A Short History of Enameling (Surprising Facts) - Working the Flame (2024)

Enameling is an art form with a rich global history. Cultures from ancient times to the present day have utilized enameling techniques for everyday items and precious works of art alike.

Enameling is the process of filling spaces with enamel to create designs and images. Enameling techniques have varied throughout the centuries, but we will discuss a few of the most popular techniques.

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Enameled artifacts from the ancient, medieval, and modern periods are relatively common. With so many surviving examples of historical enamelwork, we are able to see the evolution of the art form that occurred across the centuries.

This article serves to summarize the long global history of enameling. Pieces from around the world are included to provide appropriate context for this unique art style.

Evidence of Ancient Enameling

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Experts debate the origins of enameling, but most agree that the best and earliest example of enameling hails from the ancient Mycenaean culture. Gold rings featuring enamelwork were discovered in Cyprus and date to the 7th century BC.

Although these rings are proof that enameling was done since ancient times, examples of enamelwork in ancient Greece and Egypt are rare.

Ancient enamelwork is also found in the Caucasus and Celtic cultures. Examples of enameling can be seen on ancient Celtic objects (example above). The Battersea Shield, which dates to around 350 BC, is a famous example of Celtic enamelwork.

Enameling of Medieval Europe

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Enamelwork is said to have been brought to Europe by the Byzantine princess Theophano when she married a Germanic king.

The Byzantines commonly replaced precious stones with more affordable cloisonné enamel. Cloisonné is an ancient form of enameling by which enamel is placed in partitions created by metal walls.

Byzantine enamel dates from the 6th the 12th centuries. Cloisonné miniature scenes are some of the most common examples of work from this time.

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Enameling spread quickly across Europe and became a popular method for decorating religious and royal objects. Enameling reached its peak in the medieval period, with new techniques developing in centers like Limoges, France.

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Limoges artists used cloisonné methods and the champlevé enameling style. Champlevé differs from cloisonné in that spaces are created by etching or carving out depressions in the metal rather than creating partitions with small walls.

Champlevé enameling in bronze and copper was common in France in the 12th century and onwards.

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While France was a major center of enamelwork in medieval Europe, other countries developed their own styles. Enameling can be found on a wide array of medieval objects, from holy items like the Holy Thorn Reliquary to royal objects like the Royal Gold Cup.

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Both of these objects date to the 14th century and include examples of classic medieval enamelwork. The Royal Gold Cup features early enameling in the basse-taille style. This technique developed in the 13th century and continued to be used throughout the medieval period.

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Other enameling methods developed in the 15th century in Europe. Once again, Limoges, France led the way in innovations.

Artists in Limoges invented “painting” with enamels, which is referred to as Limoges enameling. Artists applied enamels next to each other without partitions to achieve new types of enamel objects, like portraits.

Enamelwork of Asia

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China adopted cloisonné enamel techniques from the Byzantine and Islamic cultures in the 13th and 14th centuries. Cloisonné art reached its height during the Ming dynasty.

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The Chinese developed painted enamels, or Canton enamels, using the same techniques as those of Limoges, France. Although enamelwork was prevalent throughout China, the ornate designs were not well suited to the refined homes of scholars.

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Enamel art was therefore traditionally restricted to use in temples, palaces, and the rooms of women. By the 19th century, however, enamelwork was prized by all types of people.

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The Mughal Empire of south Asia crafted stunning works of enamel art. All types of objects were decorated with enamel, from home decor to jewelry.

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Modern Enameling: Renaissance to 20th Century

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Enameling continued to be a popular technique through the transition from Gothic, to Renaissance, to Baroque art styles. Artists enameled new objects like pocket watches.

Enameled jewelry flourished in the 17th to 19th centuries. Most jewelry of this type was produced in Geneva, Switzerland.

Transfer printing on enamel was developed in British factories during the 18th century. This method became popular for toymaking.

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The Victorian era saw the rise of black enamel for everyday wear and mourning.

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The work of Peter Carl Fabergé, a Russian jeweler, pushed the boundaries of enamelwork in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Most famous for his decorative eggs, Fabergé also decorated fragrance bottles and items for the home with intricate enamelwork.

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By the turn of the century, the Art Nouveau movement took the art world by storm. With it came a new type of enameling called plique-à-jour.

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Using this method, artists could apply enamel between metal partitions without a metal backing. This gave plique-à-jour pieces the appearance of stained glass.

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The delicate appearance of plique-à-jour perfectly complimented the natural forms of Art Nouveau pieces.

A Short History of Enameling (Surprising Facts) - Working the Flame (2024)

FAQs

What is the history of enameling? ›

Forms of enameling can be traced back as far as ancient Egypt, where glassmaking was practiced as early as 1300 B.C.E. There is evidence of ancient Egyptians inlaying crushed stones into designs on jewelry and ornaments, resembling the effect of enamel, but not fired onto metal.

