Title : Foreigners are Coming ! - Commodore Perry of American Navy

Artist : Unknown

Date : Ca. 1850-60s.

Details : Unknown: Foreigners are Coming ! - Commodore Perry of American Navy - Artelino

Source : artelino - Japanese Prints
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Description : Portrait of American navy commodore Mathew C. Perry holding an upraised saber. This strange portrait was probably the real impression the Japanese had when they first encountered a foreigner. The writings further indicated that the ship sailed 4500-ri, 18 days on the sea, to Yokohama harbor in Bu-shu. The historical fact was that Perry's black steam ships appeared in Tokyo Bay in 1853. The Japanese had never seen ships steaming with smoke. They thought the black iron ships were actually "giant dragons puffing smoke." The Japanese government officials were equally shocked by the number and size of the cannons on the ships. Their menacing presence had great effect on the Japanese government, which reluctantly made a treaty with USA in 1854. It was beginning of the end of Japanese international isolation lasted for 300 years.

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