Lacquer Toilet Box
In the 18th century, lacquered toilet boxes were considered extremely fashionable in both Asia and Europe. Although the ‘original’ resin for the making of lacquer was produced exclusively in East Asia, lacquerwares were increasingly produced in Europe. By the time this box was made, European artisans such as Heinrici were creatively combining Asian lacquering techniques with Rococo shapes and aesthetics.
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The World in a Box
story by Erika Riccobon, Lluís Diago Camps, Caroline Lassche, Anna Kroonen, Jiacheng Ji.Although designed in Europe and intended for the European market, this toilet box reveals unexpected layers of aesthetic, material, and technological exchanges between Asia and Europe. The question is: why did European craftsmen start to develop their own interpretation of Asian lacquer? How did the meaning of lacquerware change in this process? Our story will unpack some of these fascinating stories, interconnecting artists, merchants, and consumers across the globe.