Japanned Ware

Such articles as:

Boxes and canisters for tea, coffee, sugar, spices, flour, bread, cake. Dust-pans, Trays, Crumb trays which are not to be used for cooking are made of tinned ware covered with a hard coating of colored varnish, called japan, because the articles coated in this way resemble the celebrated lacquered goods from Japan and China.

The colors seen are white, imitation of oak grain, blue, brown, and black.

Two or more coatings of the japan are given to the better grades. After each coating the articles are heated for 10 to 12 hours in an oven at from 135 to 1650 F. The japanned surface is next rubbed with fine ground pumice, then with rottenstone, and sometimes finally polished by hand. Sometimes gold or bronze bands or floral decorations are added; these are painted on in a special gold size, then the gold leaf or bronze powder is dusted on, and the objects are again placed in the oven. On removal the gilt or bronzed portions have a protecting coat of varnish. The light colors require more careful heating than the darker ones.