The Veitch family didn't just bring back plants.
Amongst the carefully packed botanical specimens were objects collected as curios. This ornate lacquerware tray was brought back from Japan. Between 1840 and 1880 the Exeter firm of Veitch & Sons was one of Britain's most important horticultural firms. They travelled the world in search of new plant species which continue to flourish in our gardens today.
This tray was given to RAMM by Sir Harry Veitch who bequeathed his family collection of souvenirs and his own art collection. During the 19th century lacquerware objects were often made for export to Western markets The style of this tray was made to appeal to Western tastes but its design incorporates many traditional techniques including coral, wood and pearl shell inlay and the sprinkling of gold leaf.
The tray depicts a famous Samurai called Kato Kiyomasa (Toranosuke), who loved hand-to-hand combat and was known to hunt tigers for sport. Kiyomasa was the son of a blacksmith who was sent to a noble family as a servant. He was a devout Buddhist and carried into battle a white banner that symbolised his faith. He died a distinguished general.
A souvenir lacquerware tray from Japan
Contributed by RAMM Exeter
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Comments
Papier-mache was often used in the early 19th century, the 1830s. My aunt had lacquered papier-mache chairs. It's a fantastic image with the arm of the natural landscape around the central scene. The stripes... suggest stripes of the tiger.
(Margaret Hammond, painter, in a Moving Here session organised by RAMM Exeter)
It reminds me strongly of Japanese prints [and their] tradition of dramatic scenes. He looks extraordinarily determined. Beautiful but useless as a tray. I've never seen a tiger like that in a Japanese image. The tiger is a great mythic symbol, grappling with the tiger, a power to be subdued.
(Richard from Exeter and Caroline, potter, in a Moving Here session organised by RAMM Exeter)
I'm interested in the story it represents [and]... what it is made from.
(Alan, local historian in Exwick History Group, in a Moving Here session organised by RAMM Exeter)
It has quite thin layers of laquer. The quality depends on thickness of the laquer. The lacquer comes from the Rhus tree. It was tapped from the tree. You can add pigments to it.
(Gill Moore, Researcher on A History of the World in 10 Objects, in a Moving Here session organised by RAMM Exeter)
It looks like a tourist item as the heavy relief makes it impossible to use the tray as a utility item. It would spill drinks.
(Julia from Exwick, in a Moving Here session organised by RAMM Exeter)
The scene took place in Korea, during Toyotomi Hideyoshi's military campaign there. Kato Kiyomasa (1652-1711, who was a daimyo, not just a samurai) killed a tiger while hunting and presented the skin to Hideyoshi.