Medallion: The Last Supper
Unknown Artist
late 1400s
Medium
basse-taille enamel on silver
Dimensions
{"diameter":{"width":0.058}}
Classification
Enamel
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Dr. Norman Zaworski
Accession Number
1979.5
About this artwork
The word enamel derives from the Old French esmail and the Old High German smelzen, meaning "to smelt." This is the most crucial process in the making of enamel. To prepare enamel, the constituents of glass (flint, or sand, as well as red lead, and soda or potash) are heated together to form a clear flux. To this a coloring agent (usually a metallic oxide) is added: copper for green, cobalt for blue, iron for red or brown. The enamel is then allowed to cool and solidify in slabs. Before use, eac...