— Ben Janssens Collection
Arnhem, 9 september 2026
Van Pruissen Asian Art announces the acquisition of a selection of works from the renowned private collection of Ben Janssens, one of Europe’s leading specialists in Asian art and founder of Ben Janssens Oriental Art. An initial selection of around 30 pieces, drawn from his extensive collection of Japanese lacquer art, will be presented during the 39th edition of PAN Amsterdam.
Janssens has specialised in Chinese and Japanese art for almost forty years. He began collecting Japanese lacquer art in 2006, following his first trip to Japan, which was initially focused primarily on purchasing Chinese artworks. What began as a serendipitous discovery grew into one of the most significant private collections in this field over the past decades. Characteristic of Janssens’ collector’s eye is his preference for both clean, geometric abstraction and lifelike forms and animal figures.
Part of the collection was previously exhibited at the Japan Museum SieboldHuis in Leiden, in the exhibition ‘Splendour in Detail’, for which guest curator Jan Dees selected the works. Some of the pieces acquired by Van Pruissen Asian Art bear this exhibition provenance; others come from the wider collection.
A shared love for Japanese lacquer art
“I first met Ben at my first TEFAF in 2004, shortly after I’d started working at Vanderven & Vanderven Oriental Art. Our stands were opposite each other, and that’s how I discovered that Ben had once started his career at that very same firm. Years later, when Vanderven Japanese Art was founded in 2008, our shared love of Japanese lacquer art proved to be a wonderful foundation for a long-lasting relationship. That we are now able to offer items from his collection therefore feels like a natural continuation of that shared history. Ben’s eye is unrivalled: every piece he acquired had to meet his strict requirement of being in pristine, unrestored condition. His instinct for both bold geometric abstraction and carefully observed natural forms reveals a collector who looks beyond the act of collecting itself. For our clients, this means something special: lacquer art selected not by the market, but by one of the most astute connoisseurs in the field,”
Erwin van Pruissen, founder of Van Pruissen Asian Art
Two aspects stand out within the collection: Janssens’ uncompromising insistence on a pristine, unrestored condition, and his use of tomobako, the bespoke wooden boxes in which Japanese lacquer art is traditionally stored. These boxes not only serve to protect the works but, in many cases, also constitute the sole documentary evidence of their provenance, as lacquer artists often did not sign their work.
The Ben Janssens Collection — PAN Amsterdam 2026
A selection of highlights will be on display at PAN Amsterdam, from 1 to 8 November 2026, at stand number 86. Other pieces can be viewed by appointment.
