"The credit of priority": The Japanese Collection Loaned From the Netherlands to The Great Industrial Exhibition, Dublin, 1853.

This article focuses on the 1853 Great Industrial Exhibition in Dublin as the first clearly identified international exhibition of Japanese art within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, highlighting the significant role of Dutch collections and their long-standing trade relationship with Japan in assembling the display. It examines why this exhibition has often been overlooked in favor of later displays, such as Sir Rutherford Alcock's 1862 London exhibition and the 1867 Exposition Universelle in Paris, which were more widely publicized and involved direct Japanese governmental participation. The study details the Dutch origins of the Dublin collection, the involvement of key figures in its organization, and the complex geopolitical and cultural factors influencing recognition of priority in introducing Japanese art to Britain and Ireland. It also contextualizes the evolving Western appreciation of Japanese art amid shifting trade relations and international exhibitions during the mid-nineteenth century.