Japanese lacquer is appreciated for its delicacy and refinement. Furniture, chest, kobako, shodana, suzuribako, inro et others objects used by shoguns and their family, were preciously lacquered.
The brightness of Japanese lacquer and their delicated gilded ornements (gold maki-e lacquer) make that Japanese lacquer was appraciated in their own country and in Europe. Namban (objects in porcelain, lacquer … and screens made for Spanish and Portugese), came in Iberian Peninsula during the Momoyama périod (1573-1603).
The “aventurine” lacquer, called “nashi-ji”, came more and more intense over the centuries.
“Negoro” lacquer, or black lacquer called “ro-iro” with red lacquer offer a sober and strong aesthetics.

Lacquer of the Ryukyu Islands form stylistically and technically a distinct group. Lacquers are inlaid with mother-of-pearl, or engraved with gold and litharge painting.
Chinese lacquer such as the carved red lacquer or “filled-in” lacquer, method called “tianqi”, belonged to imperial wares and were used by the court.
Mother-of pearl inlay decoration on lacquer got a large success in Europ. Coromandel lacquer attest the European taste for Chinese lacquer.