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Agata Leadingham
The folding screen depicting a lively scene of the arrival in Japan of Nanban shows the unloading of many goods from foreign ships and a procession of Nanban holding these rare items. Although conflicts and clashes accompany encounters with different cultures, there is not the slightest hint of this negative side as the extremely brightly colored screen decorated in blinding gold colors overflows with the joy of welcoming visitors from distant shores. The brilliance of mother-of-pearl inlay and maki-e lacquer of exported lacquerware made in Japan that would have been loaded onto returning vessels also captivated Westerners. The image that both sides had of the other's culture was by no means an accurate reflection of their true forms. People sought the meaning of utopia in the foreign cultures they glimpsed, which was represented by material satisfaction achieved through trade. The various hardships experienced before bounties were obtained from sea voyages were of no consequence.
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The irony is, like many famous Japanese dishes, Chicken Nanban has foreign roots. According to the creator, it was inspired by a dish called Nanbanzuké, which is made with fried fish and onions soaked in a sweet vinegar sauce.
If you think that this sounds a lot like escabeche, you'd be right. The Portuguese brought Peixe Frito de Escabeche to Japan in the mid 17th century along with other fried dishes such as Peixinhos Da Horta (better known as Tempura). The term "nanban" was originally used to refer to these European traders and missionaries, so nanbanzuké simply means "soaked European-style"
JuJust as the Portuguese dish evolved after arriving in Japan, Chicken Nanban has seen its share of changes as it spread back around the globe. Most recipes today have you prepare a flour or starch-coated Karaage, which is then soaked in sweet and sour nanban sauce. While it's hard to go wrong with marinated fried chicken, the original recipe is simpler, yet the crisp, fluffy tendrils of egg coating the chicken are what make the dish so magical. Like a meringue, the egg makes an incredibly light batter that's both adept at soaking up the Nanban sauce while disappearing into a pool of flavor as the strands of egg dissolve in your mouth. Topped with a chunky lemon tartar sauce, the contrast of tastes and textures is sublime.
Wow! I had chicken nanban for the very first time on Friday and I was very interested in knowing where this recipe originated. It's actually quite a westernized dish at first sight. Thanks for the history lesson! I have to try this at home. By the way, can I use mirin in the nanban sauce in replace of the sake?
While these options strategies likely seem complex and impressive-sounding to a layperson, any financial professional (and many retail traders) would instantly be able to identify these as often-used strategies that do not confer any unique advantage.
Provenance
Charles Handley-Read, a renowned collector and connoisseur of 19th century art, discovered the offered lot in a Kensington gallery, circa 1968.
Handley-Read admired this cabinet sufficiently to convince his close friend, Andrew McIntosh Patrick, a former Chairman and Director of the Fine Art Society, to purchase it for the latter's personal collection.
Thereafter it remained part of Patrick's collection; it was housed in his flat above the Fine Art Society and subsequently at his Georgian property at 34 Craven Street, Charing Cross.
Later acquired from "The Andrew McIntosh Patrick Collection", F.A.S, New Bond St., London, 12 June - 5 July 2007.
Exhibited
The Barbican Art Gallery, London, "Japan and Britain, An Aesthetic Dialogue, 1850-1930", 17 October - 12 January 1992.
Setagaya Art Museum, Tokyo, "Japan and Britain: An Aesthetic Dialogue, 1850-1930", 1992.
Featured
Japan and Britain, An Aesthetic Dialogue, 1850-1930, edited and with texts by T. Sato and T. Watanabe, 1991, London, cat. 115, pp.'s 28-29 & p.117.
Japan and Britain, An Aesthetic Dialogue, 1850-1930, 1992, Tokyo, fig. 115, p.102.
Nest: A Quarterly of Interiors, No.16, Spring 2002, "A Sharp Dresser (or two)" by B. Bainbridge.
The World of Interiors, June 2007, "Morocco Bound" by R. Muir.
Christie's, London, 5 November 2007, Japanese Art and Design, lot 146.
