Card of the Day - 2022-08-10

W.D. & H.O. Wills "The King`s Art Treasures"
W675-192 : W62-153 : W/250 [tobacco ; UK] W.D. & H.O. Wills "The King`s Art Treasures" large size (June 1938) 11/25

This is a card from a set that does not seem to turn up much, it deals with items in the Royal Palaces and Households, many of which are still there today. And indeed the set proudly proclaims that the set was produced "by gracious permission of H.M. the King"

This very cabinet can be seen at the Royal Collection Trust website though the base seems very much lighter than it appears on the card. In fact the card tells us that the two are not connected, the wording is "The Japanese cabinet has no connection with the English stand (or table) upon which it rests; they have been placed together simply because they fit."  It goes on to say that "The cabinet is of soft wood, lacquered black, and ornamented with a river scene, with tress and pavilions; on the right-hand door are two cranes, all in raised gold. There is a narrow border of aventurine lacquer, which is made by the dusting of metal over a lacquer ground. The mounts (a large lock plate and hinges) are copper gilt. The stand, which is of pinewood gilt, dates from about 1720, and is carved on the apron with a mask and drapert, The top is decorated, which is evidence that it was originally a side-table. Early in the 19th century this cabinet stood in the King`s Gallery at Hampton Court; it was moved to Windsor Castle in 1826."

Mount Fujiyama has always been a popular subject for lacquer-work, and remains so today. This is possibly because of its mysticism, but also in a commercial world many travellers visit the mountain or gaze at it from ground level, and including it hopefully results in more sales.