japanning, in the decorative arts, process popular in 18th-century Europe for finishing and ornamenting wood, leather, tin, and papier-mâché in imitation of the celebrated lacquerwork of the Japanese.
japanning, in the decorative arts, process popular in 18th-century Europe for finishing and ornamenting wood, leather, tin, and papier-mâché in imitation of the celebrated lacquerwork of the Japanese.