I recently entered the Knoxville Photo juried exhibition again. I won’t find out until May 26th if I was selected for inclusion, but I did fall down a rabbit hole on the internet when looking into the juror. Heather F. Wetzel has a very interesting body of work which includes a series of photos developed onto can lids called Salvaged. Check out her site, look at the exhibit and resist the rabbit hole if you can.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary:

1) \Ja*pan"\, n. [From Japan, the country.] Work varnished and figured in the Japanese manner; also, the varnish or lacquer used in japanning.
2) \Ja*pan"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Japanned}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Japanning}.] 1. To cover with a coat of hard, brilliant varnish, in the manner of the Japanese; to lacquer.

Wordnet Dictionary:

[n] lacquer with a durable glossy black finish, originally from the orient.

Oxford English Dictionary:

\Ja*pan"\, n. def 2: A varnish of exceptional hardness which originally came from Japan. The name is now extended to other varnishes of a like sort esp., to (a) a black varnish obtained by cooking asphaltum with linseed oil, used for producing a black gloss on metal and other materials; (b) a varnish-like liquid made from shellac, linseed-old and turpentine and used as a medium in which to grind colours and for drying pigments.