Introduction
'The whole is greater than the sum of its parts', a phrase widely believed to have been invented by Aristotle, seems perfectly applicable to this remarkable artefact. At first sight, the offered lot is comprised of three disparate elements: a set of Japanese lacquer panels, a Victorian cabinet and an Old Master oil painting. However the reasons behind such questions as when and why these apparently dissociated constituents were made or 'manipulated' is what leads us to a greater understanding of the inexplicable sense of 'gestalt' one experiences when scrutinising this piece, or indeed when studying it thoroughly. Following such analysis, one can only marvel at the fusion of the three initially unrelated components.
(i) The Lacquer
'Nanban'
Despite this unity in the combination of its parts, the lacquer is unquestionably the pre-eminent aspect. Along with a wide array of contemporary objects, the kind of lacquer which is housed in the present cabinet is often described as 'Nanban' ('Southern Barbarian'). This refers to a Japanese approach to the fine and applied arts which was in the process of being influenced at that time by what was going on in other parts of East Asia (excluding China), as well as in Europe. Traditional Japanese lacquer was one such area which was impacted in this way. During the late 16th and early 17th centuries, panels encompassed by geometric patterned surrounds were typically inset with mother of pearl on a dark ground and adorned with 'makie' decoration, as can be seen on the work herein.
The 'Makie' Technique
Throughout the long history of its use, lacquering has always been an expensive process and is one described in Japan, Courts and Culture, edited by R. Peat, 2020, London, pp.'s 76-77. However ever since its origins during the early Jomon epoch (4000-3000 B.C.), it has remained an especially revered practice and art form in Japan. Fashioned from the sap of the tree with the species name, toxicodendron vernicifluum, lacquer's aptly prized properties include resilience to heat, water, wood worm and even certain acids and alkalis. This sap, which is a treacle-like substance, is called 'urushi'. It is coloured red, brown, green or yellow but is most often dyed black. As well as being costly, the traditional manner of preparing, forming and decorating lacquer is intensely laborious.
Firstly the sap is extracted through horizontal cuts made in the tree trunk, prior to being cleaned or filtered. Then, unwanted additional surface water has to be dried before the 'urushi' can be applied to the wood in a number of extremely thin layers, with on occasion as many as twenty layers used. These layers all have to be individually dried out and smoothed. During the latter stages, decorative elements are introduced to the uppermost layers. After this, the lacquer is polished up to a shiny finish.
'Makie' is probably the most impressive decorating technique, though others such as 'takamakie' and 'hiramakie' exist. The term 'makie' literally translates as 'sprinkled picture' and involves the dispersal of metallic powders (usually gold or silver) onto the moist lacquer, so that various designs can be executed. Then the 'makie' worker meticulously chooses metallic particles of the desired form and proportions before 'sprinkling' these from a cylinder covered to one end with a cloth mesh. The whole process is a painstaking undertaking which requires accuracy, patience and skill.
Momoyama
Although lacquer items made over the course of the Momoyama era (1573-1615) are certainly rare today, most exhibit similar characteristics to those of the above panels. They depict designs replete with finely executed abundant foliage, exotic birds and assorted flowers within borders comprised of repeating geometric shapes or forms such as squares, triangles, lozenges or chevrons. Some of the most pertinent examples of mother of pearl inlaid 'makie' 'Nanban' lacquer furniture from the Momoyama period are; a cabinet, circa 1600, on a later George II stand; the 'Ambras' cabinet, recorded in 1596 (now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna); a chest of circa 1600 (in the collection of Luis and Eduardo Moreira Barreiros, Lisbon); and a coffer of the same approximate dare which is with the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
These wonderful works are illustrated in The World of Lacquer, 2000 Years of History, edited by P. de M. Carvalho, 2001, Lisbon, fig.'s 1, 4, pl. 61, pp.'s 107, 110 & 117, and Japan, Courts and Culture, edited by R. Peat, 2020, London, fig. 4.4, p.84. Also, a small 'Nanban' lacquer coffer from this Momoyama epoch, which has related decoration to the present panels, sold Christie's, New York, 29 March 2005, Japanese and Korean Art, lot 498. Whilst a late 16th century mother of pearl inlaid 'makie' casket sold Christie's, South Kensington, 15 May 2013, The Japanese Aesthetic, lot 279, and in the same sale a similar lacquer cabinet from the same period sold as lot 280. Further comparable 'nanban' 'makie' models from this period include three coffers and three cabinets which appear in an exhibition catalogue called Namban, ou de l'Europeisme Japonais, XVIeme-XVIIeme siecles, with an introduction by V. Elisseeff, 1980, Musee Cernuschi, Paris, fig.'s 38-43.
