A Meeting of Japan, China and the West
Attributed to Shiba Kokan. Ink, colours and gold on silk. Japan, late 18th century
This Japanese painting depicts an intellectual encounter between three men of learning, a Chinese, a Japanese and a European. The position of the Japanese near the European suggests his inclination towards western science over existing intellectual and scientific practice, which derived from China. In the background groups of firemen from China, Japan and Europe use different techniques to quell a fire.
The artist has used a combination of Japanese and European painting styles. The signature and seals indicate that the work is by Shiba Kokan, who belonged to a circle of Japanese scholars interested in western learning.
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Ruth & Sherman Lee Institute for Japanese Art at the Clark Center
