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 whitening 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. 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 either 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 whitened 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, five 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 feed-lac varnish, five ounces; 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 feed-lac varnish, five ounces; of lamp black, a sufficient quantity; mix them, and with that let your work be washed twelve times, standing twelve hours betwixt the first six and the last six washings. 4. Then let 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 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 ifing-

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 ifing-glass size, and flake 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 ifing-glass size, fine vermillion, a sufficient 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 feed-lac varnish, and let 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-feed varnish; let it lie seven days to dry, and then polish it with tripoli, and clear it up with o.l and lamp black.

A deeper red japan may be made by mixing fine sanguis draconis, in powder, with the varnish; and a paler 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 ifing-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 ifing 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. 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 forefinger, dip it in the gold dust, and rub it where your gold size is laid; for it will stick nowhere 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 enter upon a distinct colour. After all these, the other colours which are not metalline are to be laid on with gum-water, referring 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 mixed your metals and colours, lay on your design; your gum-water being thoroughly dried, you are to run it over with fine feed-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 feed-lac varnish mixed 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 feed-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.