Antique European Papier Mâché Tray, Hand-Painted Japonaiserie Scene, circa 1870
Located in COLMAR, FR
A charming and atmospheric small antique papier mâché tray, hand-painted in the Japonaiserie taste that swept through European decorative arts following the landmark Paris Exposition Universelle of 1867. Sourced in Alsace (France) — a region at the cultural crossroads of France and Germany — this intimate rectangular tray carries all the hallmarks of quality late 19th century lacquerwork: a deep black ground, delicate gilt detailing and a richly observed polychrome scene painted with evident skill and affection. The composition is alive with telling detail: a sword-carrying man in a floral kimono walks with a child — who pushes a toy rabbit on a wheeled stick — and a small dog along a waterside path, a cherry blossom tree arching overhead, while boats laden with figures cross a river toward a distant pavilion set among hills and pines. Ducks rest in the reeds below. The presence of a male protagonist is a rarity in European Japonaiserie of this period, which typically favored female figures — a samurai, sword at his side, watching his child's wheeled rabbit toy...
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