TWO JAPANESE LACQUER MEDALLIONS ON COPPER OF FAMOUS EUROPEAN FIGURES

TWO JAPANESE LACQUER MEDALLIONS ON COPPER OF FAMOUS EUROPEAN FIGURES

EDO PERIOD, LATE 18TH CENTURY

The first a portrait of François-Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire (1694-1778), the French Enlightenment writer depicted half-length with his name written above, the reverse inscribed 'DE VOLTAIRE Né à Paris en 1694', the other plaque decorated with the head of Emperor Constantine II (337-340), his name and titles also written above, the reverse with another long inscription about the Roman ruler, both portraits rendered in gold hiramaki-e on the deep roiro black lacquer ground, both with a ring for suspension to the top, 14.3cm x 14.5cm. (2)

The designs for both medallions are taken from European engravings, many from the 18th century encyclopaedic work L'Europe Illustrée, which would have been sent to the Japanese workshops to be copied. The trend for portraits of famous figures was also embraced by Josiah Wedgwood who produced them both in blue jasper and black basalt.

See O Impey and C Jörg, Japanese Export Lacquer (1580-1850), pp. 48-57 and pp.216-217 for further examples of medallions depicting European figures.