VOLUME IV
Oliver Impey, Malcolm Fairley and Joe Earle with contributions by Goke Tadaomi, Julia Hutt and Edward Wrangham
Published 1995
Due to strong continuities of type and style in this most characteristically Japanese of arts, the first of the two parts making up this volume includes several pieces dating from the 17th to the 19th century.
The revival of the classical style is covered in depth, with major works by such revered figures as Nakayama Komin (1808–70) and Shirayama Shosai (1853–1923) and there is a large group of examples of shibayama work which combines lacquer with other materials to create a rich and exotic effect.
The centrepiece of the Collection is an extravagantly decorated cabinet by Harui Komin (b. 1869) presented by the Japanese Crown Prince to the future King Edward VIII of England in 1921.
An introductory essay by Julia Hutt of the Victoria and Albert Museum chronicles the development of lacquer in response to Western demand, while Edward Wrangham, one of the world’s foremost lacquer collectors, contributes an article on the Rimpa style.