Exotic Luxury Goods
For the Shõgun the reception of
the Dutch was not only a source of entertainment for himself and
his household but it was also an opportunity to look forward to
the exotic luxury goods from Europe. Sometimes even livestock
was transported, quadrupeds which were not known in Japan such
as camels, dromedaries and birds like the cassowary.
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Anonymous, c.1821.
Dutchman and
two Javanese assistants leading a camel and a dromedary.
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Musical Instruments
What also aroused the interest of
the print designers of the day were the Western musical
instruments such as the brass instruments. The reason for this
was probably caused by the performance of the Trumpet Corps of
Captain Koops, when he arrived in 1844 with his frigate 'Palembang'
in Nagasaki.
His mission was to deliver a
letter from King Willem II to the Shõgun in which he strongly
advised to open the ports of Japan to the outside world and to
establish diplomatic relations with other countries. The advice
was not immediately followed but it was a prelude to the events
in the second half of the Nineteenth Century when finally
several ports of Japan were opened to foreign trade.
Yokohama-e
The most important seaport was
Yokohama, where several foreign legations were located. Yokohama
was also a new breeding ground for the portrayal of Westerners,
for their habits and their technical achievements. These
included Western-style buildings, steam locomotives and
steamships. The emergence of the new Yokohama print took place
under the influence of Edo and the last of the Ukiyo-e masters
and would eventually push away the Nagasaki print.
