-e" is sometimes also known as "Edo-e", and became very popular during the Meiji Period, especially during the first Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), where over 3,000 prints were made in that 9-month period.