Among the significant amount of 17th and 18th century European furniture which incorporates Japanese lacquer, there are a small number of pieces that house so called 'Southern Barbarian' lacquer from the late 16th/early 17th century. Two of the most important to include this type of lacquer work are a Louis XVI ormolu mounted bureau a cylindre, which has been part of the Royal Collection since it was acquired in 1802 by George IV, when he was Prince of Wales, and a Momoyama cabinet with silvered wood embellishments, alterations and a stand all dating to the reign of Charles II (1660-1685). The former features in Japan, Courts and Culture, edited by R. Peat, 2020, London, pl.39, pp.'s 84-85, whilst the latter sold Christie's, New York, 1 July 2021, Treasures of a Storied Manhattan Collection, lot 208.
'Seigans'
The lacquer set within the above cabinet would have undoubtedly originally been the outer panels of a Christian portable 'shrine', devotional work or 'retable' called a 'Seigan', the vast majority of which were evidently executed during 1580-1620. However it is believed that only somewhere between 20 and 40 of such 'Seigans', including incomplete ones, are known to have survived, making the above particularly rare. They were made by craftsmen indigenous to Japan or local artisans for the missionary work of travelling Portuguese Jesuits. And more precisely such 'Seigans' were used for the propagation of Catholicism within the country, whilst almost certainly also assisting the Jesuits' in their main aim of converting the Japanese people to their own religion.
'Seigans' are consistently triptych in form and consist of a pair of hinged foldover back-to-back lacquer panels, which open to reveal a central religious painting. This central picture is of a subject sacred to Christians and is framed with either the same or similarly inlaid geometric border as those appearing on the surrounds of the four accompanying lacquer panels. In specific reference to the offered lot, two of the panels have been utilised to fill the sides of the cabinet, whilst the two panels inset into the front flank a central 'Seigan' framing device.
Clearly the didactic Catholic painting originally forming the central part of this 'Seigan' either went missing at some point or was perhaps, given its problematic proselytizing purpose, vandalised. As with many incomplete examples, it is not known what happened to the present model. It could have been damaged and never repaired, separated from its portable shrine (or 'retable') format and then mislaid, possibly even purposefully removed or sadly destroyed.
In this particular instance the religious subject matter has been replaced, although we do not know when, with a secular Dutch Old Master oil on oak board of matching proportions which is very near in date (it is dated 1627) to the lacquer work alongside. Given that the replacement picture has been clearly carefully selected, as a result it fits extremely well within the confines of both its geometric 'Seigan' borders as well as harmoniously within the cabinet as a whole.
When one of the principal founders of the Society of Jesus, Francis Xavier, first came to Japan in 1549 to begin the missionary project of converting the inhabitants there to Christianity, he arrived with a number of Italian religious paintings depicting strongly recognisable figures such as Christ, the Virgin Mary and certain major saints. But it had in fact been Francis Xavier's original intention to use these works to adorn the numerous churches he had hoped to build in Japan. However, as the years elapsed Xavier re-directed his efforts after realising that there was actually a rapidly increasing desire from locals for copies of these devotional images, whilst at the same time such pictures were practically useful in the spreading of his faith.
Initially, despite reluctance on the part of some local governors, Francis Xavier and his teaching (or preaching) was warmly welcomed, largely because he was considered to be a representative of the King of Portugal. Within hardly any time at all, the demand for lacquer 'Seigans' as well as portable lecterns far outstripped their availability. Consequently, further paintings of this kind were provided to the Jesuits by the Jesuit Curia based in Rome. Yet the problem of transportation meant that on many occasions an incredibly long period of waiting (often several years) between the order for one such work reaching Rome and its eventual delivery in Japan was inevitable.
