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Doubting Thomas, Mosaic in the Narthex, 11th CE Giclee Print 24 in. x 18 in. Buy at AllPosters.com Framed Mounted The art of the goldsmith includes chasing, hammered work, damascening, filigree and casting in precious metals, as well as inlaying with precious stones and enamel-work. Jewellery, precious vessels, altar equipment, weapons and suits of armour all fall within its scope. The relatively few instances of larger sculptural works of this kind are mostly made of metal beaten upon a wooden core, like the gold and ivory statues of Antiquity (Pheidias' Zeus and Athene, both lost) or the Romanesque statue of Ste. Foy in Conques-en-Rouergue. The art of the goldsmith had reached great heights in Antiquity, especially in the Egyptian and Sumerian civilisations (see ill. of Tutenkhamon's golden coffin). The earliest examples of granulated work come from Egypt.
The famous Vaphio Cups illustrate the skill of Minoan goldsmiths, while Greek jewellery includes some of the finest specimens of filigree enamel and granulated work. Geometric motifs prevail but there are many representations of human and animal figures. Roman goldsmiths' and silversmiths' work (discoveries at Pompeii, Boscoreale, Hildesheim, Mildenhall) exhibits the same techniques used with heavy magnificence rather than with the grace and delicacy characteristic of Greek work. Byzantine goldsmiths perfected the art of cloisonné and excelled also in filigree and granulated work.
The remarkable Treasure of Petrossa (Bucharest Mus.) is typical of the goldsmith's work produced during the Dark Ages; the style is a decadent form of the classical tradition combined with barbaric elements. Its chief characteristics are a use of conventionalized animal forms, pierced goldwork and a lavish display of stones inlaid in cloisonne' fashion. Later and more refined forms of this type of work are to be found in the Merovingian style of the 5th century. The contents of the tomb of King Childeric ( Paris/Bibliothèque Nationale) admirably illustrate the goldsmith's craft of this period.
Celtic and Anglo-Saxon chalices, plates and jewellery show excellent hammered work full of intricate detail and with interlacing winding scrolls in repoussè with fillings of enamel. A celebrated example of Celtic work is the Tara Brooch, while Anglo-Saxon work is well represented by the Sutton Hoo Treasure (British Mus.). The goldsmith's art flourished during the Romanesque period with its golden altar fittings ( Henry II's Basle antependium, Cluny), golden altar panels (Aix-la-Chapelle/Cathedral treasure), embossed reliquary shrines inlaid with precious stones or cloisonné enamel (shrine of the Magi, Cologne; Domed Reliquary of the Guelph Treasure, Brunswick) and beautifully worked communion plate, etc.
Medieval work exhibits greater elegance, but still exploits the sensuous appeal of colour in enamel and gems, as in the Chalice of St Remi. The work of the most representative goldsmith of the Renaissance, Benvenuto Cellini, illustrates, both in the design of jewellery and table pieces such as his famous salt cellar, the fine craftsmanship of the period and its tendency to exuberance. The latter quality was characteristic of the 16th century and is nowhere more apparent than in the extravagant gold and silver ecclesiastical vessels of Spain. The richly decorated goldsmith's work of this time even influenced architecture and was the origin of the name given to the Plateresque style. Standards of workmanship remained high until the end of the 18th century, though many former techniques were gradually discontinued. Nineteenth-century work was marked by borrowings from historical sources, particularly the Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance styles.
A small group of Italian craftsmen produced work of exceptional quality. These include Castellari, a Roman goldsmith, who rediscovered the technique of granulation. The forgotten art of enamelling on a prepared guilloche field was revived by the Russian goldsmith Fabergé at the close of the century. His curious pieces range from boxes, clocks and bell-pushers to automatic toys. Remarkable examples of the goldsmith's art have survived from pre-Columbian America. The Aztecs, the Mixtecs and Toltecs were skilled in all the techniques and used them for both personal ornaments and ritual objects.
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