Community

There are many aspects to consider in the processes of the enamelling..

First aspect to consider is the available materials. I shall not make a comprehensive list of glass dates sources and chemical components, as I believe that to most it would be dull! Suffice to say there are many variables,but the constants are the glass making technologies, and dates of the changes of these technologies...

I.E  red glass pre 1860 would be made usuing gold chloride to create the colouring....Post 1920 Selenium was likely to have been used....and so forth.

Different types of glass behave differently when used for the enamelling process is a good basis for a dating reference. but not the only reference.

Here are some contemporary pictures of enamelling from The Tarroudant region:

The techniques are largely unchanged , the gas bottles are the heat source now, however the things which have changed are the glass supplies and the metal supplies.

By charting and understanding these changes and the way that the changing materials act together we have a basis for determining the first steps in dating pieces from the region.

To understand the changes in glass and the variations in colours we must take time to familiarise ourselves witht he glass trade routes into Africa, and the sources of the beads ( which were then and are still now crushed to give the enamelling powder.)

It is difficult to give the nuances which a complex web of supply, manufacture, re cycling and faux patina create, but over time it is possible to gather enough pointers to work a process of elimination taking us to a fairly precise date range.

I hope that this is not too much detail! I fear that it may be too little information for those with a very keen interest in this area........

Maybe some further essays or article may emerge from me sometime!!!!

Warmest wishes

Sarah