The Tacoma Art Museum is home to more than 350 Japanese woodblock prints, making ours one of the finest collections on the West Coast. These works of art, created using the Japanese mokuhanga printing technique, depict scenes of everyday life, kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers, stunning landscapes, folkloric tales, and more, all hand-carved and printed on washi paper.
How did such a vast and vibrant collection of 18th, 19th, and early 20th-century woodblock prints come to live in TAM’s permanent collection? The story starts with the generous collectors who chose to entrust the Tacoma Art Museum with these incredible works.
Many of the woodblock prints in the museum’s collection came to us by way of the late Mrs. Constance R. Lyon (b. 1892 – d. 1987). A descendant of the Griggs family, which founded the successful Saint Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company in 1888, Mrs. Lyon recalled being
introduced to Japanese woodblock prints as a girl while attending a lecture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The lecture, about ukiyo-e master Utagawa Hiroshige, inspired an interest in the art form that would persist throughout her life.
Mrs. Lyon returned to this early interest following the death of her husband James W. Lyon in the 1960s, forging relationships with experts like Roger S. Keyes and print dealers alike. By the time of her death in 1987 at the age of 94 she had amassed an outstanding collection of Japanese woodblock prints. These prints were generously donated to the Tacoma Art Museum, where they have continued to benefit the public immeasurably ever since.
Another significant gift to the collection came in 2006, by way of Dr. Al and Mrs. Betsy Buck. Dr. Al Buck descended from Alfred Eliab Buck (b. 1832 – d. 1902), whose story became remarkably intertwined with Japan in the late 19th century. Following a distinguished career in the Union Army, Alfred was elected to the Forty-First Congress as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1869 until 1871. In 1897 he was appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Empire of Japan by President McKinley. He was recognized for his service by Emperor Meiji with the presentation of a signed portrait, which was an exceedingly unique gift even amongst high-ranking government officials.
Alfred Eliab Buck and his wife, Ellen Baker Buck, developed a remarkable collection of woodblock prints during Alfred’s time as a proto-ambassador. This collection was generously donated to TAM by the Buck family, with many pieces featured in exhibitions over the last two decades.
Additional gifts of Japanese woodblock prints have come from Bill and Trudy Colby; Mrs. Bartholomew Hoye; Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd F. Jordan; Mrs. Arvada McFarland; Mrs. Mary Griggs (Mrs. Edward H.) Morgan, goddaughter of Constance Lyon; Mr. and Mrs. Roger Peck; Mrs. Elizabeth Titcomb; and Mrs. Edwin Yoder.
Tacoma Art Museum remains grateful to all the generous donors who have contributed to our collection of Japanese woodblock prints. These works of art continue to make an impact on our community, offering new insights and inspiring contemporary artists for years to come.