PLIQUE-À-JOUR
Plique-à-jour is a French term indicating a vitreous enamelling technique where the enamel is applied in cells, similar to cloisonné, but with no backing in the final product, so light can shine through the transparent or translucent enamel.
It is in effect a miniature version of stained-glass and is considered very challenging technically: high time consumption with a high failure rate. The technique is similar to that of cloisonné, but using a temporary backing that after firing is dissolved by acid or rubbed away.
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Originally developed in the Byzantine Empire in 6th century AD, the plique-à-jour technique was adopted by Kievan Russia but was lost after the crushing Mongol invasion in the 13th century.
The technique was adopted also in Western Europe and the French term appears in inventories from the 14th century onwards. A full description of the process is illustrated in the Treatises of Benvenuto Cellini on Goldsmithing and Sculpture of 1568.
The technique was revived in the late 19th century movement of revivalist jewellery, and became especially popular in Russia and Scandinavia. Works by Pavel Ovchinikov, Ivan Khlebnikov, and some masters working for Faberge are real masterpieces of plique-à-jour. Norwegian jewellers included David Andersen and J. Tostrup in Oslo, and Martin Hummer in Bergen. Art nouveau artists such as René Lalique and other French and German artists used plique-à-jour in small jewellery
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