Japan looking East

a few japanese drawings made during Commodore Perry's opening of Japan to trade in 1853-54.


Hiroshige woodblock drawing - That flag is wrong. Quite wrong. Too many stripes and interestingly, it was apparently looked upon as not a field of stars but as a print pattern. It is probably the USS Saratoga. It had 10 gun ports but it seems the artist may have decided to put the 10 gun ports in 2 rows.


Perry's ship the USS Mississippi was a hybrid sail / steam ship. The smokestack in the drawing appears made of wood or brick probably because that was the expected material for a chimney. Note the eyes on the ships masthead and stern: a black iris and a white sclera surrounded by a ring of blue. After all, it was the ship of the blue eyed barbarians - what else would blue-eyed refer to?
The Japanese vision of the USS Mississippi is fierce.


"I can pinch an inch, manboob-san!"


Japanese drawing of Commodore Perry. Not sure if I see the resemblance. Note the eyelids. I am slightly disturbed by the facial hair.

gesture question

German-Italian WW2 propaganda poster
"per arruolarsi nella legione SS Italiana onore fedelta coraggio"
translates to
"to enlist in Italian SS legion loyalty honor courage" (or so says google)

Frankly, I think it looks like a rude gesture. I hate to show my ignorance but does the gesture still mean screw you with a wayward thumb sticking out? If so is it appeal to jerks to join up?

(I think it is poorly drawn too. The hand/wrist seems too broad. This bothers me.)

I can has gravity?

jaw droppingly funny or incredibly mean

politically incorrect B-29

sigh - this is why I love the internet. I vaguely recall a reading a book that had a picture of a WW2 bomber with a clever name painted on the side, a quick search later and I'm looking at it.

Fu-Kemal

pic from here

Tiepolo Angels

detail of Education of the Virgin (full picture)
the title sounds like an adult movie. Creepy disembodied angel heads. Curly hair that looks like the product of overnight curlers.


detail of Triumph of Zephyr and Flora (full picture)
Wha! Insect wings! Technically not angels but angel-like guys near Flora the Roman goddess of flowers & spring and Zephyr god of the spring winds.


detail of Martyrdom of St John Bishop of Bergamo (full picture)
must be a tailored shirt to fit the wings growing out of his armpits. Consider for a second the practical difficulties of putting a shirt on if you have giant wings on your back. (apparently, Saint John of Bergamo died of natural causes but due to a translation error was thought to have been assassinated)


Nobility and Virtue Striking Down Ignorance (larger picture)
one pervy angel with his hand up another angel's dress (surely not Virtue's dress!) or as I like to call it "Touched by an Angel" (the entire painting)


detail of Vision of Saint Anne (full picture)
creepy disembodied head angels alongside more normal angels. I would think that would mean that there is a specific distinction of some kind between them but I don't know what.
more on her

Take a deep breath...

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