246 Mr. John O. Pelton on 
Up to the end of the twelfth century the head-quarters of the 
lacquer industry were at Kioto, the residence of the Emperor; 
but about that time the powerful influence of the Shoguns 
diverted much talent to their own capital, Kamakura, which 
remained for many years a centre of artistic production, although 
its lacquer never reached the same pitch of excellence as that of 
Kioto. During the stormy period which marked the rule of the 
Hojo family of Shoguns the art languished, but revived under 
the Ashikaga family, who came into power in 1835. Under the 
Shogun Yoshimasa the art of lacquering was much encouraged, 
and we find mention of one Monnyu, who produced carved red- 
and-black lacquer of great excellence. From this period (1500) 
to the accession of the greatest of the Shoguns, Tokugawa 
Iyeyasu, lacquer-working declined owing to the almost constant 
wars which prevailed through the whole of the sixteenth century. 
Iyeyasu, however, inaugurated a period of peace, which extended 
from his accession (16083) until times within the memory of 
many here present. Magnificent specimens of lacquer work, 
mostly in the form of furniture and shrines, were produced in 
the early part of the seventeenth century. But it was at the 
end of the seventeenth and the early part of the eighteenth 
century that lacquer work is considered to have reached its 
greatest perfection. 
The lacquer work of that period is known as Joken Makiye, 
Joken being the posthumous name of the Tokugawa Shogun, 
who ruled from 1681 to 1708. This period saw the rise of 
most of the great schools; Koyetsu, Korin, Kajikawa, Koma, 
Shunsho, and Ritsuo are names familiar to all collectors. 
All through the eighteenth and well into the present century 
lacquer showed little sign of decadence; none of the modern 
expedients to shorten the period of manufacture were then 
practised. It was the gigantic demand which followed the 
Revolution of 1868, when art prostituted itself to the capricious 
demands of commerce, which caused the Japanese to abandon 
their old traditions and methods. So rapid was the decadence 
that Japanese lacquer bid fair to become a by-word, but within 
the last few years the Government, awakening to the fact that 
the wonderful progress and appreciation of Japan among the 
western nations is largely owing to her magnificent artistic 
record, has taken steps to revive in some measure the ancient 
glory of her arts, and by liberal purchases is preventing the 
chefs-d’euvre of her great artists from leaving the country of 
their origin. As the nineteenth century advanced fine lacquer 
work was produced more and more rarely, the art reaching its 
lowest level about the time of the opening of the ports, and the 
appearance of lacquer work at the Kuropean exhibitions. A 
demand for Japanese lacquer was suddenly created, and a vast 
ie 
