Lecture
Asian Art and History The Gold and Silver World of Japanese Lacquer
Monika Bincsik, Ph.D., Diane and Arthur Abbey Associate Curator for Japanese Decorative Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Lacquer is one of the most ancient and refined arts to originate in East Asia. Derived from the sap of the lacquer tree, lacquer, a natural material, is also among the most durable of substances with examples surviving for more than two millennia. With roots in Neolithic China, this craft spread across much of Asia, but it attained its fullest and most sumptuous expression in Japan. This art form flourished in Japan in the Edo period (1615-1868). Lacquerworks decorated with precious gold and silver and sublime mother-of-pearl were present in aristocratic homes, samurai mansions and in the residences of wealthy merchants. Finely embellished, luxurious lacquer items were part of the wedding trousseaux prepared for brides from affluent families. Exquisite maki-e (“sprinkled picture”) writing and document boxes and incense sets were sought after both as collectibles and as household items. In the 19th century, Japanese lacquer art went through major changes as the craftsmen lost their traditional patrons. At the same time, at the peak of Japanism, Western collectors acquired a variety of lacquerworks.
This presentation is part of the Asian Art and History series.
Image: Japan, Edo period (1615–1868), second half 17th century. Lacquered wood with gold, silver takamaki-e, hiramaki-e, togidashimaki-e, cut-out gold and silver foil application, mother-of-pearl inlay. 8 7/8 x 8 3/8 x 1 5/8 inches. Purchase, Elinor Meyer Appleby and The William Meyer Family and William R. Appleby Funds, 2023 (2023.226a–g).