Antique Japanese Woodblock – William Lee Inventor of the Knitting Machine “Lives of Great People of the Occident ca. 1870
In stock
Condition Report: Good Condition, some wrinkling. Size 33x23cm
Antique Japanese Woodblock – William Lee Inventor of the Knitting Machine “Lives of Great People of the Occident ca. 1870
William Lee [1563–1614]: Inventor of the Knitting Machine (Ueuremu Rii orikikai(?) 維廉李 織襪機), from the series “Lives of Great People of the Occident” (Taisei ijin den 泰西偉人伝), ca. 1870
Yokohama-e – Yokohama-e are prints depicting foreigners in Yokohama after Japan was opened to trade with the West the 1850s. Previously, Japan had been closed to international trade with only a few strict exceptions, leading to curiosity among the Japanese about the new foreign arrivals and their strange clothing and customs. Many Yokohama-e designs featured people from the “Five Nations,” the five countries that signed trade treaties with Japan in 1858: America, England, the Netherlands, Russia, and France. Others were fanciful depictions of foreign cities, often based on Western illustrations rather than direct observation. These prints proved popular, with hundreds of Yokohama-e published between 1859 and about 1880. These wonderful images provide a great look at this historic time period, using the traditional art form of Japanese woodblock prints to record a new subject.
Provenance: From the collection of Clemens Merkelbach van Enkhuizen, A well known Dutch painter and artist from Amsterdam.
Merkelbach van Enkhuizen lived in one of the canal houses in Amsterdam and was an avid collection of Asian art.
Additional Information
| Weight | 4 kg |
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