DOI Heft:
Nr. 237 (November, 1916)
DOI Artikel:Studio-Talk
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.43463#0062
Sttidio-Tcilk
REDLANDS, BEARSDEN : DINING-ROOM
{See page 39)
W. HUNTER MCNAB, F.R.I.B.A., ARCHITECT
STUDIO-TALK.
(From Our Own Correspondents.}
LONDON.—The small body of men of taste
who, in the closing years of the nine-
teenth century, had the discrimination to
-J recognize the beauties of the Japanese
objects that were then coming over to this country,
have now almost all passed away. For the most
part they had been educated on the more virile
art of China, and this made their appreciation of
the “exquisite fastidiousness” of Japanese work
the more commendable. Among the latest to
leave us may be named Mr. W. C. Alexander and
Sir Trevor Lawrence, both of whom formed collec-
tions containing objects it would be difficult, if not
impossible, to find in Europe nowadays. The
national museums will, we believe, be enriched
by gifts from each of these, especially the Victoria
and Albert. The gift of Sir Trevor Lawrence’s
family has a two-fold value, artistic and historical.
It will be remembered that the great Hamilton
Palace Collection included three remarkable pieces
that had come down to it through Fonthill and
Cardinal Mazarin, namely two chests and a Ryoshi-
bunko, or box for papers. One was acquired at
the sale for the museum for ^772, the other two
by Sir Trevor Lawrence. All were decorated
with gold and silver lacquer in the same fashion,
namely, with Court scenes laid in the Palace at
Kyoto, and bordered with designs of flowers and
creepers, the decorative materials being gold and
silver lacquer of various shades and mother-of-pearl.
But the Ryoshi-bunko had this exceptional interest,
in that on the interior of the lid is a bold inscription
in letters of gold “ Maria Uan Diemen.” When it
was exhibited at the Burlington Fine Arts Club
some years ago its date was assigned to 1700,
and its place of origin Nagasaki, but there seems
little doubt not only that it was made by Royal
lacquerers either for the Emperor or Shogun, and
presented by one of them to some personage of
distinction, this personage being almost certainly
Anton Van Diemen, Governor of the Dutch East
Indies from 1636 till his death in 1645, whose
name has come down to us as the discoverer
during his tenure of that office of Van Diemen’s
Land, and who had a wife Maria by name. It
4°
REDLANDS, BEARSDEN : DINING-ROOM
{See page 39)
W. HUNTER MCNAB, F.R.I.B.A., ARCHITECT
STUDIO-TALK.
(From Our Own Correspondents.}
LONDON.—The small body of men of taste
who, in the closing years of the nine-
teenth century, had the discrimination to
-J recognize the beauties of the Japanese
objects that were then coming over to this country,
have now almost all passed away. For the most
part they had been educated on the more virile
art of China, and this made their appreciation of
the “exquisite fastidiousness” of Japanese work
the more commendable. Among the latest to
leave us may be named Mr. W. C. Alexander and
Sir Trevor Lawrence, both of whom formed collec-
tions containing objects it would be difficult, if not
impossible, to find in Europe nowadays. The
national museums will, we believe, be enriched
by gifts from each of these, especially the Victoria
and Albert. The gift of Sir Trevor Lawrence’s
family has a two-fold value, artistic and historical.
It will be remembered that the great Hamilton
Palace Collection included three remarkable pieces
that had come down to it through Fonthill and
Cardinal Mazarin, namely two chests and a Ryoshi-
bunko, or box for papers. One was acquired at
the sale for the museum for ^772, the other two
by Sir Trevor Lawrence. All were decorated
with gold and silver lacquer in the same fashion,
namely, with Court scenes laid in the Palace at
Kyoto, and bordered with designs of flowers and
creepers, the decorative materials being gold and
silver lacquer of various shades and mother-of-pearl.
But the Ryoshi-bunko had this exceptional interest,
in that on the interior of the lid is a bold inscription
in letters of gold “ Maria Uan Diemen.” When it
was exhibited at the Burlington Fine Arts Club
some years ago its date was assigned to 1700,
and its place of origin Nagasaki, but there seems
little doubt not only that it was made by Royal
lacquerers either for the Emperor or Shogun, and
presented by one of them to some personage of
distinction, this personage being almost certainly
Anton Van Diemen, Governor of the Dutch East
Indies from 1636 till his death in 1645, whose
name has come down to us as the discoverer
during his tenure of that office of Van Diemen’s
Land, and who had a wife Maria by name. It
4°