The exhibition at Quinta das Cruzes, until the end of January, brings together an extraordinary set of sixteen pieces, chronologically located between the end of the sixteenth century and the mid-seventeenth century, belonging to Madeiran private and institutional collections, the museum itself , The Museum of Sacred Art in Funchal, Casa Colombo-Porto Santo Museum, as well as pieces given by Jorge Welsh, Works of Art, based in London and Lisbon.
"The arrival of the Portuguese from 1543, first on the island of Tanegachima, in large galleons with their powerful cannons, will begin a first direct contact with the Europeans, in a significant experience of globalization.
The Portuguese, with deep diplomatic skills, seek the establishment of commercial networks, also serving as intermediaries between Japan and China and other Asian peoples.
The commercial expansion also maintained a religious expansion on the subject of conversion to Christianity that will have in the Company of Jesus the main workers, having the official papal monopoly of the conversion of the Japanese, until its expulsion in 1639.
In the middle of the sixteenth century the production of a series of works of art began, revealing an astounding osmosis between lacquer techniques and other Japanese specialties, and Western ideals and functionality, especially in the so-called Momoyama period (1573-1615) And in the Edo period (1615-1868), especially in the Kan'ei (1624-1644) and Kambun (1661-1673) era.
It should be noted, however, that in a special set of objects the representation of Portuguese and other Europeans constituted a kind of imagery of luxury or exotic, which would give particular dignity to its possessor. See the case of the portraits of the Portuguese in the screens, firearms or war masks.
The fascination in Europe for the Japanese lacquers will lead to a massive importation of coffers, chests, counters of various formats, oratories, tables and a number of other objects that will have in the European courts and dignitaries great clients.
The Portuguese already knew the techniques of the lacquer, both those of Chinese, Korean and Indian Guzarate production, but the Japanese surpassed by competitive prices and quality, those of other nationalities. "*
This exhibition is of significant interest for an essential reason, as Francisco Clode, regional director of museum and heritage services for the regional directorate of culture explains, "it is very difficult to assemble objects with this rarity and historical importance, there are 16 art namban tresuares, are the techniques and Japanese craft service to the West. We, the Portuguese, because we were the first Europeans who in an experience of globalization were intermediaries between Japan and China in the business of silk and silver, we began a true cultural encounter between the West and the East. The objects served mainly the export market, most of them, and it is from this encounter, from that osmosis, between the lacquer technology and the western forms, that dialogue that marks the arises of the expansion, because without this involvement these pieces would not have been possible ".
In the exposed estate, as he points out, "there is a very important piece with the simbols of the Jesuits, it is a bookcase of a missal that is part of our collections and is being investigated by several Japanese universities and even has scheduled excursions for some analysis, because it has been shown that this is a work of great rarity. "
Namban art is scarce, "so it is extraordinary that 16 pieces have been put together because they are pieces from the late 16th and mid 17th centuries made for the western market by Japanese artists, first for Portugal and later for Holland and England , with European forms and Japanese techniques. We have safes, little pockets where we put the gunpowder, chests, oratories, a tea-house made in lacquer and we also have portable counters that were used to store letters, or coins, that's what I call 16th century computers because it has folders they could used to write. It is necessary to not forget that the Nambanjins was the designation given by the Japanese to the barbarians who came from the South, that is, to the Portuguese who were the first Europeans that the Japanese saw wearing very strange clothes, had round eyes and mustache and left a black galleon stuffed with shotguns, so it was a great revolution upon our arrival and created a great furor. "
* Excerpts of information kindly provided by Rita Rodrigues, DGARQ / ANTT, Convent of Santa Clara do Funchal, Md.13, Cx.49-Doc.47-Letter of sharing by the death of Manuel de Freitas Drumond who gives Maria de Aragão Pereira , Widow of the deceased-1625, fls.4.4v. And 5.
