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imitated.

Another example is a tsuba, a swordguard, madę of iron with in inlay putti in silver and gold, or an imitation of goldleather in wood. Again there is a putti and even the colours are those we find in goldleather. The putti of this last example are of another type than the Sokenkisho ones and probably directly taken from a piece of goldleather.

Not only the pattems, also the goldleather itself was immitated, but up to now we do know very little about those imitations. Same Japanese collections contain examples of which we have hardly any data such as the datę of manufac-turing, or information about the makers.

Morę is kncwn of the production in Japan of goldleather paper. This emanated from the manufacturing of paper tobacco pouches which were lacąuered in order to make them look like leather. In the 19th century this techniąue was improved allcwing a large production of so called goldleather wali paper. At the end of the 19th century large amounts were exported to the USA and Europę. An example of this is a tobacco pouch with a design of a steamship and wall-paper which is hanging in the Paleis 't Loo.

Perhaps this is the right moment to tell you something about the Japanese counterparts of the Dutch leather-workers. The latter were considered artisans like all others, but the position of the Japanese ones was not so enviable as shcw sonę accounts on this matter.

The first is by Francois Valentyn, taken from his book 'Old and New East India'. The account dates frcm 1726 and describes the trading at Deshima. This artificial island in the harbour of Nagasaki has been a Dutch trading post from 1641 till 1852. During this time the Dutch were the only Europeans that were allowed to trade with Japan, a trade that was very restricted.

'When everything, except the hides, the skins and buffalo homs, is sold, the merchants hurry off as if they see the devil coming, in order to make room for the traders in afore mentioned commodities. No one wants to eat, drink or have any intercourse with these traders because they are skinners and executioners and therefore the most despised people of Japan. For the same reason no one wants his children to beoome a tanner because this means they are predestined to become executioners or the like.

Another account is from Germain Felix Meylan, from his book 'Japan, put into sketches about the manners and customs of that country, in particular about the city of Nagasaki¹. It was written in 1830 and states: 'The lowest profession is the tanners one. The unfortunate people in Japan who belong to this profession are oompletely expelled from society. They always live separately in the faraway outskirts of the cities and everyone who is not of the tanners profession would be ashamed to have a close relationship with them. They are people who carry out death and other penalties'. The book 'Manners and customs of the Japanese in the 19th century¹, a compilation of accounts by Dutchmen who had been living at Deshima, to some extent gives an explanation of this strong feelings against the tanners. It says: Frań some peculiar prejudice, originating probably in the Shintoo doctrine of defilement by contact with the remains of any creature that has died, these dealers in hides and leather are pariahs or outcasts of Japanese society'. Shintoo is the original Japanese religion, or maybe it is better to say 'set of animistic beliefs focusing on the spirits in naturę'. Purity is of utmost importance in Shintoo.

Conceming the accounts, one may think these are old ones that do not hołd true in modem Japan. Unfortunately one is wrong: the prejudice against the so called eta or burakumin, who in Japan formerly did the dirty jobs, is still existing. Nowadays even leathermakers, the people working on hides that are already clean and prepared, are looked suspiciously at, although the original prejudice was directed against the tanners exclusively. Probably this same prejudice is the main reason for the fact until ncw rather little research has been carried out in this field. However, the eta ncw receive recompensations frcm the govemment and researchers start to have eyes for this almost forgotten craft, so the tide may be tuming.

Back to the goldleather and its immitations. The story of imitating Dutch goldleather in whatever way does not end with the 19th century. At this time two professional craftsmen in Japan are making goldleather.

One is Mr. Hikonosuke Tokuriki, who works in Kyoto assisted by his wife. I did not get in direct touch with him, but last year some of his work was on display in Tokyo. A very interesting side of this work is that 17th century patterns from European examples are used as for instance for a reoonstruction of the goldleather with the image of the goddess Diana. But also Western paintings serve as models,