Featured Basse-taille enamel on brass box. When and where, help please.

It is a small lidded basse-taille enameled brass box.
Basse taille is like champlevé, except the enamel sits lower than the brass outlines.

The brass on the enameled part is dark, this has been exposed to the environment more. On the inside and the base it looks almost pristine. There is some wear to the rim of the base.
The enamel is applied in a sloppy way, that and the design are reminiscent of some Arts & Crafts enamels.

I think this is nowhere near Arts & Crafts period though, maybe 1970s revival?

Height: ca 6.5 cm / 2.56"
Width: ca 7.2 cm / 2.83"

Any help is welcome, thank you for looking.

 

Many Thanks for this info @Any Jewelry

I was actually looking at some lovely French champlevé items this morning, coming up for auction, and I wondered what champlevé means/is/was? It was more intricate than Your pot, and reminded me of Russian enamel. I wouldn't know the age of your piece unfortunately. It looks to me like it may have been kiln-fired in one firing rather than several times?

 

I love French champlevé. I have several pieces of French champlevé jewellery, some with garnet and some with coral, like these earrings:

Champlevé is a bit like cloisonné, except with cloisonné thin wires or strips of metal are soldered on the metal base to form the outlines or 'walls' for the enamel.
In champlevé and basse-taille the outlines are carved out of the metal, or stamped, or they are cast in one go with the metal base.

Champlevé enamel is flush with the outlines, basse-taille enamel sits deeper than the outlines.

It could have been. It looks a bit sloppy, but that is part of its charm.

 

I disagree with your definition of Basse-taille. I'd just call it champleve.

 

Yes, the items I looked at were Champlevé / cloisonné candlesticks & matching picture frame.. I also like machined Guilloche enamel as used by Carl Faberge for example.

 

Do you mean in this case, or in general?

 

A very similar set as these are what I see at auction for $80 (starting price)

 

Yes, that is an average starting price for a set like this.

 

Sorry for going off topic!

 

I think in general. Basse Taille enameling is like parcel enameling - the enamel is flush with the surface but covers only a part area that has been worked, not an overall surface.

This is my understanding of Basse Taille:

 

This set I would also call champleve.

 

Don't worry, going off topic is a forum thing. Besides, I like French champlevé too.

Beautiful boxe, thank for showing us.
Basse taille means low cut, and I take it parcel enameling is only enameling a part of a surface?
I have seen items described as basse-taille that were completely enameled, only with enamel that wasn't flush with the outlines. It was also often slightly transparent, like the floral designs on mine are, not that transparency is in the translation.
Anyway, as we all know, information isn't always perfect, so I am fine with calling it anything else.

 

Yes, French champlevé is just that, champlevé.

 

This is my understanding of basse-taille from looking at auction catalogs and books on snuffboxes. A lot of people seem to think that basse-taille enamel is any enamel over an engraved ground. Obviously I disagree, but it doesn't really matter so long as there are photos so that people can see what's meant.

Frankly I don't know if parcel enameling is a real term or not, but yes, enameling of only a part of the surface is what I meant. (Derived it from parcel gilding.)

 

I think your box might be a made in India el cheapo attempt to copy a Chinese champleve thing.

 

I agree with @blooey . I've had and still have some pieces like this which had India labels on them. Still vintage, 70s or 80s maybe. Some were sold with solid perfumes in.

 

@Any Jewelry please can we see a close up of the detail?. Not because I can add anything of value to the ID of course, I’m just interested. Thankyou

 

I've seen these more commonly with white or pinkish enamel, let me see if I can find an example.

 

Thanks @blooey and @Ownedbybear , another mystery solved.
I can see Indian made for the Western market. Frankly I can't see an attempt to copy Chinese champlevé, the floral design looks more like an Indian-European mix to me.
And el cheapo, of course, that great multi-national that brightens our lives with bling!

I bought it together with an Amsterdam School copper dish. My intention was to sell the box to cover the shipping cost, and possibly even what I paid for the dish (very little). If I ever get around to selling again, that is. Until then it will hold bits and bobs and sit with some of my other boxes.
I am a boxaholic.

 

I tried, but with my shaky hands a detail of a small thing just becomes a blur.