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Studies in Conservation
ISSN: 0039-3630 (Print) 2047-0584 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ysic20
The Japanese Tower at the Royal Domain in
Laeken: A remarkable application of Japanese
lacquer techniques in Belgium
Delphine Mesmaeker
To cite this article: Delphine Mesmaeker (2016) The Japanese Tower at the Royal Domain
in Laeken: A remarkable application of Japanese lacquer techniques in Belgium, Studies in
Conservation, 61:sup3, 109-116, DOI: 10.1080/00393630.2016.1227053
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/00393630.2016.1227053
© The International Institute for
Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works
2016
Published online: 15 Dec 2016.
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Supplementary issue paper
The Japanese Tower at the Royal Domain in
Laeken: A remarkable application of Japanese
lacquer techniques in Belgium
Delphine Mesmaeker
Asian Lacquer and Polychrome Sculpture, Saintes, Belgium
The Japanese Tower, commissioned by King Leopold II of Belgium in 1900 and designed by the French
architect Alexandre Marcel, was finished and inaugurated in 1904. This building presents a remarkable
variety of decorative techniques and materials, including Japanese lacquer executed using specific and
complex decorative techniques. Preliminary research on the interior decorations allowed the rediscovery
and highlighting of a large and unique collection of lacquerwork and architectural Japanese ornaments
from the Edo and Meiji period, combined with European artefacts. This paper focuses on the study of the
extensive use of Japanese lacquer found in the upper floors of the Tower. This focus was facilitated by
collaboration with other specialists, which granted a better understanding of the secrets of this
extraordinary piece of cultural heritage and the development of a preservation plan for the interior decoration.
Keywords: Urushi, Japanese lacquer, Japanese architecture, conservation, European and Japanese interior decoration
Introduction
The reddish silhouette of the Japanese Tower of
Laeken in Brussels is well known in Belgium. Built
along the border of the Royal Domain in early 1900,
the tower was criticized as a whim of King Léopold
II. Once built it was barely used; it was closed
during the two World Wars and then from 1947 due
to lack of funding —until recently, only its entrance
hall and ground floor could be visited.
In 2010, the Belgian building agency requested a
preliminary study of the upper floors of the building
from the Fenikx Company (Fenikx bvba) with the
aim of defining the work needed to re-evaluate and
protect the tower. During this study, a substantial
ornamental decorative scheme was revealed, part of
which was realized in Japanese lacquer. The identifi-
cation of the extensive use of Japanese lacquer in a
significant number of decorative elements was
revealed through archival and technical searches,
scientific analyses, and collaboration with inter-
national specialists (Deceuninck et al., 2014).
Tower history and description
The Japanese Tower at the Royal Domain in Laeken
dates to 1904 and is a combination of reused elements
manufactured in Japan and a construction of the
French architect Alexandre Marcel at the request of
Leopold II, King of Belgium. The construction of
the timberwork started in 1902 (Kozyreff, 2001).
Even though Belgian craftsmen built the main part,
the 35-m high building was initially assembled
without nails in accordance with traditional Japanese
techniques (Fig. 1). However, Marcel was not con-
vinced of the suitability of this construction and
decided to add nails and wooden wind braces on
each level of the structure (Marcel, 1911).
Inspired by the temples of Nikko (Kozyreff, 2001),
the architect adapted the interior decoration by
mixing Japanese and European techniques and
spread the overall design over several floors. He incor-
porated the entrance hall from the Panorama du Tour
du Monde at the 1900 Paris Universal Exhibition,
which had been purchased at the King’s request. To
give the building an authentic cachet, the art dealer
Maison Reynaud of Yokohama delivered much of
the interior and exterior décor, including carved
wooden doors and panels, gilded metallic plates, the
first- and third-floor ceilings, furniture, silk and
tatami mats (Bure, 1902). A range of materials, includ-
ing paper, textiles, European and Japanese painting on
wood, European and Japanese sculpture, European
painting on canvas, glass, metal, and furniture were
incorporated into the interior (Fig. 2).
Correspondence to: Delphine Mesmaeker, Asian Lacquer and Polychrome
Sculpture, 15, rue Jospeh Wauters, 1480 Saintes, Belgium.
