Verre eglomise is a decorative technique in which gold or silver leaf is applied to the back of a sheet of glass and then engraved, sometimes with added painted colour, so that the design is viewed through the glass. The name derives from Jean-Baptiste Glomy, an eighteenth-century Parisian framer and dealer who popularised the method, although the technique itself is far older.
Gilding behind glass was known in the ancient world and practised in medieval and Renaissance Europe on religious objects and small panels. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it became widely used for mirror borders, picture mounts, clock and barometer panels, signage and furniture inserts. It is especially associated with Regency overmantel mirrors, where verre eglomise friezes decorated with classical figures, chariots or scrolling foliage run across the top of the frame. Later, Art Deco designers used it for striking panels and furniture. Because the gilding lies behind the glass it is protected from wear, but it can flake, tarnish or be damaged by moisture. Collectors value fine engraving, good colour and minimal loss, and original panels are preferred to replacements.
