Originally Posted by butterflywing
i have four bases (one cabinet) and they all are shiny black, all original. it feels like enamel over iron. i know it's not enamel, but that's what it feels like. definitely not matte.
I think most of these items were "Japaned". I found this on Wikipedia:
Just as China is a common name for Chinese ceramic, Japan is an old name for Japanese Lacquerware[8] (made from the sap of the Lacquer Tree) and its European imitations. As Asian and Indian lacquer work became popular in England, France, the Netherlands, and Spain in the 17th century the Europeans developed imitations that were effectively a different technique of lacquering. The European technique, which is used on furniture and other objects, uses varnishes that have a resin base similar to shellac. The technique, which became known as japanning, involves applying several coats of varnish which are each heat-dried and polished. In the 18th Century this type of lacquering gained a large popular following.