CIRCA 1650

This lot combines elements of the 'Portuguese' and 'Dutch' phases of Japanese export lacquer and is likely to be somewhat earlier than celebrated special Dutch commissions such as the Van Diemen box in the Victoria and Albert Museum or the FC box in the Weston collection, Chicago [see 1 below]. It was probably manufactured during the transitional phase in Japanese foreign relations when Portuguese influence was waning and both European and Japanese Christians were subjected to ever more severe persecution. Certain elements such as the elaborate geometric shell designs carry on the tradition of the lecterns and portable shrines, as well as secular pieces, made for the Portuguese market, but the extensive areas of black lacquer decorated in gold hiramakie with landscape designs are more typical of the style of export lacquer for the Dutch market that was to predominate for the next seventy years or so. The diagonal key-fret motif around the sides of the lid is seen on the FC box as well as on a large 20-lobed food-box sold in our London Rooms on 19 June 1997, lot 579.
For similar work see, J. Meech, Lacquerware from the Weston Collection, A Selection Inro and Boxes, New York, 1995, cat. no. 3.