Finely illustrated scroll on paper concerning “Nagasaki karafune zukan” (“Picture scroll of Chinese ship and...
Japan: late Edo.
Until the late 17th century, the Chinese had been permitted to move in Japan quite freely for trading purposes. But in 1689, due to the rise of smuggling activities, the Chinese were restricted, like the Dutch, to a compound on the eastern tip of Nagasaki — called the “Tojin yashiki” (“Chinamen’s mansions”) — surrounded by a moat and walls with gates which could be locked from the outside. Inside were housed on average 2000 Chinese merchants and sailors, along with interpreters, inspectors, and staff.
This scroll depicts two large Chinese ships just off Nagasaki surrounded by a.... More