Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🎨 European-influenced 🖼️ A Japanese artwork 🧑‍🦱 A foreigner
namban

namban

9.9
A Japanese work of art made with early European influence
  • noun
  • /næmˈbɑn/
  • Specialized
: arte namban
  • The exhibition featured a remarkable Namban screen that illustrated scenes of early contact between Japan and the Portuguese traders.
  • Namban screens
  • Namban imagery

Examples

  • The museum displayed a beautiful namban screen showing Portuguese traders arriving in Japan.

  • Collectors value namban art for its unique blend of Japanese and European styles.

  • He studied the history of namban lacquerware created during the period of early European contact.

  • The museum features an exquisite namban cabinet from the 17th century.

  • Many namban artworks showcase the blend of Japanese and European styles.

  • The Namban artwork displayed vibrant colors and intricate designs, showcasing the influence of European styles on Japanese craftsmanship.

  • Many collectors seek genuine Namban objects because they represent a unique fusion of Japanese and European artistic traditions.

Surface Forms

namban singular
nambans plural

Etymology

Namban comes from Japanese parts nan 'south' and ban 'barbarian', a name given to southern European visitors in the 1500s–1600s. So a namban object is an artwork made in the style that came from that meeting of Japanese and European tastes.