View of the Bay of Nagasaki, Japan

View of the Bay of Nagasaki with Dutch and Portuguese ships. In 1647, the Portuguese made a last attempt in Japan to continue trading. The Japanese erected fortifications along the coast and locked off the bay. The Portuguese envoy was finally allowed to leave, but with the message that every Portuguese, who still sets foot on Japanese soil, was unceremoniously sentenced to death. On the right is the blockade in the form of a pontoon bridge, which the Japanese had erected to prevent the Portuguese from leaving. One of the Portuguese ships is the 'Sao Joao Baptista', the Dutch ships are most likely 'Het Witte Paard' and 'Witte Valk', from the Dutch East India Company (VOC). On the left the island of Deshima, on the shore the encampments of the daimyo Arima, Hosogawa and Murayama. Dimensions of the drawing (wxh): 148,5 x 72,5 cm.