[Ads-l] ? Meaning of "Japan" below?

[Joel Berson]

"Public notices" is newspaper advertisements -- to persons of taste, of refined objects.


Yes, I think possibly japanning, but not to the process or the varnish, rather to some object that has been japanned.  But the lack of context doesn't rule out Japanese porcelain or Japanese silk.

Joel


      From: Benjamin Barrett <mail.barretts at GMAIL.COM>
 To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU 
 Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2016 8:59 PM
 Subject: Re: [ADS-L] ? Meaning of "Japan" below?
   
I’m having trouble parsing the sentence, but does it mean japanning?

Benjamin Barrett
Formerly of Seattle, WA

> On 18 May 2016, at 17:20, Joel Berson <berson at att.net> wrote:
> 
> From the same source, 1754 The Connoisseur 3 Dec. (vol. 1, no. 45) 266:
> 
> ""And besides the public notices to persons of taste, of very rare old Japan, and most curious and inimitable Epargnes for deserts, as also the most rich and elegant fancied silks to be sold by auction; many other advices, not less interesting to the Town, are here [referring to another weekly] given.
> 
> I have no idea what "Japan" means here.  Possible, I imagine, are:  
> 
> 
> 3.a.  Japanese work; work in the Japanese style; esp. work varnished, and adorned with painted or raised figures; dating from 17.. and 1742.
> 
> 4.a.  Japanese porcelain; no quotations.
> 
> 4.†b.  Japanese silk; dating from 1727.
> 
> With no further context, it seems impossible to choose -- unless the reference to "very rare old" means something to someone.
> 
> Joel
> 

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