Arrival of the "Southern Barbarians"
1600
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1600
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Arrival of the "Southern Barbarians" is a 1600 unspecified by Unknown, a Early Baroque Italian work, depicting Momoyama Period, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see two tall folding screens filled with tiny figures: Portuguese traders in wide hats and black robes stepping off a ship, priests in long robes holding crosses, and Japanese officials waiting on shore. These screens were made just before Japan shut its doors to most Europeans. The Portuguese brought trade—and trouble. Their missionaries caused fights, so Japan pushed them out. The screens show the moment right before that change. Look up more works from the momoyama period (1573–1615) to see how Japan pictured its last days of open trade.
These screens show European merchants arriving in Japan. Almost certainly the persons represented are Portuguese, since they are accompanied by Roman Catholic priests. Early in the 1600s the Portuguese were forced out of Japan, chiefly because of internal difficulties caused by their missionaries. Later, between 1641 and 1853, the Dutch were the only Europeans permitted to trade with Japan but their presence was restricted to a port town in far western Japan, near present-day Nagasaki.
Europeans were called "Southern Barbarians" because their ships arrived in Japan from the south.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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