Champleve Enameled Belt Buckle

mdengraver

~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Joined
Apr 10, 2007
Messages
3,593
Location
Rockville, MD
An Improved more finished pic

Monk it's an abstract design derived from a scroll like shape. It looks to me like an imaginary animal. Here's a better pic.
 

Attachments

  • DSC03084.jpg
    DSC03084.jpg
    98.7 KB · Views: 200

brownwell

Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2008
Messages
7
Location
San Diego, CA
So, did you enamel onto brass? The zinc in most formulations of brass usually prevent the glass from adhering during enameling -- it tends to pop small chunks off as the zinc evaporates.

Also, am I seeing it correctly -- you enameled a small plaque, then used prongs to attach it to the buckle?

It looks like a stylized bull to me :) Perhaps Greek or Byzantine?
 

mdengraver

~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Joined
Apr 10, 2007
Messages
3,593
Location
Rockville, MD
It is what it is! It is up to your imagination and interpretation! It is what ever you want it to be. It is what ever you see in it! The base metal for the enamel is copper. The back plate for the buckle is brass. The border soldered on is copper but the satin finish was accomplished by bronze wool hand rubbed on the metal, and a brass brush in a flexshaft, and plenty of elbow grease with a fine burnisher! Yes, the prongs were soldered to the brass buckle that the enamel sits on top of. The prongs are copper.
 
Last edited:

pmace

Elite Cafe Member
Joined
Nov 18, 2010
Messages
230
Location
Arizona City, AZ
Did you remove the background with a rotary or engraving?

Torch or kiln fired?

Who made the enamel?

Pretty neat. I like it. I have a torch setup and am playing with cloisonné but I keep burning everything. Maybe Santa will bring me a kiln.
 

monk

Moderator
Staff member
::::Pledge Member::::
Joined
Feb 11, 2007
Messages
10,852
Location
washington, pa
Monk it's an abstract design derived from a scroll like shape. It looks to me like an imaginary animal. Here's a better pic.

yeah, i can see a critter there. perhaps a rotifer with too many hooks. i have done a lot of enameling, but never got it to stick to brass,
 

mdengraver

~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Joined
Apr 10, 2007
Messages
3,593
Location
Rockville, MD
Monk the enamel is on the copper. The background is soldered, the recesses in the metal that received the enamel were etched. I made the enameled design.
 

monk

Moderator
Staff member
::::Pledge Member::::
Joined
Feb 11, 2007
Messages
10,852
Location
washington, pa
Monk the enamel is on the copper. The background is soldered, the recesses in the metal that received the enamel were etched. I made the enameled design.

ok. tyvm for that. i thought it was on the brass. i spent (wasted) an entire evening a year ago dipping brass in different acids,chemicals, and such. no results. my wife suggested i get the stuff blessed by a holy man,
 

Latest posts

Sponsors

Top