Champlevé is an enamelling technique in which hollows are cut, engraved, etched or cast into the surface of a metal object and then filled with powdered enamel, which is fused by firing and finally ground and polished flush with the surrounding metal. The name comes from the French for raised field, referring to the areas of metal left standing between the coloured enamels.
It differs from cloisonné, in which the compartments are formed by thin wires soldered to the surface. Champlevé was used by Celtic and Roman craftsmen and reached a high point in the Romanesque period, particularly at Limoges in France and in the Rhine and Meuse valleys, where gilt copper reliquaries, crosses and caskets were decorated in rich blues, greens and whites. The technique was revived enthusiastically in the nineteenth century and is frequently seen on French gilt bronze clocks, garnitures, candelabra and desk sets, as well as Gothic Revival church plate and Asian metalwork. Collectors look for vibrant, evenly filled colours, crisp metalwork and minimal chips or cracks, since damaged enamel is difficult to repair invisibly. Gilding wear should also be considered.