Email: delphinemesmaeker@gmail.com
© The International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works 2016
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-
nc/4.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Received June 2015; revised paper accepted August 2016
DOI 10.1080/00393630.2016.1227053 Studies in Conservation 2016 VOL. 61 SUPPLEMENT 3S3-109
The tower consists of six main chambers connected
by an external stairwell with 10 intermediate levels.
The interior was equipped with modern features such
as running water, a lift, and central heating. The
spiral staircase is decorated with panels of kinkara-
kawa-gami (Waillez, 2005) surrounded by frames
decorated with aventurine (also known as bronzine),
a European imitation of the Japanese technique of
nashiji. The aventurine included metallic flakes (in
this case copper) mixed with European varnish to
give a gold-flecked appearance. The aventurine
decoration had become green, due to corrosion of its
copper constituents.
The first floor has a polychrome decoration based
on the legend of Urashima Taro and a coffered
ceiling representing musicians (Kozyreff, 2001). It
was furnished for the King’s comfort and equipped
with a hidden toilet and an extra heater. The second
floor is now referred to as the green floor, but it
could more accurately be described as the golden
floor owing to the extensive application of aventurine
to the large lacquered wall panels. In comparison to
Figure 1 Cross-section of the Japanese Tower by Alexandre Marcel. Archives of the Royal Palace, Brussels, Documentary
collection no 586. Image: E. Goedeleven.
Mesmaeker The Japanese Tower at the Royal Domain in Laeken
Studies in Conservation 2016 VOL. 61 SUPPLEMENT 3S3-110
the smaller flakes used for the nashiji decoration, com-
paratively, large flakes were used to achieve this dec-
orative effect. This floor also has representations of
mythical figures such as dragons. Originally, it had a
painted vellum canopy ceiling, attributed to Jac
Galand, showing a group of women in a landscape,
which was probably inspired by a Japanese woodblock
print by Utagawa Kunisada (Kozyreff, 2001). The
painted textile is stored at the Museum of Art and
History in Brussels.
The third floor incorporates the most Japanese
nashiji decoration. This type of decoration is found
throughout the tower, for example on the French
window frames (Fig. 3), some sliding doors and on
the frames of the carved panels. Nashiji is a type of
decoration created by sprinkling small metal flakes
on thinly coated lacquer —in this case, analysis
revealed tin flakes sprinkled on a layer of red lacquer
(Fenikx, 2013). When cured, the surface is coated
with lacquer, cured, then smoothed and polished so
that the sparkling effect of the flakes is seen through
a layer of urushi. The technique is named for the
Japanese pear (nashi) and powder may be sprinkled
densely or sparsely. There is a magnificent ceiling
similar to the first floor soffit but evoking animals,
including remarkable openwork reliefs representing
rising and diving dragons.
The fourth floor (Fig. 4) is known as the red floor
owing to its red lacquered wooden panels and the
high-quality carved columns. A large, matt Japanese
painting on wood (1427 ×72.5 cm) depicting musi-
cians covers the room’s upper walls, surrounding the
viewer. The ceiling is decorated with a large 20 m
2
marouflaged painted canvas produced in 1904 by the
French decorator Willemsen (Fenikx, 2013). This
painting is influenced by a painting from Nikko
temple and by a Japanese woodblock print of
Utagawa Hiroshige (Kozyreff, 2001).
One of the tower’s main attractions is the excep-
tional panoramic view from the fifth floor, although
the floor itself has suffered from construction imper-
fections over the years. Numerous elements are now
missing or very damaged. The large wooden panels,
comparable with the others in the tower, are finished
Figure 2 The King’s office on the first floor. Archives of the Royal Palace, Brussels, Documentary collection. Image:
E. Goedeleven.
Figure 3 Nashiji decoration on the frame of a French window
on the second floor. Image: courtesy of Fenikx bvba.
Mesmaeker The Japanese Tower at the Royal Domain in Laeken
Studies in Conservation 2016 VOL. 61 SUPPLEMENT 3S3-111
with black lacquer and, as on the second floor, the ico-
nography focuses on animals, such as lions or
monkeys. European craftsmen decorated the ceiling
with marouflaged canvas paintings in the art
nouveau style, which was very fashionable in the late
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Decorative components imported from Japan were
installed in 1904. The construction process was
slowed by structural defects and damage to the
Japanese woodwork as a result of poor storage and
significant water damage. Nevertheless, the tower
was completed the same year, and the official inaugu-
ration took place on 6 May 1905 during the King’s
annual garden party.
