On October 4–5, 2019, the Museum of King Jan III's Palace at Wilanów hosted the International Conference “Nanban. Far East, Close Art”. The meeting has concluded the proj of the most valuable artefact from the historic Far Eastern collection at Wilanów – the Nanban table.
This piece of furniture, dating from around 1610, is an object of unique artistic quality, among the finest and most important surviving examples of Nanban style in the world. In its shape, it recalls late Renaissance Portuguese furniture, while its technique and decorations point to Japanese lacquerware (urushi) and Oriental traditions.
Ten years have passed since Victoria and Albert Museum undertook a major project of conservation of the Mazarin Chest (Japanese export lacquerware, ca. 1640). Preservation and conservation of Oriental lacquerware was and still is a challenge for specialists all over the world. The completion of the second project of that scale in Europe provides a great opportunity for deeper reflection on aspects of ethics and aesthetics, as well as the methods and materials used when conserving urushi.
The conservation of the Nanban table from the Wilanów collection provided an opportunity for interdisciplinary scientific research aimed at expanding knowledge about this unique object. The project also helped to expand the network of international specialists focused on Oriental lacquerware.
The symposium was attended by distinguished guests, authorities in the field of lacquerware: Prof. Dr. Monika Kopplin (Münster, Germany), Dr Masako Shôno-Sládek (Cologne, Germany) and urushi conservator Shigeru Kitamura (Nara, Japan). Museum staff and associates presented details of the Nanban Table Conservation Project. Other participants in the seminar were offered the opportunity to present their research and conservation projects during the poster session.
“The Collaborative Project of Conservation of the Nanban Table from the Collection of Museum of King Jan III’s Palace at Wilanów” was co-financed by a grant from the Sumitomo Foundation (Japan).
Curator of the conference:
Anna Guzowska
aguzowska[at]muzeum-wilanow.pl
The conference „Nanban. Far East. Close Art” was one of the events commemorating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Poland and Japan in 2019
The Sumitomo Foundation 