Enamel Plaques with Gilt Frames, Set of 2

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A pair of enamel plaques with figures and gilded frames of Nordic and likely French origin, executed on an enameled … Read more A pair of enamel plaques with figures and gilded frames of Nordic and likely French origin, executed on an enameled metal plaque and painted in miniature with bucolic landscapes in shades of blue. They were conceived as a companion piece, as the compositions mirror one another and are presented within a frame of embossed and gilded copper. The miniatures depict shepherds resting while grazing their sheep, with landscapes and architecture in the background. In excellent condition, they date to the 18th century.

The enamel decoration consists of the application of molten glass powder onto a metal base, to which it adheres through the same casting process. During the 18th century, there was a rich production of snuffboxes, umbrella handles, and other delightful and trivial delicacies, in which the enamel is indistinguishable, except materially, from the painted porcelain. See less