Page 372 - Chinese and japanese porcelain silk and lacquer Canepa

Dutch Republic until further instructions. Thus it is possible that the lacquer chests
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presented as gifts, together with Chinese porcelain, by the Gentlemen Seventeen
to Maria de Médicis, Queen Mother of France, a few days after she visited
the East India House of the VOC in Amsterdam in September 1638, were
originally part of the large lacquer shipment sent to Batavia in 1636.
According to Kasper van Bearle, they were ‘the most magnificent chests
from Japan, decorated and coloured in a lovely manner, of lacquer, gold,
and mother-of-pearl’. An order of lacquer was sent from Batavia in
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June of the following year, in 1639, requesting comptoiren, kisten and
coffers with their interiors lacquered in black, red and green, a third
of each, for the Dutch Republic. In 1640, Batavia informed Hirado
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that no more lacquer with red and green interiors should be sent because
it was not in demand in the Dutch Republic. Two years later, however,
Batavia sent a letter to Deshima requesting square kisten, some comptoirs
Fig. 4.1.2.2 Drawing of a comptoir with the
division of drawers, part of a letter from and cantooren, as before, a third with green interiors, a third with red, and
Hendrik Hagenaer to François Caron, dated 26 a third with black, with a total value of 3500 to 4000 taels. The letter
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March 1639
VOC 1132, Letterbook from Batavia 1640, fol. 80 specifies that 1500 taels was to be spent on ‘extraordinarily rare and costly’ pieces,
VOC Archive, General State Archives, The Hague with the lacquer ground to be mixed with gold and silver (nashiji). This order was
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repeated in 1643, but it is specified that no nests of coffers were to be ordered and
Fig. 4.1.2.3 Namban basin that tables were not wanted in the Dutch Republic, as it had been informed earlier in
Momoyama/early Edo period, c.1600–1620 June 1639.
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Diameter: 49.3cm
Victoria and Albert Museum, London A letter written on 26 March 1639 by Hendrick Hagenaer in the Dutch Republic
almost finished, proves that at least part of the lacquer loaded on the ship could have (museum no. W.13–1957) to François Caron (1600–1673), a French Huguenot who served the VOC in Japan
been ordered privately. from 1633, and was Opperhoofd in Hirado from that year (1639) to 1641, is of
The VOC had a renewed interest in lacquer and began placing orders on a larger particular importance to this study. This letter provides both textual and visual evidence
scale at this time. In 1634, Batavia sent the first official order of lacquer after the of an order of lacquer made by a private Dutch individual, through a VOC servant
Taiwan incident, requesting nest of coffers and comptoirs of all kinds, priced between in Japan, at the time. In the letter, Hendrick Hagenaer not only requests François
3000 and 4000 taels. This letter specifies that no compartmented boxes for bottles, Caron to order for him an unusually taller contoor (comptoir) with two doors, but also
most probably like the extant example in the Kyoto National Museum that will be includes a drawing with the specific arrangement of drawers he wanted to have on the
discussed in the following pages, or tableware should be ordered, as there was no interior of the comptoir (Fig. 4.1.2.2). After the letter was intercepted in Batavia, as
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demand for these in the Dutch Republic. About 127 pieces of lacquer were shipped noted by Impey and Jörg, François Caron responded to the reprimand that arose from
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in November of that year from Hirado to Batavia on the Grol, including one of a 255 Lacquer, however, continued to be shipped to Siam his involvement in such a private order saying that it was too trivial to bother about
and other destinations in south Asia. Mentioned in
number of nests of coffers covered in ray skin. In June of the following year, Batavia Impey and Jörg, 2005, p. 246. and that he deserved some recompense for all the pains he had taken in earlier years. 262
