The curious case of Ryukyuan lacquerware #
We better start off with a brief history lesson. Don’t worry, I promise it will be brief.
The Ryukyu Kingdom #
The Ryukyu Kingdom (琉球) ruled from 1429 to 1879 and its territory spanned the island chain just south of Kyushu in Japan known as the Ryukyu Islands. In modern times however, the chain is treated as two separate Japanese administrative entities, encompassing present day Okinawa prefecture (in the south) and the Amani islands (in the north).
The history between Japan itself and the Ryukyu Kingdom is intertwined, complex and too much to to cover here; suffice it to say that in 1879 it was formally annexed by Japan (as part of Okinawa). Which is why when we hear “Ryukyu” today we generally think of Okinawa.
Sitting at the edge of the east China sea, it’s geographic location provided it with a natural advantage in terms of acting as a trading conduit between the kingdoms in south east Asia and in the kingdoms in the north, ie China, Japan and Korea. Starting in 1372, during the “three-Kingdoms period” (known as Sanzan 三山) it became a tributary state of the Ming Dynasty after a Chuzan kingdom delegation (one of the “three kingdoms”) was dispatched to China in 1368. This status as a tributary state continued well into the Qing dynasty, even after the Japanese invasion in the 1600ies. These dual relationships allowed the kingdom to thrive for many years, as a key player in the maritime trade between these various states.
The short book “Ryukyu lacquer” written by Harry Garner in 1972, is one of the first texts in modern times to discuss Ryukyu lacquer in detailed form. In the book, he references a 16th century Portuguese writer in Malacca who describes a mysterious people known as the “Gores”
They are very truthful men. They do not buy slaves, nor would they sell one of their own men for the world... They are white men, well dressed, better than the Chinese and more dignified. They sail to China and take merchandise that goes from Malacca to China, and go to Japan, which is an island seven or eight days' sail distant, and take gold and copper of the said island in exchange",
Prominent Ryukyun families sent their sons to Peking to study as foreign students, where they studied Chinese classics. A large permanent settlement of Ryukyuans was also established in Southern China in Fujian.
As a gesture of friendly assistance, the Chinese imperial government even provided ships for the Ryukyu kingdom’s commercial trade activities and sent shipbuilders and craftsmen to live near the Ryukyu capital of Shuri. Not just shipbuilders, but also specialists in the manufacturer of paper, brushes and ink. Thus a number of Chinese moved to the islands, often from the southern regions of China (and this is also why many of Ryukyu painting techniques naturally draw their influences from techniques and styles from the Chinese south). Some systems of Ryukyu governance were adopted from China and many Ryukyu officials were even descendants of Chinese immigrants.
The king is a heathen and all the people too. He is a tributary vassal of the Chinese. His island is very large and he has many people. They have three or four junks which are continually buying in China...
Thus one can quite easily ascertain the origins of the kingdom’s predominantly China-influenced culture, it’s very unique and close relationship with China, as well as recognize China’s general sway over the kingdom. Until the late 17th century, the dominant influence was heavily Chinese and this influence still continued strongly even into the 19th century.
These close cultural exchanges are exactly why at times it can be difficult to distinguish between certain items that could have been made in China or perhaps also made in the Ryukyu islands.
Some styles were copied from Chinese ones almost exactly. Others may have even been made directly under the instruction of Chinese craftsmen living on the islands. And in some cases, made by the locally based Chinese themselves.
The styles are at times so heavily influenced by China, that in some instances they feel almost virtually indistinguishable without closer scholarly inspection.
This makes distinguishing between Chinese vs Ryukyuan challenging as some pieces leave only very subtle clues. This red and gold box is in the collection of the British Museum and was donated by Harry Garner. For all practical purposes it appears to be Chinese. Only subtle differences in the style and form of the paintings betray its true origin.
mistaken Identity #
There are some techniques, like carved lacquer, that never really achieved the same level of proficiency in the Ryukyu Kingdom (if it was indeed ever produced there at all as the later items that were made are not considered true carved lacquer). But many other forms of lacquer like chiangjin (戗金) and mother of pearl inlay (螺钿) achieved parity, reaching quite a high level of technical and artistic quality.
This makes certain items, particularly ones without markings, very very difficult to tell apart. In the case of mother of pearl items, styles and techniques often match so closely that it makes certain identification feel impossible and there are many instances of Ryukyu inlay items being attributed to China and vice versa.
Lost to China #
As a result of a the massive destruction that occurred to both public and private collections during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, antiques from the Ryukyu islands are relatively rare. In recent times however, there is an additional factor further contributing to that.