Despite its beauty and exoticism, on 26 March 1909,
only four years after its inauguration, King Leopold II
donated the tower to the Belgian state to be used as a
commercial museum. Access was limited during the
Second World War and in 1947 it was closed due to
financial constraints. The first restoration campaign
was undertaken in the early 1990s and mostly
focused the entry hall and the main staircase leading
to the ground floor of the tower.
Study methodology: a multidisciplinary
approach
A study of the upper floors was carried out by Fenikx
bvba between September 2010 and November 2013.
The research methodology focused on comparisons
between archival research, architectural, and material
research in situ, and the results of scientific analysis.
It led to the identification of the techniques used in
each of the decorative elements, which were then
mapped for future reference. A detailed record of
damage to the decoration was compiled. This infor-
mation was used to prioritize decorative elements for
conservation and to help define treatment parameters.
In 2011, to ensure the problems of this delicate and
highly unusual building were addressed with care,
international experts were consulted to exchange
views and discuss the various methodological, techni-
cal, and ethical issues. The visit of Professor William
Coaldrake and Shigeru Kubodera in September 2012
was of major importance to understanding the
tower’s history and style. They confirmed that the
tower is an important cultural object that poses
complex conservation challenges, stating:
Only a few places in Japan have a similar combi-
nation of decoration and architecture. The
interior includes elements from the late Edo
and Meiji periods. The latter was the culmination
of decorative arts in Japan. The tower reflects
this in the sophistication of crafts and technol-
ogies employed to decorate its interior, as the
apparent extensive use of ikkei saishiki for the
doors, pillars and panels will suffice to illustrate.
(Coaldrake & Kubodera, 2012)
In addition, Yoshihiko Yamashita offered an overview
of the materials and techniques used in lacquer conser-
vation in Japan and contributed to the preservation
plan for the interior decoration.
Figure 4 The chamber of the fourth floor. Photo library of the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage, no X037975, 2008 © KIK-IRPA,
Bruxelles.
Mesmaeker The Japanese Tower at the Royal Domain in Laeken
Studies in Conservation 2016 VOL. 61 SUPPLEMENT 3S3-112
Lacquer decoration and results of analysis
The tower incorporates a wide range of decorative tech-
niques, including a significant variety of Japanese
lacquer, which was found on bas-relief, framework,
sliding doors, ceilings, French windows, carved
columns, and porticos. Several lacquer techniques were
used, including monochrome lacquer (black, red, green,
and yellow), with and without relief, metal powder and
leaf (nashiji, maki-e and takamaki-e), and the architec-
tural technique ikkei saishiki. Most of the monochrome
lacquers in the tower are composed of two grey-brown
ground layers, followed by the lacquer layers.
The ikkei saishiki technique was extensively used for
the doors, pillars, and large panels (Fig. 5). It is a tech-
nique of extraordinary virtuosity and technical rigour
that was developed in the first- half of the seventeenth
century and brought an important innovation to archi-
tectural decoration (Coaldrake & Kubodera, 2012).
Traditionally, gold leaf was applied on the surface
with Japanese animal glue (nikawa) or lacquer.
Coloured layers, using pigments and nikawa, were
then applied to create the polychrome parts of the
design, leaving gold leaf exposed where required for
contrast and decorative detail. Even though no gold
leaf was identified, the tower contains an adaptation
of this technique: a layer of lacquer on which coloured
pigment mixed with nikawa was applied followed by
the use of metallic powder to create the highlights of
the design.
Scientific analysis —optical microscopy, scanning
electron microscopy with energy -dispersive X-ray
analysis, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy,
high -performance liquid chromatography with
diode-array detection, and pyrolysis gas chromato-
graphy-mass spectrometry —identified the use of
urushi along with additives including plant juice and
perilla oil in the upper coloured layers. A mixture of
proteinaceous binder mixed with urushi lacquer was
identified in the ground layers (Sanyova, 2013). The
uppermost layers of the red lacquer (Fig. 6) were pig-
mented with mercury sulphide (HgS), whereas trans-
parent black lacquer was used for the black finishing
layers. Several types of smooth monochrome lacquer
were observed on the frames of the sliding doors: red
and black as described earlier, as well as transparent
lacquer (on the fifth floor) and green seishitsu urushi
(on the second floor: Fig. 7). Analysis revealed that
the green lacquer was pigmented with a mixture of
Prussian blue and artificial orpiment (Vermeulen
et al., 2015).
