LONDON -- Three figures sit round a clover-shape table: a bearded and slippered Chinese sage, a periwigged European, and a Japanese aristocrat whose kimono bears his ancient family crest. The sage, arms crossed, gazes impassively into space; the samurai is cuddled up close to the Westerner, casting a guarded glance at his Asian neighbor. You could say it has been like that ever since.

"A Meeting of Japan, China and the West," painted by Japanese artist Shiba Kokan in the late 18th century, neatly symbolizes one of the "encounters" that are the subject of the Victoria & Albert Museum's winter blockbuster, "Encounters: The Meeting of Asia and Europe, 1500-1800." As Kokan's painting suggests, these early centuries of contact laid the foundations for trade alignments and political alliances that persist to this day.

As organizing conceits go, "Encounters" is a roomy one: It could be (and is) used to justify the inclusion of just about anything. The "Asia" of the title sprawls from India to Japan via Siam (modern-day Thailand), Sri Lanka and China, each of which would merit an exhibition of its own. In short, this is just the kind of showcase "big exhibition" beloved of Japanese museums. Perhaps that's why "Encounters" has found a Japanese sponsor, the Nomura group, and why the show is proving popular with Japanese visitors.