Minneapolis Institute of Art

Three-tiered box with stripes and Nanban patterns

Japan

Date

early 17th century

Medium

Black lacquer with gold maki-e and mother-of-pearl and lead inlay

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Stacked trays were commonly used to store delicacies for celebrations or outings like cherry-blossom viewing. This example has three tiers of trays decorated with an allover pattern of stripes that displays an aura of modernity. Thanks to European traders who brought cloth with similar designs from Southeast Asia to Japan, stripes and checks became popular again in the late 16th and early 17th century after already being popular during the 11th century. Some of the same Nanban (lit. Souther barbarian) motifs are visible here as in the lacquer cabinet, however, they are used in a much more restrained fashion and therefore produce a completely different effect.

The authoritative record is held by Minneapolis Institute of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.