Item #: 15764
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A beautiful way to remember this holiday! This highly collectible, hand-painted enamel ornament will be a beautiful keepsake that can be handed down through the generations.
History of Enamelling.... Enamelling in its various forms was used as long ago as 3000BC as a decorative tool to embellish the work of the goldsmith, reaching popularity in England in the eighteenth century. Enamel boxes from the Georgian period are highly collectable and are sought-after pieces, first used by the aristocracy and socialites to contain snuff for gentlemen and beauty patches for ladies. Originally made from gold and enamel, they were truly precious and exquisite items, predominantly made by Parisian and London jewellers and goldsmiths. The art of enamelling on copper became popular during the 1700s in England. Two of the main areas of manufacture were Bilston in the West Midlands and Battersea in London. It is said that enamelling at Bilston began when a number of French craftsmen fled France in the 1750s due to religious persecution. York House in Battersea is synonymous with English enamelling on copper; only open for three years (closing in 1756), Battersea is renowned for the fi ne enamels that it produced. Enamel boxes were the fashionable accessories of the Georgian era and their novelty and charm still create desire today. Within the 1820s the demand for enamelling was in decline, and by 1830 many of the enamelling workshops had closed due to the acceleration of the Industrial Revolution, which resulted in the craft virtually ceasing to exsist. |