Because there were h10 continuities of type and style in this most characteristically Japanese of arts, the first of the two parts making up this volume includes several pieces dating from the 17th to the 19th-century.

The revival of the classical style is covered in depth, with major works by such revered figures as Nakayama Komin (1808-70) and Shirayama Shosai (1853-1923) and there is a large group of examples of shibayama work which combines lacquer with other materials to create a rich and exotic effect.

The centrepiece of the Collection is an extravagantly decorated cabinet by Harui Komin (b. 1869) presented by the Japanese Crown Prince to the future King Edward VIII of England in 192l.

An introductory essay by Julia Hutt of the Victoria and Albert Museum chronicles the development of lacquer in response to Westem demand, while Edward Wrangham, one of the world's foremost lacquer collectors, contributes an article on the Rimpa style.