Ryukyu pieces such as the ones show above are regularly misattributed as Chinese and subsequently vacuumed up by Mainland Chinese buyers in their quest to satisfy their unquenchable thirst to repatriate Chinese antiques to the motherland. This is something I have seen personally time and time again at Japanese antique shows and auctions. Unfortunately over time, this will make Ryukyu items ever rarer, as pieces sent to China in modern times become “Chinese” and almost never leave due to government restrictions.
Auction houses are often happy to go along with this charade, as they know pieces will fetch higher prices if they are identified as Chinese. Look at the following example from a Sotheby’s auction from 2007. The listing itself is unremarkable. However the catalogue notes below the listing, essentially admit (in a round-about manner) that the piece is likely a Ryukyu piece, rather than Chinese.
A rare mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer cabinet- Late Ming Dynasty, 16th / 17th Century #
A rare mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer cabinet with display shelf Late Ming Dynasty, 16th / 17th Century. Sold: 103,000 USD Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art / Lot 56
Catalogue Note #
It is very rare to find large scale mother-of-pearl inlaid furniture. Compare two 16th century two-door cabinets, one in the Tokyo National Museum and the other in the Okura Cultural Foundation in Tokyo, both illustrated in Mother-of-Pearl Inlay in Chinese Lacquer Art, Tokyo National Museum, 1981, cat. nos. 77 and 78. Also see a four-poster lacquer bed in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, (part 1) vol. 53, Hong Kong, 2002, no. 3.
Stylistically, the birds and the foliage on the sides of the cabinet closely resemble birds on a lacquer tray from the same period illustrated in op.cit., pl. 81. However, these styles also closely resemble the pieces made on the Ryukyu Islands during the Ming Dynasty. The Ryukuyu Islands are a chain of islands off southern Japan, known during the Ming dynasty as the Kingdom of the Ryukyus. Ever since the first Ming emperor, Hongwu, sent emissaries to the islands in the 14th century and they in turn sent lacquer tributes to the Ming court, the Ryukyu craftsmen produced lacquer faithful to 14th century Chinese styles and techniques, even into much later periods. Compare two display cabinets from the 16th / 17th century illustrated in Ryukyuan Lacquerware from the Urasoe Art Museum Collection, Urasoe Art Museum, 1995, nos. 62 and 63.
Of course this also leads to some strange and unusual situations. The first box resides in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum. It was published in 1972 in the book “Ryukyu lacquer” written by Harry Garner. Then we see it again in the Tokyo National Museum mistakenly attributed as Ming Dynasty, China. A very odd mistake considering the museum’s background. And finally we see the same box being reproduced in China by lacquer craftsmen 杨鸿顺.
So a box that is Ryukyun has somehow along the way become Chinese. The reproduction will be sold in China to Chinese buyers as a Chinese piece. What a strange scenario that will make for some confusion for future collectors and scholars.
Comparing & Contrasting #
The general form of the Ryukyu box itself (above / below) is not entirely unlike the Ming box on the right and has many things in common. Similar sizing, similar proportions and with rounded edges. Similar hardware design and placement .
Yet the convex top design design is something not found in Chinese boxes. There are Chinese chests with convex tops and sloping tops but there are none in this particular form (the rare exception being those designs made specifically for export from places like Canton which likely draw from Japanese designs).
This is where the design of this chest has borrowed from Japan. Something we can clearly see when we pair it with a Japanese box. But the box still looks neither fully Chinese nor does it look fully Japanese either. This is also when we start to come to the essence of what many Ryukyu lacquer pieces are like.
What’s also equally fascinating is when we start to compare Ryukyu pieces against Japanese ones, and we begin to see the Chinese influence. Both of these chests (left / right) look at lot more Chinese than they do Japanese (middle). The heavy Chinese cultural influence is easy recognizable.
Of course the Japanese influence is still there as well, as we see the boxes foot is very similar to that of this tray in the Urasoe Art Museum. This design feels decidedly very un-Chinese.
