The broadsheet USS Powhatan Carrying the First Japanese Embassy to America (Kawaraban Broadsheet), attributed to an unknown artist and dated circa 1860, depicts the American steam frigate USS Powhatan. The ship is shown in profile, with detailed rigging, sails, and an American flag prominently displayed at the stern. Several figures can be seen on deck and near the waterline, and Japanese script fills the upper left and right portions of the sheet, providing information about the vessel and its mission. Rendered in monochrome with fine linework, the composition emphasizes the scale and complexity of the ship.

The Powhatan dominates the scene, with smaller boats and distant mountains visible in the background, situating the vessel within a coastal landscape. The broadsheet format and style are typical of kawaraban, or Japanese illustrated news sheets, which were produced quickly to report notable events. This work documents the general historical context of the USS Powhatan’s role in transporting the first Japanese embassy to the United States in 1860, a significant diplomatic mission during the late Edo period. Kawaraban prints such as this were widely circulated in Japan to inform the public about current events, particularly those involving foreign powers.

The sheet is held in the collection of Rare Maps, with its date given as circa 1860; the artist and exact circumstances of its production remain unknown.