A Belgian mother of pearl, pewter and brass inlaid walnut casket, spa third quarter 17th century

Comparative Literature:
Hans Huth, Lacquer of  the West, The History of the Craft and Industry 1550-1950, Chicago, 1971, no. 299, for a related Spa box, in the Musée Communal, Spa.

Spa in Belgium is one of the oldest centres of the lacquer trade. It began there before 1600, probably as a result of the activities of local Bourdoniers.  The word Bourdonier stems from the Italian bordoni , the Venetian makers of staffs or staves for pilgrims. Long sticks of this kind became popular with the invalids who came to Spa to take the waters. It was a custom in Spa to present a bourdon to dignitaries, and soon other objects were lacquered and sold as souvenirs of Spa, for example small bowls, brushes, bellows and caskets.

In 1684, the Marquis Villaret de Joyeuse was presented with a casket and other objects. The earliest printed reference to lacquer made in Spa is a pamphlet by the physician, Edmond Nessel, published in 1689: `It is a pleasure to see thousands of niceties made in lacquer done à la façon des Indes.'  He specifically mentions work done in mother-of-pearl, ivory , tortoiseshell, English pewter, copper and silver and refers to the Boulle technique and mother-of-pearl inlay combined with lacquer decoration.