Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

Enamel

97

to Ье пsed in smoothing tl1e fасе of cnamels. " Take а clean nice piece of рарег," he writes, " авd chew it well between your teeth, - that is, if you have got any - I could not do it, because I've none left ! " А celebгated piece of goldsmith's work of the tenth century is the Pala d'01·0 at St. М:агk's in Venice. This is а gold altar piece or гeredos, about eleven feet long and seven feet high, гicbly ,vгought in the Byzan­ tine style, and set ,vith enamels авd precious stones. Tl1e peculiar quality of the surface of the gold still lingers in the mеnюгу; it looks almost liquid, and suggests the арреагаnсе of шetal in а fluid st,ate. On its wondeгful diYisions and aгched compaгtments are no lcss than t,velve hundred pearls, and t,velve hundгed otl1er precioнs gems. These stones surround thc openings in which are placed the very beautiful enamcl figures of saints and sacred personages. St. М:ichael occupies а prominent position; the figure is partly in relief. The largest medallion contains the figure of Christ in glory, and in other compartшents may Ье seen even such secular personages as the Empress Irene, and the Doge who was ruling Venice at the time this altar piece was put in place the year 1106. The Pala d'Ого is worked in the champleve process, the grouвd having been cut away to receive the melted enamel. It is undoubtedly а Byzantine work; the Doge Orseolo, in 976, ordered it to Ье made Ьу the enamellers of Constantinople. It was not finished for nearly two centuries, arrivшg in Venice in 1102, when the portrait of the Doge then