bois de Spa

The term "bois de Spa" refers to small lacquered boxes that were a specialty of the Belgian town of Spa and nearby areas like Liège. These boxes were part of a broader European tradition of lacquerwork that emerged after 1600, inspired by imported East Asian objects. European craftsmen developed their own imitation lacquer techniques, often referred to as "japanning" in England, to create decorative items like furniture and boxes. While European lacquerwork, including the "bois de Spa," aimed to replicate the brilliance of Oriental lacquer, it often used different resins and gums as substitutes. The town of Spa itself is a geographical location in eastern Belgium.12