# Encyclopædia Britannica, First Edition/Japanning

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​Japanning, the art of varniſhing and drawing figures on wood, &c. in the manner as is done by the natives of Japan.
The method of preparing woods for japanning is as follows. 1. Take plaſterer’s ſize, diſſolve, it over the fire, and mix it with whiting finely powdered till it is of a good body, but not too thick. 2. By means of a ſtrong bruſh, lay your work over with the former mixture; and letting it dry very well, repeat this till the wood is perfectly plain, or the pores and crevices ſufficiently filled up; and when it is thoroughly dry, rub the work over with a wet rag till it is rendered as ſmooth as poſſible: this work is called water-plaining. 3. After this, waſh over the work with the thickeſt of ſeed-lac varniſh till it is very ſmooth, letting it ſtand to dry between every waſhing. 4. In a day or two’s time, you may varniſh it over with black, or whatever other colour you deſign; and when it is dry, finiſh it by poliſhing. See the article Varnish.
After the ſame manner carved figures are to be primed; alſo frames, cabinets, ſtands, tea-tables, &c. ſaving that theſe are not to be poliſhed, and therefore do not require ſo great a body of varniſh; but for the tops of tables, boxes, ſides of cabinets, &c. when the wood is ordinary and rough grained, as deal oak, &c. you may uſe common joiners glue diſſolved in ​water till it is fine and thin, into which put the fineſt ſaw duſt, till it is indifferently thick: then with a bruſh lay your wooden-work over with it, and when it is dry, repeat it ſo often till all the roughneſs and grain of the wood is ſufficiently hidden; and two or three days after let it be ſcraped with a ſcraper, as pear tree and olive-wood are done, to make it as ſmooth as poſſible: then varniſh it as before directed. This, if well done, might not come behind any other work cither for beauty or durability; but, however, thoſe woods that are firm and cloſe grained are chiefly to be choſen.
Method of taking off japan patterns. 1. Having laid your ground, whether black, or of any other colour, and rendered it fit for drawing; and having your draught or deſign before you on paper, either drawn or printed, do as follows. 2. Rub this draught or print all over the back ſide with whiting or fine chalk, wiping off all that whiting which lies looſe upon the paper; then laying this paper upon the table, or piece of varniſhed-work, with the whited ſide next it upon the very place where you would have that figure made, with a needle not ſharp-pointed, fixed in a wooden handle, and called a tracing-pencil, go over and trace as much of the drawing as you think proper: thus by means of the whiting, you will have the groſs form of the draught, and ſuch other lines as will be a direction to you how to perform what you would have done. 3. Having done this, if you draw in gold-ſize, uſe fine cinnabar mixed with gum-water; and with a ſmall pencil dipt into it, go over all the lines made by the chalk: this will hold it ſo as not to come off. 4. If you work your metals or colours in gum-water, then trace over your deſign with gum-water mixt with gold or braſs duſt; by either of theſe ways when it is dry and finiſhed, viz. either in gum-water or gold ſize, you may compleat and finiſh your work.
Method of japanning wood. The wood being prepared as before directed, it is japanned with black, as follows. 1. Take of the thickeſt lac-varniſh, ſix ounces; and lamp black, enough to colour it: with this waſh over your piece three times, letting it dry thoroughly between each time: again, with the ſame varniſh, waſh it over three other ſeveral times, letting it dry as before, and ruſh it ſmooth between each waſhing. 2. Then take the following: Of thickeſt ſeed-lac varniſh, ſix ounes; and venice turpentine, one ounce, waſh over your work with it ſix times, letting it ſtand twelve hours between the three firſt and the three laſt varniſhes. 3. Your work being thus far done, take the following japan varniſh: Of the fineſt ſeed lac varniſh, ſix ounces; of lamp black, a ſufficient quantity; mix them, and with thar ſet your work be waſhed twelve times, ſtanding twelve hours betwixt the firſt ſix and the laſt ſix waſhings. 4. Then letting it ſtand to dry for ſix or ſeven days, poliſh it with tripoli and a rag, as before directed: but in poliſhing you muſt work at it only till it is almoſt ſmooth; and then let it ſtand by for two days: afterwards poliſh it again, almoſt enough; then let it ſtand for ſix days, after which finiſh the poliſhing of it; finally, clear it up with oil and lamp-black, by which means you will have a good black japan ſcarce at all inferior to the true japan.
For a white japan. 1. Lay the ground with iſing-glaſs ſize mixed with as much whiting ſcraped into it as will make it of a proper thickneſs; with this whiten your work once over, and being thoroughly dry, do it over again; and in like manner repeat it the third time; after which let it ſtand for twelve hours, covering it from duſt; ruſh it with Dutch ruſhing as near the grain of the wood as is proper. 2. Then taking firſt iſing-glaſs ſize, and ſlake white, ſo much as will make the ſize of a fair body, mix them well together, and with this go over your work three ſeveral times, letting it dry between each time, and ruſh it as before. 3. Then take white ſtarch boiled in fair water, till it is ſomewhat thick, waſh over the whole work twice with it, blood-warm; letting it dry as before. 4. Letting it ſtand for a day or two, it being firſt waſhed with rectified ſpirit of wine, to clear it from the duſt, dip a pure clean pencil into the fineſt white varniſh, and do over the work ſix or ſeven times; and if this be well done, it will give a finer gloſs than if it were poliſhed: if it be not well done, poliſhing will be neceſſary, for which reaſon you muſt give it five or ſix varniſhes more. In poliſhing you muſt make uſe of the fineſt tripoli; and inſtead of lamp-black and oil, muſt uſe putty and oil, and conclude with white ſtarch mixed with oil.
