ENAMEL, a kind of colored glass, principally formed by the combination of different metallic oxydes, and used in enamelling and painting in enamel. Enamels have for their basis a pure crystal-glass, or frit, ground up with a fine calx of lead and tin, prepared for the purpose, with the addition usually of white salt of tartar. These ingredients baked together, are the matter of all enamels, and the color is varied by add ing other substances, and melting or in corporating them together in a furnace. Enamels are distinguished into trans parent and opaque ; in the former all the elements have experienced an equal degree of liquefaettim, and are thus run into crystal glass, whilst in the others, some of their elements have resisted the action of heat more, so that their particles retain sufficient aggregation to prevent the transmission of light. They are used either in counterfeiting or imitating pre cious stones, in painting in enamel, or by enamellers, jewellers, or goldsmiths, in gold, silver, and other metals. This art is of so great antiquity, as to render it difficult, it not impossible, to trace to its origin. It was evidently practised by the Egyptians, from the remains that have been found on the ornamented en velopes of mummies. From Egypt it passed into Greece. and afterwards into Route and its provinces, whence it was probably introduced into Great Britain as various Boman antiquities have been dug up in different parts of the island, particularly in the barrows, in which enamels have for,med portions of the orna ments.—Painting in enamel, &c. is per formed on plates of gold or silver, but more commonly of copper, enamelled with the white enamel ; the colors are incited in the fire, where they take a brightness and lustre like that of glass. This painting is prized for its peculiar brightness and vivacity, which is very permanent the force of its colors not being effaced or sullied by time, as in other painting, and continuing always as fresh as when it came out of the work man's hands. The town of Limoges, in the south of France, has acquired a great name in the history of the art of enamel ling ; it was particularly distinguished in the twelfth century, and its productions were called Opus de Limogia and Labor Limogice. :Many reliquaries of that
time are still extant, the sides and slop ing roofs of which are composed of plates of copper, covered with etchings and enamel paintings. The most famous artist in enamelling was Leonard Limou sin of Limoges, from whom the French works of Art of that period were called Limousine; other masters in this art were Pierre Resmon, Jean Court, called Vigier, J. Laudin, P. Nouaillier, the master J. P., who is known to us only by his cipher, but whose works are excel lent-, displaying noble ideas, and the mas ter P. C., who is hell in high estimation. As regards the technical part of painting, the works of these masters rank far be low those produced in more recent times; they are rather illuminated line-draw ings, with a glazed transparency of color, or monochrome paintings, the naked fig ures being well modelled and generally of a reddish tint ; the ornaments in gold and the gilded lights make the paintings appear rich and brilliant. In the course of the seventeenth century the technical part of the art of enamel painting im proved considerably, progressing from monochrome to that in various colors. Towards the end of the seventeenth and the beginning of the eighteenth centuries, the art arrived at technical perfection, and real pictures were produced with the softest and most delicate gradations of color. But the works of this period were of very small dimensions, the paintings being sometimes on silver, but generally upon gold, and principally portrait me dallions, for which the art was now em ployed. Much that was excellent was produced, but in historical representation the artists followed the degenerate style of the compositions of those days, so that these works, in spite of their technical perfection, must rank below those of the sixteenth century.