Chines Lacquer/waxing

[Seahorse]

Can anybody recomend a wax that looks antiquey on wood.
Also how to get an oriental black lacquer look on wood, I was thinking black paint with a satin clear varnish over the top.

Any ideas?

[Ioannes]

Indian ink followed by shellac varnish works on small items. I used this mixture as I knew that the two would be compatible with each other as the Indian ink has a shellac base. If you are protecting an important piece you need to be sure how the material will react over time and some modern products are a bit of a unknown on this score.

I have not tried it but I would imagine that some black artists pigment mixed into shellac and Methylated spirits to make a polish would do the job.