Japanse goden 1724

Bernard Picart made this print entitled ‘Japanese Gods’ around the turn of the 18th century in the Netherlands. Picart was a protestant engraver known for his work illustrating religious ceremonies, and this print is a fascinating document of cultural misunderstanding during a period of increasing global trade. The image presents a series of imagined Japanese religious practices for a European audience, during a time when few Europeans had ever visited Japan. The images are based on limited and often distorted accounts from travelers and traders. Note how the figures and settings are exoticized and simplified, reducing complex spiritual traditions to curious spectacle. The print reflects the European fascination with the ‘Orient’, a term used to describe the East, often portraying it as mysterious, exotic, and inherently different from the West. Through this image, Picart not only informs but also shapes European perceptions of Japanese culture, reinforcing the boundaries between ‘us’ and ‘them.’ As historians, we rely on such images, along with travel logs, missionary accounts, and trade records, as invaluable resources to understand the complex cultural exchanges of the past.