English enamels are small decorative objects made from copper covered in a layer of fused, white glass enamel and then painted or printed with decoration, produced in England mainly during the second half of the eighteenth century. Typical pieces include snuff boxes, patch boxes, bonbonnières, etuis, scent bottles, candlesticks, plaques and toilet boxes.
The best-known centres of production were Battersea in London, where a short-lived factory operated in the 1750s and pioneered transfer printing on enamel, and the South Staffordshire towns of Bilston and Wednesbury, together with Birmingham. As a result, collectors often use the name Bilston or Battersea loosely for all English enamel boxes. Decoration includes flowers, pastoral and romantic scenes, portraits, mottoes and souvenir inscriptions such as 'A Trifle from Bath', often with gilt-metal mounts. Enamel is brittle and easily chipped or cracked, so condition is crucial, and collectors look for bright colours, crisp painting or printing, undamaged lids and original hinges. Continental and twentieth-century reproductions are plentiful, and some modern firms continue the tradition, so careful inspection of style, wear and mounts helps identify genuine eighteenth-century pieces.
