EARLY 18TH CENTURY

The japanned decoration of this fnely mounted casket can be attributed to the Martin frères, who perfected a technique for imitating Chinese and Japanese lacquer in France in the frst half of the 18th Century. The most important workshops were operated by the eldest of the brothers, Guillaume (1689-1749), who was made vernisseur du Roi in 1713 and in 1730, and was granted the right ‘…de fabriquer, faire, vendre et débiter toutes sortes d’ouvrages en relief de sa composition, dans le goût du Japon ou de la Chine…’, and Etienne-Simon (1703-1770), vernisseur du Roi in 1728. While Guillaume particularly specialized in smaller objects such as the present cofret, Etienne-Simon expanded the business to include complete lacquer décors for rooms.