Japanning

Japanning is a European technique developed from the 17th century to imitate East Asian lacquerware, after imported pieces became fashionable in England, France, the Netherlands, and Spain and demand outpaced what could be shipped from Japan and China. Rather than real urushi, which only cures properly in the humid conditions of its native climate, Japanning builds up a glossy black or tortoiseshell-like finish from several coats of a resin-based varnish similar to shellac, each one heat-dried and polished before the next is applied.

The technique reached peak popularity in 18th-century Europe on furniture, boxes, and clock cases, and it’s still the reason “lacquered” furniture sold outside Japan often isn’t made with urushi at all. If a listing describes a piece as “Japanned” rather than urushi or shikki, it’s describing this Western varnish technique, not genuine Japanese lacquerware.