Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 21. (Budapest, 2002)

Monika BINCSIK: The Trade in Japanese Art during the Meiji Period with Special Reference to Lacquer, as Mirrored in the Collections at the Ferenc Hopp Museum of Eastern Asiatic Arts, Budapest

applied arts activity is lacquer work. [...] For as long as written records go back, we have ample opportunity to find evidence of the spread and flourishing of this branch of activity. [...] Cheap as the ordinary lacquer objects are, the rare examples are very costly, although to the uninitiated the difference is slight. Because what can be more difficult than distinguishing precisely between lacquer of different qualities?

59 In his work he mentions that "capriciouslyshaped kö-gös and tasteful inrös" have reached Europe in the largest numbers, saying that their functions are generally known. He mentions the following masters as well-known lacquer artists: Köami, Köetsu, Körin, Sôetsu, Ritsuô, the Koma and Kajikawa families, and Shibata Zeshin. We may assume that at this time works by these artists were the most sought after on the art market. In connection with the trade in lacquer objects Vay writes: "By the sake of information, it is worth mentioning that a screen made for the Chicago exhibition sold for 40,000 crowns, and that at art dealers in Tokyo and Kyoto extremely high prices are paid for really good lacquer works. Considering how quickly Japan's old crafts are disappearing into oblivion, it is understandable that in that country their value, which is inestimable, still manifests itself unscathed." Ferenc Hopp in Yokohama Ferenc Hopp, who headed a flourishing photography and school equipment firm, was a passionate traveller. He visited world exhibitions in Paris (1867, 1878, 1889, and 1900), Vienna (1873) and Chicago (1893). In September 1882, at the age of nearly fifty, he undertook his first round-the-world tour. He travelled eastwards, reaching Nagasaki in May 1883. He spent nearly a month in Japan, following the usual tourist itinerary of Yokohama, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. From a letter he wrote in Yokohama in 1883 we know that he purchased so many curios that he overspent prompting his agent to help him out.

60 In October 1897 Ferenc Hopp purchased art works in Yokohama to the value of 2000 Japanese yen. Acting on Hopp's behalf, a certain F. Retz expedited the purchase and despatch of the artefacts through the Ahrens art firm.

61 According to the invoice, a box of stone objects, a box of porcelain and three packages containing lacquer and wooden artefacts reached Budapest via the Yokohama - Trieste sea route. In April 1903 he set off on his third round-theworld trip, in the course of which he reached Yokohama on 14 June. He visited, among other places, Tokyo, Kamakura, Hakone, Kyoto, and Nara. In Osaka he visited the national industry exhibition also. Of the material at the exhibition he purchased, through the mediation of the Kobe-based art firm of Kuhn & Komor, applied art artefacts to the value of 110 yen, among them a "gold lacquer pagoda" and numerous gold lacquer boxes.

62 A Yokohama invoice dated 18 June 1903 indicates that he purchased various art works, to the value of 490 yen, at the Ichiban art firm (at 64, Benten).

63 (111. 23) Unfortunately, of the items featuring on the invoice the "Gold lacquer writing box - 100 yen", "Small lacquer tea box - 13 yen", "Black lacquer square box - 13 yen", "Small inlaid of mother of pearl box - 5 yen", "Gold lacquer plum box - 24 yen", "Gold lacquer butterfly box - 20 yen", and the "2 gold lacquer writing boxes" cannot, in the absence of additional information, be identified with complete certainty. Nevertheless, the "Gold lacquer mask box - 40 yen" (111. 24), the "Gold lacquer house - 45 yen" (111. 25), the "Gold lacquer butterfly box - 50 yen" (111. 26), and the "Black lacquer box of horse [sic J" - 12 yen" (111. 27) are all identifiable objects still held by the Museum.

64 On the lacquer box showing horses grazing the signature "Sanukida" can be read (111. 28). Sanukida Sukezö, a maki-e craftsman, exhibited a kögö (incense box) at the 3

rd National Industrial Exhibition (held at Ueno Park, Tokyo from 1 April until 31 July 1890); he also displayed work at the Chicago exhibition of 1893.

65 On 19 June 1903 Hopp purchased curios at the Yokohama shop of Kuhn & Komor to the value of 2106 yen.

66 Among these there were many lacquer objects, for example a "Gold lacquered cabinet 30 yen" and an "Inlaid lacquer box - 38 yen". Despatch to Budapest again took place through the Ahrens firm.