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Lot Essay
The Europeans began to arrive in Japan from the late 16th century for trade and Christian missions. To furnish the Christian churches in Japan and also for export, Japanese lacquer workers produced a variety of decorative lacquer chests, coffers, boxes and other furniture, as well as religious ceremonial objects. They were largely in European form but decorated with Japanese designs, sometimes incorporating Western patterns.
Nanban lacquerwares were mainly decorated in gold hiramaki-e and shell inlay as in this present lot. Their design is related to Kodaiji lacquer, a style of lacquerware made in Kyoto during the late Momoyama and early Edo periods, which is characterised by expansive and expressive designs in gold hiramaki-e on a roironuri, or black ground; the favoured subject was flowers and plants. Western missionaries and merchants had opportunities to see Kodaiji lacquerwares and ordered the workshops to make the objects for them using the same design and techniques in freely painted hiramaki-e. Nanban pieces, however, generally employ dazzling shell inlay, which is never found in Kodaiji works and disappears after the Momoyama period. Mother of pearl was used to reflect candlelight in dark interiors.
For further information on lacquer caskets commissioned by Europeans, visit the British Museum website:
http:/www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/asia/t/travelling_chest_kamaboko-bak.aspx
For further reading on Nanban lacquerware, see James C.Y. Watt and Barbara B. Ford, East Asian Lacquer: The Florence and Herbert Irving Collection, (New York, 1991), p. 169-173; and for the Nanban chests and coffers, see Oliver Impey and Christiaan J. A. Jörg, Japanese Export Lacquer 1580 – 1850, (Amsterdam, 2005), p. 147-158.
For an example in the Tokyo National Museum collection, go to:
http:/webarchives.tnm.jp/imgsearch/show/C0002780
For further examples, see Sezon Museum of Art and Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, eds., ‘Porutogaru to Nanban bunka’ ten: mezase toho no kuniguni [‘Portugal and Nanban culture’ exhibition : Via Orientals] (Japan, 1993), p. 194-195, no. 168 (the Confraria de Nossa Senhora da Luz collection, Arraiolos); and Fundação Oriente, Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Arte Nanban: os portugueses no Japão, (Lisboa, 1990), p. 100.
Similar examples sold in “Japanese Art at the English Court”, online auction, Christie’s, 8th-19th December 2014, lots 1, 3, 4 and 5
Nanban lacquerwares were mainly decorated in gold hiramaki-e and shell inlay as in this present lot. Their design is related to Kodaiji lacquer, a style of lacquerware made in Kyoto during the late Momoyama and early Edo periods, which is characterised by expansive and expressive designs in gold hiramaki-e on a roironuri, or black ground; the favoured subject was flowers and plants. Western missionaries and merchants had opportunities to see Kodaiji lacquerwares and ordered the workshops to make the objects for them using the same design and techniques in freely painted hiramaki-e. Nanban pieces, however, generally employ dazzling shell inlay, which is never found in Kodaiji works and disappears after the Momoyama period. Mother of pearl was used to reflect candlelight in dark interiors.
For further information on lacquer caskets commissioned by Europeans, visit the British Museum website:
http:/www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/asia/t/travelling_chest_kamaboko-bak.aspx
For further reading on Nanban lacquerware, see James C.Y. Watt and Barbara B. Ford, East Asian Lacquer: The Florence and Herbert Irving Collection, (New York, 1991), p. 169-173; and for the Nanban chests and coffers, see Oliver Impey and Christiaan J. A. Jörg, Japanese Export Lacquer 1580 – 1850, (Amsterdam, 2005), p. 147-158.
For an example in the Tokyo National Museum collection, go to:
http:/webarchives.tnm.jp/imgsearch/show/C0002780
For further examples, see Sezon Museum of Art and Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, eds., ‘Porutogaru to Nanban bunka’ ten: mezase toho no kuniguni [‘Portugal and Nanban culture’ exhibition : Via Orientals] (Japan, 1993), p. 194-195, no. 168 (the Confraria de Nossa Senhora da Luz collection, Arraiolos); and Fundação Oriente, Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Arte Nanban: os portugueses no Japão, (Lisboa, 1990), p. 100.
Similar examples sold in “Japanese Art at the English Court”, online auction, Christie’s, 8th-19th December 2014, lots 1, 3, 4 and 5