Ranjima (Dutch Island)
by Maeda Masao
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- Art of Japan
Typical Price
$500–$4,000. Common landscapes: $500–$1,500. Key value factors: Maeda Masao's atmospheric mountain and landscape prints have a dedicated following among sosaku-hanga collectors.
Description
Ranjima (Dutch Island) — the artificial island of Dejima in Nagasaki harbor, the only point of official contact between Japan and the Western world during the Edo period of national seclusion — is depicted here as a historical subject of great significance for understanding Japan's relationship with the outside world. Maeda Masao's treatment of Dejima (here called Ranjima, "Dutch Island") engages with the history of controlled cultural exchange that shaped Japan's encounter with modernity, the fan-shaped artificial island where Dutch merchants lived under strict surveillance becoming a symbol of the broader dynamics of isolation and opening that defined the nation's modern history.
More Prints by Maeda Masao
More Landscapes Prints
Lake Kugushi in Wakasa Province (Wakasa Kugushiko), from the series Souvenirs of Travel I (Tabi miyage dai isshu)"
Wakasa Kugushiko
1920
Color woodblock print; oban
Autumn Maple Leaves at Takao, from the album Eight Views of Kyoto (Kyôto hakkei)
Woodblock print
The Beach at Kaiganji in Sanuki Province (Sanuki Kaiganji no hama), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)"
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
Tea Kettle, section of a sheet from the series "Mirror of Stone Rubbings of Views of the Provinces" (Kohon meihitsu ishizuri kagami)
n.d.
Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, section of harimaze sheet
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ranjima (Dutch Island) was created by Maeda Masao (前田政雄).
Ranjima (Dutch Island) depicts landscapes, seascapes, and architecture.