"Red-Seal" Ship
Companion to Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1953-32-1
Artist/maker unknown, Japanese
Geography:
Made in Japan, Asia
Period:
Edo Period (1615-1868)Date:
Early 17th centuryMedium:
Ink, color, and gold on paper; mounted as one of a pair of six-fold screensDimensions:
67 x 148 1/2 inches (170.2 x 377.2 cm)Curatorial Department:
East Asian ArtObject Location:
1938-31-1Credit Line:
Gift of Mrs. G. Brinton Roberts, 1938
Made in Japan, Asia
Period:
Edo Period (1615-1868)Date:
Early 17th centuryMedium:
Ink, color, and gold on paper; mounted as one of a pair of six-fold screensDimensions:
67 x 148 1/2 inches (170.2 x 377.2 cm)Curatorial Department:
East Asian ArtObject Location:
Currently not on view
Accession Number:1938-31-1Credit Line:
Gift of Mrs. G. Brinton Roberts, 1938
From 1604 until 1635, the Japanese government granted "red-seal" licenses to oceangoing merchant ships to trade with regions south of Japan, including Indochina, the Philippines, Macao, and Taiwan. On this screen, Japanese and Portuguese sailors (the earliest Europeans to come to Japan) drink, smoke, and play go on deck as musicians and a dancer entertain a group on the stern of the ship.
