Unidentified woman's portrait

ca. 1790–1800

Not on view

Enameled objects like this one were intended to imitate the lustrous quality of porcelain at more affordable prices. By the middle of the eighteenth century, technological innovations had made it possible to roll copper, instead of the far costlier gold, into very thin sheets. Powdered glass mixed with minerals (to determine the opacity and color of the enamel) would then be applied onto the copper sheets and fired at high temperatures. A design—whether a famous portrait, generic pastoral scene, or floral motif— could be painted on by hand or copied from an engraving through the newly invented process of transfer printing. Many enameled objects combined both methods of decoration and would be refired after the application of each new layer or color.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Unidentified woman's portrait
Date: ca. 1790–1800
Culture: British, possibly South Staffordshire
Medium: Enamel on copper
Dimensions: Diam. 2-3/4 in. (7.0 cm.)
Classification: Enamels-Painted
Credit Line: Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1964
Object Number: 64.101.855
Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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Cassolette with cover (one of a pair), Enamel on copper, British, South Staffordshire, possibly Bilston — Cassolette with cover (one of a pair)
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Tea casket (part of a set), White enamel on copper painted in polychrome enamels, British, South Staffordshire — Tea casket (part of a set)
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Tea caddy (part of a set), White enamel on copper painted in polychrome enamels, British, South Staffordshire — Tea caddy (part of a set)
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ca. 1765–70

Sugar canister (part of a set), White enamel on copper painted in polychrome enamels, British, South Staffordshire — Sugar canister (part of a set)
British, South Staffordshire
ca. 1765–70

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