The Art of Enamelling Upon Metal by Alexander Fisher, 1905

This antique book on enameling gives a clear window into enameling in the 19th century and the debates on legitimizing craft work as fine art equal to painting, sculpture etc in importance and vitality. This book provides a unique philosophical snapshot of the time, with its deep and impassioned arguments for enameling as high art. Quotes from William Blake, Goethe and others give a context for enameled work. Design principles and the history of enameling are dealt with. There is lots of technical information as well. Plenty of discussion of color, and how it is used and works with different kinds of enamel and techniques. There is a really complete approach to enameling and to the preparation of the metal surfaces under them. There are actual recipes for making your own enamels using silica and metal oxides, making fluxes, even colored fluxes at different firing ranges. (You would need a lab to do this, as many contain some lead). This kind of information is simply not available elsewhere. Medieval enameling techniques, and those from the late 19th century are discussed at length. There are many pictures of enameled objects in black and white, and colored plates as well. Published in 1905, lots of photos and a number of drawings. File Size: 16.50MB, 113 Pages