The Art and Orchid Gallery's limnings, or miniature paintings, are the quintessence of 'email des peintres', that is, enamels painted on plaques.[8A, 13B] These miniatures display radiant luminosity through the predominant use of 'a jour' enameling, i.e. transparent enamels which exploits the shine of the underlying metals.[13C] Various degrees of chromatic intensity from light of the setting summer skies reflect in pink skin tones of the figures, flowing water, and satiny dr ...click for details
This antique vesta case has chased silver Art Nouveau florals with an enameled cover.[180A, 156B] It is a Continental "objet de vertu", hand made and enameled about the end of the 19th Century in France. It is made of silver, stamped "800" and depicts the same courting couple in a pastoral landscape on a hinged cover, as found in reference books.[9C] At first, enamels were made within compartments called cloisons (French). Later they were painted as any pictorial, a process t ...click for details
