Three Japanese Lacquerwares, 19th Century.
{Approximate dimensions: Vanity: H 13 7/8 x W 14 1/2 x D 9 inches (35.2 x 36.8 x 22.9 cm); box: H 5 1/8 x W 9 x D 10 1/2 inches (13 x 22.9 x 26.7 cm), four compartment box: H 10 x W 7 5/8 x D 7 inches 25.4 x 17.78 x 17.78 cm}.
The large cabinet at the center of this group is among the most historically meaningful objects in this auction. Together with two remarkable surviving documents, it preserves a moving story of education, gratitude, and friendship across national boundaries during the early years of Japan's modernization.
While examining the cabinet with the consignor, we opened its inner compartments one by one and discovered two documents: a teaching appointment contract in Japanese and English dating to 1872, and an English letter of appreciation dated July 31, 1875. Together, they connect the cabinet to Carl Schenk (1838–ca. 1912), a German educator employed by the Japanese government. These fragile papers, quietly preserved inside the cabinet, brought a distant history into intimate focus.
The Japanese text of the 1872 contract names Oki Takato, Minister of Education, and Ban Masayori, Vice Director of the First Middle School, as representatives of the Japanese government. It appoints Schenk as a German-language teacher at the First Middle School of the First University District, one of the predecessor institutions of the University of Tokyo. The contract specifies a six-month engagement extending from Meiji 5 into Meiji 6, together with arrangements for government-provided accommodation and the teacher's responsibility for his personal living expenses.
Schenk began teaching in Japan in 1871, initially offering mathematics, geography, and German at the university's South School. He subsequently taught chemistry and, following the renewal of his contract in 1873, mineralogy. His teaching formed part of Japan's broader effort to introduce Western scientific knowledge into its developing educational institutions. After the mineralogy course was discontinued, his appointment was not renewed. In December 1875, Schenk left Japan for San Francisco, where he settled and worked as an architect. This chapter of his life gives the Japanese farewell gift a profound connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.
The letter of appreciation, dated July 31, 1875, identifies Schenk as a former Professor of Mining and thanks him for more than three years of service. It praises his diligent teaching and acknowledges the rapid progress his students made under his guidance. Upon the completion of his engagement, Hamao Arata, Vice Director of Kaisei-Gakko in Tokyo, presented him, on behalf of the school, with a roll of Yamato Nishiki textile and a small gold-lacquered cabinet. The cabinet recorded in the letter is the very piece offered here. Preserved together with its appointment contract and letter of appreciation, it embodies the school's gratitude for Schenk's contributions and its sincere wishes for his future happiness.
Today, in 2026, 151 years after the letter was written, the cabinet and its two accompanying documents survive together in the Bay Area. Treasured in the Hale family collection, this remarkable group is presented at Michaan's Auctions through the family's generous support. The survival of the object and its documents together allows an expression of gratitude from 1875 to retain its voice today.
Gold-powder decoration adorns all five exterior surfaces, each with a distinct composition. The front depicts flowering trees, birds, distant hills, and buildings. The architecture invites an association with the school where Schenk taught, although its identity has not been established. On the reverse, Mount Fuji rises above a waterside landscape with sails, masts, and shoreline pines. Viewed alongside the farewell letter, this scene seems to preserve a memory of the Japan he was soon to leave.
The top presents a coastal landscape with three cranes, pine trees, turtles, and distant sailing boats. A broom and rake lie on the shore, details that may allude to the traditional Takasago theme. The side panels depict flowering plum and maple trees, each accompanied by a bird in flight, suggesting a seasonal dialogue between spring and autumn. Inside, butterflies decorate the smaller drawers, while flowering plants enliven the larger drawers and the inner faces of the doors.
The cabinet unites artistic refinement with a deeply human expression of appreciation. A carefully chosen work of Japanese art became a lasting reminder of a teacher' service and the relationships he formed far from home. Schenk's subsequent move to San Francisco brought this story into the history of the Bay Area, linking Japan, Germany, and the United States through one individual's journey.
Today, at Michaan's Auctions in Alameda, we encounter the cabinet and its surviving documents as witnesses to a friendship that still speaks across 151 years. They bear witness to Japan's openness and pursuit of knowledge during the Meiji Restoration, while also reflecting America's welcoming spirit toward those arriving from distant shores. Above all, they embody humanity's shared pursuit of knowledge, exploration of the unknown, and enduring aspirations toward friendship, kindness, and beauty. Michaan's Auctions is honored to serve as a temporary custodian of this remarkable group and to help carry its story and spirit forward.
Provenance: Hale Family Collection, Los Gatos, California.
Michaan's Auctions is honored to present nearly sixty works of Chinese and Japanese art collected over two generations of the Hale family in the October Gallery and Annex auctions. The collection reflects the family's enduring appreciation of East Asian art, with works distinguished by their authenticity, quality, and artistic interest. We are grateful to the family for their generous support and the opportunity to share this collection.
Minor losses to gilt. For condition report and additional photos, please contact the Asian Art Department.
