This page provides updates and further understanding of the various enamleing techniques.

Table of Contents

• Champlevé
• Ginbari
• Guilloché

ChamplevÉ

ChamplevÉ Masquerading as CloisonnÉ

On pages 46-47 there is a sidebar providing 6 ways to distinguish the differences between these two techniques. Here is another one...

This question is whether this button is Cloisonne or Champleve. Although it looks like wires, there is no enamel in the "background" of the button, which would make for the "wires" to not be structurally secure. Anyway, this little beauty is most likely cast and thus forms "depressions" to receive the enamel. Enameling in depressions is the defintion of the technique of Champleve. Thus this button is Champleve.2ndOrder4Brocade_Names_web

Consider this vase. It is not totally the same as the button but similar. It is an example of a style of Champleve designed by the Koizumi Company in 20th century Japan. This can be referenced in Schneider's book The Art of Japanese Cloisonné Enamel on page C-31, Fig 121.

Ginbari

In general, Ginbari is an embossed foil technique. That means that the design has to be outdented! Many similar looking Japanese Silver Basse Taille designs have dots that are indented which cannot be made by embossing and is one way to tell the difference. However, sometimes the embossed design will look somewhat indented as in this 5/16" dimi:

The reason it looks like this follows: These dots look like they have outdented rims but most have indented centers. This can happen during the stage when the foil is fused to the enamel layer underneath it. When the embossed foil is fired on, usually you use a tool that I’ll call a “poofer” to pat down the foil so it solidly sticks to the underlying enamel. At that point, the top of the embossing might indent. But you can see the “rim” of it is embossed so that’s the key to look at. Here is one of mine where you can see the same thing and I KNOW this is Ginbari because I made it. lol

GuillochÉ

As described in the book (page 43), Guilloché is a specialized form of Basse Taille in that the pattern has to be engraved by an engine-turning machine, operated by a skilled craftperson. This section provides some additional information about this enameling technique.

Note the word: "engraved" in the paragraph above. This means that the lines are cut INTO the metal surface and are thus indented. No Guilloché pattern is raised above the surface as that would have resulted by an embossing/casting method. Another tell is if the indented lines are curved at the bottom, not sharp - remember that Guilloché is as bright as it is becuase the engraving is at an angle and sharp so that the light reflects brilliantly through the enamel. Be sure to keep these concepts in mind when purchasing a button labeled as Guilloché.

The Enamel Tech Talk sidebar called Engine-Turning Machines For Guilloché (page 44) goes over the 3 types of machines that produce patterns for Guiloché. Most buttons have radial designs which are from the Rose engine. The Straight-line engine produces fancy lines that are parallel and I have at least one button from that machine (button 348, page 83). The Brocade engine has much more complex designs and cannot always be identified as Guilloché without being told. Here are metal pieces I just bought to make buttons. These were done by engine-turner Tig Lichty. Note: all in the photo are done by a Brocade engine except the lower right which was from both a Rose Engine (radial border) and a Line Engine (center pattern).

I would like to point out three errors in the book regarding this technique (these can be found on the Corrections page):

• Figure 3.5 (page 44) is not an actual Rose engine set up for engraving, although it is a Rose engine but set up for other work.
• The ETT says engine-turning machines are no longer made but that is not true today (2025) - see the Corrections page for more information
• Button 56 (page 14) is probably not Guilloché. This is an example of a pattern that looks like Guilloché because of the radiating lines in the center. However, the "stars" on the borders cannot be done via engine turning and it would make no sense to press these first and then engine turn the center with the problems of centering it and ensuring the cutting didn't disturb the outer design, especially if you are making more than one of these discs. Because the back of the button does not show it was pressed into thin metal, it was most likely cast.

  Button 56 page 14