Chinese Lacquer Desk 19th Century

George III style desk, mid-18th century, in black and gold Chinese export lacquer, in the shape of a tiered desk, the top with a swan's neck pediment above opening with two small doors, each decorated with characters of the courtyard in a landscape, enclosing fitted drawers, with Chinese and gilded decoration, raised on cabriole legs with paw feet. Measurements: 135cm wide x 80cm deep x 147cm high. Exceptional second quarter desk from the 18th century, A rich lacquer decoration covered with thick layers of lacquer with a black background, presents no less than 5 m2 of decoration. Their finesse and quality of execution perfectly demonstrate the dexterity of Chinese lacquerers. Each lacquer element is richly decorated. Its facade is decorated with more than 100 characters and numerous animals evolving in an architectural setting. All the elements are surrounded by a decorative frieze geometrically alternating magnolia flowers and lotus flowers. "In 1688, Louis XIV initiated a first diplomatic policy which led to a series of intellectual and artistic exchanges between France and China. Under his reign, a French taste for “lachine” or “lachinage” developed. This attraction to China stems in the 18th century, under the reigns of his successors, from what is called “chinoiserie” which reflects a taste for the fantasized Orient and its exoticism. This taste arouses an attraction to collecting for its artistic works such as porcelain, silk but also lacquerware. Chinese lacquer furniture: solid and waterproof models The term “lacquer” is used in the feminine when it characterizes the raw material; Conversely, it is masculine when it designates an object or piece of furniture made in this material. Chinese lacquer comes from the resin recovered by incising the bark of a tree from the toxicodendron family called the laquer tree, the lacquer tree or even Rhus vernicifera or verniciflua - named Qi in Chinese which means “varnish tree”. The conversion of lacquer into artistic work is generally attributed to Japan. It is true to say that the Japanese brought the material to its highest level of quality, but it was more than 3,000 years ago that lacquer took its roots in China and that its technique gradually spread throughout the world. all of Southeast Asia. From the Zhou dynasty, its main use was for covering coffins. We do not know when the first lacquerware from the Far East appeared in Europe. As with ceramics, the great popularity of lacquerware began towards the end of the 16th century with the rise of the Dutch and English Companies. The first European travelers were enthusiastic about their shine and solidity and imported them by the boatload. Products imported from China have an immense influence on European artistic production, both in the field of technology and in that of furniture. Without any concern for the symbols they represent, cabinetmakers then draw inspiration from oriental motifs whose originality they appreciate to create new decorations. In France, the style of “chinoiseries” developed, which then spread throughout Europe. European-shaped Chinese lacquer furniture was at its peak in the second half of the 18th century and until the first years of the 19th century. The shapes of the game tables, joie-du-jour, cupboards, desks, chests of drawers and pedestal tables, are then copied from European models and the decorations recovered from screens – reused as panels – or made from inspired drawings and plans of European and English books or catalogs brought back from China. Many period pieces of furniture present a rare elegance with gold decor on a black background, but their construction is fragile and delicate: light wood, very thin legs, panels that are too thin. A very large number of Louis In compositions most often designed vertically, the panels are sometimes found set horizontally on the facade of Louis XV chests of drawers. It is also this type of panel which is most often copied by Parisian varnishers.