At the end of the 18th century started in the Nagasaki area the production of lacquer objects with a design based on European engravings, ordered by employee's of the Dutch VOC who were staying in Decima in Nagasaki.
The lacquer was made on a copper base, why on copper is not known, perhaps because copper was more durable than the traditional wood base for lacquer objects. On the black lacquer was the design made in gold lacquer and/or coloured mother of pearl.In the beginning they made small oval panels with portraits of famous European persons, and bigger square panels with famous views big European cities. This objects were for decorative use only.
They also started making "utilitarian' objects, small furniture and boxes, all with mother of pearl inlay, and more often on wood.
A big collection, now in the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem Massachusets USA , was bought by American sea captains in 1798 and 1801. All objects were in western shapes and made for export to Europe, early 19th century we can find card boxes, sewing boxes and tobacco boxes. These tobacco boxes you can find now also in the Tokyo in the Tobacco and Salt Museum.

A rare piece of furniture after an European model you can see on the page of a Nagasaki Writing Desk. Later in the 19th century the production of tobacco boxes on copper stops, they only make diverse sizes lacquer boxes on wood with a more elaborate and colorful design in mother of pearl often with flowers and birds in a Japanese decorative style.