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Japanned Bureau Cabinet, c1720.This spectacular bureau cabinet reflects the fascination with Japanese and Chinese luxury goods in the early eighteenth century, seen through a distinctly European lens. The bright red surface imitated Asian lacquer. The motifs evoke the people and sights of the Far East, but they reflect the limited knowledge and stereotyped views that Europeans held of these distant countries. At the time the cabinet was made, this style of imitation lacquer and decoration was called Japanning. The original owner may have displayed small Asian porcelains in the upper niches. Japanned Bureau Cabinet, c1720. Creator: Unknown. (KEYSTONE/HERITAGE IMAGES/HERITAGE ART)