Vintage enamel bucket with red enamel rim.
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Very decorative, could be used as a fire bucket/ great ice bucket, keep your wine champagne or beers cold / planter etc (see pictures - illustration only not included).
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We have 3 enamel buckets which may sell together. Please contact us for pricing.
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Some age related wear.
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Size: 26 cm tall 29 cm round at top
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Enamel, a technique of fusing powdered glass to a metal surface, has a rich history, with evidence of its use dating back to ancient civilizations like the Egyptians and Greeks, and flourished in the Byzantine Empire and later in Europe, particularly in Limoges, France.
Here's a more detailed look at the history of enamel:
Ancient Origins:
The earliest known enamelled objects, dating back to the 13th century BC, were found in Cyprus, specifically Mycenaean rings.
Ancient Egyptians and Greeks used enamel in jewelry and other decorative items, with the Egyptians employing techniques to fuse powdered glass onto metal surfaces.
The Greeks included enamel inlays into sculptures.
The Celts also used enameling in the 3rd century BC.
Evidence of enameling can be found in ancient Egypt, China, and throughout the Roman empire.
Byzantine and Medieval Periods:
The Byzantine Empire saw a dramatic development in enameling techniques, particularly the cloisonné technique, which involved placing enamel within small cells with gold walls.
Byzantine enamels, often on gold, adorned royal regalia and religious artifacts.
In the Middle Ages, the French city of Limoges became famous for its champlevé enamelwork from the 12th century onwards and then, in the 15th century, for its painted enamel.
Enamel was also popular in China during the 13th and 14th centuries, with cloisonné remaining popular until the 19th century.
Renaissance and Beyond:
Renaissance European artisans refined enamel techniques, making it popular with royalty and nobility.
In the 16th century, enameling became a popular form of decoration for dials and cases of clocks and watches.
By the 18th century, items of the drawing room, such as snuffboxes and etuis, were often decorated with enamel.
Enamel also played a part in the creative explosion of Art Nouveau, fueled by the proliferation of scientific knowledge at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Modern Applications:
Enamel signs were commonly used for advertising and street signage in the period 1880 to 1950.
Enamelware, such as mugs and cookware, is valued for its durability and resistance to wear and tear.
Enamel jewelry continued to evolve into modern society, popularized in the 1910's Art Deco movement, then again in the psychedelia and boho movements of the 60's and 70's.
Enamel is known in Japan as Shippō.