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Catalogue of a small collection of Japanese Lacquer

James Orange (text); K. Tamamura (photographs)

"A prolonged stay in Japan this year gave me the opportunity to get, through the kindness of my friends Baron Kuki and Mr. A. S. Mihara, the collection examined by the well-known experts Messrs. Y. Imaizumi, Director, and S. Fujiya, Assistant Director, of the Department of Fine Arts, Imperial Museum, Tokyo; and their criticism, careful study and verification of the various articles with information of makers and dates, have been most interesting and valuable. I was glad to find that the collection was considered a good one and that it proves to be fairly representative in makers and periods; I know it contains many good pieces which cannot be surpassed. My friends T. B. Glover, B. H. Chamberlain, and J. Conder, old residents in Japan have assisted me in obtaining many pieces from private owners and old-fashioned dealers not accessible to the ordinary "globe- trotter;" and from Mr. Nomura of the well-known and reliable "Samurai Shokai" Store, Yokohama, I have obtained several of the older period articles. It is quite impossible without seeing a gold really good piece of lacquer, especially, to have any idea of the wonderful beauty of the work, and the photographic illustrations give no idea of the brilliancy and colouring of so many of the articles, but only show shapes and designs thus leaving much to the imagination; however, this little catalogue will serve as a "reminder" to those who have seen some of the pieces. It may be noticed that few of the lacquer articles are "signed." It is a pity that practically only Inros were signed and some of the best of these were not inscribed. It is therefore difficult for a non-expert to tell whether lacquer is genuinely old or not and to fix with any degree of accuracy the period of articles. I am informed that in old days no lacquer articles, made for the court or the nobility, were signed, although all metal work used for military purposes, such as swords, tsubas and other ornaments, was signed, often at length, by the makers. It would seem therefore as if it had not been the fashion, for the old lacquer articles were highly esteemed and honoured. At present, signatures are invariably added to imitations, and being an attraction, are sought after by the unwary buyer. I have to specially thank my good friend, W. B. Mason, of Yokohama, for advice and help in many "curio-hunts" and for kindly seeing to the printing of this little book, which, as will be seen, is conversational and does not pretend to be "literature."" excerpt from the introduction by James Orange.

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