WHAT IS THE CHAMPLEVE ?

CHAMPLEVE: An enameling technique or an object made by the process; a form of inlay in which the pattern is cut out of the metal to be ornamented. The pattern was then filled with enamel frit and fused in an oven, or filled with polished stones or shells. Champlevé can be distinguished from the similar technique of cloisonné by a greater irregularity in the width of the metal lines. It developed as a Celtic art in western Europe in the Roman period and was copied by the Anglo-Saxons. In the Rhine River valley and in Belgium’s Meuse River valley, champlevé production flourished, especially during the late 11th and 12th centuries. It was often used in the decoration of the escutcheons on hanging bowls. [champ-levé, champleve                                                                                             enameling]