Cabinet
ca. 1800 - 1830 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This style of coloured shell inlay developed in Nagasaki towards 1800. This cabinet was said to have been brought back from the Far East by George Burn, an officer in the Royal Navy. It may have belonged to Burn's father John, who was based in the Canton area of China in 1802.
Object details
Category | |
Object type | |
Parts | This object consists of 10 parts.
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Materials and techniques | black lacquer, inlaid with mother-of-pearl, awabi-shell and other shells, with copper mounts |
Brief description | Wood and lacquer cabinet with nine drawers, decorated with inlay depicting birds, trees and flowers, Japan, ca.1800 - 1830. |
Physical description | Pinewood with black lacquered surface (except bottoms of drawers). Decoration inlaid in mother-of-pearl, awabi-shell and other shells, coloured red, green, brown, white, and in other colours. Rectangular form with flat top, front and sides, mounted on a black wood stand with four turned legs. In front, along the bottom, is a line of three drawers decorated on the fronts; (left) with peonies in colours, (centre) with a grasshopper in a garden in brown, and (right) chrysanthemums in colours. Above is a pair of double-doors with a large sunken quatrefoil panels surrounded by borders of swastika pattern; the left-hand panel shows a pair of small green-headed, red breasted birds on a branch; the right-hand panel, a large brown bird of eagle type under a tree. The open few doors reveal and asymmetrical drawer system as follows: above: on the left a column of 2 deep drawers decorated with a lake-scene showing birds walking and in flight. below: on the left a column of 2 deep drawers decorated with birds on flowering branches. On the right, a column of three shallow drawers decorated with birds on flowering branches. The insides of the double doors show birds perched in flowering shrubs. On the left-end, a pair of deer and kid under a tree; on the right end, a pair of birds perched in a flowering shrub with four toy dogs playing below. On the top, a pair of monkeys with offspring on the ground, and a fourth monkey in a tree. |
Dimensions |
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Style | |
Gallery label | Wood covered in black lacquer with coloured shell inlay; tinned copper mounts
This style of coloured shell inlay develpped at Nagasaki towards 1800. Chinese merchants were allowed to maintain trading posts at Nagasaki, and inlaid cabinets like this use Chinese motifs in their decoration. This cabinet was said by the donor to have been brought back from the Far East by George Burn, an officer in the Royal Navy. It may have belonged to Burn's father John, who was in the Canton area of China in 1802. |
Credit line | Adderley Gift |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | This style of coloured shell inlay developed in Nagasaki towards 1800. This cabinet was said to have been brought back from the Far East by George Burn, an officer in the Royal Navy. It may have belonged to Burn's father John, who was based in the Canton area of China in 1802. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | W.11:1-1936 |
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Record created | December 22, 1999 |
Record URL |
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