Pair of Paintings, Foreign Merchants, attributed to Kawahara Keiga Japan 1820

These paintings, attributed to Kawahara Keiga around 1820, illustrate the complex historical context of Japan’s commercial relationships dating back to the 17th century. At the time these works were created, Japan was still enforcing a strict isolationist policy known as Sakoku, severely limiting interactions with foreign powers.
In the early 17th century, under the Tokugawa shogunate, Japan implemented measures to control and restrict foreign trade. This policy aimed to shield the country from foreign influences considered destabilizing, particularly from Christian missionaries. Consequently, starting in the 1630s, Japanese authorities gradually closed their ports to foreign ships, allowing limited commercial contacts with only select nations.
The Dutch were granted exclusive access to Western trade, but solely from the artificial island of Dejima, located in Nagasaki Bay. This enclave became Japan’s only official contact point with Europe, enabling controlled exchanges of goods and knowledge. The Dutch primarily imported European products and exported Japanese copper, a highly valued resource at the time, whose scarcity eventually forced Japan to mint silver coins instead.
Simultaneously, Chinese merchants played an essential role in Japan’s Asian trade. Settled in the designated T?jin yashiki quarter adjacent to Dejima, they imported silk, porcelain, and other luxury Chinese goods while exporting Japanese precious metals and some Japanese products later resold to Europeans. This Sino-Japanese trade was substantial, with historical records indicating that, in the 17th century, a significant portion of silver entering Chinese ports originated from Japan.
This situation led to significant commercial rivalry between the Dutch and Chinese communities, each striving to maximize their advantages within the strict framework imposed by the shogunate. Interactions between these merchants and the local population were also strictly regulated. Foreign women were notably prohibited from accompanying merchants, leading to a very specific arrangement whereby Japanese women visited these isolated foreigners for brief periods.
In this context, Kawahara Keiga’s works become highly meaningful.
The first painting depicts a Western man with blond hair and blue eyes, identifiable as a Dutch merchant by his European clothing and distinctive hat. He is accompanied by a Japanese woman, illustrating the controlled Dutch presence on Dejima and their limited interactions with locals.
The second painting portrays a Chinese merchant, also accompanied by a Japanese woman, reflecting a similar dynamic in the T?jin yashiki.
These paintings capture not only the visual aspects of their subjects but also the subtleties of the intercultural and commercial relationships of the era. The intense and attentive gazes of the figures clearly illustrate the commercial rivalry between these two foreign communities, both rigorously controlled by Japanese authorities.
Kawahara Keiga, with meticulous detail and documentary precision, provides a rare and historically significant visual testimony. His work reflects Japan’s restrictive trade policies and human interactions between Japanese and foreigners, demonstrating his remarkable artistic skill in capturing the socio-cultural nuances of his time.
Ink and pigments on paper, circa 1820, minor creases and paper weaknesses.
Attributed to Kawahara Keiga.
Modern scroll mounting with neutral silk framing, preserving original floral borders, ceramic knobs.
Tomobako (wooden box) for both scrolls.
Size of each painting is 82 x 40 cm, size of each scroll is 163 x 40 plus ceramic finials.