Related items In our Collection #
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A rare 17th or early 18th century Ryukyu Kingdom cinnabar red lacquer and gilt cosmetics box | A rare early chinese Ming dynasty incised mother of pearl inlay tray in black lacquer | A Meiji period (Second Shō dynasty) Okinawan bento box in vermillion with pewter sake flask. |
Just to make it a little more complicated... #
A Brown Lacquer and Wicker Tiered Box Korea or Ryukyu, 17th / 18th Century #
Sotheby's: Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 2014, Lot 948 Sold 81,250 HKD
Korean Influence #
Complicating things further, is the addition of Korean influences. Yuguguk (유구국 or 琉球國) is the Korean name for the ancient kingdom of Ryukyu. The first official contacts between the Ryukyu Kingdom and Korea occurred in 1389 with a Korean settlement eventually set up near Naha on the southern coast. Consequently some items are hard to distinguish from Korean pieces, particularly when complex hardware and basketry is one of the elements
HOW TO IDENTIFY RYUKYUAN LACQUERWARE #
This is a topic that cannot solely be addressed briefly by merely laying out a few examples. It requires extensive study across a wide range of disciplines as mother of pearl, carved lacquers and other techniques all vary to some degree depending on the period. Nevertheless I will try only touch on it briefly for the sake of brevity. Here are some general guidelines and things to look for:
Form #
Some designs are alien to Japan. Others are alien to China. For example the inro (印籠) is almost non-existent in China. Therefore an inro that looks stylistically “Chinese” would most likely be from the Ryukyu; perhaps made by Chinese artisans for the Japanese market. Japanese pieces with Chinese influence or Chinese pieces with Japanese influence are often from Ryukyu.
An important characteristics is a stylistic quality that appears to be neither purely Chinese on one hand, nor purely Japanese on the other.
Function #
The functional use of the piece may be an indicator of a Ryukyu Origin. Unlike the Chinese at that time, Okinowan’s sat on the floor rather than on chairs, so some pieces reflect this in their functionality, such as pedestal dishes
Imagery #
The overall design of this chest is indistinguishable from its cousins found all across southern China. Its construction, design, hardware etc are all typically Chinese. There is however one feature that is distinctly Okinawan: The combined imagery of the cranes, peonies, and wild chrysanthemum.
Technique #
The use of the underlying fabric ground is a technical feature more often found on pieces from China rather than Japan. The use of this technique on a “Japanese” piece generally points to a Ryukyu provenance. There are many other techniques that also are unique and can be used to identify pieces.
Stylization #
The rendering of this diaper is stylistically reminiscent of the Chinese “rice pattern” but this version is rendered incorrectly.
Color #
This table screen is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and is identified as Chinese. And perhaps it is. However if I saw this screen I might make the mistake of quickly assesses it to the Ryukyun Islands without further study. This is because mother of pearl inlay on a red lacquer base is relatively rare in terms of Chinese pieces. However it is extremely common for pieces with a Ryukyu provenance. More often than not mother of pearl inlay on red lacquer points to the Ryukyu Islands.
Blending of Styles #
This form of this chest is easily recognizable as Japanese as is the hardware and the very Japanese symbolic cranes on the side. Yet the mother of pearl inlay depicting two individuals seated at a table with a floor screen in the background is quintessentially Chinese imagery.
Main Techniques used in Ryukyun Lacquerware #
Again, this is an area that is too extensive to cover here and deserves its own detailed discussion with detailed photos. In relevance to this page, below are the main techniques used in Ryukyu lacquerware:
- Tsuikin: Lacquer is mixed with pigments and rolled out into a thin sheet. That sheet is then cut into a specific shape using a small knife. This is then applied to the main piece.
- Tsuisaishitu: A technique in which a base layer of lacquer mixed with a substrate like ash and mixed with color is applied on top of an item to create a shape or pattern. This is one way of imitating carved lacquer (which was introduced from China).
- Urushi: Painting on the surface with colored lacquers, usually limited to 5 colors.
- Mitsudae: A type of ancient oil painting that uses lead oxide pigments mixed with tung oil. This technique allows you to create pale colors that are difficult to create with colored lacquer.
- Chinkin: In simple terms this is the embedding of gold leaf in engraved lines using gold leaf and lacquer.
- Haku-e: painting a design in lacquer and then applying gold leaf (or gold-silver powder) to the surface
- Raden: Mother of pearl inlay.
Outline & Timeline of Ryukyun Lacquerware Development #
2 Responses
I recently purchased a cabinet from a small shop in Okinawa. According to the owner, it is Ryukyuan and is over 200 years old. There is no makers monogram or any artisan signature, but the two scenes on the front panels seem to depict the garden at Shuri Castle and the gardens just south of the castle (Rokkakudo). I am very familiar with Okinawan history and know these places well but would like to know if this piece should be donated to the Okinawan cultural society due to its historical significance. I can send photos but cannot attach them to this site. If it is truly Ryukyuan, and a valuable and culturally historical piece, I would like to it remain with the Okinawans.
Thank you,
Thomas Desiderio
+81 90 3796 7949
Would LOVE to see a photo of it…!