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17th Century Japanese Lacquer Cabinet

Offered by: Loveday Antiques

Description
17th Century Japanese Lacquer Cabinet On French Giltwood Regence Stand
#3061
An Extremely Fine and Very Important 17th Century Japanese Lacquer Cabinet on French Giltwood Stand of Regence Period circa 1680-1690

Provenance

Likely acquired by Herman Willem Daendels (1762-1818)

Mr. Herman August Daendels (1918-2000), Amsterdam

Eurasia Antiques, Amsterdam

Biënnale des Antiquairs, Paris, 1998

Private Collection, Belgium

Kollenburg Antiquairs, Oirschot-chosen for the press release for the Art Affair Fair, Amsterdam, in 2020, Also taken to TEFAF Maastricht

A Private European collection

This fine Japanese lacquer cabinet or ‘Cantoor’ was presumably originally acquired by a French connoisseur due to the French Regence period base it sit upon. The craze for lacquer in the west from the 16th century onwards has been extensively documented and it is generally accepted that the finest of all lacquers, technically speaking, were those produced in Japan rather than China. This cabinet is one of the best examples of Japanese export lacquer.

The lacquer work on the cabinet, executed in a variety of techniques including Maki-e, is exquisite and survives in amazing condition. The front depicts a landscape with mountains, temples, trees and a river with flying phoenixes, the lacquered boarders are more of a powdered effect. Each door has five gilt metal engraved brass hinges with further engraved gilt metal mounts to protect the corners of the doors and the outer carcase. There is a two part gilt metal lock plate to the centre of elaborate design that is particularly finely executed.

The sides being decorated with feature scenes of flowers and insects, with large and impressive engraved gilt brass handles. Like all of the finest lacquer, the decoration is executed in a variety of levels of relief, making the scene much more three dimensional as a result.

With Japanese export lacquer there was a evolutionary sequence to stylistic change that can be traced back with some accuracy during the 16th and 17th centuries. The Namban lacquer of the late 16th century relied on highly wrought mother of pearl inlay and gold lacquer on a black ground. As the 17th century unfolded, there was progression towards a generally finer lacquer without the use of mother of pearl coupled with this was an increased interest in a more pictorial style with landscapes being used more extensively initially within boarders. Gradually by 1690’s the borders began to disappear from export lacquer work, so the fact that borders are still in evidence on our piece is further proof of being earlier than 1690 in date for the lacquer work.

Most early Japanese lacquer arrived in the west through the Portuguese mercantile companies but this changed by around 1630 when most of the trade between Europe and Japan was conducted through the Dutch East India Company, as is almost certainly the case with the present piece.

The so-called "pictorial style" of Japanese lacquer work was developed around c.1630 specifically to suit the taste of the new Dutch market for such pieces and, as such, this became highly influential throughout the rest of Europe. Lacquer work required painstaking is built up of many layers of the prepared sap of thelacquer tree Rhus vernicifera. After applying each layer, the object is dried in a room with a high humidity and then sanded. The effects of relief are achieved by mixing lime through the lower layers of paint. For the decoration in gold, the maki-e technique is applied, whereby gold powder is strewn or gold foil is placed onto the wet varnish. The gold then sinks somewhat into the lacquer. After the lacquer layer has dried, it can be polished.. As such, pieces like the present cabinet would take a very long time to produce and this was also a factor in the high prices attached to goods of this sort in both the export and domestic Japanese markets.

The cabinet is supported on an exuberant giltwood stand French in origin and made in the RÈgence period in the early 18th century. The stand features four finely made cabriole legs, joined by a platform stretcher with a central vase of flowers and fruit in the manner of J. B. Monnoyer. The curving aprons to the front and both sides with the carved detail being extremely fine. The ground has been finely engraved with trellis work at points and there are raised areas with applied floral carving. The stand and the cabinet complement each other perfectly, creating an exceptional work of art that will appeal to any modern day connoisseur just as it would have fascinated those wealthy enough to afford such pieces in the early 18th century in France and the rest of Europe.

These early Japanese lacquer cabinets always have integral feet and were shipped to Europe without stands which were always manufactured for them when they arrived at their destination. Due to the Dutch control of the trade with Japan in the 17th century, purchases made by monarchs and leading connoisseurs throughout Europe would have been placed through agents in Amsterdam. Records survive relating to purchases of Japanese lacquer of this sort made by Louis XIII and Louis XIV and sent to Pairs via Amsterdam, the high cost of shipping via another European country added to the luxurious nature of these pieces and the exclusivity attached to ownership of them. It also became increasingly clear to European connoisseurs that Japanese lacquer products were superior to their Chinese equivalents and, as such, the trade in Japanese lacquer became a highly profitable business for the Dutch VOC (East India Company) and the various allied businesses.

Provenance

Our piece has intriguing provenance, having been owned by Herman August Daendels, the last surviving male relative of Herman Willem Daendels (1762-1818), a key figure in the establishment of the Dutch dominance of what became known as the Batavian Republic. He was an important historical figure who, having owed his early career to the protection given to him and his family by Louis XVI, recognised that the tide was turning against him in 1792 when several of his compatriots were executed and decided to send his congratulations to Napoleon in Paris.

He began a French military career at this point, serving firstly with the French Foreign Legion and in the Batavian army before later being chosen by Napoleon to lead the defence of Batavia against the British army during the Napoleonic Wars. He later served in Napoleon's army in Russia. There is a chance, therefore, that this exceptional cabinet may have passed by family descent through the Daendels line to Herman August who founded the Stichting Daendels, or Daendels Foundation, in honour of his ancestor, an organisation that survives to this day. Whether the piece descended through the family has not been conclusively established unfortunately but whenever the piece was acquired, this fusion of Asian export and a French stand would have been highly appropriate given this fascinating family history.

A closely comparable cabinet is in Ham House in Surrey, though the stand in this case is a particularly unusual English piece in the Baroque taste

https://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/1140084.2

Both the scene on the front of the Ham example and the quality of the lacquer correspond closely to our piece. Another good comparative is at Castle Drogo in Devon. The lacquer cabinet here is later in date than our example but still uses a similar scene to the front panel and stands on an English giltwood stand of early George II period origin.

https://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/902383

Our piece is of historical important and of the best of its type, the type of furniture that took the wealthy classes of Europe by storm as the rage for all things Oriental swept across the continent and still continue to this day.

Literature:

Japanese Export Lacquer 1580-1850, Oliver Impey, Christiaan Jörg, 2005, p.21-29, p.120

Bijdrage tot de kennis der Nederlandsche Oost-Indische bezittingen, Adolphe Philibert Dubois de Jancigny, 1849, p.66-69

Width: 37 inches - 94cm
Height: 62 inches - 157cm
Depth: 20 1/2 inches - 52cm

More Information

Period:	Pre 18th Century
Condition:	Good.
Styles / Movements:	Asian, Traditional
Dealer Reference #:	3061
Incollect Reference #:	786872

Dimensions

W.	37 in;	H.	62 in;	D.	20.5 in;
W.	93.98 cm;	H.	157.48 cm;	D.	52.07 cm;

Message from Seller:

Loveday Antiques, established in London in 1969 and now run by Alexander in Hertfordshire, specializes in an eclectic mix of 18th, 19th, and 20th-century European furniture and works of art. For inquiries, please contact info@lovedayantiques.co.uk or call 01438 869819—our showrooms are open by appointment, offering a relaxed, personalized experience for collectors and designers.