Lot Essay
"Lacque burgauté", "burgau" being the word in French for mother-of-pearl mussel, is the term for lacquer inlayed with tinted blue, green, pink and purple mother-of-pearl. In some cases, gold and silver foil are also incorporated into the design. The technique was originally Chinese, but during the Qing Dynasty it surfaced in the Ryukyu Islands, located between China and Japan, and subsequently was passed on to Japanese artisans who became the primary producers in the 19th Century.
During the 1920s, such placques as are set in the present vanity case often could be seen in "objets" created by such houses as Lacloche and Cartier. There are two other examples in this sale, two "bonbonnières" by Cartier: lots 311 and 312.
During the 1920s, such placques as are set in the present vanity case often could be seen in "objets" created by such houses as Lacloche and Cartier. There are two other examples in this sale, two "bonbonnières" by Cartier: lots 311 and 312.