Tobacco Pouch with Nanban Figures

Gilt leather was introduced to Japan from Europe in the seventeenth century. Inspired by these imported goods, Japanese artisans experimented and developed new techniques, producing works such as this tobacco pouch that uses gold paint, gold foil, and multicolored lacquer to depict a scene of decidedly non-Japanese figures, fauna, and flora. The metal fitting was created by the prominent machibori (lit. town carver) Hamano Noriyuki, an independent metal worker who was not employed by a lord and is famous for his sword fittings.