Japanese Scarf with Portrait of Commodore Perry

scarf

Linen scarf brought from Japan by Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry. Scarf has a black oval medallion portrait of Commodore Perry and a monument pictured in a blue rectangle. Each side has Japanese writing.

Matthew C. Perry (1794-1858) negotiated a treaty between the Unites States and Japan in 1854. Perry had broken through a barrier of Japanese isolationism, clearing the way for trade. The Japanese were known to record images of Perry and his officers, often with Asian features.

Prior to this famous mission of diplomacy, Perry had fought in the War of 1812 and Mexican War, commanded patrols off the African coast to suppress the slave trade, and campaigned against pirates.