Eastern Lacquer: A Parisian Obsession
— By Alexandra Jaffré, Art Historian, Author of the biography Seizô Sugawara, Master Lacquerer of Eileen Gray, Brussels, 2018
Catalysed by the showcase of Japanese and Chinese decorative arts at the Exposition Universelle held in Paris in 1900, the Parisian elite developed a pronounced interest in the arts of the East and Far East. This taste found its way not only into collections but also onto the stages of avant-garde theatres and into the art of domestic living. In classical interiors, 18th-century French furniture and art objects coexisted with lacquered screens and Chinese porcelain with gilt bronze mounts, while less conventional collectors commissioned furniture inspired by Asia. These patrons sought both unprecedented forms and functional pieces that carried authentic traditional values.
It was at the end of this Belle Époque, full of new fascination with the East, that this armchair inspired by Far Eastern seating was conceived. However, the lasting influence of Parisian guilds made unprecedented creative and artistic collaborations challenging, thus hindering pathways to such novel expressions. Was there, at that time, a French carpenter willing to collaborate and who would have accepted the task of executing such a sculptural chair, whose techniques, forms, and style departed so definitively from traditional craftsmanship?
The mesh-like sculpture of the backrest, with its powerful, dimensional moulding, and its lacquer applied with silver leaf testifies to great inspiration only attainable by a creator confident in complete mastery of his craft. The over-century-old lacquer, within which the silver leaf has oxidised, was applied using ancient Japanese techniques to which French artisans were not familiarised.''You don't improvise a lacquered piece of furniture like theatre props or card castles. Patient labour and finishing touches are required; artisans must understand and respect the laws of the material'', remarks critic Louis Vauxcelles. Time and dexterity are essential factors in the delicate creation of a lacquered object and its ornamentation: knowledge of colourations and the inclusion of precious materials. Who better could fulfill this desire for the East than the few Asian expatriates residing in Paris at the beginning of the century?
Seizô Sugawara and his dog in a Parisian photographer's studio, circa 1906.
Image: © Archives SougawaraTrained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Tokyo, Seizô Sugawara arrived in Paris in 1905 to teach the art of lacquer to jeweller Lucien Gaillard and became one of these Japanese expatriates in France. He later collaborated with and worked for Eileen Gray. Thanks to a small Japanese diaspora and his connections in artistic circles, he forged friendships with carpenter Kichizô Inagaki and other compatriots. They would come to anonymously share their expertise in the creations that emerged from the workshop on Rue Guénégaud, a small collective where East met West. At the 1913 Salon of Decorative Artists, the collaboration between Sugawara, sculptor-lacquerer, and Eileen Gray achieved remarkable success that exceeded their expectations. ''Twenty-three new clients have placed orders with us'', he enthusiastically wrote in a letter to his father. He would also express concern about a lacquer order that had not yet arrived, potentially hindering the workshop's creations and deliveries. The amounts at stake were significant, and Sugawara was determined not to tarnish his reputation, which would earn him recognition much later as the 'true initiator of Japanese lacquer in Paris'.
A letter written by Eileen Gray to support Sugawara's request for naturalisation, 21 November 1926.
Image: © Archives de la préfecture de police de ParisThe few works he left behind all fall into a category of unplaceable art, far removed from Western aesthetic canons. With forms never before seen and never again revisited, the masterful artistic legacy of Seizô Sugawara is infused in this magnificent armchair.
Provenance
Private collection, France
Goxe Belaisch Hôtel des Ventes D'Enghien, Enghien-les-Bains, 29 October 2017, lot 174
Acquired from the above by the present owner
38
Rare armchair
circa 1915
Lacquered wood, carved and lacquered wood with gold and silver leaf, fabric.
93 x 73 x 62 cm (36 5/8 x 28 3/4 x 24 3/8 in.)
Likely carved by cabinetmaker Kichizô Inagaki, Paris, France.
Estimate
£220,000 - 280,000 ‡
Sold for £247,650
Antonia King
Head of Sale, Design
+44 20 7901 7944
Antonia.King@phillips.com
Design
London Auction 13 November 2024
