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Nanban Lacquerware: Decorative Arts in the Age of Exploration |
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| From the mid-sixteenth century on, European missionaries hoping to propagate Christianity and traders dreaming to make a quick fortune successively arrived upon the shores of Japan. These Europeans, who were called Nanbanjin ("Southern Barbarians") by the Japanese, commissioned various works decorated in makie, such as Christian liturgical utensils and Western furniture, which were completely different from traditional Japanese furnishings. They took these objects back to their own country or imported them to other countries, resulting in the emergence of Nanban shikki, or Nanban lacquerware. |
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Folding Lectern with IHS Insignia and Linked Hexagons
Kyoto National Museum |
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