This design comes from an untitled Japanese picture postcard, originally color lithograph with ink on card stock, which was likely produced around 1906. The postcard represents a mood of political disillusionment after the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). I have carefully redrawn, recolored, and refinished this work of art by hand in order to preserve this interesting piece of history.
Although not directly referenced by the postcard, the general mood and theme of the postcard line up with the public reaction to the Treaty of Portsmouth ending the war: although Japan had won major victories, many Japanese felt the settlement was humiliating because it did not include the indemnity and spoils they expected, and that anger helped trigger protests and the Hibiya riots in 1905.
This postcard belongs to the first great age of the Japanese picture postcard. In Japan, privately produced postcards were authorized in 1900, and the new medium expanded rapidly as printing technology, postal circulation, and consumer visual culture developed together.
The text reads: “Ah, have we been sold out?! Ah, have we been deceived?!”
Magnet material is a heavy-duty vinyl (0.5 mm) with a strong attachment, and is suitable for both indoor and outdoor usage.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to hit me up and let me know! I also do custom work, so if you want something specifically made, I can do just about anything!
• Made from 0.5 mm flexible vinyl
• Premium matte finish
• Magnetic black backing