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Parent Category: Technical Articles from Journal Back Copies

Category: Technical Articles 2002

Raymond Jackson

At Conference this year, I attended a tutorial on Plique-à-Jour. Gudde had very kindly stepped in at short notice to run this day course and it was evident from the very start that she had a wealth of knowledge on this technique which, backed up by endless enthusiasm, made us all feel privileged to have attended.

Gudde provided extensive notes detailing the history of the method from the 13th century to the present day. There are just a few prominent contemporary enamellers, which probably reflects the difficulty of the technique, the time involved and the fragility of the final result.

Since the fired enamel is suspended in a metal framework, there are some fundamental rules to be obeyed if success is to be achieved. Firstly, in contrast to other enamelling techniques, the object is viewed using transmitted rather than reflected light and this places demands on the colours and clarity of the enamels that are selected. In general the lighter colours are to be preferred, particularly when small apertures are used. Desirably, the enamel should be pre-tested to determine its clarity before using on the final piece. Again coarse grains are preferable, ground from lump, as this is also an aid to clarity and purity of colour.

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