Quatrefoil Plaque with Angels, second quarter of 13th century
French (Limoges)
Champlevé enamel, copper

@credits

The medieval metalworker’s craft was often closely allied to the draftsman’s art, a relationship that was particularly strong in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. In this work, calligraphic metal surfaces float against colorful enameled backgrounds, much as drawing and painting interact in manuscripts. A sketch of a head on the reverse of this piece suggests that artists worked out compositions in a graphic mode before attempting completed designs.