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A JAPANESE LACQUER CABINET, EDO PERIOD, WITH LOUIS XV GILT-BRONZE MOUNTS, CIRCA 1770 |
Estimate
10,000 - 15,000 EUR
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Description
- Haut. 36 cm, long. 28,5 cm, prof. 25 cm ; height 14 1/4 in., length 11 in., width 9 3/4 in.
Rectangular shaped, opening by two doors with hiramaki-e and takamaki-e decor of a lakeside landscape surmounted by mountains and landscapes on the other faces, the interior provided with six drawers, one with lock, and adorned with cartridges on nashiji bottom, the gilded and chiseled bronze lock with cherry tree and bird motifs
Condition
The photograph is accurate. Good overall condition. The lacquer has been refreshed all over: the gilded frames are redone, as well as the plinth and the inside of the doors. The black backgrounds are also retouched, but small vertical cracks can still be seen on each side. The gilding of the mounts is original. Rare model with French mounts. Ready to display.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Lacquers were in great demand among collectors of the second half of the 18th century and appear regularly in the sales catalogs of the most famous collections of this period, be they those of Jean de Jullienne in 1767, Gaignat, secretary of King, in 1769, the farmer general Randon de Boisset in 1777 (the catalog of his sale in 1777 describes a cabinet very close to ours, lot 757), the Duchess of Mazarin in 1781, and especially that, the same year, the Duke of Lorraine, undoubtedly the most important, which included no less than three hundred and ninety-three lots, objects of all desires for the greatest marchands-merciers of the capital.
As such, the role played by these in this production of great luxury was paramount. Few mounted lacquers have survived, unlike porcelains, which can be explained in part by their slower and more complex manufacturing process and their great fragility. As a result, their price was at that time much higher than that of porcelain. In Paris, the fashion of these precious mounted objects developed in the second quarter of the eighteenth century and only Japanese lacquers were preferred by rich collectors. Magnified by their mounts, they quickly became very popular objects and were considered as true works of art by the amateurs, seduced by the beauty and the technical perfection of these lacquers conjugated with the brilliance of the gilded bronze.
Queen Marie Antoinette's Japanese lacquer collection was one of the most beautiful of the Ancien Régime. Inherited in large part from his mother, the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, she also had an important sentimental value for the Sovereign and was disposed in her inner apartment at Versailles, notably her large gilded cabinet, where she was an integral part of the daily decor of the queen.
As such, the role played by these in this production of great luxury was paramount. Few mounted lacquers have survived, unlike porcelains, which can be explained in part by their slower and more complex manufacturing process and their great fragility. As a result, their price was at that time much higher than that of porcelain. In Paris, the fashion of these precious mounted objects developed in the second quarter of the eighteenth century and only Japanese lacquers were preferred by rich collectors. Magnified by their mounts, they quickly became very popular objects and were considered as true works of art by the amateurs, seduced by the beauty and the technical perfection of these lacquers conjugated with the brilliance of the gilded bronze.
Queen Marie Antoinette's Japanese lacquer collection was one of the most beautiful of the Ancien Régime. Inherited in large part from his mother, the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, she also had an important sentimental value for the Sovereign and was disposed in her inner apartment at Versailles, notably her large gilded cabinet, where she was an integral part of the daily decor of the queen.