The James M. Kellogg Collection of Enameled Objects

The year 1753 saw the foundation of the first English producer of small, enameled objects, such as this. While York House in Battersea only existed for three years prior to going bankrupt, other manufacturers in London and in the Midlands at Bilston, Wolverhampton and Birmingham followed suit. For 70 years, Britain produced large quantities of enameled objects in competition with Continental Europe, including snuff and patch boxes, bonbonnières, nécessaires, scent bottles, tea caddies etc. Their bold designs, ranging from elegant and exuberant to amusing, sought to attract a diverse range of customers. Cheaper in their production than comparable objects made of gold, silver or porcelain, enamels reached a broad audience across the United Kingdom and indeed as far as the nascent United States.