歌川芳盛画　「五ケ国之内　アメリカ]|“America,” from the series Five Nations

Utagawa Yoshimori

1860 · Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper; vertical ōban · Asian Art

After the opening of Japan to foreign trade in the late 1850s, artists captured what was, to the Japanese public, the exotic dress and customs of foreign vistors. Yoshimori and his contemporaries created various series onthe theme of the “Five Nations,” referring to the countries that signed diplomatic and trade agreements with Japan: Holland, Russia, France, Great Britain, and America. Often, artists combined fashions from various countries and periods, as seen here.

Artist

Utagawa Yoshimori

Date

1860

Medium

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper; vertical ōban

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Bequest of William S. Lieberman, 2005