This exhibition showcases Japanese lacquer from the private collection of the French queen Marie-Antoinette. Her collection of small lacquer boxes was one of the finest in Europe, and she considered it to be among her most cherished possessions.

The elaborate works reveal the queen's personal taste and demonstrate the high level of achievement attained by Japanese lacquer artists during the 17th and 18th centuries.

The loan of the boxes is part of an artistic exchange between the J. Paul Getty Museum and Versailles, where an important desk made for Louis XVI from the Museum’s collection is currently on long-term loan.