Anonymous | The arrival of Portuguese ships and scholar's accoutrements | Edo period, 17th century and later

Collection William C. Pahlmann, New York;

Acquired from the above by a Portuguese collector in 1972;

Thence by descent to the present owners

Photographed in William C. Pahlmann’s apartment in New York by Tom Leonard, possibly for House & Garden (see last image).

This screen depicts a harbour view seen from a scholar gentleman’s study with accoutrements facilitated by an active and booming foreign trade. The boats in the distance suggest the genre of nanban screen painting, popular between the late Momoyama – early Edo period, whereas the cabinet stacked with books and scroll reveal the influence of chaekgeori, or ‘books and things’, painting of the late Joseon period. Chaekgeori refers to still-life paintings that depict mostly books and other objects associated with scholarly pursuits such as antiques, brushes, plants and flowers. The form of the shelf and the selected objects reveal the influence of the display culture, especially the décor trend of duobaoge [lit. many treasures shelf], favoured by the imperial interiors of the Qing dynasty. 

Among the objects is a liturgical Portuguese silver implement of a particularly rare shape and it is fascinating to see such unusual piece depicted in Japan. Dated from the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century, that could allude to two types of objects. The first possibility is a pyx, or Eucharistic vase, used to hold the consecrate hosts and to distribute them outside of communion. Pyx were often made of precious metal, generally taking the form of a bowl with a lid topped by a small cross and a foot with a central knot. However, the quadrangular shape of the calyx bears more resemblance to a small chest that could have served as a reliquary or Eucharistic vault. ¹

Other objects include a brush pot with brushes and fans, a Ge-type vase on a crackled glaze ground wrapped with brocade cloth. The interweaving of two distinctive painting genres, over a century and a half apart, suggests a later re-working of the screen. Suitable to the subject of oversees trade, the unidentified artist or workshop successfully incorporated the Korean chaekgeori style perhaps to obscure possible wear or alter the screens for contemporary taste.

For an sixteenth century example of a pyx is in the collection of the National Museum Soares dos Reis, Porto, inventory number 125, go to:

http://pix.museusemonumentos.pt/MatrizPix/Fotografias/FotografiasConsultar.aspx?TIPOPESQ=2&NUMPAG=0&REGPAG=50&CRITERIO=relic%c3%a1rio&IDFOTO=366

For an example of a Eucharistic vault dated 1565 is in the collection of the National Museum of Ancient Art, Lisbon, inventory number 948, go to:

http://pix.museusemonumentos.pt/MatrizPix/Fotografias/FotografiasConsultar.aspx?TIPOPESQ=2&NUMPAG=1&REGPAG=50&CRITERIO=arqueta&IDFOTO=4877