Cabinet on stand, anonymous, c. 1670 - c. 1700
lacquering, h 186cm × w 159cm × d 60.5cm More details
All over Europe craftsmen tried to imitate Chinese and Japanese lacquer, but the essential ingredient, the resin from the so-called lacquer tree, could not be obtained outside East Asia. The scenes depicted on this cabinet – the ship and the tower with bells – are partly based on the earliest illustrated description of China published in Europe. Written by the Dutchman Joan Nieuhof, it was printed in Amsterdam in 1665.
