Namban lacquerware developed through trade with the Portuguese in the late 16th century, when exports of lacquerware with Western designs in maki-e and mother-of-pearl were popular. This is a missal stand for a bible. The collapsible stand consists of two folding panels, one for the book rest and the other for the leg. The initials IHS, the emblem of the Jesuits, are inlaid in mother-of-pearl and hiramaki-e on black lacquer. As in other Namban lacquerware, floral patterns fill in the rest of the surface, but the use of cherry, tachibana citrus, and paulownia give this example a more pronounced Japanese appearance.
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