Ornaments for Goldsmiths, anonymous, after Jean Toutin, 1619

engraving, h 106mm × w 81mm More details

We get a glimpse of a goldsmith and his apprentice at work: the fire in the open kiln is raised to the right temperature with a pair of bellows. Enamel colours have different melting points and so must be fired one by one. Nowadays an enameller can regulate the kiln with great accuracy: in the past the temperature had to be gauged from experience and by the colour of the flames.