Japanning

Japanning is a type of finish, usually based on lacquer, that originated as a European imitation of Asian lacquerwork. It was first used on furniture. The word originated in the 17th century.

Japanned

Japanning is most often a heavy black lacquer, almost like enamel paint. Black is common enough that japanning is often assumed to be synonymous with black japanning. The European technique uses varnishes that have a resin base, similar to shellac, applied in heat-dried layers which are then polished, to give a smooth glossy finish. It can also come in reds, greens and blues.

Originating in India, China and Japan as a decorative coating for pottery, it made its way into Europe by the 17th century. In the late 17th century, high European demand and rumours that higher quality pieces were not exported led to production starting in Italy. Its traditional form used gold designs and pictorials to contrast with the black base color.

Development in Europe

As the demand for all things japanned grew, the Italian technique for imitating Asian lacquerwork also spread. The art of japanning developed in seventeenth-century Britain, France, Italy, and the Low Countries. The technique was described in manuals such as Stalker and Parker's Treatise of Japanning and Varnishing, published in Oxford in 1688. Colonial Boston was a major center of the japanning trade in America, where at least a dozen cabinetmakers included it among their specialties. In England, decoupage, the art of applying paper cutouts to other items, became very popular, especially the botanically inspired works of Mary Delany.