外蕃容貌図画 乾 / Drawings of the Appearance of Foreigners vol. 1

It is a collection of portraits of peoples of various countries, published at the end of Edo period. Tagawa Harumichi is believed to have been the compiler.. Illustrated by Kurata Tōgaku. Completed in 1854. Judging from the high interest in foreigners demonstrated by this book, we can see how much influence they had on society at that time, as Japan moved from a national isolation policy to the Perry's Expedition (1853) and the conclusion of the Treaty of Kanagawa (Treaty of Peace and Amity between the United States and Japan, 1854). Nishikawa Joken’s Shijūnikoku jinbutsu zusetsu, published in 1720 featuring the same types of drawings, anticipates the Gaiban Yōbō zueg. This book forms a pair with HW550(2).(Updated on November 4, 2022)