Representing Japan Abroad

This research project investigates Japanese souvenir photograph albums made for foreign travelers. How did Japanese objects travel across the globe, and what kinds of meanings did they have?

About the project

This research evaluates the objects that traveled from Japan to the Netherlands, particularly in the second half of the nineteenth century, to consider how Japan was represented in European context. Specifically, the project analyzes photograph albums that contain photographs from Japan bound in lacquer covers. Lacquerwares and other craft objects that were specifically made for the international trade, are also looked at to uncover how Japan interpreted the desires of Dutch consumers in Japanese objects.

Aim of the project

The aim of the project is to uncover the exchange of ideas and objects between Japan and the Netherlands; one of the biggest cultural hubs in Europe. In the process, the research increases the visibility of Japanese art in the Dutch museums and institutions.

Related publications

Wakita, Mio. Staging desires. Japanese femininity in Kusakabe Kimbei's. Nineteenth-century souvenir photography. Berlin: Dietrich Reimer Verlag, 2013.

Hond, Jan de, and Menno Fitski. A narrow bridge: Japan and the Netherlands from 1600. Amsterdam: Rijksmuseum Nijmegen Vantilt Publishers2016.

Partners and Sponsors

This research is made possible by the Dr. Anton C.R. Dreesmann Fund/Rijksmuseum Fund, and is part of the Rijksmuseum Fellowship Programme.