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See also:ENAMEL (formerly " amel," derived through the Fr. amail, emmll, esmail, from a Latin word smaltum, first found in a 9th-See also:century See also:life of See also:Leo IV.) , a See also:term, strictly speaking, given to the hard vitreous See also:compound, which is " fused " upon the See also:surface of metallic See also:objects either for the purpose of decoration or utility . This compound is a See also:form of See also:glass made of See also:silica, minium and potash, which is stained by the chemical See also:combination of various metallic oxides whilst in a melted See also:condition in the crucible . This strict application of the term was widened to signify the See also:metal See also:object coated with See also:enamel, so that to-See also:day the term " an enamel " generally implies a See also:work of See also:art in enamel upon metal . The See also:composition of the substance enamel which is used upon metal does not vary to any See also:great extent from the enamels employed upon pottery and See also:faience . But they differ in this respect, that the pottery enamel is usually applied to the " See also:biscuit " surface of the See also:ware in a raw See also:state; that is, the compound has not been previously " run down " or vitrified in the crucible by See also:heat, as is the See also:case with enamelling upon metal, although, in most of the enamelled See also:iron See also:advertisement tablets, the enamel is in the raw state and is treated in a similar manner to that employed upon pottery . Examination of the enamels upon See also:brick of the Assyrians shows that they were applied unvitrified . It was upon pottery and brick that the See also:ancient Egyptians and Assyrians achieved their greatest work in enamelling . For as yet no work of such magnificence as the great enamelled walls of the See also:palace of See also:Rameses III. at Tell el-Yehudia in the See also:Delta of the See also:Nile, or the palace of See also:Nimrod in See also:Babylon, has been discovered upon metal of any See also:kind . But there were See also:gold ornaments and See also:jewelry enamelled of See also:noble See also:design in opaque See also:turquoise, See also:cobalt, See also:emerald See also:green and See also:purple, some of which can be seen at the See also:British Museum and the Louvre . An example is shown in See also:Plate I. fig . 3 . In the subsequent See also:Greek and See also:Roman civilizations enamel was also applied to articles of See also:personal adornment . Many pieces of jewelry, exquisite in workmanship, have been found . But a greater application was made of it by the Greek sculptors in the 4th and 5th centuries B.C . For we find, in many instances, that not only were the eyes made of enamel—which (artistically speaking) is a somewhat doubtful manner of employing it,—as in the See also:fine See also:bronze See also:head found at Anticythera (Cerigotto) in 1902, but in the See also:colossal figure of See also:Zeus for the See also:temple at See also:Olympia made by See also:Pheidias the gold drapery was gorgeously enamelled with figures and See also:flowers . This wonderful work by the greatest sculptor the See also:world has ever seen was destroyed, as so many priceless See also:works of art in enamel have been: doubtless on See also:account of the See also:precious metal upon which they were made . It was in all See also:probability the crowning See also:triumph of a See also:long See also:series of essays in this material . The art of ancient See also:Rome lacked the See also:inspiration of See also:Greece, being mainly confined to copying Greek forms and See also:style, and in the case of enamelling it did not depart from this attitude . But the Roman and See also:Etruscan glass has many beautiful qualities of form and See also:colour that do not seem entirely borrowed, and the enamel work upon them so far as we can discern is of graceful design and See also:rich colour . No doubt, were it not, as has been remarked, for the fact that enamelling was generally done upon gold and See also:silver, there would still be many works to testify to the art of that See also:period . Such as there are, however, show a rare appreciation of enamel as a beautiful material . With the decline of this See also:civilization the art of enamelling probably died out . For it has ever been one of those exquisite arts which exist only under the See also:sunshine of an opulent luxurious See also:time or sheltered from the See also:rude winds of a poorer See also:age by the affluence of patrons . The next time we hear of it is in an oft-quoted passage (c .
A.D
.
240) from the writings of the great sophist See also:Philostratus, who says (Icones, i
.
