The Chinese Junk "Keying"–Captain Kellett–As she appeared in New York harbour July 13th, 1847–212 days from Canton.–720 tons burthen
Medium
Lithograph; uncolored
Dimensions
Image: 7 15/16 x 13 1/8 in. (20.2 x 33.3 cm) Sheet: 13 7/16 x 18 1/4 in. (34.2 x 46.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Edward W. C. Arnold Collection of New York Prints, Maps and Pictures, Bequest of Edward W. C. Arnold, 1954
Accession Number
54.90.784
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nathaniel Currier’s 1847 lithograph records the arrival of the Chinese junk *Keying* in New York Harbor on July 13 after a remarkable 212-day voyage from Canton. The print shows the vessel under sail, its traditional Chinese rigging and hull form standing out against the familiar skyline of lower Manhattan. At 720 tons, the *Keying* was one of the first large Chinese trading ships to reach American waters, drawing crowds curious about its exotic design. Currier, already famous for affordable prints that captured timely events, issued this uncolored lithograph soon after the ship’s arrival. The medium allowed the image to circulate widely, giving viewers who never saw the *Keying* a vivid sense of its scale and foreign appearance during a period of growing U.S.–China trade. Today the print belongs to the Metropolitan Museum’s Edward W. C. Arnold Collection, preserving a moment when an ancient vessel briefly bridged two distant maritime worlds.