Common red japan. 1. Take iſing-glaſs ſize, fine vermilion, a ſufficicnt quantity, as much as is proper; with the former mixture do your work over four times; firſt warming it by the fire, letting it dry each time, and ruſhing it as before. 2. This being done, waſh it over eight times with ordinary ſeed lac varniſh, and ſet it by for twelve hours: then ruſh it again, but ſlightly, to make it look ſmooth. 3. And, laſtly, for an exquiſite outward covering, waſh it ten times with the beſt lac-ſeed varniſh; let it lie ſeven days to dry, and then poliſh it with tripoli, and clear it up with oil and lamp black.
A deeper red japan may be made by mixing fine ſanguis draconis, in powder, with the varniſh; and a pale red japan may be had by mixing ſo much white lead with it, as to make it of whatever degree of paleneſs you pleaſe.
Blue japan. 1. Take gum-water what quantity you pleaſe, and a ſufficient quantity of white lead; grind them well upon a marble; take iſing glaſs ſize what quantity you pleaſe, and the fineſt and beſt ſmalt a ſufficient quantity; mix them well together; then add to them of the white lead, ground as before, ſo much as will give it a ſufficient body; mix all together to the conſiſtence of a paint. 2. Do your work over with this mixture three or four times, till you perceive the blue to lie with a good and fair body, letting it dry thoroughly between each time: if your blue is too pale, put more ſmalt among your ſize, without any white lead, and ſo vice verſa. 3. Then ruſh it ſmooth, and go over it again with a ſtronger blue; and when it is dry, waſh it three times with the cleareſt iſing glaſs ſize alone, and let it ſtand for two days to dry, covering it. 4. Warm your work gently at the fire, and with a pencil varniſh it over with the fineſt white varniſh, repeating it ſeven or eight times, letting it ſtand to dry two days as before. After which repeat again the waſhes ſeven or eight times in like manner. 5. Let it now ſtand for a week, and then poliſh it as before, and clear it up with lamp black and oil.
​Cheſnut-coloured japan. Take indian red, grind it with iſing-glaſs ſize upon a porphyry-ſtone, till they are as ſoft and as fine as butter: then mix a little white lead, which grind ſtrongly; and, laſtly, lamp-black, in due proportion.
A tortoiſe-ſhell japan. Firſt lay a white ground, as before directed; then with proper colours, as vermilion, auripigment, &c. duly mixed with turpentine-varniſh, ſtreak and cloud or ſhadow the white ground with any irregular fancy at pleaſure, in imitation of tortoiſe-ſhell: then let it ſtand to dry, and ſtriking it here and there with reddiſh yellow varniſh, mixed with a little cinnabar, cloud the work up and down, touching it up alſo with varniſh mixed with lamp or ivory black. Having done this, varniſh it five or ſix times over with the fineſt white varniſh, letting it dry between every washing.
Japanning with gold ſize. The ſize being laid over that part only which you intend to gild, as already directed, let it remain there till it is ſo dry, that when you put your finger on it, it be glutinous and clammy, but not ſo moiſt that the particles ſhould come off with your fingers. It is in this temper that the gold is to be applied: then take a piece of waſhing leather, or the like, and wrapping it round your fore finger, dip it in the gold duſt, and rub it where your gold ſize is laid; for it will ſtick no where but on the ſize; and if any gold-duſt lies about your work, bruſh it away with a fine clean varniſhing bruſh. Then, with your pencil, draw that part with gold ſize alſo which is deſigned for your copper, and letting it dry as in the former caſe, cover it over with copper duſt in the ſame manner. Having done this, lay your ſilver-ſize; and when it is dry, as before, lay on your ſilver-duſt, as in the two former. But it is to be obſerved, that the metalline colours are to be laid ſucceſſively one after another, letting each be covered and thoroughly dry before you eater upon a diſtinct colour. After all theſe, the other colours which are not metallic are to be laid on with gum-water, reſerving the rock, &c. for the laſt part of the work. Let your ſize be of a due conſiſtence, neither too thick nor too thin, that it may run ſmooth and clean. See Size.
Japanning metals with gum-water. Take gum water, put it into a muſſel-ſhell; with which mix ſo much of your metal or colour as may give it a proper conſiſtence, ſo that it may run fine and ſmooth: having prepared and well mxed your metals and colours, lay on your deſign; your gum-water being thoroughly dried, you are to run it over with fine ſeed-lac varniſh, and afterwards poliſh and clear it.
Laying ſpeckles or ſtrewings on japan-work. To do this, either on outſide or inſide boxes, drawers, &c. mix your ſpeckles with ordinary lac-varniſh, ſo much as may make it fit to work, but not ſo thick as for colour, and mix them well with a proper bruſh. Warm the work to be done gently by the fire, and with a pencil waſh it over with the former mixture; and when it is dry, repeat it again, and ſo often till your ſpeckles lie as thick and even as you deſire. When it is thoroughly dry, go over and beautify the work three or four times with ſeed-lac varniſh mixt with turpentine, and ſo let it dry, and the work is finiſhed, except you have a mind to poliſh it. But if you poliſh it, you muſt waſh it eight or ten times over with the beſt ſeed-lac varniſh, letting it ſtand to dry every time; and afterwards poliſh it, as before directed. All ſorts of coloured ſpeckles may be thus uſed, except thoſe of ſilver; the laying on of which requires the beſt and fineſt of the lac-varniſh, or the beſt white varniſh, which muſt make it fit for poliſhing; but if you have not a mind to poliſh it, fewer waſhes of the varniſh will be ſufficient.
Japanned and laquered ware of the Eaſt indies, pay duty for every 100 l. groſs value at the ſale 38 l. on importation, and the drawback is 35 l. 12s. 6d. on exportation.