A remarkable example of a Nanban byôbu (literal translation: Southern Barbarian screen), a type of Japanese folding screen (byôbu) depicting the arrival of Europeans, especially the Portuguese, in Japan during the late 16th- and early 17th centuries. It shows the vast expanse of the Portuguese seaborne empire. From their possessions along the coast of the Indian subcontinent and their lease of Macau, individual Portuguese reached Japan in 1542 and were followed by traders and missionaries, the most famous being Francis Xavier. Nanban art provides a unique glimpse into a period of significant cultural exchange and the Japanese perspective on the arrival of the Portuguese in their islands. While inspired by the arrival of and trade with the Portuguese in Japan before the enforcement of the isolationist foreign policy, commonly known as Sakoku, by the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate from 1633/1639 onwards, it remained a popular subject to depict on these folding screens and in other artworks during the Edo period and beyond.
The image on the present folding screen shows a large four-masted ship, probably approaching the port of Nagasaki. Crew members, both Portuguese and people from (Portuguese possessions in) the Indian subcontinent, are seen furling the sails and performing remarkable acrobatic feats in the ship's rigging. The artist emphasises the balloon-like bagginess of their bombacha trousers typically associated with the Portuguese and other Europeans, but focuses also on distinctive details such as heavy gold necklaces, facial hair, hats, capes, frilly white handkerchiefs, and ruffled collars. The foreigners are depicted as being exotic but not scary or very "other", they are depicted as being different while still simply being human. The decoration and colours of the flags flown at the top of each mast are reminiscent of Christian symbols (the Cross of Christ) and Portugal's colours (green and red). Cargo and passengers are offloaded into small boats that pull alongside the ship, the top right corner shows a 12-point wind rose including a depiction of the globe. The whole scene is enschrouded in gold clouds.
After the Sengoku period, a period of practically consecutive and almost continuous civil wars and social upheavals in the 15th- and 16th centuries, Japan entered a more peaceful and prosperous period. Folding screens such as the present example were used to divide larger homes and generally show of the growing wealth and prosperity of the warrior and merchant classes. The screens are finely executed, in detail and using vibrant colours and copious amounts of gold paint and/or gold leaf. Thematically, the painting here continues a tradition of now-lost screens of Chinese trade ships that were in vogue during the 15th- and 16th centuries at the peak of the Sino-Japanese tribute missions that brought entourages numbering in the thousands from the Ming court. The precise subject of these paintings had since shifted from Chinese trade ships to Chinese- or more general Southeast Asian-style ships carrying European (including men from the European possessions in Africa and Asia) crews. The scene illustrates the dynamic convergence of Eastern and Western cultures through trade around 1600.
Portuguese traders first arrived in Japan in 1543, and by 1570 they had established the Bay of Nagasaki as a strategic hub for their commercial operations, which were largely unregulated. They generated significant profits by exchanging Chinese silk for Japanese silver, although some European goods were also part of the trade. The Portuguese carracks, massive three-decked vessels weighing up to 1,600 tons, captivated local observers with their impressive scale, unfamiliar crews, and exotic cargo.
Alongside these traders, Jesuit missionaries sought to spread Christianity, finding particular success in Kyushu, where many local daimyo converted. However, a Christian-led rebellion in 1638 alarmed the Tokugawa authorities, raising fears of European colonial interference. As a result, the Portuguese were expelled in 1639. When a Portuguese delegation attempted to restore diplomatic relations the following year, all sixty members were executed. In 1640, the shogunate instituted a policy of national seclusion, restricting foreign contact to limited trade with Chinese merchants, a small number of Dutch traders, and occasional Korean envoys. By 1650, Christianity was outlawed, and any missionary work was punishable by death. The present screen is a slightly later example, and the focus of the scene lies mostly on trade and the ship's crew itself and not directly on any (Christian) identity of the foreigners arriving on Japanese shores.
This screen belongs to approximately ninety surviving Nanban screens, ranking second only to capital city scenes in popularity among Japanese patrons. The earliest examples date to the 1590s, and their continued production throughout the Edo period demonstrates the lasting impact of the Portuguese encounter on Japanese culture.
Some minor flaking of the gold paint/gold leaf, barely any soiling, the decorative paper back of the work shows some traces of wear and use. The image remains clear and the colours vibrant. Overall in very good condition. This exceptional screen offers collectors an important historical document that captures both Portuguese maritime exploration and the Jesuit mission to Japan-a unique period of cultural exchange between East and West.