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.

Comments - Terrific triptych depicting life inside a foreigners' residence in Yokohama. At lower left, a group enjoys a sumptuous meal set out on two cloth-covered tables while a man plays a cello. At right, three men are at work in a kitchen as a servant waits with a bowl in her hand. One man fills a bucket with a stream of sake from a straw-wrapped cask, while another works at a counter with a large knife. Another fellow sits on a wooden crate as he tends a stove where pans of food are cooking. In an inside room just above, a man is being shaved. A fascinating image of Westerners in Yokohama, with a wonderfully detailed setting and attractive color.

Artist - Yoshikazu (active circa 1850 - 1870)

Image Size - 14 1/4" x 28 7/8" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent detail as shown. Three separate panels. Horizontal and vertical folds. Losses and thinning areas, repaired. Creasing and wrinkling, slight toning and soiling, stains. Please see photos for details.