A Japanese screen shows a black-hulled Dutch ship flying multiple flags beside a decorated Chinese junk on a field of stylised blue waves.

c. 1759 · Painting on silk and paper mounted as a screen

Japanese Screen with a VOC Ship and a Chinese Junk

Genkei-school, Nagasaki

Why it matters

The screen reverses the chapter's dominant direction of looking. Dutch and Chinese ships become locally classified port subjects, showing that controlled contact generated Japanese images of foreigners as well as European images of Japan.

Publication
Japanese folding screen
Holding institution
Rijksmuseum
Shelfmark
NG-696
Rights
Public Domain; Rijksmuseum

Citation

Genkei-school, Nagasaki. Japanese Screen with a VOC Ship and a Chinese Junk. c. 1759. Rijksmuseum, NG-696.