Coffer in Nanban (Southern Barbarian) Style

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Made-for-export lacquers were exuberantly decorated with designs from all manner of Asian and Western sources. A variety of chests, coffers, and writing desks, such as this rare large piece, were produced in the Edo period for the Dutch East India Company. Nanban designates objects of European inspiration, mostly made for export.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art