The history of Japan's export lacquerware truly began with Japan's interactions with missionary countries, primarily Portugal, during the late 16th century promulgation of Christianity in Japan. This was Japan's first contact with European civilization and export styles resulting from this contact differed from the Japanese lacquer styles that existed previously. Physical shapes of objects, decoration which consisted of framing and dividing designs with geometric motif band borders on various object surfaces, and dense filling of detailed patterns within those framed spaces all exude an extremely un-Japanese feeling and mood.
      Japanese makie and mother-of-pearl techniques were used, and the majority of plant and animal motifs used were those which could be frequently seen on Japanese lacquerware of the time. Use of geometric patters to make borders, however, reveals the influence of Chinese and Korean peninsula mother-of-pearl techniques, and we can also say that the window frame-like framework set within these borders is Chinese in style. The sources for the physical object forms used in lacquerware range from the West through the Middle East. The syncretic style known as Indo-Portuguese art was the route by which these forms reached Japan.
     Conversely, the export lacquerwares which were created in the 1630s and later (particularly the latter half of the 17th century), when Japan's window of cultural exchange shifted from Portugal to Holland, reveal a great number of shared elements with the lacquerwares seen within Japan's own domestic market. Although the physical forms were rich in a sense of "foreignness," the design motifs included water, plants and birds, and images from classic events, tales and legends. Large areas of blank space were included and these works, overall, conveyed a Japanese style. Gold takamakie on a black lacquer ground, commonly used in these export wares, also presents a visual effect close to that of traditional Japanese lacquerware.
      These changes in style were sought by Japan's Dutch trading partners. These changes were necessary to differentiate Japanese-made lacquerware items from other Asian lacquerware items being sold in the East Asian and European markets, and to heighten their commercial value. However, this does not mean that there was a complete abolishment of "foreignness" from the export ware decorative styles of the 17th century. For example, these decorative styles include an extremely large number of motifs drawn from Chinese origin painting themes enjoyed by Japan's Chinese style painting masters, such as images of Chinese immortals and Chinese style children.
      Although there was a general trend away from completely lacquerwares in non-Japanese styles and forms and toward more traditional Japanese items in 17th century export lacquerwares, it is also true that European style, and also Chinese style and Korean style elements flourished in these 17th century wares. At that stage in the trade, the European traders hoped to establish a "Japanese style" in their commercial products without damaging the Asian style image shared by the Western world receiving these wares. These thoughts reveal the marketing strategies of the merchants involved in this trade.
      Japan, placed on the eastern edge of East Asia, had been since its medieval period closely linked in a multifaceted network of trading connections primarily with various regions of China. Portugal, Holland and other European countries participated in this network, and thus conducted their diplomatic relations and intercourse in the East Asian region. Then, a major change occurred in diplomacy and trade relationships with Japan from the 18th through the 19th centuries. The "foreignness" which can be discerned in the physical forms and decoration of export lacquerwares, changed as it continued to reflect this historical context of trade and diplomacy. This paper will consider a number of specific art works as its examples.