Spotprent waarin de Nederlandse Maagd thee inschenkt voor het Japanse gezelschap, 1862 1862

In this 1862 print by Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans, we see the Dutch Maiden, a national personification of the Netherlands, offering tea to a group of Japanese visitors. The act of offering tea is a complex symbol, here representing hospitality but also cultural exchange and perhaps even a hint of Dutch commercial interest in Japan. Consider the image of a woman offering a drink; it echoes through art history, evoking classical images of hospitality and diplomacy, seen, for example, in ancient Roman depictions of Pax, the goddess of peace, offering libations. The gesture of offering and receiving carries psychological weight, symbolizing trust and openness. But here, it’s complicated by the historical context of colonial power and trade relations. The tea itself, a commodity of global exchange, becomes a potent symbol of interconnectedness and potential exploitation. This image, therefore, invites us to reflect on how gestures of welcome can mask underlying power dynamics, a tension that resurfaces time and again in the visual narratives of cultural encounter.