Thesis Title: The First Japanese-Built, Western-Style Ships: How Model-Makers Shaped Our View of Late 16th and Early 17th Century Merchant Vessels
Abstract:
Although the first Japanese-built, Western-style ships in the early Edo Period are significant in pop culture, not much is actually known about them, especially since the Japanese so rapidly Westernized during the Meiji Era. This thesis evaluates the available information about these vessels and analyzes the validity of the models made of them. It also identifies important considerations for viewing models of historical ships in general. It was concluded that historians and naval architects play key but distinct roles in our perception of historical vessels. The models of the first Japanese-built, Western-style ships are better treated as potential interpretations as opposed to accurate replicas. A recommendation for future work could be to study models of vessels from a different period. In general, there is a place for more theses that recognize how much the humanities and engineering are intertwined.
17 сен 2024
