Complete Enumeration of Scenic Places in Foreign Nations: City of Washington in America

Maker(s)
Artist: Utagawa Yoshitora 歌川芳虎 (active ca. 1850-1880)
Historical period(s)
Edo period, 1862
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 37 x 74.3 cm (14 9/16 x 29 1/4 in)
Geography
Japan, Yokohama
Credit Line
Gift of the Daval Foundation, from the Collection of Ambassador and Mrs. William Leonhart
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S1991.148a-c
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Print
Type

Woodblock print

Keywords
city, commerce, Edo period (1615 - 1868), foreigner, Japan, triptych, ukiyo-e, WWII-era provenance
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

Washington, D.C., became famous in Japan after President James Buchanan held a reception in May 1860 for the first Japanese diplomatic mission to the United States. The inscription reads in part:

"The metropolis called Washington is…said to be bounded by the borders of the states of Virginia and Maryland and the Potomac River...Although there are many kinds of merchandise for sale in the shops, bookshops and tobacco shops are numerous…Its prosperity is first among the nations of the world."

The artist, who was unable to read English, relied on a newspaper illustration of Agra, India, to render the buildings and figures at the left and right.

Published References
  • Ann Yonemura, Milo Cleveland Beach, The Honorable and Mrs. William Leonhart. Yokohama: Prints From 19th Century Japan. Exh. cat. Washington. cat. 65, pp. 160-161.
Collection Area(s)
Japanese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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