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Object Overview
This Chinoiserie barometer from the early 20th century, produced by the renowned brand Smiths, is crafted using the Japanning technique, which gained popularity in Europe from the 17th century and was inspired by Eastern lacquerware. Japanning is a European imitation of Chinese and Japanese lacquer techniques, using black, red, and gold lacquers to create a smooth, glossy surface adorned with delicate decorative patterns. This decorative style became particularly widespread in England, France, and the Netherlands during the 18th and 19th centuries, as Eastern aesthetics came into fashion under the influence of active trade with China and Japan.
The barometer is adorned with Chinoiserie ornaments—an artistic style that imitated Chinese and Japanese motifs. Its round wooden case, made of finely grained timber polished by hand to a medium oak shade, is coated with black lacquer, onto which vibrant hand-painted illustrations with gilded details have been applied.
On the right side of the case, a woman in traditional Eastern attire, resembling a kimono, is depicted. She wears a red robe with green and gold details and holds a fan in her hands. The background behind her is decorated with stylized golden plant patterns, including bamboo and mountain silhouettes.
n/a
rack and pinion
chrome, glass, wood
On the left side, a man in a short green tunic with stripes and light-colored trousers with red polka dots is shown. He has raised his hand, holding a long pole with a traditional Eastern lantern hanging from it. His dynamic posture conveys movement, creating the impression that he is either playing or participating in a ceremony.
On the lower part of the case, there is a small house with a curved roof, reminiscent of pagoda-style architecture. The roof is painted with red and green accents, while decorative plants and stylized pine trees in gold surround the structure.
The upper section of the case features large floral patterns in red and gold tones, enriched with smaller details in the Eastern style. These ornate flowers enhance the refinement and completeness of the design.
Set within this luxuriously decorated case is a barometer with an aluminum dial, featuring a concentric scale in London inches of mercury. The text-based weather indications are arranged in an unusual layout: the words “Stormy,” “Changeable,” and “Very Dry” are positioned in a semi-circular formation along the scale, while “Rain” and “Fair” (in capital letters) are horizontally centered on the dial. The dial is protected by a flat glass panel, securely set within a chrome-plated bezel.
The pointing hand has an unusual feathering in the shape of a yin-yang symbol. The set hand is adjusted via a chrome knurled knob, fixed through an opening in the center of the glass. The setting pointer assembly is unique: the set hand is connected to a spring-loaded adjustment knob and held under light spring pressure. This prevents stress that could cause glass cracking due to temperature changes. The mechanism allows for precise adjustments, ensuring smooth operation.
The movement is a patented gear-type transmission, making it robust, compact, smooth-running, and precise. The aneroid capsule has an internal spring that measures its lift at the center. This spring force is transmitted directly to a short rocker shaft, allowing for energy conservation. The internal spring undergoes hardening and a special heat-treatment process, is always in a vacuum, and is thus resistant to corrosion. This movement is distinguished by its clean design, compactness, and temperature compensation. It is a self-contained unit, operating independently of the rest of the assembly. After the final heat treatment, the spring stabilizes in its working position, ensuring long-term accuracy.
All parts of the movement are coated (nickel-plated on brass, zinc-plated on steel). The gears and toothed quadrant spindle are made of stainless steel (work-hardened), making the movement virtually immune to corrosion. It is designed for long-term operation without the need for maintenance.
Chinoiserie, as a style, gained widespread popularity in Europe during the Rococo and Victorian eras, adorning furniture, porcelain, wallpapers, fabrics, and decorative interior objects. In England and France, it was particularly favored among the upper class, captivated by the exotic aesthetics of the East. At the same time, Japanning evolved beyond mere imitation into a distinct technique, in which European craftsmen refined lacquer formulas and methods of applying designs.
This technique was often used to embellish objects associated with tea-drinking traditions. In the 18th and 19th centuries, European trading companies imported not only lacquerware from China and Japan but also tea, which was stored in exquisite lacquered boxes (tea caddies) decorated in the Japanning style. For this reason, such items are often referred to as “tea-lacquered.” A barometer decorated in this style could well have been part of a luxurious Victorian interior, gracing a mantelpiece or a tea table in a wealthy English home.