关键词: 装饰工艺, 外销艺术, 南蛮漆器, 物质文化

Abstract:

Namban Lacquerware is a distinctive form of lacquer art characterized by its unique hybrid aesthetic, reflecting foreign cultural influences. It emerged in the late 16th century, several decades after the Portuguese first reached Japan, and developed into a prominent craft between the 1580s and 1630s. Production was concentrated in Kyoto during the first half of the 17th century, with pieces primarily exported to Europe via commissioned orders and maritime trade, exhibiting distinctive technical and iconographic features. Against the backdrop of Christian missionary activities in Japan, this study adopts dual perspectives of art history and technical history. On one hand, it examines and cross-references fragmentary references to lacquerware found in original manuscripts and archives of Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian missionaries, proposing hypotheses regarding the origins and developmental trajectory of Namban Lacquerware. On the other hand, comparative analysis with East Asian lacquer techniques and material cultures elucidates the uniqueness, historical significance, and multicultural origins of Namban Lacquerware. Ultimately, this paper aims to reconstruct the historical and conceptual framework of Namban Lacquerware, while clarifying its multifaceted role and underlying dynamics within global material cultural exchanges.

Key words: Decorative Arts, Export Art, Namban Lacquerware, Material Culture