Technik: enamel cloisonne

 

 

This icon ORANTA is made in old Georgian technic - enamel cloisonne - usingg oldest canonic icon of 7th sentury found on the territory of Georgia. The whole process of creation is long and complex and includes steps from choosing appropriate look to frame design.

Below You will find some photos of enamel making process made by me during creation. It is one peace of EmoShine Workshop - my own crafting project. 

 

The final view of ready-made icon with frame:

So, what goes before  - is the search of desired image. It shopld be printed (or hand-drawn if it goes about non-ritual things) in original size.

The next step is curving septulums (cloisonne by french origin of the word) and putting them to the jewelries base. It can be made forn copper,silver or gold.

 

When all the septulums are placed on the necessary palces and hited in the high-temperatured stove here goes the time of enamel putting. We use wet enamel powder for this aim. Now the icon looks like below when the first layer on enamel is on:

 

 

.... and after hiting it has such look:

 

Layer by layer enamel is putting on the copper plate:

 

Untill it will get the final look:

 

And one more step You need to make before finalization - presize grinding.

Almost ready: 

 

But the picture cannot live properly without frame.

So spepical crafter maked it for me in Tbilisi (Georgia) from brass.

Here it is: