A Pair Japanese Export Black Lacquered Woden Plates - Edo period

• A pair of light circular plates of lacquered wood (urushi), modeled with swallow, flaring and rounded sides and a flat rim with engrossed edge
• Decorated  in pictorial style with gold lacquer (maki-e). The centre decorated in flat and low relief (tahamaki-e) with imaginary landscape scenes with trees, rockwork and water
• The flat rim is decorated with a typical border of endless pearl (shippôtsungi) in gold lacquer
• Standing on a short foot-ring
• These plates were made to be exported to Europe at the end of the 17^th and early 18^th Century     

Other similar plates are in:

• The Collection of Her Majesty the Queen, London
• The Collection of the Groningen Museum (inv.no. 1978.447)
• Peabody Essex Museum  in Salem
• Palazzo Pitti, Florence

Literature:

• Jorge Welsh/L.Vinais After the Barbarians. Namban Works of Art for the Japanese, Portuguese and Dutch Market.  Lisbon, 2008. p.334. no. 47
• O.Impey / C.Jörg. Japanese Export Lacquer. 1580-1850. p.117. no.420.