Materials · Material
珐琅釉料 fàláng yòuliào
Vitreous enamel
Vitreous enamel is coloured glass powder fused by heat to a metal surface.
Enamel is not paint. Heat softens the glass-based mixture so it bonds to the metal support. Colour comes from metallic oxides, while polishing brings the fired surface level with the partitions.
Resin can imitate gloss and colour without the same fired structure. Identifying it reliably requires more than judging a photograph.
Related records
Sources and further reading
- Chinese Cloisonné, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.Glass paste, metal oxides, firing and repeated filling in cloisonné