. Enamels . nes of Europewhich are decorated with precious stones, cameos,and cloisonne enamels. The above-mentioned examples have nohistory attached to them, nothing is known ofhow or where or by whom they were made; onlycircumstances, their workmanship, and characterpoint to their Anglo-Saxon origin. But by far themost interesting and best-known example of thosetimes, carrying its own inscription and containinga portrait in cloisonne enamel, is what is called the Alfred jewel, which for the last two hundredyears has been in the Ashmolean Museum atOxford and the subject of much learned discus
. Enamels . nes of Europewhich are decorated with precious stones, cameos,and cloisonne enamels. The above-mentioned examples have nohistory attached to them, nothing is known ofhow or where or by whom they were made; onlycircumstances, their workmanship, and characterpoint to their Anglo-Saxon origin. But by far themost interesting and best-known example of thosetimes, carrying its own inscription and containinga portrait in cloisonne enamel, is what is called the Alfred jewel, which for the last two hundredyears has been in the Ashmolean Museum atOxford and the subject of much learned discus-sion and conjecture, and although but small, beingless than two and a half inches long, and rude inworkmanship, is one of the most precious relics ofour countrys history. The jewel is oval in shape, and the centreconsists of a cloisonne enamel on gold, egg-shaped and pointed at the base, the design being arudely fashioned figure representing, possibly, theSaviour, St. Cuthbert or King Alfred himself, ^ M Mi. cloisonn:^ enamels 71 supposed to be seated and holding in his handwhat is generally taken to be a sceptre burstinginto the leaf or blossom so often seen in Irishdesigns, notably in the Book of Kells. The groundis coloured blue, the drapery green, and some-times a spot of red, and the flesh is of low-tonedwhite. The wires appear rough and thick, thesurface of the enamel still showing the , I take it, means that either the enamel wasnever finished or the enameller had no knowledgeof how to proceed with the final hand-polishing,and in which his surface would have lost thescratches and become quite smooth ; and also hiswires, curious as it may seem, would therebyappear finer, even perhaps as fine as they are inthe Dowgate Hill brooch. The jewel is covered with a polished crystal;this again, although it may prove that the enamelportrait was considered of great value, would nothave appeared necessary if the final stages ofpolishing had been arrived at. This curiou
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectenamela, bookyear1912
