17TH/ EARLY 18TH CENTURY

THE FASHION FOR ‘JAPAN ROOMS’ IN ENGLAND
The fantastical 'japanned' decoration on these panels reflects the fashion for chinoiserie ornament inspired by imported lacquer screens and chests. The ‘art of japanning’ began in Europe circa 1610 as an imitation of Asian lacquer furniture and wares, which had become fashionable in the West. In England it was evidently already widespread by 1680s, and while certainly not the norm, it was apparently taught as an accomplishment in privileged girls’ education. In 1683, Sir Edmund Verney (1636-1688) of Claydon paid 40 shillings for his daughter Mary Verney (1675-1696) to learn the ‘handicraft’ in London, writing in a letter, 'I find you have a desire to learn Jappan, as you call it, and I approve it; and so I shall of any thing that is good and virtuous… for I admire all accomplishments that will render you considerable and lovely in the sight of God and man’ (see: P. Macquoid, A History of English Furniture, London, 1925, p. 138; A. Tinniswood, The Verneys, London, 2008, p. 423). The art was further promoted by Messrs. John Stalker and George Parker in their instructional publication, A Treatise of Japanning and Varnishing of 1688. The book outlined the methods of japanning and was an answer to the ever increasing demand for lacquer-wares which were difficult and costly to import. It was used as a pattern book throughout the late 17th and 18th centuries while interest in lacquer furniture continued, and clearly appears to have influenced the artist of this set of japanned panels.

The mania for chinoiserie indeed persisted, and was undoubtedly fueled by Sir William Chambers’ personal knowledge of Chinese design and his influence as tutor in architecture to the Prince of Wales, later George III. During George III’s reign, one of the most costly decorating projects was the creation of the ‘New Japan Room’ in the Queen’s Breakfast Room at Buckingham Palace. The esteemed cabinet-maker William Vile (1700-1767) was paid an astounding sum of £572.12 to complete it, and to do so he re-used the black and gold japanned panels which previously decorated the Duke of Buckingham’s ‘Old Japan Room’ in the Saloon. Vile touched them up, made new japanned panels as needed, and fitted ‘Carved & Gilt Mouldings round the panels’ before fixing them to the walls of the new room (see: J. Harris, Buckingham Palace and its Treasures, London, 1968, p. 104).

Princess Elizabeth (1770-1840), daughter of Queen Charlotte and King George III, took up the art of japanning herself. She decorated the ornamental walls of the ‘Red Japan Room’ at Frogmore, which is illustrated and described in W. H. Pyne’s, Royal Residences (1819, pp. 16-19). A drawing by Henry Wigstead inscribed ‘Frogmore Hall at the Fete 1797’ documents this phase of decoration in the room, which is now the Yellow Drawing Room. Princess Elizabeth was also responsible for the decoration of the ‘Black Japan Room’ which unfortunately was not recorded by an artist.

WONERSH PARK
The house at Wonersh Park, Surrey, was originally built in the 17th century. In the 18th century it became home to Fletcher Norton,1st Baron Grantley, PC (1716-1789), through his marriage to Grace Chapple, the daughter of Sir William Chapple, Kt, Justice of the King's Bench. Norton had an long and illustrious career as a lawyer and politician. Upon taking up residence at Wonersh, he set about enlarging and improving the house. He hired Robert Adam in 1767 to create the designs for the interior decoration of the house, as well as for a stable and farm court, but for unknown reasons these designs were never fulfilled. Three drawings for Adam’s unexecuted design for a stable and farm court remain in the Cumbria Record Office.

Fletcher Norton is credited with eventually adding the right wing of the house, including what was described in the early 20th century as, 'very fine dining and drawing rooms and a magnificent library...the rooms are paneled, the drawing room has a carved decorated ceiling and richly carved doors, and each of the many chambers possesses attractive features' (P.H. Ditchfield, 'Famous Houses that are Changing their Owners', The Badminton Magazine, 1914, vol. 39, iss. 226, pp. 125-126). The paneling described is possibly in reference to the present panels, and they were likely installed by Norton when he expanded and improved Wonersh in the mid-18th century. It is quite possible that they were inherited with the house from his wife's family, having been used in an earlier decorative phase, and re-incorporated during his expansion and refurbishment.

Wonersh suffered the same tragic fate as many other great English houses in the inter-war period, and was demolished in 1929. An auction was held for the contents of Wonersh by Hampton & Sons, 27-29 June 1927. Unfortunately the only copy of the sale catalogue known to exist is incomplete, and the wall panels are not included among the surviving pages.