This difficult situation led to a great deal of Japanese people commissioning their local artists and artisans to execute these copies instead, and at the same time organising for the lacquer cases to be produced by craftsmen in Kyoto. For the most part the oil on copper or oil on board output of these native painters understandably, given the historical context, owes a huge debt to the European Renaissance then flourishing more or less across the whole continent of Europe. Whereas the aforementioned lacquer productions were essentially 'Nanban' by reason of the fact that they were decorated in an intriguing fusion of Japanese Kano and European (or 'Southern Barbarian') styles.
There is no record of a 'Seigan' being made after 1620 in Japan. This is because from 1620 onwards Christianity was outlawed due to a national decree put into effect by the Tokugawa Shogunate, then in control of the nation. The European, mainly Jesuit, missionaries were simultaneously expelled. Thereafter, any missionaries who lingered in the country, along with known religious converts, suffered persecution and even execution. Added to this, as many items relating to Christianity, obviously including such objects as 'Seigans', were hunted down and destroyed as possible. Furthermore, as a result of the immense upheaval during this epoch, the practice of Christianity was completely banned even up until as late as the Meiji era (1868-1912).
From the small number of lacquer 'Seigans' known to remain as close to their original state as one might deem possible, it is vital to note five mother of pearl inlaid 'makie' models by way of comparison to the panels set within the offered lot. Firstly there is a portable devotional triptych or shrine enclosing a central Madonna and child by the school of Giovanni Niccolo, which is currently at Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, U.S.A., that had previously sold Christie's, New York, 19 September 2000, Japanese and Korean Art, lot 140.
One comparable version of a 'Seigan' belongs to the Suntory Museum of Art in Japan, see www.suntory.com/sma for more details, while another, which was made and exported on behalf of the Jesuits, is now housed at Kyushu National Museum, Fukuoka, Japan. A further 'retable' of this same type appears illustrated in The World of Lacquer, Ibid, pl.60, p.116, and this particular example incorporates a central oil on copper showing the Holy family together with St. John. Finally, one dated circa 1590-1614, which encases a striking central picture depicting a bust length view of Christ wearing the crown of thorns, sold Sotheby's, London, 22 May 1985.
(ii) The Cabinet
The exceptional nature of these lacquer panels are enhanced by their harmonious presentation, along with the expert technical manipulation of them, within this superbly made 19th century cabinet. Each is fitted into a perfectly proportioned moulded panel with grooved or incised channelled surrounds on its upper section. These features of moulded panelling and incised channelling are brilliantly, yet somehow subtly, repeated in the lower section or stand. Both in terms of their use within the overall design and as a methodological approach to craftsmanship, they are clearly influenced by similar characteristics found in, or inherent to, much Japanese furniture, especially from those pieces dating to the 19th century or earlier.
Thomas Jeckyll (1827-1881)
The aforementioned are also attributes to be discovered on a great deal of the late 1860s and 1870s output of Thomas Jeckyll, who was a prominent if sometimes overlooked member of the then burgeoning decorative arts wing of the Aesthetic Movement. Allied to this, the carefully calculated restraint, rectilinearity, balanced and elegant proportions as well as quality in construction are certainly all facets of Jeckyll's work. And these aspects are evident on a variety of pieces known to be, or recorded as being, by Jeckyll. Likewise they clearly apply to the present cabinet. One can see this through the recurrent use of panel mouldings, particularly to the door and drawer fronts, in tandem with an emphasis upon incised channelled borders within the context of its panelled construction, which also incorporates mitred corners.
Jeckyll and 1 Holland Park
With regards to furniture relating to the offered model, arguably Jeckyll's most pertinent commission was for those items he supplied to 1 Holland Park, London during the first half of the 1870s upon behalf of its wealthy owner, Alexander ('Alecco') Ionides (1810-1890). The latter had requested Jeckyll to design and furnish an entirely new wing of his property, which comprised a billiard room, master bedroom, sitting room and even a servant's hall, all to be executed in the latest contemporary Aesthetic style, or possibly more accurately, Anglo-Japanese taste. In this instance, of most interest from this impressive Holland Park project are the pieces he provided for the master bedroom.
