Colours of the « images of the floating world ». Non-invasive analyses of Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints (18th and 19th centuries) and new contributions to the insight of oriental materials

•Holistic non-invasive spectroscopic results on 18th and 19th centuries Japanese woodblock prints.•New insights of the use of the pigments in Japanese woodblock prints.•Complementary XRF, visible, fluorimetric and infrared results revealed the use of traditional pigments (Red lead, indigo, safflower, dayflower) until the second half of the 19th century.•Infrared data allow the identification of yellow, gamboge, turmeric and yellow ochre, which was not yet identified in Japanese woodblock prints.