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
(belowright)hasan interiorcompartmentfor the precious Typicallytheseinnercontainerswere madeof leador pewter.
-ommodity.

The In Box
Favoredbv tastemakers throuqhthe aqes,sumptuouslacqueredcases,decorated
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 lacquer-
ing technique called japanning was developed to achieve a glossyblack (or red) background that could be embellished with

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

 ANTIQUBS

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 lac-
quering small boxes, cases,and containers stimulated the
transformation of Chinese and Japanesepictorial elements
into true chinoiserie," writes Dawn Jacobson in Chinoiserie.
Superb Whether decorated in the West or in the Far East,
fact and fiction mingle in lush depictions of pagodas,fish-
c World-Closs ermen, insects, dragons,and stylized grape leaf and Greek
Website! 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 miss-
ing 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

Origins: Lacqueris essentiallya naturalresinderived
from the sap of the sumactree indigenousto Asiaand
hasbeenusedin Easterndecorativearts for thousands
of years.Althoughthe Japanesewere historically
reveredfor their lacquer,manyboxeswere acquired
by Europeans throughtrade with the Chinese.
}l'eslern inlerprctations: As the fashionfor all things
OrientalspreadacrossEurope,Westernartisansimitated
Asianlacquerwith a techniqueknownasjapanning.
Surfacedecorationdepictedfantasiesof life in the East.
Chinoiserie,as this Westernstyleof decorationis called,
was particularlypopularin the 18th and 1fth centuries.
Construction: Historically, light woodswere usedfor
Asianlacquerware. Japanningwas alsodone on wood,
but papier-m6ch6 becamea popularmediumin Europe,
particularlyin the 1fth centuryas curvier,sculptedbox
forms becamefashionable. Shapeswere basedon
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.