The conservation of a seventeenth-century nanban table from the Wilanów collection became the
starting point for interdisciplinary research into its rich plant decoration, which has so far received
insufficient scholarly attention. The aim of this article is to identify the plants adorning the object,
interpret their symbolic meanings within the context of Japanese culture, and demonstrate how these
motifs reflect the aesthetics of seasonality characteristic of nanban art. A comparative method was
applied, examining morphological features of the representations (such as leaves, inflorescences
and stem arrangements) and their stylisation in Japanese art of the Azuchi-Momoyama period, and
comparing them with the decoration of thirty nanban pieces held in museums and private collec-
tions worldwide. The study enabled the identification of thirty plant species (a total of thirty-six
taxa), organised according to the cycle of the four seasons and traditional cultural groups such
as the „Seven Herbs of Autumn” and the „pine-bamboo-plum (apricot)” triad. It was established that
the plants serve as seasonal attributes and, together with depictions of animals, mythical creatures
and architecture, create a miniaturised landscape of Japan. The findings reveal that the decoration
of the nanban table constitutes not only an example of artistic mastery, but also a carrier of multi-
layered symbolism associated with the cycles of nature, transience, and harmony with the natural
world. This study represents the first comprehensive analysis of the botanical iconography of nanban
furniture, thus broadening knowledge of Japanese art, the symbolism of plants and their role in fur-
niture decoration, while also highlighting the profound relationship between aesthetics and nature
in Japanese culture.
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