Special Exhibition: Lacquer Art of the Orient, Tokyo National Museum, 619 illustrations (8 of which are reprinted in color as frontispieces), 257 pages, Showa 52 (1977), softcover. This is the catalog for the "Special Exhibition: Lacquer Art of the Orient" held at the Tokyo National Museum in 1977. Over 600 lacquer art pieces were exhibited, including 380 items from Japan (including Okinawa) spanning from the Jomon period to the Edo period, 200 items from China (from the Warring States period to the Qing dynasty), and 30 items from the Korean Peninsula. Most of the illustrations are in black and white, which is a shame as it doesn't convey the color and luster of the lacquer. However, the diverse forms are enjoyable, and the catalog shows how lacquer art objects were used and loved. Furthermore, the catalog features lacquer art pieces such as a reading stand and a reliquary inlaid with "IHS" in maki-e and mother-of-pearl, demonstrating how "Japan" was highly valued and envied even in Europe.