(Foreigner in Yokohama)

 

Unidentified

 

c. 1860  

color woodcut 

5 7/8 x 3 7/8" image size 

artist's stamped brush signature, in image, upper mid-left 

not stated 

titling in Japanese characters, upper left 

 

Japanese laid 

published 

artist 

22657 

SOLD

Yokohama was the harbor of Japan where Western foreigners were first allowed--and confined to--immediately following the Treaty of Kanagawa, in which the U.S. militarily forced Japan to enter trade negotiations. Yokohama-e ("e" translating to "pictures") is the formal term for the expression of the Japanese woodcut art that reflected this change, with around 500 images created primarily by 31 artists between 1859 and 1862. Portraits of Westerners and their trains, ships, and daily lives soared in demand. This portrait of what is likely a wealthy American trader, with his mutton chops, cane, and proud stance, is recorded with signature Japanese subtlety, perfectly capturing the collision of two worlds.