Japan, Edo period, late 18th century, H. approx. 12.2 x W. approx 9.2 cm
A vogue for collecting portrait medallions of famous historical figures developed. in the late eighteenth century. In England, in the 1770s Josiah Wedgwood exploited this with the production of ceramic medallions in both blue jasper and black basalt. Possibly in response to this fashion portrait medallions in black and gold lacquer on copper were produced in Japan from around 1780. Many of these portraits were copied from engravings of famous people of the early Middle Ages to the middle of the 18th century published in L’Europe Illustré, a six-volume work compiled by Dreux du Radier and published in Paris between 1755 and 1765. Besides the name of the famous person written in Roman capitals around the rim of the plaque, the caption to the original engraving is transcribed by the Japanese artisan on the reverse, sometimes resulting in illegible French. The Rijksmuseum has a collection of 19 portrait medallions, all acquired in 1829 as part of the gift of the “Rariteiten Kabinet” (Cabinet of Curiosities) of King William I.