A PAINTING in sumi, colour and gofun on silk of a panoramic view of Shimonoseki Bay and the town with numerous boats, some with a tricolour Dutch ensigns with VOC, a few with flags with kiri mon and Seiwa Genji mon, mountain ranges in Kyushu seen in the distance, the title at the bottom in Dutch and then in French AFTEEKENING VAN DE BAAY GENAAMT SIMONOSEKIE LEGT IN HET JAPPANSHE LANDSCHAP NAGATO, Vue de la Baie de Simonoseki dans la Provinse de Nagato dans l'Empire du Japon (some creases, slight cracks and small stains), unsigned, 19th century

Details

A PAINTING in sumi, colour and gofun on silk of a panoramic view of Shimonoseki Bay and the town with numerous boats, some with a tricolour Dutch ensigns with VOC, a few with flags with kiri mon and Seiwa Genji mon, mountain ranges in Kyushu seen in the distance, the title at the bottom in Dutch and then in French AFTEEKENING VAN DE BAAY GENAAMT SIMONOSEKIE LEGT IN HET JAPPANSHE LANDSCHAP NAGATO, Vue de la Baie de Simonoseki dans la Provinse de Nagato dans l'Empire du Japon (some creases, slight cracks and small stains), unsigned, 19th century
66 x 106.5cm.

Lot Essay

Shimonoseki, which is situated at the strategic point facing the strait between the Inland Sea and Japan Sea was not one of the ports first opened to the Westerners. It was under the semi-autonomous jurisdiction of Choshu clan which was one of the strongest opponents of the already weakening Bakufu. In 1864, allied naval forces of England, France, the Netherland and U.S.A. attacked Shimonoseki in retaliation for the Choshu clan's previous attack on French and American ships. It was without any difficlty that the allied forces won the battle in a very short time, and they coveted the opening of the Port of Shimonoseki as part of reparation which was not forthcoming immediately.

In view of the above facts one could surmise that the painting was executed sometime after 1864

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