Editing Lacquer (section)

{{Short description|Liquid or powder coating material which is applied thinly to objects to form a hard finish}}
{{distinguish|Liqueur|Lager}}
{{For-multi|decorative items made with lacquer|Lacquerware|phonograph records made on a cutting lathe|Acetate disc}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=June 2010}}
[[File:明嘉靖 剔紅壽字紋八角漆盤-Dish with character for longevity (shou) MET DP704215.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Lacquerware|Lacquer dish]] with [[Shou (character)|Chinese character for longevity]], mid 16th century]]
[[File:Gourd-Shaped Sake Bottle with Aoi Crests.jpg|thumb|''[[Maki-e]]'' ''[[sake]]'' bottle with [[Tokugawa clan]]'s [[Mon (emblem)|''mon'' (emblem)]], Japan, [[Edo period]]]]
[[File:Plate made of varnished and closely-fitted bamboo, Kinh ethnic group, Nam Dinh province - Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts - Hanoi, Vietnam - DSC05262.JPG|thumb|Lacquer plate, Nam Định province, Vietnam, [[Nguyễn dynasty]]]]

'''Lacquer''' is a type of hard and usually shiny [[coating]] or finish applied to materials such as wood or metal. It is most often made from [[resin]] extracted from trees and waxes and has been in use since antiquity.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://japanobjects.com/features/guide-to-masterpieces-of-japanese-lacquer |access-date=12 June 2022|title=Urushi: All You Need to Know About Japanese Lacquer |date=5 June 2020 }}</ref>

Asian [[lacquerware]], which may be called "true lacquer", are objects coated with the treated, dyed and dried sap of ''[[Toxicodendron vernicifluum]]'' or related trees, applied in several coats to a base that is usually wood. This dries to a very hard and smooth surface layer which is durable, waterproof, and attractive in feel and look. Asian lacquer is sometimes painted with pictures, inlaid with shell and other materials, or [[carved lacquer|carved]], as well as [[maki-e|dusted with gold]] and given other further decorative treatments.

In modern techniques, lacquer means a range of clear or pigmented [[coating]]s that dry by solvent evaporation to produce a hard, durable finish. The finish can be of any sheen level from ultra [[wikt:matte|matte]] to high [[Gloss (material appearance)|gloss]], and it can be further polished as required. Lacquer finishes are usually harder and more brittle than oil-based or latex paints and are typically used on hard and smooth surfaces.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}

In terms of modern finishing products, finishes based on [[shellac]] dissolved in [[Alcohol (chemistry)|alcohol]] are often called ''shellac'' or ''lac'' to distinguish them from synthetic lacquer, often called simply ''lacquer'', which consists of synthetic [[polymers]] (such as [[nitrocellulose]], [[Butyrate|cellulose acetate butyrate]] ("CAB"), or [[acrylic resin]]) dissolved in ''[[lacquer thinner]]'', a mixture of various organic [[solvent]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Safety Data Sheet Acrylic Lacquer |url= https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/auto/general-purpose-paints/acrylic-lacquer/#tab-1}}</ref> Although synthetic lacquer is more durable than shellac, traditional shellac finishes are nevertheless often preferred for their aesthetic characteristics, as with [[French polish]], as well as their "all-natural" and generally food-safe ingredients.