The seiheibako is a cylindrical container made to hold the Host, or the holy wafers that are taken as part of Holy Communion in the Catholic Church. The entire surface of this container is coated with black lacquer. The top of the cover is inscribed with the letters IHS, the emblem of the Jesuit order, done in gold flat maki-e and mother-of-pearl inlay, and the sides of the receptacle are embellished with a design of bush clover. Namban lacquerware was often decorated, as here, with plants familiar to a Japanese audience; creatures such as birds, animals, or butterflies were sometimes included as well. These designs are believed to have been ordered by customers from Portugual or Spain.
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