Lacquer is well known for protecting objects from the weather and external environmental influences. However, the shiny coating can do much more, as the LWL Museum of Art and Culture in Münster demonstrates with its new exhibition "The Fascination of Lacquer - Art from Asia and Europe". For the first time, it is presenting objects from the collection of the former Museum of Lacquer Art, which was taken over in 2023. The focus is on so-called export lacquers, which have been produced in Asia specifically for the European market since the late 16th century. These lacquers from China, Japan and Korea are impressive testimonies to the cultural links between East Asia and Europe and offer fascinating insights into the beginnings of global trade relations.
The exhibition gives visitors an in-depth insight into the extraction and processing of lacquer as well as the diversity of lacquer art: from filigree tobacco boxes and ornate furniture to baroque carriage panels. Highlights among the exhibits include a Chinese tray from the 14th century with a plum branch motif, a Korean clothes box with mother-of-pearl inlay from the 18th century and an elaborately nested Japanese inrō, i.e. a belt container for seals and medicines.
The exhibition repertoire is complemented by European lacquer objects from the 18th and 19th centuries as well as contemporary works. The exhibition illustrates how lacquer art has linked art, everyday life and cultures over the centuries. Visitors are given a rare opportunity to experience this unique craft in all its diversity.
