Vintage toleware hand painted large lacquer wood and tin box 60 cm tall 49 cm wide 32 cm depth a truly stunning hand painted decorative box adorned with flowers and birds comes in three pieces bottom part legs wood and lacquer middle part toleware tin top part wood and lacquer Japanning is a type of finish that originated as a European imitation of East Asian lacquerwork. It was first used on furniture, but was later much used on small items in metal. The word originated in the 17th century. 
The term tôle, derived from the French tôle peinte, "painted sheet metal", is synonymous in English usage with japanning on tin,[1] such as the tôle shades for bouilotte lamps and other candle shades, and trays and lidded canisters, in which stenciling and gilding often features, almost always on a black ground. Pontypool and Usk in South Wales made a reputation for tôle imitating Japanese lacquer starting in the early 19th century.[2]
History and regional production. Primitive lacquer was used in Japan as early as 12,600 BC, during the Jōmon period. Lacquer was used in Japan as early as 7000 BCE, during the Jōmon period. Evidence for the earliest lacquerware was discovered at the Kakinoshima "B" Excavation Site in Hokkaido.