Lacquer degradation in the tower
The lacquer in the tower exhibits extensive damage of
varying degrees as a result of the history of the build-
ing and the passage of time. The damage is a complex
matter and has different causes. The most frequently
encountered damage is that caused by environmental
factors, resulting in: severe flaking of the polychromy;
salt contamination; insect and mould contamination;
cracks in the wooden supports; fading, whitening,
and other colour changes in the lacquer; oxidation;
and surface dirt. The degree and type of damage
depends on the storey, as exposure to sunlight, pol-
lution, temperature changes, and relative humidity
varies accordingly. Damage specific to the lacquer
Figure 6 Red lacquer on the carved column of the third floor.
Image: courtesy of Fenikx bvba.
Figure 5 The technique of seishitsu urushi on the carved
column of the second floor. Image: courtesy of Fenikx bvba.
Mesmaeker The Japanese Tower at the Royal Domain in Laeken
Studies in Conservation 2016 VOL. 61 SUPPLEMENT 3S3-113
includes fading and colour changes (Fig. 8), micro-
cracking, flaking and lifting, powdering, and many
types of loss, ranging from superficial losses to those
that extend to and through the ground layers and
substrate.
Some previous European interventions on the
Japanese elements have resulted in degradation.
Prior to assembly in the tower, certain elements were
stored on the Styvenberg farm (Laeken) in poor
conditions, resulting in a whitish appearance on
some elements. As a result, some restoration was
undertaken during their installation. Because the
deterioration differs between decorative elements and
their associated techniques, one of the major chal-
lenges is to achieve an overall aesthetic balance in
the final result. Some damage is irreversible and this
must be taken into account as conservation strategies
are formulated.
Lacquer conservation challenges
The conservation of this building is a challenge
because of its nature —a wooden structure that
cannot be altered, which incorporates many types of
decoration. This situation is further complicated by
the need to conform to modern fire regulations and
address security issues before the tower can be
opened to the public.
The ethical and technical issues are complicated
by ownership, location, and financial constraints.
The tower is the property of the Belgian Buildings
Agency, but located within the Royal Domain of
Laeken, which is subject to stringent security
requirements. The Museum of Art and History
occupies the building but lacked financial means.
Belgium’s political situation complicated matters
further: following elections in 2010, it took more
than 500 days to form a government. During this
period most political decision-making was sus-
pended, including that related to the Japanese
Tower conservation project.
The general approach to the conservation of this
building was determined after preliminary studies by
a multidisciplinary team combined with consulting a
range of international experts including architects,
curators, scientists, and specialists in lacquer, lacquer
Figure 7 Ochre, dark red, and seishitsu urushi on the frame of the large wall panel on the second floor. Image: courtesy of
Fenikx bvba.
Figure 8 Colour change of the lacquer in the large wall panel
on the second floor. Image: D. Mesmaeker.
Mesmaeker The Japanese Tower at the Royal Domain in Laeken
Studies in Conservation 2016 VOL. 61 SUPPLEMENT 3S3-114
conservation, and preventive conservation. The objec-
tive is to conserve those parts of the building that are in
good condition in their current state, to slow future
degradation using preventive conservation and main-
tain homogeneity with limited and sympathetic con-
servation treatment where necessary.
It is known that photodegraded lacquer is very
fragile and that the choice of methods and conser-
vation approach is crucial to ensure optimal preser-
vation. European and Japanese methods differ in
ethics and material choices, and both present
advantages and disadvantages. The conservation
approach in Japan is to use the same material as
the original, thereby preserving the object’s essence
(Webb, 2000). This, however, can pose a problem
to the reversibility and visibility that is valued in
the West and emphasized in resulting conservation
practice.
