East Asian Coffret from the Collection of Hermann Göring

East Asian Coffret from the Collection of Hermann Göring
 
A casket of rare refinement, this 19th-century East Asian coffret stands as a testament to the delicate grandeur of a vanished world. Fashioned in precious wood and adorned with mother-of-pearl inlays, it evokes the serenity of distant landscapes and the meticulous artistry of imperial workshops devoted to beauty and balance. Each iridescent fragment, set with reverent precision, conjures scenes of bridges, pavilions, and trees—symbols of harmony and transience.
Yet beyond its aesthetic grace lies a provenance steeped in historical gravity. Once housed within the private collection of Hermann Göring at Carinhall, this coffret bore silent witness to the paradoxes of power and taste in a century torn by conflict. Following the dissolution of that estate, it passed into the care of his daughter, Edda Göring, who preserved it until her death, ensuring its continuity and safeguarding its origin.
Today, it emerges not merely as an object of ornament, but as a relic of cultural entanglement—a dialogue between East and West, between craftsmanship and legacy. Its survival, unmarred by time, invites contemplation: of the hands that shaped it, the eyes that admired it, and the histories it has endured.
 
Doktor Lazarus Archaeologist, Historian, Collector, Independent Curator