H. De Koningh's Presentation to The Royal Society of Arts in London, England

摘要

In the pastoral staff of William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester (1367), which is preserved at New College, Oxford, we have one of the earliest examples of a fresh type of enameling known as basse taille. In this style the design is carved in the metal in low relief and flooded with transparent enamels; the effect of this when skilfully executed is very beautiful. This type of work was extensively practised by the Italians, and has been referred to by many contemporary Italian writers as enamel painting-quite a misnomer, and a good example of the errors which arise when otherwise learned people write on a subject of which they have no practical knowledge.