Superb Late 16th Century Signed Colonial Japanese Namban Export Lacquer Coffer

Momoyama period, late 16th/early 17th century, inscribed ‘Arisato’ on the bottom

H. 30.5 x W. 43 x D. 24.2 cm

A medium-sized Namban coffer with a domed lid, delicately inlaid with mother-of-pearl and abundantly covered in gold and silver hira-maki-e. Particularly noteworthy are the two pearl sparrows decorating the lid and the swirling bands of golden arabesques that show the steady hand of an experienced painter. Most importantly though, the whole coffer remains in a remarkably pristine condition, a rarity amongst export lacquer from the eventful era that marks the transition from Momoyama into Edo. Furthermore, the original fittings include a lock with a trick mechanism that makes it harder for an unwanted visitor to lay hands on the coffer’s contents.

Only few signed lacquer objects for export from the 16th/17th century are known to excist. Amongst them is the famous Kichibei box in the Groninger Museum. Who the artist of our box, Arisato, was, remains unknown.