28):—" It is said that the barbarians in the ocean pour these See also:colours into bronze moulds, that the colours become as hard as See also:
The style and design changed in course of time, but the See also:craft remained
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It was at Byzantium that it flourished for several centuries
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The finest work we know of belonging to this period is the Pala d'Oro at St See also:Mark's, See also:Venice, believed to have been brought from See also:Constantinople to Venice about 1105
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This magnificent See also:altar-piece is in cloisonne enamel
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A typical example is the See also:ciborium and chalice belonging to the See also:South See also:Kensington See also:loan collection
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The design entirely covers the whole of the surface in one rich See also:mass composed of circular or vesica-shaped medallions filled with sacred subjects and foliated scrolls
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These are engraved and enamelled, and the metal bands of the scrolls and figures are engraved and gilt
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The characteristic quality of the colour See also:scheme is that it is composed almost wholly of primaries
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Red, See also:blue and yellow predominate, with a little See also:
Thus it is interesting to observe that the artist employed the metal dividing lines frequently for the See also:sake of aesthetic result, and was not much hampered by technical difficulties
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This was the See also:rule when opaque enamels were used
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It is also worthy of remark that these opaque enamels differ from those in See also:common use to-day, in that they are not nearly so opaque
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This quality, together with a dull, instead of a highly polished surface, gives a much softer See also:appearance to the enamels
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Again, the whole t one of the enamels is darker and richer
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Many examples of Byzantine work (see fig
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I.) are to be seen in the public and private art collections throughout See also:Europe
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They are principally upon ecclesiastical objects, See also:missal covers, croziers, chalices, ciboria, See also:pyx, candlesticks, crosses and See also:tabernacles
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In most instances the enamels are made in See also:separate little plates rudely fastened with nails, screws or rivets to a metal or wooden See also:foundation
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See also:Theophilus, a See also:
In spite of this, the sense of decorative design, the simplicity of conception, the strength of the See also:general character, and the richness of the colour, places this period as one of the finest which the art of enamelling has seen, and it leads us to See also:lay stress upon the principle that the simplest methods in design and manipulation attain a higher end than those which are elaborate and intricate
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It might be asserted with truth that this style never arrived at the degree of delicacy and refinement of later styles
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But the refinement was often at the expense of higher qualities
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The next great application of these kinds of enamelling was at See also:Cologne, for there we find not only the renowned work of See also:Nicolas of See also:Verdun, the altar front at Klosterneuberg, which consists of fifty plates in champleve enamel, but in that Rhenish See also:province there are many shrines of magnificent conception
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From here the secrets of the craft were taken to See also:Limoges, where the greatest activity was displayed, as numerous examples are found throughout See also:England, See also:France and See also:Spain, which no doubt were made there (see Plate I. fig
.
6.) But no new method or distinct advance is to be noticed, during these successive revivals at Byzantium, Cologne or Limoges, and it is to early 14th-century See also:Italy that we owe one of the most beautiful developments, that of the process subsequently called basse-See also:taille, which signifies a See also:low-cut See also:relief upon which transparent enamel is fused
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In this process enamelling passed from a decorative to a fine art
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For it demanded the highest knowledge of an artist with the consummate skill of both sculptor and enameller
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See also:Witness the superb gold See also:cup, called the See also:
It consists of a gold cup and See also:cover, hammered out of pure gold; and around the bowl, See also:base and cover there are bands of figure, illustrating the scenes from the See also:life of St See also:Agnes
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The hands and faces are of See also:pale See also:jasper, which over the carved gold gives a beautiful flesh See also:tone
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The draperies are in most resplendent See also:ruby, See also:sapphire, emerald, See also:ivory, black and See also:orange
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The See also:stem was subsequently altered by an additional piece inserted and enamelled with Tudor See also:roses
