The Buzz: Eglomisé, Champlevé and Cloisonné

By Buzz Kaplan, Decorati Contributing Antiques Editor and author of The Buzz on Antiques.

Eglomisé, pronounced “ay glow me ZAY”, also called called ‘verre eglomisé’ (”vair ay glow me ZAY”), is a decorative glass technique where the glass is painted or gilded on the underside and then backed wih a metal foil. Shown above is an 18th century German red and gold verre eglomisé mirror.

If I ever catch someone trying to steal one of my eglomisé antiques, I plan to yell, “LEGGO MY EGGLO!”
That’ll scare ‘em.

Below is another example of eglomisé, this one an 18th century Southern European panel showing a kneeling figure accepting a bishop’s mitre and crozier from the archangel Michael with an attendant angel:

Champlevé, pronounced “shahm pluh VAY” is a decorative metal technique where metal is etched or hollowed out and then filled with enamel that’s fired. Some people confuse this with eglomisé (see above) or cloisonné (see below) but they’re very different. Here’s a good detail of a champlevé surface:

Champlevé was often incorporated into elaborate antique boxes or reliquaries like these:

Finally, there is cloisonné (pronounced “cloy zuh NAY”), a different decorative metal technique. In cloisonné, metal wire is attached to an object like a vase, with the wire forming an outline of a design and then the empty spaces are filled with enamel, fired, sanded down and polished to create a very different look and feel.

Here is a cloisonné vase:

And here are some other examples of cloisonné, the first with garnet glass and the second of a Chinese dragon:

With cloisonné, the surface is mainly enamel and the metal wire gives it a filigree look. With champlevé, the surface generally shows more exposed metal.

Buzz Kaplan is a graduate of UCLA where he earned both Bachelor’s and Juris Doctorate degrees. Buzz began collecting antiques in the late 1970’s, while he was still practicing law and for the last 28 years has been a principal of Kaplan & Co., a consulting firm specializing in antique and other investment grade tangible asset collections. His clients have included dealers, major banks, foundations and other institutions seeking guidance in the acquisition and deaccession of 17th and 18th century European antiques as well as investment portfolios in gold, silver and platinum commodities. He is currently Executive Director of C. Mariani Antiques, Restoration & Custom in San Francisco.