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Nagasaki and the Dutch portrayed by a Japanese artist
ISONO BUNSAI.Nagasaki Miyage. (Souvenir of Nagasaki).   Nagasaki, Yamatoya (Juo), 1847. 8vo. Bound in the Japanese manner in original, blue paper wrappers, with title label pasted on front wrapper. Text printed from woodcuts, with 12 double-page and 6 full-page woodcuts including a map of Nagasaki, an interior with Chinese merchants (library of the Chinese trade settlement south of Deshima), a Dutch interior with VOC merchants: 'Hollandsche uurwerk', view on a fleet, a VOC ship, interior with Dutch merchants at diner, portrait of a Dutch woman: 'Holland vrouw', woodcut with an elephant: 'Olifant', harbour views, other interiors, a kite festival and another procession, city views. 27 double lvs., the first and last pasted on wrappers. Beautiful copy of a rare and gorgeously illustrated woodblock guide to Nagasaki and surroundings, concentrating on the Dutch (and Chinese) traders, with text in Japanese characters and woodcuts with harbour views, interiors, festival processions, and city views by Isono Bunsai (d. 1857), artist. An inscription in this work says that the book: ''offers a variety of Nagasaki prints depicting objects from abroad by the Chinese and 'red hairs' as well as nishike-e depicting these foreigners''. Although the work is essentially a collection of prints which had been previously published as prints, these woodcuts, together with an extensive explanatory text, were here reissued for the first time in bookform. Jack Hillier has noted of this publication that 'although separate sheet prints of the Dutch and Chinese traders were produced in some numbers in Nagasaki from c. 1750, the earliest book on the town and its foreign commerce published in the town itself did not appear until 1847'. The book deals with the manners and practices and the daily life of both Chinese and Western traders living in Nagasaki, especially the Dutch at Deshima endowed with special privileges to trade with Japan. This genre of single souvenir prints and collections of prints from Nagasaki was very popular with the foreign merchants visiting Nagasaki. The illustrations include a woodcut map of the harbour showing a Dutch vessel. The next plate is an interior showing Chinese traders seated at a table with a servant handing up books to them. Van Gulik has identified this scene as the library of the Chinese trade settlement south of Deshima (cf. Van Gulik, plate 46). Another illustration shows a Dutch merchant, with his Indonesian servant carrying a decanter and glass on a tray, titled ''Hollandsche uurwerk'. Others include a panoramic view of the Deshima compound and an interior with dining Dutchmen accompanied by Japanese courtesans at the Chief's residence on Deshima. The woodcut of a Dutch woman titled ''Holland vrouw'', can be identified as the portrait of Mimi Villeneuve, who came to Deshima to join her husband (cf. Van Gulik for another portrait of Villeneuve). Isono Bunsai was a famous Nagasaki artist and the owner of the Yamatoya publishing house from 1840 until 1857, taught by Ikeda Eisen (an associate of Hiroshige). He brought Edo techniques to Nagasaki, incorporated Western drawing techniques and refined the naive Nagasaki style. An inscription in this work indicates that Bunsai brought Edo craftsmen to Nagasaki to work at his Yamatoya printing house. Good copy.- (Binding sl. rubbed; some waterstains).
French, C. Through closed doors. Western influences on Japanese art, p.31, pp. 35-6; Paul, Nederlanders in Japan 1600-1854, p. 58; Hillier,The art of the Japanese book, London, 1987, passim; Van Gulik, Nederlanders in Nagasaki, Amsterdam, 1998, passim.
Related Subjects: Japan Netherlands VOC Woodcuts Add to Shopping cart |
€ 12.500,00
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All items are offered subject to prior sale. Prices are nett and in (€) EURO. VAT/BTW, postage, and insurance are not included.
Free shipping for orders over € 2,500. EU customers: if applicable, please quote your VAT number when placing orders.
Preferred mode of payment: by credit card through our secure online payment service, which is facilitated by Ogone. If you wish to make other arrangements, please contact us. Terms of sale
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Antiquariaat FORUM B.V.
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The Netherlands
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3997 MS t Goy-Houten,
The Netherlands
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