Included among the works made by Jeckyll for the Holland Park master bedroom are: a bedside cabinet, a wardrobe inset with Japanese lacquer, an overmantel mirror, a dressing table and a cabinet assembled from sections originally forming part of a wardrobe. These are respectively illustrated in S.W. Soros and C. Arbuthnott, Thomas Jeckyll, Architect and Designer, 1827-1881), 2003, New York, fig.'s 5-1, 5-49, 5-50, 5-51 & 5-54, pp.'s 168, 187 & 188.
On top of this, the East Asian inspired swing handles mounted to two of the master bedroom pieces appear identical to those on the above. One of which is the wardrobe featuring Ibid, fig. 5-49, p.187, while the other is the fantastic dressing table on the following page, fig. 5-51. The latter also formed part of a seminal exhibition which took place during the 1970s, appearing in the exhibition catalogue of the same name, The Aesthetic Movement and the Cult of Japan, 1972, London, fig. 290, p.45. This dressing table at Alexander Ionides' home seems noteworthy in the context of the present cabinet. Its deceptively simple format, which is comparable in general outline to an English pedestal desk, shows signs of foreign influence through the skilful manipulation of its somewhat restrained Japanese style ornamentation. One example of this is the waved and rectilinear incised mouldings to its sides.
As part of the same Holland Park project, a writing desk, which was designed by Thomas Jeckyll but manufactured by the firm of Charles Hindley and Sons in circa 1875, was made for this West London house. The desk, which incorporates lacquer door panels and exhibits a quality of construction to rival much Japanese furniture, also has a very similar model of handle to both the offered lot and the previously referenced dressing table. This sleek and utilitarian item features in a fascinating essay which can be discovered online, J. Tsoumas, "A New Road to Modernity: Thomas Jeckyll's Design Innovations or the Reformation of the Mid-Victorian Decorative Arts Through the Japanese Culture", Res Mobilis 5(5):135, January 2016, see www.researchgate.net
Jeckyll and the 'Peacock Room'
Another commission of significance are the extraordinary and idiosyncratic furnishings supplied by Jeckyll, during 1873-1876, for what came to be known as the 'Peacock Room'. This room was located at 49 Princes' Gate, inside the London home of Frederick Richards Leyland, who was a shipping magnate and collector originating from Liverpool. And it was the dining room which housed Leyland's personal collection of rare Chinese porcelain and in this respect it represented a serious challenge for Jeckyll.
Aside from merely imitating those widely praised 18th century rooms designed and constructed to display porcelain collections, how was a designer supposed to tackle this in the latter part of the 19th century. Exemplary precursors such as the Porsellanzimmer built for Augustus II 'The Strong' (1670-1733), Elector of Saxony, and the Porcelain Cabinet room in Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin, had to be largely ignored in order that a fresh, bold and excitingly modern approach could be taken, and this is exactly what Jeckyll did. Just as he did throughout most of his career, Jeckyll employed his distinctive Anglo-Japanese style for this Knightsbridge property, but especially for the interior of the aforesaid dining room. The aim (and eventual successful result) of his plan was the creation of a kind of 'temple of Asian culture and elegance', or perhaps more accurately an Anglo-Japanese porcelain room showcasing some remarkable, predominantly Qing dynasty, porcelain objects.
The work undertaken by Jeckyll for the interior of the 'Peacock Room' comprises a wide range of fitments and furnishings. It includes the fabulous rhythmically dispersed sets of wall shelves (intended for the display of Leyland's porcelain collection) as well as some unique and avant-garde furniture. Unfortunately, due to the rapid onset of Jeckyll's illness, it was not possible for him to complete the intended scheme and the job of finishing this project, as well as providing the paintings for the room, passed on to the artist, James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834-1903).
Once in charge, Whistler redecorated the space, making it even more opulent than it was at the time of Jeckyll's departure. He painted over the leather wall coverings, the unusual Tudor style ceiling, the roundels and the window shutters all according to a new colour plan which involved combining blue and green with gilt highlights. Whistler saw to it that large and beautifully rendered peacocks were a major part of the decorative scheme, thus leading to the new sobriquet of the 'Peacock Room'. The painter also ensured that the incised Japanese patterns on the wall shelves, which ranged across this interior, were gilded for added effect.
