Japanese Export Furniture in the Russian Interior Ensemble of the 18th Century. On the Example of the Cabinets from the Counts Sheremetev Collection

The article reveals the role of Japanese lacquer furniture in the object-spatial environment of the Russian interior in the second half of the 18th century, marked by an interest in the chinoiserie phenomenon. Using the example of paired cabinets from the collection of the Counts Sheremetev, the author considers the main artistic features of Japanese export products in the ‘picturesque style’, highly appreciated by representatives of the Russian aristocracy. The study of a significant number of archival sources shows how the owners’ attitude towards Japanese lacquerware changed throughout the 18th century. The unique items were seen as rare ‘kunstukes’: at first, they occupied an honourable place in the structure of the noble kunstkamera, and then served as important elements of the interior decoration of park pavilions. This refers to the formation of cultural pluralism and, as a result, a genuine interest in the distant and mysterious East. In this regard, it is proposed to consider the objects of Japanese lacquer furniture, which were previously thought to be fairly utilitarian, as valuable collectibles of the Enlightenment era.