Arrival of the Korean Embassy in Edo

This sumizuri-e of around 1709 is one sheet of a twelve-sheet composition - of which six are preserved at the Art Institute of Chicago - depicting the arrival of a diplomatic embassy from Joseon Korea in Edo. Throughout the Edo period, Korean missions periodically traveled to Japan to convey congratulations on the accession of a new shogun, processing in elaborate parades from the western port cities to the shogunal capital. The 1709 mission was a major civic event, drawing enormous crowds along the procession route. Kiyonobu's twelve-sheet print depicted the entire entourage in panoramic detail, intended to be displayed as a continuous frieze. This particular sheet captures one portion of the parade, with Korean officials, musicians, and military escort arranged in a measured horizontal procession. The print is a rare excursion by Kiyonobu beyond the worlds of kabuki and the pleasure quarter into contemporary political reportage.