It was late 17th century, lacquer furniture from Far East became fashionable. In Europe , these furnitures were in high demand, resulted demand exceeded supply. As a result Venetian cabinet makes and lacquerers began to produce fake work to keep up the demand. This work named as lacca contrafatta-counterfeit lacquer.  Many apprentices employed by artisans to hand color the prints and engravings of leading artists. These hand prints were than cut and pasted to the surface of object and covered with many layers of lacquer to produce furnitures. Apart from this development, wealthy classes hired master painters to decorate various objects. These included furnitures and to decorate there walls and ceilings.
Excessive demand and the fact many people cannot afford work of master. An alternative form of decoration developed. Drawings of the master artists were cut off, glued and covered with lacquer to resemble original paintings.
From this derivation came the alternative term l’arte del povero-poor man’s arts. It was during 17th and 18th century when this art form flourished throughout Europe. It even became famous at the court of Louis XV. Ladies with artistic bent snipped away at pictures and pasted them onto object. Some of the objects were hatbox, wig stand, fire screens and many more. Keeping themselves amused for hours.