a small collection of antique silver and objects of vertu

next page a small collection of antique silver and objects of vertu

carnet Austria -68-
Austrian carnet

this is a small "carnet" with silver cover and a Cloisonne enamel Santa Claus on the middle of a white transparent Champleve enamel square.
The booklet bears marks of Vienna (Austria) of the period 1872/1922 together with silvermith's mark (a lobster).
Cloisonne enamel is one of the most painstaking enameling techniques. The outline of a pattern is engraved on a thin metal plate onto wich thin metal strips placed edgewise are soldered. This results in forming the desired pattern from cells of various shape and size. Each of these cells is filled with transparent enamel of diverse colors. The firing is made after wich enamel is polished.
Champleve is one of the oldest enamelling techniques. Some subject matter or floral depiction is incised in a thick plate. The received throughs are filled with transparent or non-trasparent multicoloured enamel. Then the enamel is fired. If non-trasparent enamel is used, it is polished and ground after firing.
The booklet is 2 3/4 in. long (cm. 7) and was bought from an Italian dealer at an Antique Fair.
Austrian carnet

cloisonne Santa Claus on a Champleve layer