One of the most well known and highly recognisable Jeckyll offerings installed within the 'Peacock Room' is the stunning 1876 sideboard, despite the fact that the painted decoration of its surfaces were later executed by Whistler. This sideboard is illustrated in S.W. Soros and C. Arbuthnott, Thomas Jeckyll, Architect and Designer, 1827-1881), 2003, New York, fig. 5-73, p.196. It employs closely related panelled construction and incised channelling, as well as displaying similarly balanced proportions, to the above example.
The Peacock motif
It may be no coincidence that the peacocks which figure so distinctly inside the famous dining room at the Princes' Gate address reappear, almost like a visual motif, on two of the constituent elements of the present lot. Amidst the abundant decoration on the lacquer panels, two peacocks in flight are clearly visible, whilst two peacocks can also be seen amongst the variety of birds included in the central Old Master depiction. Certainly the likelihood of Jeckyll repeating a representation of peacocks at approximately the same time as Whistler was making his final adjustments to the 'Peacock Room' is something that must be worth considering, especially given Jeckyll's major involvement in that same project and also the fact that the Aesthetic Movement itself took place over a relatively short period.
The subject matter of the Dutch genre picture inset into the central door panel is revealing. Although the focus within this scene is upon a group of assorted birds and fowl, there is a noticeable inclusion of peacocks. The presence of peacocks arguably suggests that this specific painting was chosen in the 19th century by either the designer or cabinet maker responsible, or perhaps even the patron who had in fact commissioned it.
The Origins of the 'Aesthetic Movement' in the Decorative Arts
Inspired to some degree by artists such as Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882) and Whistler, whose main motivation and inspiration at that time came from China and Japan, key figures within the decorative arts like Edward William Godwin (1833-1886), Christopher Dresser (1834-1904), Owen Jones (1809-1874), William Eden Nesfield (1835-1888) and Philip Webb (1831-1915), as well as Thomas Jeckyll, started to design and make works showing the strong influence of Japan. In particular, the furniture produced in Britain during the 1860s and 1870s demonstrates the intense and deep knowledge developed by such individuals both of Japanese attributes within the arts and more specifically of Japanese furniture.
This rapid growth in interest not only in all things aesthetically relating to the Orient, but also ideologically associated with that region, had as its origins the 1862 International Exhibition in South Kensington which included a diverse range of far eastern items accumulated by Sir Rutherford Alcock, who had been first British Consul in Japan. Notably, within Alcock's collection there were a considerable amount of Japanese pieces of the highest quality, and following the Exhibition itself, there was inevitably a great deal of impetus behind the members of this new group. Although equally it seems to have been the case that this strong interest in Japan and Japanese art arrived in Britain in large part from the direction of France during the 1860s. This was evidently due to the resumption of trade activity between mainland Europe (largely France) and Japan which had occurred marginally earlier.
Jeckyll's place within the Movement
Though he began his career as an architect, Jeckyll established his name by virtue of the metalwork designs he created from the 1850s onwards. Then, following an initial flirtation with the new and exciting Anglo-Japanese style, it wasn't long afterwards that he joined the creative set of 'Aesthetes' via his close acquaintance with an artist called Thomas Armstrong (1832-1911). The latter had himself entered a related but now lesser known coterie, the 'Paris Gang', through his own association with Whistler. Slightly later, Armstrong helped introduce Jeckyll to Edward Green, for whom the designer and cabinet maker was commissioned to provide a number of works. This furniture, which was supplied to Heath Old Hall in Wakefield, where Green lived, comprised notable pieces including an overmantel inset with both Japanese lacquer and Japanese porcelain. Henceforth, Jeckyll's position within the group was confirmed, although unfairly he never managed to establish himself as one of the more celebrated names, whilst this has essentially remained the same since his death.
In comparing Jeckyll to one of his famous contemporaries, E.W. Godwin, the former's final ouevre appears to have been undeservedly sidelined, when, subject to closer scrutiny, their output appears to be of equal merit. This has be