Weiner Mihályné szerk.: Az Iparművészeti Múzeum Évkönyvei 9. (Budapest, 1966)

HOPP FERENC MÚZEUM — MUSÉE FERENC HOPP - Horváth, Tibor: Two Japanese Lacquer Boxes of the Early 18th Century

TIBOR HORVÁTH TWO JAPANESE LACQUER BOXES OF THE EARLY 18th CENTURY In the history of Japanese art, the 17th century owes its great importance to a rather fast readjustment to the social and economical conditions, as well as to the fact that historical continuity was enriched and, at the same time, partly altered by significant new factors (adoption of new or old continental techniques and styles, development of new forms and expressions). By the Genroku period (1688—1704) the process of development was not only fulfilled, but, as for its essential features, actually completed and remained mainly authoritative till the early years of the Meiji period. By remaining in the field of art history, the importance of the development may not be comparable to the Nara, Fujiwara and Muromachi periods; nevertheless, the art of the Edo period wculd certainly deserve intensified research and a more objective appreciation than it has received hitherto. Now, on the centenary of the end of this period and the Meiji restoration, the time has created an adequate perspective for a better understanding of the beginning, heyday and end of it. The art of this period is the Japanese art not only for the average foreign admirer, but also, for most Japanese, with the possible exception of the Kansai region. . It is surprising to see, that after the wave of enthusiasm of the last quarter of the 19th century, the Japanese lacquers have received very limited interests for a long while. The situation has somewhat improved in recent years and some good and useful books were published.

1 For dating and definition of styles, as a starting point, the lacquers of the Ködai-ji (Kyoto. Higashi-yama) are the best suited, although this collection is more characteristic than representative of the time (1601).

2 1 Toshio Yoshino, Japanese Lacquer Ware, Tourist Library, nr. 25, Japan Travel Bureau, Tokyo, 1959. Martha Boyer, Japanese Export Lacquers from the Seventeenth Century in the National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, 1959. Dr. Kurt Herberts, Das Buch der Ostasiatischen Lackkunst, Econ-Verlag, Düsseldorf, 1959. English edition: Oriental Lacquer: Art and Technique, Thames and Hudson, London, 1964. Martin Feddersen, Japanische Kunstgewerbe, Klinkhardt und Biermann, Braunschweig, 1960. U. A. Casal, Japanese Art Lacquers, Monumenta Nipponica Monographs, nr. 18. Sophia University, Tokyo, 1961. 2 The lacquers can be found partly in the Ködai-ji and partly in Kyoto National Museum. A complete catalogue of them has not yet been published as far as we know but the figures of a few pieces can be found in almost every manual.