Chest In Blacklacquered Wood And Colors.japanese Namban Style.momoyama Period Late 16°.

Travel chest in lacquered and painted wood, iron fittings and lock. Japanese work from the Momoyama period, end of the 16th century. The exterior is lacquered in black with gold and colour. A few typical motifs date it with certainty around 1580 more or less 20 years. Very rare specimen, few similar models exist. The key lock is one of the very first executed in Japan, it was the Portuguese who brought the technique when they landed around 1550. The decoration on the top has completely disappeared and only a few remain places on the door. On the other hand both sides and the back are in good condition. The interior is perfectly preserved and the colors have kept their freshness allowing an excellent observation of the very first Japanese lacquers (Namban) intended for export. In a catalog from the 1930s there is a photo of a Namban chest of the same shape, dated by the V&A museum, late Muromachi early Momoyama.
Approximate dimensions 40x40x45 cm. The interior is lined with original printed Japanese paper. Some Japanese characters are painted with ink below.