Box

This box is one of four items in a group of luxury objects made for European clients over several years. The counterpart of the Vienna box, the Chiddingston box, is assumed to have been a special gift for the Mogul ruler. The form follows Dutch models from pre-1600, the decoration displays all the refinements of the Japanese art of lacquering. Remarkable features are the carvings in Chinese style, the figure of a samurai in European attitude, and the fine gold painting in the style of the courtly Kano School.