The artistic enamel is one of the most ancient technologies of metal decoration. As early as ancient times enamel was used as decoration of gold, silver and copper articles. Enamel was always as expensive as jewels, and sometimes it was even more beautiful. Not only the enamel beauty influanced its price, which always was very high. Enamel masters kept the technique of this art in secret and handed on the knowledge only to their apprentices. There are various enamel techniques: cloisonne, champleve, stained glass enamel, enamel on reliefs, etc. At present finift is a name of one particular technique which is enamel painting. The word finift remained also in the name of the vernacular art which appeared as early as 200 years ago in Rostov Velikii, Yaroslavskaya region.
Enamel Portrait MiniatureEnamel Portrait Miniature by Julia Kuzhim