Japan, late 16th century

Nanban art – Momoyama period (1573-1615)

Black lacquered wood Inlaid with mother of pearl (raden), powdered gold and silver (maqui-e) Oil paint on copper Fittings in carved and gilded copper

A piece with considerable historical and cultural value, this hanging oratory is part of the group of so-called Nanban lacquers produced in Japan in the late 16th century. A European model, it shows on the front the insignia of the Company of Jesus, which indicates that it was a commission of a religious nature. Lacquered in black, the doors are decorated with trees with undulating trunks, fruits, flowers and birds, making use of inlaid mother of pearl (raden) and powdered silver and gold (maqui-e). They enclose a Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist, which evokes Flemish and Italian references, the latter clearly evident in the elongation of the figures, tempered with eastern touches, evident, for example, in the arched eyebrows and the delicacy of the Virgin’s hands, which adhere to the canons of Japanese beauty. Painted in oil paint on copper, this work is associated with Giovanni Niccolò’s Jesuit seminary of painting, established as a complement to humanist education and as part of the study programme of the Company of Jesus in Japan.