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Lost Lacquer Chest Found Under TV, Sells for €7.3M
3 Nov
Summary
- A 17th-century Japanese lacquer chest was used as a TV stand.
- Discovered in France, it sold at auction for €7.31 million.
- The chest previously belonged to Cardinal Mazarin and is now in Amsterdam.
A 17th-century Japanese lacquer chest, hidden in plain sight as a television stand in a London flat from 1970 to 1986, has been revealed as a historical treasure. Its journey began in Kyoto, likely crafted in the workshop of Kōami Nagashige, and was exported from Japan in 1643. The chest eventually became part of Cardinal Jules Mazarin's collection in France.
After the French Revolution, the chest passed through various hands, with its provenance becoming obscured by 1941. It was eventually rediscovered in 2013 by an auctioneer in France's Loire Valley. Initially estimated to open at €200,000, the chest ignited a bidding war.
Sold at auction in Cheverny on June 9, 2013, the chest commanded a final price of €7.31 million. The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam emerged as the winning bidder, securing the masterpiece with assistance from several foundations. This acquisition marked a return to Dutch public possession for a chest that first reached Europe via Amsterdam.