Which of the enameling techniques is the most difficult? ›

Plique-à-jour is one of the most beautiful and most difficult enameling techniques. The results of plique-à-jour enameling are stunning. Imagine the interior of a 13th century cathedral on a bright, sunny day, as warm sunlight streams through the stained glass windows.

What is the difference between cloisonné and champlevé enameling techniques? ›

Champlevé can be distinguished from the similar technique of cloisonné by a greater irregularity in the width of the metal lines (see cloisonné). After the enamel has annealed and cooled, it is filed with a Carborundum stone file, smoothed with pumice stone, and polished.

How does enameling work? ›

Enameling is a process by which powdered glass is fused to a metal substrate at high heat. Enamels can be applied to glass, ceramics, and most commonly, metals. The application of enamels can add color to metals such as copper, silver, and gold.

What is the history of enamelware? ›

Enameled cookware came to the US after Western Europe. Around 1850, enamel-lined pots, kettles, baking tins, and ladles could be found in American homes. These were stamped from thin sheets of iron, steel, or aluminum. The Industrial Revolution drove forward the development and production of enameling.

How old is enameling? ›

The term is also used for the application of decorative fusible glass applied to glass objects. The earliest known enamelled objects were made in Cyprus in around the 13th century BC during the Mycenæan period.

What is the Champleve enamelling technique? ›

The term 'champlevé' translates from French to mean 'raised field'. It is the process by which cavities are cut into a metal base and subsequently filled with enamel, until flush with the top of the uncarved metal.

What is the best metal for enameling? ›

The most commonly used metals for enameling are pure copper and fine silver. The fine silver is primarily used for jewelry because of its cost, color and the advantage of not producing a firescale coat like copper does when it is fired. The copper is the most used metal for enameling for many reasons.

What is Japanese enamel technique? ›

- Shōtai-Jippō (Plique-à-jour Japanese-style): enamel is applied like in wireless Cloisonné, but the metal base is later removed after firing by means of acids, thus leaving only transparent enamels linked to each other by a metal frame, with an effect akin to cathedral glass.

What is guilloche enameling? ›

Guilloché is a highly decorative technique used in metalwork, which combines mechanical engraving and translucent enamels to create surface embellishment. Guilloché enamelling can only be achieved with specialised machinery known as ornamental lathes.

What is Ginbari enamel? ›

Meiji Period (1868-1912). Ginbari is a Japanese term that is a type of cloisonne with clear enamel over a stippled silver layer applied to the copper sheet body.

What is the art of enamelling called? ›

Meenakari is a traditional art form that involves decorating metal with enamel. This art form pivots around creating intricate and beautiful designs for making jewellery, decorative items, home decor articles, dining sets and much more. The history of meenakari finds its genesis in Persia.

What are the stages of enameling? ›

The enameling process comprises several steps:
  • Preparation of the surface of the part after forming.
  • Preparation of the enamel.
  • Application of the enamel to the steel.
  • Drying.
  • Firing at high temperatures.
Mar 21, 2022

What temperature is needed for enamelling? ›

How are enamels for metal fired? Enamels for metal are fired either in a pre-heated furnace (kiln) or a hand held torch. If firing in a furnace, the temperature should be between 1450 and 1500 degrees F.

What is flux in enameling? ›

Enamel flux is transparent enamel which is used in various ways. Most commonly flux is used as an undercoat before using coloured enamel. Flux can also be used as a topcoat to create better clarity of colours and also to seal the work. Clear flux can also be used to 'glue' cloisonné wires in place.

What is the origin of the enamel? ›

Where did our tooth enamel originate from? Scientists now believe tooth enamel, the hard white structure that makes up the outer surface of teeth, comes from the scales of ancient fish that lived more than 400 million years ago. Enamel is the hardest substance in the body.

What is the reason for enameling? ›

The application of enamels can add color to the steel. The powdered glass can be applied either wet or dry to a surface. The enamel melts, flows, and fuses to the surface in a smooth coating when heat is applied. Firing temperatures using a spray generally range between 1,400- and 1,650-degrees Fahrenheit.

Who is the founder of enamel? ›

ENAMEL Copenhagen is a Danish jewelry brand founded in 2012 by designer Marie Rantzau. Marie´s love for jewelry started when she traveled around the world and found unique jewelry materials of which she designed the first collections.

What is the history of enamel signs? ›

An enamel sign is a sign made using vitreous enamel. These were commonly used for advertising and street signage in the period 1880 to 1950. Benjamin Baugh created the first purpose-built factory for making such signs in Selly Oak in 1889 — the Patent Enamel Company.

References

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