DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE WORLD HISTORY OF ENAMELMAKING: FROM THE MIDDLE AGES TO THE PRESENT

Abstract

The article deals with the peculiarities and interaction of design and technology at different stages of the world history of enamel art. The origins and prototypes of enamel art and their step-by-step development from the Middle Ages to artistic enameling in the 20th century are revealed. The step-by-step development of various technological and visual techniques in hot-enamel art in the historical retrospective and the reflection of all accumulated experience in modern enamel art works are traced and emphasised. The art history analysis of hot enamelling studies in different countries and regions reveals the main points of enamelling development. The gradual development, influence and borrowing of different techniques, regional and technological peculiarities are underlined. The dependence of technological methods and possibilities of design relevant to different historical periods is revealed; an attempt to decipher the formulation of artistic tasks of the craftsmen of the past is made. The authors show the long experience of working out various technological methods and the necessity of preserving and direct transfer of skills from the teacher to the student. Conclusions are made about the step-by-step long-term development of hot-jeweled enamel technologies and the direct dependence of the artistic component on technological innovations, as well as the necessity to directly study all possibilities and properties of enamel worked out in the past. Modern trends in the development of enamel art are considered. The use of historical practical experience simplifies considerably the setting of new artistic tasks.