Skip to main content
Bonhams
Search
Previous Lot
Next Lot
An extremely rare early 17th century Dutch black, red and gilt japanned casket Probably attributable to Willem Kick (Dutch, 1579-1647) image 1
An extremely rare early 17th century Dutch black, red and gilt japanned casket Probably attributable to Willem Kick (Dutch, 1579-1647) image 2
An extremely rare early 17th century Dutch black, red and gilt japanned casket Probably attributable to Willem Kick (Dutch, 1579-1647) image 3
An extremely rare early 17th century Dutch black, red and gilt japanned casket Probably attributable to Willem Kick (Dutch, 1579-1647) image 4
An extremely rare early 17th century Dutch black, red and gilt japanned casket Probably attributable to Willem Kick (Dutch, 1579-1647) image 5
Lot 7

An extremely rare early 17th century Dutch black, red and gilt japanned casket
Probably attributable to Willem Kick (Dutch, 1579-1647)

Fine Decorative Arts
3 December 2025, 13:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street

£2,500 - £3,500

How to bidRequest condition reportHow to buy

Ask about this lot

An extremely rare early 17th century Dutch black, red and gilt japanned casket

Probably attributable to Willem Kick (Dutch, 1579-1647)
The casket of rectangular domed form decorated with Nanban style black japanning, the domed and hinged lid, with typical Nanban tendrils, songbirds, curling foliage and flowers of maple and loquat leaves, cherry blossom and peonies, the interior japanned in red with concealed drawer, on moulded base, with key, the feet now lacking, 18cm wide, 12.5cm deep, 14cm high

Footnotes

Provenance
Private UK Collection.

The Dutch merchant and entrepreneur Willem Kick (1579–1647) developed his own method of producing lacquer, as the sap of the Chinese lacquer tree, used to make the popular Asian lacquer, could not be imported. In 1609 he applied for a patent for the production of 'all manner of lacquerware, like that brought in from the East Indies.' From this innovation, Kick monopolised the manufacture of this lacquerware as the first known practitioner of the trade in Holland and North Europe at large; at a time when European lacquerware or 'japanning' was just beginning to become established. In 1619, Kick was granted a further patent for 'lacquer work on metal' which increased the sophistication of European lacquer work with very fine imitation Asian pieces becoming highly prized as objects in their own right in Chinoiserie or japanning styles. Notably the caskets were popular with royalty including Amalia of Solms-Braunfels (1602-1675) who kept a casket by Kick together with her collection of Asian pieces.

Comparables
Examples of caskets attributed to Willem Kick are exceptionally rare. Comparable pieces are held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
For a near identical example to the offered lot please see the Rijksmuseum, Object number BK-KOG-1364.
For further related caskets also attributed to Kick, please see:
Rijksmuseum, Object number BK-NM-5267
Rijksmuseum, Object number BK-2007-6
Rijksmuseum, Object number BK-2014-1

Further Reading
Seehafer, Michèle, and Dorscheid, Jan (2024) Tracing Willem Kick: A Collaborative Journey in Reconstructing Seventeenth-Century Imitation Lacquer. The Rijksmuseum Bulletin 72 (4): 344-55.

Additional information