Lacquer: An International History and Collectors Guide

Bracken Books, London published in association with Phoebe Phillips Editions, 1989 Book. Good. Hardcover. English text; Hardcover (with dust jacket); 30.5 x 22.5 cm; 1.564 Kg; 256 pages with 300 illustrations, 150 in colour.; Used with signs of wear on the dust jacket and on the interior, namely on the bottom of some pages which seem to have been glued to each other in the past. The dust jacket is now protected with a clearcover.; From its first use over 1,000 years ago lacquer has had a fascination for artists, craftsmen and collectors all over the world. With over 300 illustrations, 150 in colour, LACQUER covers the entire history of the subject - ranging from the dramatic red, black, and gold of Imperial China and Japan, via the richly worked lac of India and Persia, European chinoiserie and American japanning, to the bold brilliance of contemporary designs. There are country by country sections on China, Japan, the Ryukyu Islands and Korea, South East Asia, the Near and Middle East, India, England, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Scandinavia, Russia and America - including a unique survey of Islamic lacquer, about which very little has been published. Among the items illustrated, many of which have never before appeared in a book, are gold-and silver-splashed inro, carved wine bowls, gilded shrines, and saddles inlaid with mother-of-pearl, calligraphic book-covers and painted pen-cases, sedan chairs and rococo commodes, Art Deco tables and chairs, dolls' furniture and screens fourteen feet long. Complete with an illustrated glossary, sections on techniques and restoration, information on collections, workshops and suppliers, and a bibliography of English, European and oriental books, LACQUER is both a feast for the eye and an invaluable guide for collectors, art historians, craftsmen, dealers, and for everyone who appreciates this supremely beautiful and elegant art..