PLIQUE-À-JOUR Enamel

PLIQUE-À-JOUR is a French term that translates to “Letting in the Daylight”. This technique of enamel was first discovered in the 15th century by Benvenuto Cellini. It was rediscovered in France circa 1900 and wheeled to new heights during the Art Nouveau period.
The Plique-à-Jour technique is used to make enamel resemble stained glass. Here; the enamel is applied in cells with no backing in the final product, which allows the light to shine through the transparent or translucent enamel. This enamelling technique is popularly used in the rendering of leaves, flowers, insect wings and other gossamer illusions.
Watch the whole video to understand the procedure.
1️⃣ The enamel colours are filled into a cell backed by a sheet of metal or mica.
2️⃣ The piece is then fired until the enamel fuses. Enamel refilling is repeatedly required during this step, as heat from the fire causes the enamel to slightly sink.
3️⃣ The sheet is removed with a light tap or acid.
4️⃣ Finally the surface of the metal is cleaned and polished and the enamel remains shimmering and translucent.
Art Nouveau artists René Lalique, Lucien Gaillard along with other French and German artists used this technique in their work for producing perfume bottles, vases, jewellery, chandeliers, clocks and automobile hood ornaments during the early twentieth century.
To know more about the different types of enamelling, let's revisit my series
#Enamelling in the guide section.
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