The arrival of Ukiyo-e in the West has a somewhat unexpected history.
First, a brief history of Japan’s trade with the West: During the 18th and 19th century Asian porcelain and lacquerware became extremely popular in Europe. Trade with China was already well established, but Japan – under the military rulership of the Tokugawa Shogunate – shied away from contact with the West and instead adopted a policy of extreme isolationism. Witnessing the widespread colonisation of Asian countries by Western powers, and the subsequent destruction and devastation, Japan decided to treat all contact with Westerners as dangerous and hostile. However, the potential for trade was still enticing. Unwilling to let foreigners enter Japanese soil, the Tokugawa government instead created an artificial island just off the port of Nagasaki, called Dejima (Exit Island), on which Westerners – first Portugal and then the Dutch VOC – could establish a trade post and living quarters. Particularly desirable for Western traders were East Asian porcelain and lacquerware. In the 18th century Asian ceramics and lacquerware were in very high demand and became ubiquitous throughout middle class households. Just as Asian porcelain was commonly referred to as “china”, so was lacquerware called “japan”.
This high volume trade had an unexpected consequence. Japanese craftspeople needed to protect their fragile ceramics and lacquerware. As packaging they would use paper, specifically scrap paper discarded by other craftspeople. This just happened to be proofs and misprints that ukiyo-e artists threw away. European traders became fascinated with this exquisite “wrapping paper” and many started to collect it. French graphic artist Félix Bracquemond (1833–1914) in particular was amazed at the sophistication of Japanese prints. Amongst this discarded wrapping paper he recovered several of Hokusai’s manga drawings. It was soon after that Madame Desoye opened the first Parisian shop dedicated to selling mokuhanga. Generations of European artists, famously among them van Gogh and Gauguin, were highly influenced by the artistry of Japanese printmakers. It would be fair to state that without this “wrapping paper”, Western art would not have become what it is today.
Image Credit: Plate designed by Felix Bracquemond manufactured by Haviland & Co. French. 1875
Cover image: Felix Bracquemond, Grand poisson dans le genre japonaise. Etching. 1866-1877.