Description:
Chinese export painted enamel snuff box and hinged cover edged in brass based on European forms, decorated with multi-colored floral sprays and leaf sprigs on the cover and concave sides. The technique of painting enamels on metals was introduced in China during the Kangxi reign (1662-1722), probably by Jesuit missionaries who believed that great religious advantages could be gained if the Emperor's fascination with European novelties could be maintained. Enameled metalwares did not appeal to the Chinese, but several Cantonese workshops manufactured examples designed for the foreign market. The artisan began with a strong metallic body, usually of bronze, copper, silver, or gold, covering the surface with white enamel, a material related to ceramic glazes that is opacified by the use of arsenic. The 1st low-temperature firing affixed the enamel but did not bond it securely to the metal body, accounting for the fragility of the ware; decorators then applied a variety of colored glazes to the white surface, sometimes within a finely engraved line. The piece was fired a 2cd time at a low temperature, and finished with black highlights and often gilding applied to the rims and mounts without firing.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+59.043 |
