The word "lacquer" is derived from the Sanskrit word "laksha," which means "hundred thousand." This term describes the multitude of lac insects, whose resin-like metabolic products are considered the world's first binding agents. The resin was used by heating it off the branches and allowing it to cool on the coated object. The oldest recorded recipe for lacquer dates back to the 12th century and consisted of linseed oil as a binder and vermilion as a pigment. Starting in the 18th century, the so-called lacquer workshops emerged, quickly capturing a market for coating various objects. Until the beginning of the industrial age, lacquer was primarily used for the aesthetic enhancement of items. With the onset of the industrial age, lacquers increasingly took on a protective function for preserving the value of objects and buildings.