As Dutch enterprise led the way in imitations of Oriental wares, of porcelain in delft, so also imitations of lacquer first found fame in the Netherlands. A Dutchman named Huygens was famous for his japanned work early in the eighteenth century. He was called to France, and was probably largely instrumental in the invention or perfection of the celebrated _Vernis Martin_. This was a species of lacquer that beautifies many sumptuous examples of Louis Quinze furniture, and is highly prized by collectors.
The character of lacquered and other Oriental wares obtainable early in the eighteenth century may be gathered from the report of an ambassador to Pekin in 1721. Among other things he says:
PLATE LIV.—_Interior, by Cornelis Troost._
“The most valuable furniture of lackered ware, viz., cabinets, chairs, tables, baskets, and other things of that sort, as also the richest porcelain ware, come from Japan. For when the Emperor sends any person to Japan in a public character, most of the princes and great men of the court seldom fail to engage him to bring them some of those things at his return....
“After the lackered ware of Japan, that of the province of Fokien, is looked upon as the best; but none of it comes to Pekin because the great lords of China oppress the merchants to a great degree and take their goods from them upon many frivolous pretences, without leaving them the least hopes of ever obtaining any payment.
“They have at Pekin a people dexterous enough at lackering, but their works fall short of those of Japan and Fokien, which may be attributed to the difference of climate; and it is for this reason that the lackered work made at Pekin is always much cheaper than the other. Nevertheless, the lackered work made at Pekin infinitely exceeds any work of that kind made in Europe.... The European merchants carry away from Canton raw silk; damasks wrought according to draughts furnished to them; wrought silks; lackered ware; tea, green and bohea; badians, a seed having a taste like aniseed; canes and china-ware, made according to models given them.
“For the rest they carry to China from Europe, and bring back from China, a very great variety of toys and different sorts of curiosities, upon which they make a very considerable profit; but these are so numerous that it is not possible to furnish a complete specification of them.”