Six-panel screen depicting the arrival of a Portuguese ship
Ink, colours and gold-leaf on paper
Japan, c.1630s
This screen was painted in Japan in the early 17th century and depicts the arrival of a Portuguese ship at a Japanese port. Reading the story from left to right the narrative continues, showing Europeans unloading and trading the exotic goods they have brought while the Portuguese captain-major greets Jesuit missionaries.
Such screens were painted for wealthy merchants and shipping agents and reveal the Japanese fascination for the curious foreigners who had arrived on their shores. The subject depicted also relates to traditional Japanese iconography, the ship representing a treasure ship (takara-bune) bringing wealth and happiness from over the seas.
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Private Collection, New York
