Yokohama-e - Yokohama-e are prints depicting foreigners in Yokohama after Japan was opened to trade with the West the 1850s. Previously, Japan had been closed to international trade with only a few strict exceptions, leading to curiosity among the Japanese about the new foreign arrivals and their strange clothing and customs. Many Yokohama-e designs featured people from the "Five Nations," the five countries that signed trade treaties with Japan in 1858: America, England, the Netherlands, Russia, and France. Others were fanciful depictions of foreign cities, often based on Western illustrations rather than direct observation. These prints proved popular, with hundreds of Yokohama-e published between 1859 and about 1880. These wonderful images provide a great look at this historic time period, using the traditional art form of Japanese woodblock prints to record a new subject.

China and France, 1861 - Great Yokohama-e double portrait featuring men from China and France. The bearded Frenchman sits in a wooden chair, holding a glass goblet and looking ahead with a blank expression. He wears a green jacket over a white button-front vest and black pants, along with a hat. The Chinese man chats animatedly, gesturing with one hand, the other on his hip. He wears a black jacket over white pants, his long pigtail reaching almost to the ground. A terrific image of foreigners in Japan.

Artist - Yoshiiku (1833 - 1904)

Image Size - 14" x 9 5/8" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with good detail as shown. Horizontal folds. Losses at edges, a few holes, repaired. Creasing throughout. Please see photos for details.