Welcome to the Scholar's Tour of the Black Ship Scrolls! The following tour includes fifteen selected images from the Japan Society of Northern California's collection of original Black Ship Scroll paintings. Scholarly notes are provided by F.G. Notehelfer. Although the exact origins of the Black Ship Scroll images are unknown, we know that these paintings originally existed as one large scroll and were painted during the period of Commodore Matthew Perry's visit to Japan in 1853. Painted by an anonymous Japanese artist, they reveal the early beginnings of U.S.-Japan relations and the opening of Japan to the West.

To get an overview of all the images, please visit the Image Gallery.

On with the tour!

Next Page | Image Gallery | Black Ship Scroll Main Page