Following on from the seminar held in June 2005, the Japan Foundation is pleased to announce that it is now possible to follow the progress of the conservation project on the Victoria and Albert Museum’s website. The Mazarin Chest is the finest example of Japanese export lacquer to have survived from the late 1630s and restoration work began in April 2005, using a combination of western and Japanese techniques. Cleaning of the lacquer will be followed by consolidation of the chest’s lavish pictorial decoration, which includes scenes from the Tale of Genji and the Tale of the Soga Brothers.