A SMALL NAMBAN LACQUER BOX AND COVER

LATE 16TH/EARLY 17TH CENTURY

細節
A SMALL NAMBAN LACQUER BOX AND COVER
Late 16th/early 17th Century
Decorated in gold hiramakie, aogai and lead inlay on roironuri ground, with bands of patterns of waves, mountains and rings [watsunagi] alternating with horizontal lines, the cover with a line of repeated small squares in aogai, with engraved ring handles decorated with kiri, (slight wear, lead mostly gone, interior of the cover relacquered)
21.5 x 6.5cm.

拍品專文

A similar box illustrated in Namban shikki (Osaka: Sakaishi Hakubutsukan, 1983), p.60, no. 65., and Tokyo National Museum A Selection of Japanese Art from The Mary and Jackson Burke Collection (New York, 1985), pl. 112.

The Momoyama period introduced some new stylish designs to Japanese lacquer ware.
This box for example is covered entirely with vertical narrow lines which and have been regarded as quite extraordinary at the time. The designs of this type of lacquer ware usually depict landscapes, plants, flowers and animals. These extremely rare geometric patterns are inspired by the design of textiles from South East Asia and the Middle East brought by European traders. Kodaiji lacquer is another good example of new designs of the same period. Each side of an object can be and is divided by obliquely opposing geometric lines and sometimes variation of background. These contemporary variations were influenced by classical domestic themes, others, on the other hand, were influenced by foreign designs.

The strips - shima - so named because these stripes are often seen in designs of imported foreign textiles known as shimamono or shima watari.