Research and exchange between Western and
Japanese lacquer specialists convinced us that (when
possible) the use of the Japanese technique will offer
the best way to conserve the tower’s photodegraded
lacquer (Yamashita & Rivers, 2011). However, this
will still require study, because the use of lacquer-
based material depends on the state of degradation,
previous European interventions, the materials used
in the original manufacture and the feasibility of
such methods on architectural elements on this scale.
First conservation measures
During the winter of 2013, the Belgian Buildings
Agency allocated funds for urgent conservation
work. Much of the budget was used to address
damage to the polychromy (securing the first- and
third-floor ceilings, and treatment of mould on the
entrance pillars of the first and third floor), while
part was used to fund the installation of ultraviolet-
blocking blinds, which were crucial for lacquer preser-
vation. At the beginning of March 2016 the dusting of
the staircase was undertaken by an interdisciplinary
team including specialists in metal, paper, polychrome,
and Asian lacquer conservation.
Conclusion
The Japanese Tower is of genuine historical interest in
both Belgium and Japan. As a result, the Belgian
Buildings Agency decided to take measures to preserve
it. Preliminary studies highlighted the exchanges
between Belgium and Japan before, during and after
its construction. The cross-cultural exchange contin-
ued in the consideration of the conservation treatment
and influenced the conservation–restoration approach
that will be taken to preserve this exceptional example
of Belgian–Japanese cultural heritage.
Cross-cultural exchange convinced the team to
pursue Japanese approaches for some treatments and
Western approaches for others. This will require col-
laboration between Japanese and Belgian specialists,
as occurred during the building’s creation.
Preliminary research on the interior identified a large,
varied, and unique collection of both European arte-
facts and Japanese lacquerwork and architectural orna-
ments from the Edo and Meiji periods. Research has
demonstrated the exceptional character of the building
although the Tower still holds, and may always hold,
secrets.
Glossary
Nashiji
A type of decoration created by sprinkling small metal
flakes on thinly coated lacquer. When cured, the
surface is coated with lacquer, cured again then
smoothed and polished so that the sparkling effect of
the flakes is seen through a layer of urushi. The tech-
nique is named for the Japanese pear (nashi) and
powder may be sprinkled densely or sparsely.
Kinkarakawa-gami/kinkarakawakami
Japanese paper that imitates the European gilt leather
(kinkarakawa) imported to Japan by the Dutch in the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Embossed paper
with metal foil (tin, brass, etc.).
Makie
A type of decoration (sprinkled picture) created by
drawing designs in lacquer on a surface, then sprink-
ling metal powder on top.
Seishitsu urushi
A Japanese term that indicates green lacquer.
Absorbent yellow pigments, such as orpiment were
immersed in an ai (indigo) dye solution to give a
green colour that was then bound in transparent
lacquer (suki-urushi) (Kato, 2005, p. 182).
Ikkei saishiki
A technique of extraordinary virtuosity and technical
rigour. It was developed in the first- half of the seven-
teenth century and brought an important innovation
to architectural decoration (Coaldrake & Kubodera,
2012). Traditionally, gold leaf was applied on the
surface with Japanese animal glue (nikawa)or
lacquer. Coloured layers, using pigments and nikawa,
were then applied to create the polychrome parts of
the design, leaving gold leaf exposed where required
for contrast and decorative detail.
Takamakie
Raised makie decoration.
Acknowledgements
This paper is based on the poster presented at the IIC
Hong Kong Congress 2014 and on a paper presented
at the Asian Lacquer International Symposium at
The State University of New York, Buffalo NY, 20–
Mesmaeker The Japanese Tower at the Royal Domain in Laeken
Studies in Conservation 2016 VOL. 61 SUPPLEMENT 3S3-115
24 May 2013. The author is grateful to the entire
project team for their help and support during this
extraordinary experience: Marjolein Deceuninck and
Ann Verdonck led the study of the tower, alongside
Rosemie Cheroutre, Etienne Costa, Marianne
Decroly, Sophie Robyns, Jana Sanyova, Françoise
Urban, and Marc Vermeulen. The author is grateful
for the chemical analysis undertaken by Jana
Sanyova, Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage
(KIK-IRPA). The author also would like to thank
Lee Gillet, Shayne Rivers, and Marc Vermeulen for
advice during the preparation of this paper.
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