Nagasaki Harbour

Unknown artist

This silk painting gives a bird’s-eye view of Nagasaki Harbour. Dutch and Chinese ships lie at anchor and small fishing boats bob in the foreground. On the left is the crescent-shaped island of Deshima. From this small island, the Dutch were the only Westerners to trade with Japan from 1641 to 1859. The densely built-up Dutch trading post proudly flies the national flag. The Chinese trading post was founded on the rectangular island at the far left.