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It is a work of the 13th century, and belonged to See also:Jean, duc de See also:Berry, who gave it to his See also:nephew, See also: They are in the form of little stained glass windows, the cloisons forming (as it were) the leads . These fine cloisons and shapes are most correct in form, and the whole piece shows a perfection of craftsmanship rarely equalled . The end of the 15th century saw a development in enamelling which was not only remarkable, but revolutionary in its method . For until then the whole theory of enamelling had been that it relied upon the enclosing edges of the metal or the cloison to hold it to the metal ground and in See also:part to preserve it in.the shape of the pattern, much in the same way as a setting holds a stone or a See also:jewel . All the enamel before this date had been sunk into cells or cloisons . Two discoveries were made; first, that enamels could be made which require no enclosing ribbon of metal, but that merely the enamel should be fused on both sides of the metal object; secondly, that after an enamel had been fusedto a surface of metal, another could be superimposed and fused to:the first layer without any danger of separation from each or from the metal ground . It is true that such processes had been employed upon glass on which enamel had been applied, as well as upon pottery; and it is probably due to the See also:influence of a knowledge of both enamelling upon metal and upon glass or pottery that the discovery was made . In most of these enamel paintings the subject was laid on with a white enamel upon a dark ground . The white was modulated; so that possessing a slight degree of translucency, it was See also:grey in the thin parts and white in the thick . Thus was obtained a certain amount of See also:light and shade . This gave the process called See also:grisaille . But See also:strange to say, it was not until a later period that this was practised alone, and then the See also:model-See also:ling of the figures and draperies became very elaborate . At first it was only done in a slight degree, just sufficiently to give expression and to add to the richness of the form . For the enamellers were thinking of a plate upon which to put their wonderful colours, and not only of form . The See also:painting in white was therefore invariably coloured with enamels . Probably the earliest painter in enamel was Nardon Penicaud, many of whose works (one of them, dated 1503, is in the See also:Cluny Museum) have been preserved with great care . He had many followers, the most distinguished of whom was Leonard Limosin (i.e. of Limoges) . He excelled in See also:portraiture . Examples of his work (between 1532 and 1574) are to be found in most of the larger public and private collections . Leonard Limosin and his Limoges contemporaries were very largely addicted to the employment of See also:foil, which became too largely used, thus spoiling their otherwise fine serious work . The See also:family of Jean Penicaud, Jean See also:Court de Vigier, See also:Pierre See also:Raymond and Pierre Courteys were all great names of artists who excelled in the grisaille process . Grisaille is similar to pate-sur-pate in pottery, and depends for its attractive quality. entirely upon form and composition . No comparison should be made with enamels in colour, for they occupy a different See also:category—similar to See also:cameo . The See also:casket shown in Plate II. fig . 9 is by Jean Penicaud . It is a fine example of the enamelling in this style, very beautiful in colour . The hands and faces are in opaque white enamel; the draperies, garlands and flowers are in transparent green, turquoise blue, purple and cobalt over foil . The background is in transparent See also:violet over white enamel ground, which is See also:seine with gold stars . The draperies are also heightened with gold . One of the most marvellous pieces of brilliant craft is the missal cover (Plate I. fig . 5) at the South Kensington Museum, said to have belonged to Henrietta Maria, See also:queen of Charles I . The subjects are the " Creation of See also:Adam and See also:Eve " and the " See also:Fountain of Youth." It is about 4 in. by q when opened out . The enamel is encrusted upon the figures, See also:ornament and flowers which are beaten up in pure gold into high relief . The extraordinary minuteness and skill of handling, and the extreme brilliancy of the enamels, which are as brilliant to-day as on the day they were made, together form one of the unique specimens of art craftsmanship of the world . To the subdued See also:taste of to-day, however, the effect is See also:tawdry . The conception and design are also alike unworthy of the See also:execution . Since the See also:Assyrian and See also:Egyptian civilizations, there has been a See also:succession of luxurious developments followed by lapses into the decline and See also:death of the art of enamelling upon metals . In each revival there has been something added to that which was known and practised before . The last revival took See also:place five See also:hundred years ago, accompanying the rebirth of learning and the arts; but after flourishing for over a century, the art gradually See also:fell into disuse, and remained so until the See also:recent revival and further development . The development consists, first, in the more See also:complete knowledge of the technical processes, following upon the great advances which See also:science has made; and secondly, in a finer and more subtly See also:artistic treatment of them . The advance in technical knowledge comprises greater facility and perfection in the See also:production of the substance enamel, and its subsequent application to metal surfaces; more intimate knowledge of metals and their See also:alloys to which it is applied, and • greater ease in obtaining them from the metalliferous ores and reducing them to suitable dimensions and surfaces . For instance, it is now a See also:simple See also:matter to obtain perfectly pure See also:copper by means of See also:electricity . Again, formerly a See also:flat See also:sheet of metal was obtained by hammering, which involved an See also:infinite amount of hard labour, whereas it is accomplished to-day with ease by means of flatting and See also:rolling See also:mills: i.e. after the metal has been obtained from the ore in the form of an See also:ingot, it is stretched equally to any degree of thinness by See also:steel rollers . Further, the furnaces have been greatly improved by the introduction of See also:gas and electricity as the See also:heating See also:power, instead of the See also:wood or See also:charcoal employed . In the manufacture of the substance enamel a much greater advance has been made, for whereas the colours, and consequently the schemes of colour, were extremely limited, we now possess an infinite gradation in the colours, as well as the transparency and opacity, the hardness and softness of enamels . There are only two colours which cannot yet be obtained; these are opaque See also:vermilion and See also:lemon yellow in a vitrified state . Many of the colours we now employ were not known by enamellers such as Leonard Limosin . Our enamels are also perfect in purity, brilliancy and durability, qualities which are largely due to the perfect knowledge of the proportion of parts composing an-enamel and their complete combination . It is this complete combination, together with the absence of any destructible