Enamelled disks, fibulae, finger rings, and other articles of personal adornment have been found in England of the Anglo-Saxon period, mostly having a bronze foundation for the enamel.

Fig. 99. ChÆ'sse in Champlev*š Enamel; Twelfth Century. (B. M).

Fig. 100. Champlev*š Enamel; French, Fourteenth Century.

Fig. 101. Enamelled Vase, found in Essex in 1834, since partially destroyed by fire. Diameter, 4} inches.

Fig. 102. The Ardagh Chalice; Irish Celtic Work. Height, 7 inches.

Documents are preserved at Oxford proving that Limoges enamellers were brought over to England in the thirteenth century to execute effigies, tombs, and other work in enamels. Master John, a native of Limoges, was employed to construct the tomb and recumbent figure of Walter de Merton, Bishop of Rochester. This work was destroyed at the period of the Reformation. There still exists, however, some of the Limoges work of that date in the effigy of William de Valence, who died in 1129. This tomb is in Westminster Abbey.

The enamels known as *šmaux de plique *¦ jour, are a kind of Cloisonn6 work in which there was no background, the enamel being in variety transparent, in imitation of precious stones, and set between the Cloisons or network of gold. The beautiful specimen (Fig. 103) is a cup with a cover, and with architectural features; it is now in South Kensington Museum.

Translucent enamels upon relief date from the period when Art in Italy was beginning to throw off the stiffness and angularity of Byzantine traditions. This was towards the end of the thirteenth century, in the early dawn of the Renaissance.

Freedom in sculpture and painting brought with it a desire to treat enamels in the same freedom, and so we find that engraving on silver and gold, and placing carefully the various powdered enamels in their proper proportions over the engraved surfaces, produced an entirely new and splendid effect; besides, it required more artistic skill to execute this kind of enamelling, and consequently the best artists of the Renaissance were not only goldsmiths, painters, sculptors, and architects, but executed important works in enamels as well. The method was one that could be described as a link between the art of the painter and the goldsmith, and no doubt the demand for enamelled altars, and religious vessels of all kinds, both sacred and secular, in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, was the cause of producing many artists that subsequently rose to great eminence. For instance, among others may be mentioned Francisco Francia, the celebrated painter who lived in the fifteenth century, who was originally a goldsmith, and as Vasari says, he excelled everybody of his time as an engraver on metals and as an enameller on silver. There is a fine oil-painting by him in the National Gallery of London, on which he has signed himself as "Francia the Goldsmith." Many names of eminent Italians artists might be given who executed works in enamel in the translucent process: Nicolas Pisano and John his pupil, who executed an altar for Bishop Gubertini of Arezzo in translucent enamel on silver in 1286. Agostino and Agnolo were pupils of John, and helped him at this altar.

Forzore, the son of Spinello of Arezzo, is mentioned by Vasari as a famous enameller. Pollaiuolo is another great name in the Italian art of the goldsmith and enameller. He was also a celebrated modeller and sculptor who had helped Ghiberti in the ornamental work of his gates of the Baptistery of St. John. He died in 1498. Many other celebrated names could be mentioned, but the greatest of all, both as a goldsmith and as an enameller, was Ben-venuto Cellini (1500-1570), whose work is well known, and who tells us himself, in his "Treatise on the Goldsmith's Art," so much about the method of enamelling in his time. The celebrated ewer, called "The Cellini Ewer," is a masterpiece of jeweller's work, and is attributed to Cellini. The body of the ewer is composed of two oval slices of brown sardonyx, carved with radiating ribs in relief. These slices are fastened in an ornamental frame of gold, richly worked. A female figure sits on the top front curve of the body under the lip. The neck, lip, stem with dragons, and other parts of the framework, are enamelled in the translucent method.

A book-cover in the Kensington Museum, of very fine workmanship, with several small figure compositions enamelled on gold, is attributed to Cellini. Works by him in jewellery, vases, salt-cellars, etc., are preserved in various museums on the Continent. Cellini spent five years in France, ending the year 1540, where he executed some works for Francis I., notably the fine salt-cellar now at Vienna.

The art of enamelling on reliefs was introduced to France by Italian artists during the early years of the fourteenth century, and about the same time to Flanders. We read of a manufactory of this kind of enamelling as having existed in 1317 at Montpellier, the seat of the royal Mint.

"Painted Enamels,"

"Painted Enamels," as we have seen, were suggested by the translucent enamels on relief. Painted enamels were first made at Limoges, and also brought to great perfection at the same place. Any painted enamels found in Italy are Limoges enamels or the work of Limousin artists. The fifteenth century was the period during which the painted enamels were brought to perfection. In the earlier part of the century the enamel was applied directly to the plate of metal and united to it by fusion; but later, towards the middle of the century, a ground of translucent enamel coating was laid on the metal, over the engraved outline of the design, and on this transparent flux the colours were applied. The outlines of the design, which appeared through the transparent coating, were then covered over with a dark-coloured enamel; the various parts, such as draperies, background, and sky, were then laid in with thick coatings of enamel; the spaces left for the flesh tints were filled in with black or violet enamel; and the modelling of the flesh was obtained by layers of white enamel in varying degrees of thickness, leaving the darker violet parts for shade or shadows, and thicker layers represented the highest lights. Thus, all the flesh tints in enamels of this period are slightly brownish or violet in hue.