Coromandel lacquer

Refers to a type of lacquerware made in central and northern China from the 17th century and particularly popular in the 18th century in European high society. Coromandel lacquerware is characterized by its incised decorations filled with brightly colored lacquer or oil paint. The name comes from a part of the southeastern Indian coast near Madras that was a transfer point for Far Eastern goods being shipped to Europe by England's East India Company. The most well-known Coromandel lacquerware are the large Coromandel screens. The term is sometimes used to refer to the technique of doing the lacquering. The Japanese were also familiar with the technique but rarely used it for their lacquerware.