ENAMEL IN CERAMICS. In ancient European practice the material was, and in modern Orien tal practice it still is, sometimes applied so as to cover the whole surface, and the new surface thus formed may- he painted Arith vitrifiable colors, or the enamel may be applied to Parts of the surface only, so that the colors of this partial application, combining with the colors of the object itself, may produce a decorative etTect; and, finally, the enamel may be treated as a trans parent or translucent mass, showing its color effect equally by transmitted and by reflected light. In each of these methods the enamel itself is provided in lumps, or sticks, or rods, each piece being usually of a separate solid color. This material is ground very fine, mixed with gum water or some similar adhesive vehicle until it forms a paste, and can be applied with a brush. The object is then put into the enameling furnace, and in the heat the enamel passes from the con dition of a dampened powder, through the state of flux or semi-fluidity, into a hard, glossy, bubble-like mass looking very like the wet powder of its first condition.
Modern glass of brilliant iridescent surface is not generally enameled; but the glass lamps sus pended in mosques throughout the Levant, and the glass vases, drinking-vessels and the like, which are also of Saracenic or Moorish work, are decorated by enameling in the proper sense. The distinction is obvious to one who notes that, in the Oriental pieces, the body of the glass vessel shows between the usually opaque and pro jecting masses of the enamel which has been put on separately and fu5.-ed and hardened separately. Similar work has been done in Europe, though rarely. So in a porcelain vase decorated in colors, the paintings which is applied over the glaze is of the nature of enameling, and is easily seen to be an application made after the comple tion of the body of the vase. On the other hand, when a Chinese kettle or jardiniere of thin metal is coated on both sides with a solid, opaque, uni form coating. giving it a finished look somewhat, but not quite, like that of porcelain, and when this hard and glassy surface is painted with flowers and the like, it is surface enamel of a kind very common in the Orient, though hardly used in European handiwork, except in connec tion with Limoges enamel, as mentioned below. These two methods of using the decorative qual ity of enameling are then distinguished as (I) that which covers the whole surface, and (2) that which is so applied to another surface as to form with it a kind of mosaic pattern.
(If the first. or surface-covered, kind, one vari ety has been described above; another is that known as Limoges enamel. In this the enamel is applied to a plate of metal with the express purpose of affording a ground for painting, and the paintings are often of very elaborate char acter. Thus, the work of the sixteenth century, in which are distinguished the names of cand. Jean Courteys, and Li,onard Limousin. is famous for the use of completely developed paint ing of the figure. treated. of course, decoratively —that is to say, without shadows and with the high lights often touched with gold, but with the figures completely modeled and the story com pletely told. At a later time these proper limita tions of the art disappear, and the eighteenth century Limoges enamel resembles very closely a painting on paper or vellum, the slight irregu larities of surface and the slightly different gloss being the chief distinctions. The tendency of the time was away from brilliant coloring, and much of the later Limoges enamel was painted in monochrome.
That enamel which forms a mosaic pattern relieved upon the background of the original sub stance may be on glass, as stated above, and then the glass is usually translucent, and the pattern, in several colors, with gold, is in opaque holy and in slight tel upon it. When applied to ceramic ware, as Chinese porcelain, it is usu ally combined with blue under-glaze painting, and is lost in the general color effect. When it is applied to metal this is done iwoording, to one of two methods—the and the Champ 1(.0 methods. work is that which is done by building up upon the metal surface very mall 1:nlitiolls (eloisons), dividing up the field, as of copper. into little compartments; each of these to be tilled with enamel. champlev.% Imampling is done by engraving out the solid surfaec, .11 as to leave little pools or ladlows, which are to be filled with enamel. In either case a metal line or narrow space sepa r.ites the pieces of enamel one from another. 11 is usual to grind the hard-linislied enamel dow n nut il the glossy surface and the metal sur fdee coincide and call 1• polished together. But in Oriental it is not very uncommon to a rowdier and more pkturcsque treatment the little compartments or hollows tilled only in part, or el I' more than 11111.d. so that eon literal le diver it• of surface results. The tine t of Orientll enamel . re f I•Xt rifIrdill ITV brillianey of decorative