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Dutch VOC employees being served a meal by Javanese servants at Deshima, 1790-1810
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Dutch VOC employees being served a meal by Javanese servants at Deshima, 1790-1810
XOS1765779 Dutch VOC employees being served a meal by Javanese servants at Deshima, 1790-1810 (colour woodblock print) by Japanese School, (18th century); 30x38.4 cm; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (add.info.: The Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie, VOC) trading company flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries with an Asian capital at Batavia, now Jakarta, in Java. As part of the sakoku self-imposed isolationist policy to constrain foreign traders, an isolated island outpost at Deshima, Nagasaki allowed limited trade with Japan. Originally built to house Portuguese traders, it changed to a Chinese and Dutch trading post from 1641 to 1853. This print, attributed to Rin Shihei, may show the entire VOC personnel there, one seated on a chair bearing the company monogram.
); Japanese, out of copyright
Media ID 12742753
© www.bridgemanimages.com
Dutch Colonial Dutch Colony Dutch East India Company Dutch East Indies Dutch Empire Edo Period Eggs Nagasaki Sake Traders Trading Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie Woodblock Decima Dejima Deshima
EDITORS COMMENTS
This print captures a significant moment in history, showcasing Dutch VOC employees being served a meal by Javanese servants at Deshima between 1790 and 1810. The image, a colour woodblock print created by the Japanese School in the 18th century, measures 30x38.4 cm and is currently housed at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The scene depicted here takes us back to a time when the Dutch East India Company (VOC) thrived as a trading powerhouse with its capital in Batavia (now Jakarta), Java. However, due to Japan's self-imposed isolationist policy known as sakoku, foreign traders were restricted to an isolated outpost on Deshima Island in Nagasaki. Originally intended for Portuguese traders, Deshima became an important Chinese and Dutch trading post from 1641 until 1853. In this artwork attributed to Rin Shihei, we may witness all of the VOC personnel stationed on Deshima during that period. One figure can be seen seated on a chair adorned with the company monogram—a symbol of their authority within this colonial setting. This print not only offers us insight into daily life within this unique trading post but also serves as a reminder of the complex web of commerce that connected nations across continents during this era. It is undoubtedly an invaluable historical artifact that sheds light on both cultural exchange and economic ties between Japan and Europe during one of history's most fascinating periods of exploration and trade.
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