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ordered more lacquer specifying that it should be the ‘same as last year’. 251 In the 256 The transcription of the original text in Dutch reads: From a letter sent from Japan to Batavia in October 1643 we learn that lacquer
‘Vereerden Hare majesteit in alle nedrigheid eenige
month of November, a large shipment was sent from Hirado on the Nieuw Amsterdam, fraeyingheden van porcelainen, en Kostelijcke craftsmen from Osaka, Miyako and Nagasaki went to Deshima to complain that all
Japonsche kisten, kunstig met lack, goud, en
consisting mostly of coffers, nests of coffers, kisten (chests) and cantooren (comptoirs), parlemoer ingeleit’. In the French version of Van the orders made by the Dutch the previous year had been placed with only one lacquer
some of them described as being covered in ray skin and with lacquered ovals. More Baerle’s book, however, the kisten (chests) are worker, and they insisted that the work should be distributed more evenly among
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described as ‘coffres’ (coffers). Cited in Viallé,
of such pieces were sent in December on the Wassenaer, but this time also including 2010/1, p. 189, note 4. The porcelain gift is briefly themselves. The lacquer worker was Mackina Sinsemondonne, who most probably
discussed in section 3.2.1 of Chapter III, and
some kisten with rayskin only and ‘8 comptoirs with side doors covered in ray skin and note 410. made lacquer of high quality and responded well to specific orders in terms of shape,
lacquerwork throughout’. It seems likely that these pieces were decorated with the 257 VOC 863. Letter to Hirado, Copy-book of letters sent decoration and time of production. The 278 pieces of lacquer shipped via Fort
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by Batavia 1639. Mentioned in Impey and Jörg, 2005,
‘sprinkle denticle’ technique rather than with pasted ray skin, like those made to order p. 246. Zeelandia, the VOC fortress in Dayuan (present-day Anping in south Taiwan), to
258 VOC 866. Letter to Deshima, Copy-book of letters
for the Portuguese discussed earlier. 249 NFL 277. Letter-book Deshima 1633–39. Mentioned sent by Batavia 1642. Mentioned in Impey and Jörg, Batavia on the Orangienboom that same month, included nests of coffers and compoirs,
One of the largest shipments of lacquer was sent to Batavia on the Wassenaer in Impey and Jörg, 2005, p. 245. 2005, p. 247. half of them lacquered in gold with figures and the other half covered in ray skin with
250 NFJ 762. Shipping lists Deshima 1633–34. Mentioned 259 Cited in Ibid., p. 247.
in November 1636. It consisted of some 603 coffers, nests of coffers, cantooren and in Impey and Jörg, 2005, p. 245. 260 NFJ 280. Letter-book Deshima 1642–43. Impey and lacquered ovals. Eight comptoirs, described as extraordinarij schoon (extraordinarily
251 bid., p. 246. Jörg, 2005, pp. 247 and 246, respectively.
I
kisten, with a total cost of T. 4356. Cost prices did not vary according to lacquer or 252 NFJ 763. Shipping lists Deshima 1635–37. Mentioned 261 VOC 1132. Letter-book received from Batavia beautiful), the large ones with a high cost price of 63 taels and the small of 27 taels,
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ray skin decoration, but only by size. In June of the following year, and again in June in Impey and Jörg, 2005, p. 246. 1640, fol. 80. Published in Impey and Jörg, 2005, each. Batavia placed an order ‘as before’ the following year. The shipping list of
253 NFJ 763. Shipping lists Deshima 1635–37. Mentioned pp. 246–247, ill. 555.
of 1638, Batavia instructed Hirado to cancel further lacquer orders, because there was in Impey and Jörg, 2005, p. 246. 262 Ibid., p. 247. October 1644 of the ill-fated Swaen, includes 388 pieces of lacquer. These included
254 NFJ 763. Shipping lists Deshima 1635–37. Mentioned 263 NFJ 280. Letter-book Deshima 1642–43. Impey and
still some in stock. That year, Hirado was instructed not to send any lacquer for the in Impey and Jörg, 2005, p. 246. Jörg, 2005, p. 247. some coffers in nests, comptoirs and kisten of red lacquer, comptoiren with green, red

370 Silk, Porcelain and Lacquer Trade in Japanese Lacquer 371