Summary Of Timothy Screech's The Lens Within The Heart
1659 Words7 Pages
The changing relationship between the West and Japan during the Edo Period created an exciting time in history filled with remarkable events. One of these remarkable events occurred when influence of Western technology spread throughout Japan during the international culture exchanges between the two sides. Author, Timothy Screech, discusses the introduction of Western science and technology to Japan in his book The Lens Within the Heart. He reviews comparisons between Europe and the Japanese interpretations of each others’ cultures. Through various works of art and other materials, readers can see how much the relationship between the two international sides evolved and were influenced by different factors. People’s perceptions affect and…show more content… Overtime, Rangaku became a popular resource used to answer questions about its very own influence on Japan. Screech notes that Holland was detached from the West, but internal to Japan. When two cultures interact, they often influence each other in various aspects. Screech states that Western imported items created a new mentality. By following the Western imports of the Dutch traders and the development of Rangaku, Screech develops insights into sensory orientations and the production of science in late Edo. He later goes into detail of the dynamics of trade as well. Before Japan was affected by Western influence, some works of Japanese arts had managed to make its way to the West. These works peeked the interests of Screech states that Japanese works of art changed over a course of time due to the introduction to Western and scientific technology. Many artists took on forms and styles of Western artists. Japanese artists often depicted Western influences into their own works. New art techniques and influences acted as a gateway for artists to express their growing relationship. For Screech, He took a materialist position on the changes of relationship between the West and Japan. He said a new mentality was forged due to Western…show more content… These paintings were popular among travelers in Japan. They were often considered good gifts and often “in demand” imported items. Glass mirrors were another item imported and fancied by many. All of these items popularized Western imported goods. Shop owners would purposely advertise and identify merchandise as Dutch goods. However, appeal to Rangku or Western items were often used to enhance the value of the objects and aura. There were several incidents where glass shops attempted to claim their goods as Dutch