The art of Japanning or the creation of Japanned ware was popular in the 1800’s. Japanning or creating Japanned ware means to paint tin with a shiny lacquer look that resembled the imports that were coming out of China in the 1800’s. The Japanned ware was just as pretty, but was less expensive which made them available to the working family.
It originated from cities like West Midland, Wolverhampton and Bilston, in England. Loveridge and Company was one of the biggest Japanned ware producers in England. They employed over 250 people and created Japanned items ranging from small items like teapots to large items like pie boxes and cabinets. They would send out catalogs with patterns on them complete with color choices.
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To achieve the japanned look, many layers of dark varnish were placed over tin, metal or paper mache. This varnish was made from a tar like substance and then an artist would paint scenes on top of the varnished base coat. For a short period of history, furniture was made out of paper mache with the japanned ware look. This fad didn’t last long because the paper furniture wasn’t sturdy enough to last for very long.
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