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Enamels of the World 1700-2000

by Haydn E. Williams

'Enamels of the World 1700-2000', consisting of some twelve hundred works, is the largest and most comprehensive private collection known. It provides an unparalleled opportunity to appreciate the richness and diversity of the art of enamelling during the past three centuries, ranging from the imposing work of Qing dynasty China and Meiji Japan, to the magnificent creations of Romanov Russia and the royal courts of Europe and the East. Formed with the innovative criterion of considering the subject in a globally, it covers work from all major centres of production, allowing the enamelwork of a specific country to be viewed within its own context and as part of a wider history.

This volume presents over three hundred pieces from the collection. The survey starts with an account of the evolution and refinement of the different enamelling techniques. Thereafter it studies the subject thematically, considering the impact of patronage and travel, as well as the role of nationalism in the development of historical revivalism. The enamelwork of China, Japan, the Islamic Lands and Europe are examined both in terms of local development and the assimilation of foreign influence. The history of three firms is reviewed in greater focus - Jean George Rémond, Fabergé and Cartier. Representing different periods within three hundred years covered by the collection, the character of these firms, though largely shaped by the genius of their directors, was also formed by the era in which they flourished.

Whether looking at the subject in general or in detail, the reader is presented with an illuminating display of the great technical skill and creative ingenuity of the enamellers of the world.

The volume is accompanied by a CD that presents the Khalili Collection of 'Enamels of the World 1700-2000' in its entirety. 450p, full colour throughout (The Khalili Collections 2009)

Review Quotes

"It provides an unparalleled opportunity to appreciate the richness and diversity of the art of enamelling during the past three centuries, ranging from the imposing work of Qing dynasty China and Meiji Japan, to the magnificent creations of Romanov Russia and the royal courts of Europe and the East."

Antiques Diary (March-April 2010)

"Impressive in its coverage and lavish in the range of images."

Erika Speel
Guild of Enamellers, vol 33, no. 128 (2010)

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