39 / 76
3 3 /1 9 7 5 T o ile t- o g s k riv e m ø b e l
E n g la n d 1 7 1 0 -2 0
R ø d la k e r e t o g f o r g y ld t træ . H :1 6 6 , B :5 8 , D :3 6
D a e u ro p æ e rn e i d e t 17. å r h u n d r e d e f o r a lv o r b e
g y n d te a t fa h a n d e ls f o r b in d e ls e m e d J a p a n o g K i
n a , im p o n e r e d e s m a n m e g e t o v e r d isse la n d e s la k
a rb e jd e r. M a n b e g y n d te at im p o r te r e la k g e n s ta n
d e , m a n in k o r p o r e r e d e d isse i e u ro p æ is k e m ø b le r ,
m a n fik i Ø s te n f o r a r b e jd e t la k m ø b le r e fte r e u r o
p æ is k fo rb ille d e , o g e n d e lig e fte rlig n e d e m a n så
g o d t s o m m u lig t d e ja p a n s k e o g k in e s is k e la k k e r.
I m u s e e t fin d e s d e r e k s e m p le r p å alle ty p e r , m e n
d e t v is te to ile tm ø b e l m e d sp e jl, s k riv e k la p o g re
k v is its k u f fe h ø r e r til d e n sid ste g ru p p e . B r ite rn e
u d g a v v e jle d n in g e r o m , h v o rle d e s la k te k n ik k e n
k u n n e e fte rg ø re s , d e k a ld te d e t ja p a n n in g , o g se lv
o m m ø b e lf o r m e n e r r e n t e n g e ls k , e r d e t m e g e t
fin e o p h ø je d e la k a rb e jd e k la r t in s p ire r e t a f k in e
sisk k u n s t.
33/1975 Toilet-cum-writing table
England 1710-20
Red-lacquered and gilt wood. H:166, W:58, D:36
When the Europeans seriously established trading rela
tionships withJapan and China during the 17th century
they were most impressed by the lacquerwork of both
these countries. They began to import lacquer articles;
they incorporated them into English furniture; they
commissioned lacquerwork furniture on English lines in
the Far East; and finally they made intensive efforts to
imitate Japanese and Chinese lacquers as convincingly
as possible.
The David Collection has examples of all types, but
the toilet-table illustrated here, complete with looking-
glass, writing-fap and oddment drawer, belongs to the
last-named group. Instructions were published in Eng
land as to how the lacquer technique could be imitated. It
was called “japanning”, and although the form of this
item is purely English, the very refined lacquerwork has
clearly been inspired by Chinese art.
36