matter, which gives the enamel its lasting quality . The base of enamel is a clear, colourless, transparent vitreous compound called See also:flux, which is composed of silica, minium and potash . This flux or base—termed fondant in France—is coloured by the addition of oxides of metals while in a state of See also:fusion, which stain the flux throughout its mass . Enamels are either hard or soft, according to the proportion of the silica to the other parts in its composition . They are termed hard when the temperature required to fuse them is very high . The harder the enamel the less liable is it to be affected by atmospheric agencies, which in soft enamels produce a decomposition of the surface first and ultimately of the whole enamel . It is therefore advisable to use hard enamels in all cases . This involves the employment of pure—or almost pure—metals for the plates, which are in most respects the best to receive and retain the enamel . For if there is an excess of alloy, either the metal will possibly melt before the enamel is fused or afterwards they will part See also:company . To the inferior quality of old silver may be attributed the fact that in all cases the enamel has flown off it; if it has not yet wholly disappeared it will See also:scale off in time . It is therefore essential that metals should be pure and the enamels hard . It is also noteworthy that enamels composed of a great amount of soda or potash, as compared with those wherein red See also:lead is in greater proportion, are more liable to crack and have less cohesion to the metals . It is better not to use silver as a base, although it is capable of reflecting a higher and more brilliant white light than any other metal . Fine gold and pure copper as thin as possible are the best metals upon which to enamel . If silver is to be used, it should be fine silver, treated in the methods called champleve and cloisonne . The brilliancy of the substance enamel depends upon the perfect combination and proportion of its component parts . The intimacy of the combination depends upon an equal temperature being maintained throughout its fusion in the crucible . For this purpose it is better to obtain a flux which has been already fused and most carefully prepared, and afterwards to add the colouring oxides, which stain it dark or light according to the amount of See also:oxide introduced . Many of the enamels are changed in colour by the difference of the proportion of the parts composing the flux, rather than by the See also:change of the oxides . For instance, turquoise blue is obtained from the black oxide of copper by using a comparatively large proportion of carbonate of soda, and a yellow green from the same oxide by increasing the proportionate amount of the red lead . All transparent enamels are made opaque by the addition of calx, which is amixture of See also:tin and lead calcined . White enamel is made by the addition of stannic and arsenious acids to the flux . The amount of See also:acid regulates the See also:density or opacity of the enamel . To elucidate the development which has occurred, it will be necessary to describe some of the processes . After the enamel has been procured in the lump, the next See also:stage in the process, common to all methods of enamelling, is to pulverize it . To do this properly the enamel must first be placed in an See also:agate See also:mortar and covered with See also:water; next, with a wooden See also:mallet a number of See also:sharp blows must be given to a pestle held vertically over the enamel, to break it; then holding the mortar firmly in the left See also:hand, the pestle must be rotated with the right, with as much pressure as possible on the enamel, grinding it until the particles are reduced to a fine See also:grain . The See also:powder is then subjected to a series of washings in distilled water, until all the floury particles are removed . After this the metal is cleaned by See also:immersion in acid and water . For copper, nitric acid is used; for silver, sulphuric, and for gold hydrochloric acid . All trace of acid is then removed, first by scratching with a See also:brush and water, and finally by drying in warm See also:oak sawdust . After this the pulverized enamel is carefully and evenly spread over those parts of the metal designed to receive it, in sufficient thickness just to cover them and no more . The piece is then dried in front of the See also:furnace, and when dry is placed gently on a See also:fire-See also:clay or iron See also:planche, and introduced carefully into the muffle of the furnace, which is heated to a See also:bright pale red . It is now attentively watched until the enamel shines all over, when it is withdrawn from the furnace . The firing of enamel, unlike that of glass or pottery, takes only a few minutes, and in nearly all processes no See also:annealing is required . The following are the different modes of enamelling: champleve, cloisonne, basse-taille, plique-¢jour, painted enamel, encrusted, and See also:miniature-painted . These processes were known at successive periods of ancient art in the See also:order in which they are named . To-day they are known in their entirety . Each has been largely See also:developed and improved . No new method has been discovered, although See also:variations have been introduced into all . The most important are those connected with painted enamels, encrusted enamels and plique-¢jour . Champleve enamelling is done by cutting away troughs or cells in the plate, leaving a metal See also:line raised between them, which forms the outline of the design . In these cells the pulverized enamel is laid and then fused; afterwards it is filed with a See also:corundum See also:file, then smoothed with a See also:pumice stone and polished by means of See also:crocus powder and See also:rouge . An example is shown in Plate II. fig . 8 . In cloisonne enamel, upon a metal plate or shape, thin metal strips are See also:bent to the outline of the pattern, then fixed by silver See also:solder or by the enamel itself . These strips form a raised outline, giving cells as in the case of champleve . The See also:rest of the process is identical with that of champleve enamelling . An example is shown in Plate I. fig . 4 . The basse-taille process is also a combination of metal work in the form of See also:engraving, carving and enamelling . The metal, either silver or gold, is engraved with a design, and then carved into a bas-relief (below the general surface of the metal like an Egyptian bas-relief) so that when the enamel is fused it is level with the uncarved parts of the design enamel, and the design shows through the transparent enamel . Painted enamels are different from any of these proc |