Southern Accents November 2008

by Lauren Rubinstein fu Courtney Barnes phongraphed :.

ANTIQUESI coLLEcl NG

The profuse ornamentation on these boxes (below left) suggestsan opulent Asiantextile. A 1fth-century ChineseelPorl tea caddy theseinnercontainerswere madeof leador pewter. Typically (belowright)hasan interiorcompartmentfor the precious -ommodity.

The In Box

throuqhthe aqes,sumptuouslacqueredcases,decorated Favoredbv tastemakers with fancif,ulgilt imagesof the-FarEast]are neverout of style As ENnctNGAs AN ExoutstrElywRAppEDelff the black-and-goldlacquered box has encharttedWesterners for centuries.In the 1Sth century E;rglishactor David Garrick and his dancerwife, Eva,were part of a fashionableset of patronswho embraied chinoiserie,and in the 1960s,designerBilly Baldwin advised Americans to freshln up their interiors by replacingstaid cigaretteboxeswith Oriental lacqueredcases.fr4"y chic designersfollow the lead of historyb aesthetesby nabbingtheseexotic treasurechestson their travels. "It's a craze that never seems to die," saysdesigner Phoebe Howard. "I love accessorizingrooms with a variety of small antique boxes, but there is something magical and ioyful about chinoiserie boxes, whether they are tea caddies, game bores, or sewing kits. The ornamentation is whimsical, yet the boxes are timeless, and the classic combination of black with gold works everywhere, in neutral or color-filled rooms." In the realm of interior design, Asian-style lacquered boxes made for the Western market tend to be placed under the chinoiserie umbrella. But antiquarians and collectors make distinctions: Many antique dealers classifu these gilt-decorated pieces as either Chinese export or chinoiserie. The former refers to boxes made by Chinese artisans using painstaking, centuries-old lacquering techniques. Boxes painted in the West to emulate Asian lacquerware are considered chinoiserie. When demand for Asia's lacquerware exceeded supply, Western artisans scrambled to make their own. A quasi lacquering technique called japanning was developed to achieve a glossyblack (or red) background that could be embellished with

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so u rHE R N A ccE N T s I Novr usen,/nscEMBER 2oo8

ANTIQUBS

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fanciful scenes of life in the East. Labor-intensive and expensive,japanning was practiced not only by skilled craftsmen but also by talented ladies of leisure, for whom it became a fashionable pastime; unfinished boxes ready to be transformed were widely available in the l7th, l8th, and lgth centuries. "The delightful possibilities of lacquering small boxes, cases,and containers stimulated the transformation of Chinese and Japanesepictorial elements into true chinoiserie," writes Dawn Jacobson in Chinoiserie. Whether decorated in the West or in the Far East, fact and fiction mingle in lush depictions of pagodas,fishermen, insects, dragons,and stylized grape leaf and Greek key patterns. In some cases,European motifs, such as family crests, coexist with Asian imagery on the same box. For contemporary collectors who find old boxes missing their original accoutrements, such as exquisite ivory spools, needle cases,or other fittings, designer Charlotte Moss suggestsnew ways to enjoy them with flair. Line the inside of the box with paper and use it to hold stationery or jewelry or fill it with pens and clips for an office or library. Place a larger box on a base with legs to do double duty as a side table. Or better still, simply tie on a pretty ribbon and use the piece as a gift box. t) For details,seeSourcebook,page 194.

ust tlre f acts a naturalresinderived Origins: Lacqueris essentially from the sap of the sumactree indigenousto Asiaand hasbeenusedin Easterndecorativearts for thousands of years.Althoughthe Japanesewere historically reveredfor their lacquer,manyboxeswere acquired throughtrade with the Chinese. by Europeans }l'eslern inlerprctations: As the fashionfor all things OrientalspreadacrossEurope,Westernartisansimitated Asianlacquerwith a techniqueknownasjapanning. Surfacedecorationdepictedfantasiesof life in the East. as this Westernstyleof decorationis called, Chinoiserie, was particularlypopularin the 18th and 1fth centuries. light woodswere usedfor Construction: Historically, Japanningwas alsodone on wood, Asianlacquerware. becamea popularmediumin Europe, but papier-m6ch6 particularlyin the 1fth centuryas curvier,sculptedbox Shapeswere basedon forms becamefashionable. Europeanstyles,ratherthan Asianforms,and were designedfor Westernlifestyles. Condition: Dueto the natureof paintedsurfaces,wear is expectedto showon the tops of antiqueboxes.In somecases,restorationwork diminishesthe value. Expect to pay: $500to $6,000or more,dependingon the age,size,condition, rarity,qualityof decoration,and complexityof form.