any of a class of oil varnishes in which bitumen (a mixture of asphaltlike hydrocarbons) replaces the natural gums or resins used as hardeners in clear varnish. Black varnish is widely used as a protective coating for interior and exterior ironwork such as pipework, tanks, stoves, roofing, and marine accessories. The bitumen forms a protective barrier against atmospheric corrosion. Bitumens used include petroleum bitumen; natural asphalts, such as uintaite; and pitches, as from coal tar.

The cheapest black varnish is Brunswick black, a solution of bitumen in white spirit. In coachbuilders' black japan, only the purest grades of asphalt or pitch are used, together with a hard gum, such as copal. Berlin black has a matte or eggshell finish, achieved by incorporating a proportion of vegetable or other carbon black. See also japanning.