French Polishing Gallery
Many attempts have been made over the past hundred years to find a suitable synthetic duplicate of shellac. This has led to an increase in the use of toxic chemicals to produce goods, such as bakelite, cellulose nitrate, acrylics and urethanes. As people become increasingly aware of the harm 'safe' toxic chemicals do to themselves and the planet, shellac is starting to make a comeback. Early History View the ptoone eBook Library for a illustrated PDF on the topic.
The ancient art of French polishing.
An art perfected in europe in the 17th century is carefully practiced the traditional way as a dining table makes a vowel to become two. The two pieces were prepared and finished by hand only using the traditional French polishing method.
The first reference of shellac in Europe appears as early as 1590 in the writing of an English writer who was sent to India where he was introduced to shellac. Commenting on a procedure for applying lac to wood, he writes:
“They take a piece of Lac of what colour they will, and as they turne it when it commeth to his fashion they spread the Lac upon the whole piece of woode, about the thicknesse of a man’s naile. Then they burnish it over witth a broad straw or dry Rushes so cunningly that all the woode is covered, and it shineth like glasse, most pleasant to behold. In this sort they cover all kinde of household stuffe in India.”
