Pair of paintings, Foreign Merchants, att Kawahara Keiga, Japan circa 1820

These paintings attributed to Kawahara Keiga around 1820 illustrate the complex historical context of Japan's trade relations since the 17th century.

At the time these paintings were created, Japan still enforced a strict isolationist policy, known as Sakoku, limiting interactions with foreign powers.

In the early 17th century, Japan, under the Tokugawa shogunate, implemented measures to control and restrict foreign trade. This policy aimed to protect the country from foreign influences deemed destabilizing, particularly those of Christian missionaries. Thus, beginning in the 1630s, Japanese authorities gradually closed ports to foreign ships, allowing only limited trade contacts with certain nations.

The Dutch were granted exclusive access to Western trade, but only from the artificial island of Dejima, located in Nagasaki Bay. This enclave became the only official point of contact between Japan and Europe, allowing for a controlled exchange of goods and knowledge. The Dutch primarily imported European products and exported Japanese copper, a highly prized resource at the time, which led Japan to mint its coins in silver due to a shortage of copper.

At the same time, Chinese merchants played a vital role in Asian trade with Japan. Based in the red-light district of Tōjin Yashiki, adjacent to Dejima, they imported Chinese silks, porcelain, and other luxury goods, while exporting Japanese precious metals and some Japanese goods for resale to Europeans. This Sino-Japanese trade was significant, with records indicating that, in the 17th century, much of the silver arriving in Chinese ports came from Japan.

This situation gave rise to a notable commercial rivalry between the Dutch and Chinese communities, each seeking to maximize its advantages within the strict framework imposed by the shogunate. Interactions between these merchants and the local population were also subject to strict regulations. In particular, foreign women were not allowed to accompany the merchants, which led to a very specific organization regularly providing local Japanese women for a few days to these lonely foreigners.

In this context, the works of Kawahara Keiga take on their full meaning.

The first painting depicts a Western man with blond hair and blue eyes, recognizable as a Dutch merchant by his European clothing and hat. He is accompanied by a Japanese woman, illustrating the controlled presence of the Dutch on Dejima and their limited interaction with the local population.

The second depicts a Chinese merchant, also with a Japanese woman, reflecting the similar dynamic of the Tōjin yashiki.

These paintings capture not only the visual aspects of the protagonists, but also the subtleties of intercultural and commercial relations of the time. The figures' intense and attentive gazes clearly depict the commercial rivalry between these two foreign communities, both subject to strict control by the Japanese authorities.

Kawahara Keiga, with his attention to detail and documentary precision, offers a rare and historical visual testimony, reflecting both the restrictive trade policy of Japan at the time and the human interactions between Japanese and foreigners. He demonstrates a remarkable artistic ability to capture the socio-cultural subtleties of his time.

Ink and pigments on paper circa 1820, small creases and weaknesses in the paper.

Attributed to Kawahara Keiga

Modern roll mounting with neutral silk frame retaining the old floral bands, ceramic tips.

Tomobako (wooden box) for the two rolls.

Each painting measures 82 x 29 cm

Dimensions with roll mounting: 163 x 52 cm plus ceramic end caps.