Who painted 異国人交易図屏風|Foreign Merchants in Japanese Trade Port?

異国人交易図屏風|Foreign Merchants in Japanese Trade Port was painted by Unknown in 1816.

Where can I see 異国人交易図屏風|Foreign Merchants in Japanese Trade Port?

異国人交易図屏風|Foreign Merchants in Japanese Trade Port is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 異国人交易図屏風|Foreign Merchants in Japanese Trade Port?

異国人交易図屏風|Foreign Merchants in Japanese Trade Port is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

異国人交易図屏風|Foreign Merchants in Japanese Trade Port

Unknown , 1816

異国人交易図屏風|Foreign Merchants in Japanese Trade Port is an ink painting by the Romanticist artist Unknown. It dates from 1816 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The six‑panel folding screen depicts a bustling Japanese port where foreign merchants conduct trade.

About this work

Overview

The six‑panel folding screen depicts a bustling Japanese port where foreign merchants conduct trade. Across the panels, activity unfolds from the rocky shoreline where cargo is off‑loaded, through interior market spaces crowded with tables of goods, to the harbor where European‑style ships are moored and sailors mingle with traders.

Subject & Meaning

The composition juxtaposes Japanese and foreign elements, highlighting the exchange of commodities and cultures. A solitary peacock, rendered in vivid colour, stands amid the crowd, a conventional emblem of exotic wealth and prestige that underscores the screen’s focus on international commerce.

Technique & Style

Executed in ink and color on paper, the work employs the traditional byōbu format, allowing narrative progression across panels. Brushwork combines delicate line drawing for figures with broader washes for architectural and maritime details, while the palette accentuates textiles, cargo, and the peacock’s plumage.

Context

The screen reflects a period when Japanese ports, such as Nagasaki, served as gateways for European traders. The inclusion of European‑styled vessels and hybrid architecture mirrors the visual vocabulary artists used to convey the presence of foreign merchants in Japan’s coastal towns.

Legacy

By integrating symbolic fauna like the peacock with realistic depictions of trade activity, the screen contributes to a visual record of early modern cross‑cultural interaction, informing both contemporary viewers and later scholars of Japan’s mercantile history.