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Namban Screens

Attributed to Kanō Sanraku · Suntory Museum of Art · early 17th century

Right screenLeft screen
Namban Screens attributed to Kanō Sanraku, right-hand screen: ship entering port
The Black Ship (kurofune) The Black Ship (kurofune) A Portuguese carrack (Port. nau) dropping anchor at Nagasaki or another port in southern Japan, the defining compositional element across the corpus of "Arrivals" screens. Their hulls were painted black with pitch for waterproofing, hence the name "black ship" (Jap. kurofune). Detail of The Black Ship (kurofune) on Arrival of a Portuguese ship, one of a pair (Nanban screens) Arrival of a Portuguese ship, one of a pair (Nanban screens) Detail of The Black Ship (kurofune) on Arrival of the "Southern Barbarians" Arrival of the "Southern Barbarians" Detail of The Black Ship (kurofune) on Folding Screen with the Arrival of a Portuguese Ship Folding Screen with the Arrival of a Portuguese Ship Detail of The Black Ship (kurofune) on Namban Screens Namban Screens Detail of The Black Ship (kurofune) on Namban folding screens Namban folding screens Detail of The Black Ship (kurofune) on Namban folding screens Namban folding screens See all 7 examples → Compare side by side →
Suntory Museum of Art; Google Art Project (public-domain artwork) Left screen not yet available

Object

Artist
Attributed to Kanō Sanraku
Date
early 17th century
Period
Azuchi–Momoyama
Collection
Suntory Museum of Art
Location
Tokyo, Japan
Materials
Ink, gold, and color on silk
Format
Pair of six-panel folding screens (byōbu)
Provenance
Important Cultural Property of Japan; Sakamoto cat. 5

Attributed to Kanō Sanraku: the right screen shows a Western ship entering a port where missionaries gather; the left depicts scenes in a foreign country. Google Art Project (public-domain artwork).