Heraldic Enamel (Primary Title)

Unknown (Artist)

1250–75
French
Decorative Arts
Metalwork
champlevé enamel, gilding on copper
France,Limoges,
Overall: 1 5/8 in. (4.13 cm)
87.80.1
Not on view
Pair with "Heraldic Enamel" (87.80.2)
Displaying an enameled emblem or crest of the rampant lion surrounded by intertwining dragons, these copper roundels reflect the nobility's practice of promoting bloodline and marriage through heraldry. They also reveal the close relationship betweenthe art of the goldsmith and the enameller during the Middle Ages. These pieces probably would have decorated a large casket made of leather or copper as a celebration of the family's name.
Unsigned
Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Fund
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC

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