Lacquerwork (japanning, coromandel and other lacquerwork)

Japanning was developed in Europe in the 16th century to imitate Asian lacquer made from the sap of the lacquer tree (urushi). At this time, ‘Chinoiserie’ was a popular style for interior decoration. Many books and treatises were written on japanning in the 17th century, and are still the best form of reference today.

Today, very few people will make their living as a japanner. It exists primarily as a conservation craft and it is mostly conservators who have access to the skills of traditional japanning. While many furniture companies do produce ‘lacquerwork’ items, these are spray-applied modern lacquers and not urushi or japanning.

There are a wide variety of techniques within lacquerwork:

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• Today, lacquerwork exists primarily as a conservation craft – it is extremely rare to make it for new items so it is taught from a conservation/restoration approach (i.e. as part of the City & Guilds of London Art School three-year BA Conservation and BA Carving degree courses).
• Skills transmission: The skills of lacquerwork are seriously at risk as few people are passing on their skills. While the 17th-century treatises do still exist, you need to have an understanding of japanning in order to interpret them.
• Skills transmission/time intensive: West Dean runs postgraduate and adult short courses which give people a basic understanding of the craft – but you can’t teach how to do all the layers on a three-day course.
• Cost/time intensive: lacquerwork is extremely time-consuming and nobody wants to pay for the hours (so if an alternative, spray-on material is available then people will go for that).
• Changing tastes: Chinoiserie goes in fifty-year cycles.

• The Institute of Conservation
• City & Guilds of London Art School
• Worshipful company of Painters and Stainers
• Cockpit Arts

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A list of conservators with japanning skills can be found on the Conservation Register maintained by the Institute of Conservation.

• Alexander Schouvaloff, conservator, maker and teacher of japanning. A former City & Guilds of London Art student as well as protegé of Margaret Ballardie.
• Kirsten Walsh, conservator and maker
• Bella Chipperfield, maker
• Nancy Wilden, conservator
• Hugi Hicyilmaz, Conservator
• Pedro da Costa Felgueiras, specialist practitioner in Oriental and European lacquer and historic paint techniques
• Tuesday Riddell – Alumna of City & Guilds of London Art School BA Fine Art and former Decorative Surfaces Fellow, is a fine artist using japanning and japanning techniques in her work.
• Polly Bennett – Alumna of City & Guilds of London Art School BA Fine Art and former Decorative Surfaces Fellow, is a multidisciplinary artist and craftsperson using japanning techniques.
• Rian Kanduth – Master gilder Rian Kanduth works with more than 18 techniques: water gilding, gesso, punchwork, oil gilding, verré eglomisé, japanning, penwork, coromandel, gesso cutting, sgraffito, pastiglia, patina, and many more.
• Arielle Frances – Coromandel work

Margaret Ballardie, Head of the Restoration Diploma Course at the City and Guilds of London Art School, sadly passed away in 2017. Margaret did much to promote the skill of japanning in the UK.

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