Year of the Tiger fountain pen by Caran d’Ache

Limited Edition for Lunar New Year 2022

'Brass body covered in glossy black Chinese lacquer with the shape of the tiger in orange lacquer applied layer by layer using techniques handed down through generations. Engraved with ‘Chinese Lacquer’ in Chinese on the end of the pen.

⚜🇫🇷 Carolands architect, Ernest-Paul Sanson, designed this Salon Chinois for Harriett Pullman-Carolan as a delightful tea room in 1914. She was an avid Francophile and lover of all things French as well as their style of incorporating of Asain Art referred to as "Chinoiserie"

Without furnishings the room seems more a work of art as seen in the middle photos taken by Mick Hale for the 2006 book "Carolands"

The Salon Chinos is often called the Chinese Lacquer Room referring to the French technique of lacquer application that often is as rare and valuable as the actual Chinese panels themselves. The return of Harriett's original 16th Century woven Ningxia Chinese carpet for this room was found by a current Curator & purchased by the last owners of the Chateau.

⚜ 🇨🇵 Harriett Pullman Carolan lived half her life in France where they appreciated the beauty of Asian cultures so it's only natural for her to order the installation of her own "Chinois Salon" aka Chinese Lacquer Room in her 98 room French Chateau named Carolands. Constructed in 1915, the small Chinois Salon was furnished with an extraordinarily rare carpet from her own collection.

This Ningxia carpet is dated from the Kangxi period (1662-1722) and features in the center a wonderful mythical animal called a qilin, symbolizing among other things serenity and prosperity. This fantastic beast is surrounded by lion-dogs and other auspicious motifs.

This carpet was sold in New York City in 1957 a year after Harriett died, and was in several important collections until it was finally returned to Carolands where it resides back in its original location thanks to the generosity of the last owners of the Chateau.

Osias Beert the Elder (Circa 1580 - 1624)

Chinese Lacquered Games Box

A look at the amazing art of lacquer ware.

Take a look at this awesome bunch of stuff I got at a recent estate sale in Portsmouth, NH. An older couple was downsizing. I didn’t get there until the second day, which was ok with me since the best deals are on the last day. I got some curtain ties that I found out were repros so I can’t put them in my shop. I can definitely use them around my house, though, so no big loss there. Also found a…

There involved so many sophisticated scholars to assist Sir Harry to complete this book. The introduction and descriptions in the book almost covered the whole spectrum of Chinese lacquer with subsidiary sections of Ryuku and Korean Lacquer and some Japan pieces related to the main story.

Dr. Joseph Needhan - has helped to sort out the various materials used in lacquer manufacture, may of which have been wrongly translated in the past by sinologists who had no scientific knowledge of mineral and vegetable products.

Prof. William Watson & Miss Margaret Medley- have given invaluable help in the presentation of Ming works on lacquer.

Sir John Figgess- in this field through his published papers are well known to western students.

The book has drawn heavily on objects in two main channels:    

MUSEUMS(BRITISH MUSEUM & VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM) & PRIVATE COLLECTIONS.