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Lot Essay
This small casket belongs to a group of lacquer known as 'Transition' style, which is believed to have started during 1630's and lasted for around fifteen years. The term describes the period of change from the Namban style of lacquer of the 16th and early 17th centuries, to the fully-developed Pictorial style which lasted into the 18th century. Namban, Transition and Pictorial style lacquers were produced for export to the West, particularly for Portuguese and Dutch markets.1
A similar example of this remarkable casket sold Christie's London 7th April 1997, Lot 171, is now in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, accession number FE.63-1997.
This little casket was initially thought to have been made as a sample with a view to soliciting orders for full-size pieces from representatives of the Dutch East India Company. This was partly based on the fact that the proportions of height to width, 1: 2.12, are almost exactly the same as those (1: 2.15) of a very large chest (more than 142cm. wide), now lost but formerly in the collection of Sir Trevor Lawrence, sold Christie's London, 1916 (29 May, lot 262) and again in 1941 from Llantarnam Abbey near Cwmbran, Gwent.2 However, further research by Julia Hutt argues that this perhaps is not the case as it is believed that even a sample or model made to illustrate the workshop's skill would have been made to the same standard as the larger particularly lavish examples such as the famous Mazarin Chest, also in the Victoria and Albert Museum. She suggests that there are several alternative theories, one being that it could have been a gift from the Japanese to Dutch officials to help negotiations in the purchase of larger chests. Perhaps more likely, however, it is a wedding casket which were particularly popular in 17th century Holland. The Dutch versions were normally made of silver and decorated with figural scenes, filled with coins and presented by the man to the woman he wished to marry. For a Dutch example see Victoria and Albert Museum, accession number M.113-1923.3
1. See Oliver Impey and Christiaan Jorg, Japanese Export Lacquer 1580-1850, (Amsterdam, 2005), p.92, no.140., for a full discussion of Namban, Transition and Pictorial lacquers see ibid, p.77-96.
2. This great chest is reproduced as the frontispiece and plate XXXIX of Huish, M.P., The Collection of Japanese Works of Art of Sir Trevor Lawrence Bt. (London, 1895), cat. no.1110.
3. Julia Hutt, A Japanese Lacquer Chest in the V&A: A Seventeenth-century Wedding Casket for the Dutch Market, (Apollo, March 1998), p.3-9
A similar example of this remarkable casket sold Christie's London 7th April 1997, Lot 171, is now in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, accession number FE.63-1997.
This little casket was initially thought to have been made as a sample with a view to soliciting orders for full-size pieces from representatives of the Dutch East India Company. This was partly based on the fact that the proportions of height to width, 1: 2.12, are almost exactly the same as those (1: 2.15) of a very large chest (more than 142cm. wide), now lost but formerly in the collection of Sir Trevor Lawrence, sold Christie's London, 1916 (29 May, lot 262) and again in 1941 from Llantarnam Abbey near Cwmbran, Gwent.
1. See Oliver Impey and Christiaan Jorg, Japanese Export Lacquer 1580-1850, (Amsterdam, 2005), p.92, no.140., for a full discussion of Namban, Transition and Pictorial lacquers see ibid, p.77-96.
2. This great chest is reproduced as the frontispiece and plate XXXIX of Huish, M.P., The Collection of Japanese Works of Art of Sir Trevor Lawrence Bt. (London, 1895), cat. no.1110.
3. Julia Hutt, A Japanese Lacquer Chest in the V&A: A Seventeenth-century Wedding Casket for the Dutch Market, (Apollo, March 1998), p.3-9