European-style Chest with Plant, Bird and Animal Designs in Mother-of-Pearl Inlay

Rectangular coffers with rounded hinged lids, metal fittings, and handles exemplify so-called Nanban (“Southern Barbarian”) lacquers made for export. This example has dense pictorial designs of birds and flowering plants demarcated by borders in mother-of-pearl and makie. The arrangement of motifs suggests this to be a relatively early example of its type.