A Hardy's circular fly and cast box, with japanned finish, hinged opening top and bottom, Hardy's nickel silver name plate to top lid, c.1910.
- Nickel Silver - Nickel silver is a metal alloy made from copper, nickel, and zinc. Despite its name, it does not contain any silver. It was developed in the early 19th century in Germany as a less expensive alternative to silver, and it quickly gained popularity as a material for tableware, jewellery, and other decorative objects.
Nickel silver has a similar appearance to silver, with a bright, shiny surface that can be polished to a high lustre. It is also resistant to tarnish and corrosion, making it a durable material for long-lasting items. It is commonly used in the manufacturing of musical instruments such as flutes, saxophones, and clarinets, due to its acoustic properties. It is also used in the production of silverware, jewellery, and watch components, as an affordable alternative to precious metals like silver and gold.
- Japanning - Japanning is the early eighteenth century technique used by European craftsmen to imitate the oriental style lacquer work that became popular in England, France, the Netherlands, and Spain in the 17th century.
The lacquer used was based on the lac beetle dissolved in alcohol (as used in French polish) and differed from the Chinese lacquer which was based on tree sap.
Each layer of the lacquer was allowed to dry and then sanded down. It was applied over cream, yellow, green, red, or black grounds. Japanning using gold leaf was also widely used with lacquer work. The technique can be found on bureaux, cabinets, chests, longcase clocks, and chairs.
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