Today I was happy to submit my proposal. While handling the PR for the Lacquer project, my project will examine the mania for Japanese lacquer in Europe during the 18th century as well. Japanese lacquer was a part of a new commodity market in Paris and used to decorate one’s home for those who could afford it. Black and gold lacquer chest, boxes, commodes and other shapes functioned in these homes as representations of wealth and of taste. It was such a rare and expensive commodity and could only be brought in from the East. Marie Antoinette’s collection grew when her Mother donated all her best pieces to her. It has been said there was a room in Versailles dedicated solely to these boxes. The wall of the room itself was made of black lacquer with gilded gold. Hundreds of boxes lay next to each other and on top of one another. It must have been a grand sight and exuded opulence and grandeur. It exemplified how important these pieces were to Marie Antoinette emotionally, stylistically and commercially. I’ll be examining the different types of lacquer too such as makie and negoro and explain how bronze and gold decorations are applied to lacquer. I’ll dive into the process with which the whole lacquer piece is created (specifically the commode and secretary in the Tesse Room), the lengths with which French aristocracy went to getting these pieces and why Europeans couldn’t make their own lacquer (wood issue).