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In Linda Darty's "Art of Enamel", she quotes an old manuscript that describes enameling technique. I don't know the time period or the name of the source, something like Theosophus? He wrote down his observations on various manufacturing processes. The artist fired the object in a covered iron pot, put in a charcoal fire. The temperature was raised by fanning the fire with the wing of a goose, until the iron was red hot.
Herbert Maryon is also a source of info. on ancient jewelry, as he repaired jewelry at the British Museum and wrote about it.
Thank you both.
The iron pot in charcoal fire was also my first idea.I will try find more infos and pictures. Thank you again:)
Tahnk you Chris
I will ask my friend who´s making pottery.This clay will be better than iron,but I´m not sure if it will withstand more firings.
Check our new web page: www.kovlad.com
You will find this image interesting, I scanned from a enameling magazine. one person is setting stones, second one is doing engraving, third person filling enamel, last person firing enamel in charcoal furnace. I don't know how old this drawing is.
SIR THAT PICTURE IS FROM JAIPUR COURT ITS MY ANCESTORS PICTURE WORKING AT JAIPUR KINGDOM
This picture is really interesting.
Deepak you must be proud to have so skilled craftsmens as ancestors.Do you know from what year is this picture?Any information about the old enameling technology?
Thank you both.
R.
Enameling in India is not very old tradition, after Mughals it entered India through Karachi. In that case I assume this drawing is not more than 400 years old. When I first visited Deepak's father say 12 years back, I remember he showed me his charcoal furnace, although it was not in use. These kind of furnace must be lying with someone in Jaipur or Bikaner. Deepak can trace one. So request him to trace one. Vivek Das
You are right Chris.Also on the floor is some charcoal.But I´am not sure about the thing in furnace.You can´t put piece of enameled jewelery right on the charcoal.This must be mistake maybe the painter was not good in enameling technology? I have few ideas.If the tool he is holding in his left hand is not something like small container for enameled piece(there is not lid,but who knows?) and you can put this tool right to the charcoal flame....???
Vivak can you please describe how the Deepak father´s furnace looks like?
Thank you
R.
Hope you send me photo of your clay kiln when you make one:)I will try ask few of my friends from Univerzity about some information and let you know if I find something applicable.
Thank you very much Chris,that would be great help.
Sure I will contact some elderly enameler from Jaipur and try to get a photo. Unfortunately I had no camera when I saw one. I will draw a sketch what I remember and post. Vivek Das
we still had some klin like that in our home
Theophilus, On Divers Arts is the ~12th century reference mentioned earlier in this thread.
Could be granulation, which can go directly into a charcoal fire.
Lillian
Anything new about the kiln or technique? Deepak do you have any photos of your old kiln?
The name of the momk is Theophilus Presbyter. Her an article from Wikipedia:
Theophilus Presbyter (flourished c. 1070–1125) is the pseudonymous author or compiler of a Latin text containing detailed descriptions of various medieval arts, a text commonly known as the Schedula diversarum artium ("List of various arts") or De diversis artibus ("On various arts"), probably first compiled between 1100 and 1120. The oldest manuscript copies of the work are found in Vienna (Austrian National Library, Codex 2527) and in Wolfenbüttel (Herzog-August-Bibliothek, Cod. Guelf. Gud. Lat. 69 2°). Gotthold Ephraim Lessing rediscovered the document when he worked as librarian in Wolfenbüttel.
Theophilus' Schedula allows detailed insights into the techniques used in the applied arts in the high Middle Ages. The work is divided into three books. The first covers the production and use of painting and drawing materials (painting techniques, paints, and ink), especially for illumination of texts and painting of walls. The second deals with the production of stained glass and techniques of glass painting, while the last deals with various techniques of goldsmithing and other metalwork. It also includes an introduction into the building of organs. Theophilus contains perhaps the earliest reference to oil paint. The work has been translated into English, French, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Hungarian, German, Italian, Japanese, Bulgarian, and Russian, mostly in the 19th and 20th centuries.
'Theophilus' was quite possibly a Benedictine monk. It has been suggested (particularly by Eckhard Freise) that Theophilus is the same person as the artisan monk Roger of Helmarshausen. Roger appears to have come from Stavelot Abbey in the Meuse River region, was active as an artist and author between 1100 and 1107 in St. Pantaleon's church in Cologne, and moved to Helmarshausen Abbey in 1107. The identity of the two men has been argued among researchers for some time, but Freise's conclusions have not yet been accepted by all researchers. Other suggestions have also been made, and at present there can not be said to be a consensus. [1]
Theophilus, as the author of a "handbook", has been described as a mere theorist, but this view is currently in the minority. The First Book, on painting, is not particularly well-informed, but adequately reliable, the Second, on glass, is better, while most of the Third Book is clearly the work of a practising metalworker. It has recently been suggested that the apparent contradictory evidence as to dating, practical experience, and location of 'Theophilus' is best explained if the Schedula is understood to be a compilation
Here is a picture of an enamelling kiln of the end of the 19 century. Edmund
Thank you Edmund,I have the Theophilus book - On diverse art and also Enamels of Limoges and there are lots of useful informations.
We all have now small electric kilns or gas torch.Any suggestions how the craftsmen worked on enamel jewellery 1000 years ago? How the kiln looks like? They used charcoal or something else? I want to make some research how looks an enamelling studio in 9-11 century.Any help?
Thank you.