Let’s take a closer look
This object has an opaque tin glaze that is entirely black. Its surface is ornamented using polychrome enamels. It is embellished with chinoiserie decorations, such as elegant flower motifs, stems and foliate scrolls.
On the object’s front and rear, insects are depicted above chrysanthemums, amongst foliage and other flowering plants growing around the stylized rock pictured in the bottom right corner. On the side, a bird eyeing a dragonfly is perched on a stem. The rims of the canister have been adorned with yellow geometric borders, where the yellow-ochre color is used to give the illusion of gold. A set of yellow petals issue down from each top corner, and a similar chain rises from the bottom rims. The cover itself is decorated with a central chrysanthemum. Around the circumference of the opening, an elegant border decoration is applied in the form of yellow swirling foliage and flowers.
At first glance, what did you expect this object to be made of? This elegant looking object was created at a time when there was a high demand for exotic things. This fashion coincided with an interest in trompe l’oeil. Trompe l’oeil means to deceive the senses: to fool the eye. Its shiny black surface shows that it might be one thing, but the ornamentation may remind you of something else. This was done on purpose .
Fascinating links between Asia and Europe can be made, as the style was copied from delicate and desirable objects from overseas. What is it trying to imitate, and why, you may ask? The challenge was to represent the feeling of dark-coated lacquerware from Asia and the subsequent European production, which will be discussed later.
This object is the perfect example of visual trickery. The fact that inspiration was taken from lacquerware is evident through the attained effect of producing a black surface finish, and not to forget: the oriental decorations. The art of imitation and manipulation for mimetic effects has been around for a long time. It is seen mainly in the medium of painting and occasionally in the applied arts, the category to which this object belongs. The power of imitation is clearly present and has been performed so convincingly, that it tricks the mind into perceiving something that comes close to lacquerware whilst simultaneously being made of something completely different.