CIRCA 1640-1690, ON A DUTCH 19TH CENTURY STAND

The small figures travelling through the mountainous landscapes with palanquins and porters, probably represent the court journey to the Shogun. The chief of Deshima was required to make this journey to the Shogun once a year. The journey was a major undertaking covering 1500 kilometers to Edo and took about one and a half months covering sea and land. The retinue consisted of some 100 men, and a multitude of gifts for the Shogun and other officials.

This scene is found on several lacquer wares exported to the Netherlands, most notably on a pair of magnificent cabinets now in the Dutch royal collection, in the Huis ten Bosch Palace, the Hague. This pair was a gift to Princess Albertina Agnes, the daughter of Stadholder Frederik Hendrik and Amalia van Solms and were part of the Furnishings of Oranienstein Castle in Dietz Germany. They were first mentioned in the 1695 Oranienstein inventory.
Other examples of the court journey can be seen on the rim of a dish decorated with the Valckenier arms - Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, and another with the arms of Hinlopen, sold Sotheby's London, 27 june 1979, lot 17.
Cf. O. Impey, C. Jörg, Japanese Export Lacquer 1580-1850, Amsterdam, 2005, ill. 33a-e, pp. 42-43, ill. 31, p. 40 and ill. 32 p. 41.