Foreigners Enjoying a Banquet

Art Historical Context

**Foreigners Enjoying a Banquet is a vibrant triptych woodblock by Utagawa Yoshazu, created in the 2nd month of 1862 during Japan's late Edo period (1615–8). This work, composed of three sheets in ink and color on paper, captures a lively interior scene of Westerners—likely European or American traders—at a banquet, surrounded by Japanese women and men. Yoshikazu, a member of the renowned Utagawa school ofkiyo-e artists, specialized in dynamic depictions of contemporary life, blending sharp observation with bold colors and intricate patterns typical of the genre. The print reflects Japan's turbulent encounter with the West following the end of sakoku (national seclusion) in the 1850s. After Commodore Perry's arrival and the opening of treaty ports like Yokohama, foreigners became a source of fascination and curiosity. These *Yokohama-e* prints, as they were known, offered Japanese viewers exotic glimpses into Western customs—from clothing and furniture to feasting—often with a mix of admiration and subtle satire. The triptych format allowed for an expansive, panoramic view, immersing audiences in the moment. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art department, this piece highlights ukiyo-e's role as a snapshot of social change on the eve of the Meiji Restoration. Its detailed interiors and diverse figures—men, women, and girls—bring to life a pivotal cultural exchange, reminding us how art documented Japan's opening to the world.

About the Artist

Utagawa Yoshikazu · 1845–1870

Utagawa Yoshikazu (active circa 1850–1870) was a Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print artist who came of age during one of the most dynamic periods in Japanese history — the twilight of the Edo period and the dawning of the Meiji era. Born and active in Edo (present-day Tokyo), he trained under the celebrated master Utagawa Kuniyoshi, one of the towering figures of the Utagawa school renowned for his ...