JAPANESE
LACQUER ART
Lacquered objects were (and still are) both a form of artistic expression and an inherent part of day-to-day life in Japan. The beginnings of lacquer art date back to pre-Christian times. While Chinese lacquer work is characterized by its multifarious manifestations, the appeal of
the Japanese exhibits lies in a technique that
has been continuously perfected since the 9th century: sprinkled lacquer. The basic principle
of this elaborate method is to let gold or (less frequently) silver powder trickle through a small tube onto the still-wet, usually black lacquer ground. The sprinkled lacquer can be applied either as a flat or as an elevated embossment,
or it can occur as a variant that is polished out
of surface layers covered with lacquer. It is the harmonious interplay of glossy lacquer surfaces and vibrant gold décor that makes these works so fascinating. Due to their technical perfection and also the great variety of shapes they come in (for example containers, boxes, and various tools), they are a particular highlight in the Museum of Lacquer Art.
Impressions from the collection
