"I was struck dumb with amazement, and when Lord Carnarvon, unable to stand the suspense any longer, inquired anxiously 'Can you see anything?' it was all I could do to get out the words 'Yes, wonderful things'".
So wrote Howard Carter about the moment on the 22nd November 1922 when he first saw the treasures located in the anti-chamber of the tomb of Tutankhamun. A similar sense of amazement strikes the viewer when seeing the collection 'Enamels of the World, 1700-2000' for the first time. The glittering magnificence assembled, from massive vases and garnitures, to snuff boxes and other object d'art densely ranked on shelves running to the distance is overwhelming. After recovering from the initial impact of this visual intoxication the viewer begins to focus on individual objects and once again is awe-struck by the fineness and variety of the work: the delicate tracery of art nouveau flowers on the plique à jour cup attributed to André Fernand Thesmar (FR 382); the vibrant colours of the box signed by Muhsin al-Halabi (ISL 425); the beauty of the trailing wisteria seen on the gold wire cloisonné parasol handle by Namikawa Yasuyuki (JAP 727), or perhaps the palpable verisimilitude of the enamel portrait of Maréchal Turenne by Jean Petitot (FR 765). As the survey continues a myriad of thoughts and impressions arise: on the richness and diversity of decorative styles, on the range of techniques and how they are used to different ends, on the variety of objects, and also how could it be possible that so much be assembled in one collection?
Forming a great collection is an art, one fired by instinct, passion and determination. Imbibed with these qualities successive generations of the Rothschild and Hertford families, profiting from the turmoil of the French Revolution and later political events that caused works of art to flood onto the market, made collections of such richness and depth that would seem impossible to equal in modern times. 'Enamels of the World, 1700-2000' challenges this supposition. Unaccountably the idea that enamel could be the subject, as opposed to adjunct, of a collection had never been considered. Inspired by this new vision, objects were sourced from all over the world to form a collection of over twelve hundred pieces. The richness of the yield was only possible because the theme had remained untouched. Within the diverse profusion of the collection fascinating individual themes and chronologies take shape, variously confirming or challenging previous assumptions. The genius of its formation rests on unexpected combinations, akin to the inspiration of Picasso in juxtaposing an old bicycle seat and handle bar to form a bull's head. Today, even if funds were infinite, it would be impossible to assemble a comparable collection; it represents the harvest of a single tree in an otherwise barren orchard.
Within the last three hundred years the collection surveys the subject of enamel throughout the world. Geographically, this is divided up into three broad areas: Europe and America, the East (India and Persia) and the Far East (China and Japan). In this context the art of enamel may be considered in regional terms and thereby marked differences are revealed. In the designated period European craftsmen continued to use and refine long established techniques and so change is defined in terms of decorative style and application. In Japan, by contrast, there was a complete absence of enamel work for the first half of the period. Then suddenly, during the Meiji era, there was an extraordinary flowering of the art with masters producing enamels of a refinement that must have abashed their European contemporaries. Each national category within the collection stands as an entity in itself and is replete with masterpieces. For example the section dedicated to China includes a very rare Imperial table of the period of the Qianlong emperor (CHI 648), an exceptional series of eight large panels decorated with flowers and inscribed with poems by Yu Minzhong, a renowned scholar from the Imperial Hanlin Academy (CHI 744), as well as an impressive group of Beijing and Guangzhou (Canton) objects made for both religious and domestic use.
Focussing in more closely the collection reveals specialised sections of great significance. Included within the European section is a definitive collection of Geneva enamel snuff boxes. Here it is possible to trace the rapid evolution from an early dependence on French prototypes (SWI 675), to an identifiable Geneva style (SW 495.12 & &), which then developed into the fancy-shaped boxes (SW 144, formed and painted as a tulip) that appealed so much to the Ottoman and Chinese markets. It is also possible to trace the careers of individual goldsmiths such as Jean George Rémond, as well as tracking the various partnerships that were readily formed and often as quickly dissolved. This particular facet of the collection has stimulated important new research, published here for the first time, which throws new light on the subject and challenges past interpretations. Then, pulling back from the focus on Geneva, one can chart the impact of the Swiss craftsmen in a wider context: emulation, a French snuff box by Victoire Boizot that imitates the Geneva style (FR 495.34), and diffusion, a box by C.M. Weishaupt & Söhne, the Swiss art transferred to Germany through marriage (GER 752).
Equally important in terms of significance is the specialised section dedicated to Russian enamel, totalling some hundred and eighty pieces, of which over eighty are by Fabergé. Both during his lifetime, and after, Carl Fabergé was most revered for the use of enamel. Through ceaseless experiment the firm managed to evolve a palette of over one hundred and forty enamel colours. This was further complemented by developments in engine-turning. In combination they were used to great effect for a vast array of objects, including cigarette cases, clocks, bell pushes, buckles and fans. Highlights include the exceptional combined clock and photograph frame shaped as a fan (FAB859) and the delightful frame decorated with narcissi in the manner of Japanese moriage enamel (FAB747). If Fabergé's innovations were centred in St Petersburg, another aspect of enamelling art was being explored in Moscow. The technique of cloisonné enamel had long been established in Russia but, following the westernisation policies of Peter the Great, this traditional art form fell into abeyance until it was revived during the Pan-Slavic movement of the mid 19th century. The collection has a major holding of this material. All the masters are represented: Orest Kurliukov, Ivan Khlebnikov and Pavel Ovchinnikov, the latter responsible for two presentation chargers given to the French President Emile Loubet (RUS113, 114). Perhaps the most remarkable of all, however, was Feodor Rückert, an independent master who often worked in association with Fabergé. Exemplary of this liaison is the monumental kovsh, given to I.O. Olsen by the firm of Nobel Brothers in 1908, a masterpiece of Russian enamelling (RUS 024).
We have seen briefly how the collection can be viewed both in general geographic terms and in detail, but what has not been considered is how the wealth of material allows many thematic interpretations. In the interest of brevity we shall touch on only two of the significant areas.
The nineteenth century was a great period for historical revivalism, what the Germans call 'Historismus'. In different countries it took different guises but in most cases it can be associated with an interest in the idea of 'the nation'. People sought to find their identity though the art of the past. This could variously mean a picaresque vision of history as seen in the Limoges enamel plaques by Theophile Soyer (FR 287, 541), the eccentric evocations of Renaissance 'prunktshale' made by Hermann Ratzersdorfer and others in Vienna (AUS 326, & &) or the open-minded interpretations sparked off by the Pan-Slavism in Russia. Concurrently others were exploring the past in a more deceitful way. As a new awareness for the art of previous eras developed, collectors begun to seek out material from th
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