「横浜英吉利西商館繁栄圖」|“The Flourishing of an English Trading Firm in Yokohama”
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From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
9
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From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
This print shows a packed indoor market or shop, full of people in old-fashioned clothes. Bright red carpets cover the floor, and tables are loaded with jars, boxes, and stacks of goods. Flags and banners hang everywhere, and the ceiling looks like a mix of beams and fabric. Some folks are standing, others are sitting or walking, all busy with shopping or talking. The artist packed in tiny details—like the patterns on the carpets and the way the light hits the objects—to make the scene feel alive. This kind of busy, colorful market was common in Yokohama during trade with foreign merchants. If you like this, look up Utagawa Yoshiiku to see more of his lively prints.
