Enamels

Enamels are made by fusing finely-ground glass to metal. Vibrant as the day they emerged from the kiln, our rich and outstanding collections, created over many hundreds of years, showcase a wide range of highly skilful enamel techniques.

The art of enamelling on metal has been practised in most countries of mainland Europe, in Britain and Scandinavia, as well as in Russia, the Middle East, South and East Asia and the US. Highlights of our collections include medieval enamels, Renaissance painted enamels, enamelled portrait miniatures, gold boxes and jewellery from Europe, enamels from the Arts and Crafts revival and Art Nouveau periods, 19th-century Indian enamels, imperial and export Chinese enamels and a world-class collection of Japanese enamels.



Search “Enamels” in Explore the Collections

Features

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Arts and Crafts enamels

A new wave of artists discover an ancient technique

  1. Watch

    How was it made? Guilloché enamelling

    Watch precise geometric patterns appear on metalwork in this centuries-old process
  2. Read

    Huguenot enamellers

    Discover the refugee craftsmen with extraordinary talent
  3. Watch

    How was it made? Enamelled copper box

    Watch the process of making a beautiful enamelled copper snuff-box
  4. Watch

    Traditional Indian jewellery making

    Craftsman in Mumbai and Jaipur demonstate how traditional kundan and enamelled jewellery is made
  5. Watch

    How was it made? Champlevé enamelling

    See how this medieval technique was carried out
  6. Read

    Portrait miniatures painted in enamel

    The Gilbert Collection of enamel portrait miniatures represent some of the most important artists working in the medium

Collection highlights

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  1. triptych
    Triptych, by Master of the Louis XII Triptych, about 1498 – 1514, Limoges, France
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  2. dish
    Dish, by Muhammad Ja'far, 1817 – 1818, Tehran, Iran
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  3. turban ornament
    Turban Ornament, about 1800 – 50, Jaipur, India
    V&A South Kensington
    View by appointment
  4. box
    Box, by Jean Georges Rémond et Cie., 1783 – 1790, Switzerland
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  5. beaker
    Beaker, by Pavel Ovchinikov, 1892, Moscow, Russia
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  6. handbag
    Handbag, by Haruta Yukihito, 2008, Japan
    V&A East Storehouse
    View by appointment
  7. cup and cover
    The Mérode Cup, cup and cover, about 1400, France
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  8. cup
    The Habsburg-Rosenberg Cup, 1665, Augsburg, Germany
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  9. jug
    Jug, designed by Gerald Benney, made by Alan Evans, 1978, England
    V&A South Kensington
    View by appointment
  10. enamel miniature
    Portrait of Hortense Mancini, Duchesse de Mazarin, enamel miniature, by Jean Petitot Sr, about 1675, France
    V&A South Kensington
    View by appointment
  11. snuff box
    Snuff box, 1765 – 1775, Birmingham, England
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  12. vessel
    Vessel, 1736 – 1795, Beijing, China
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  13. plaque
    Success to the British Fisheries, plaque, designed and engraved by Louis Philippe Boitard, 1750 – 1751, Birmingham, England
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  14. fish slice
    Fish slice, by Linda Darty, 2004, North Carolina, US
    Young V&A
    On display
  15. casket
    The Becket Casket, about 1180 – 1190, Limoges, France
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
  16. ring tray
    Ring tray, by Eugène Feuillâtre, about 1901, France
    V&A South Kensington
    On display
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Header image:
Ring tray, Eugene Feuillâtre, about 1901, France. Museum no. M.24-1972. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London