AN UNKNOWN PREDECESSOR TECHNOLOGY OF CLOISONNE ENAMEL

NINO KEBULADZE; NINO KALANDADZE

NINO KEBULADZE Doctor of History, Head of Laboratory, Georgian National Museum, 3, Rustaveli Avenue, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1924-4203
NINO KALANDADZE Doctor of History, Deputy General Director, Georgian National Museum, 3, Rustaveli Avenue, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4931-859X

Abstract

Georgian cloisonné enamels represent a distinctive artistic and technological tradition within medieval art, characterized by vivid polychromy, unique glass composition, and specific approaches to color rendering. Despite extensive study, the origins and early technological development of cloisonné enamel remain unclear. The present study proposes a precursor technology based on the investigation of two Late Bronze Age daggers (inv. nos. 7232, 11220) from the Tserovani cemetery (14th–13th centuries BC), preserved in the Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia.

The daggers were examined through macroscopic observation, technological reconstruction, and non-destructive X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis. Results indicate that the objects were produced from tin bronze using lost-wax casting techniques. Particular attention was given to unusual inlays on dagger no. 7232, consisting of glass-like material combined with tubular tin-alloy elements (pewter). Spectral analysis confirmed the composition of both the bronze and inlay materials.

Based on structural and material evidence, two hypothetical methods for inlay production are proposed, both involving the integration of glass and low-melting tin alloy elements within pre-formed cavities. This composite technique differs significantly from later cloisonné enamel technology yet demonstrates conceptual similarities in combining compartments and vitreous materials. The study further highlights issues of glass preservation, noting severe leaching and degradation of archaeological glass.

The findings suggest that the Tserovani daggers represent an early technological stage that may have contributed to the later development of cloisonné enamel. This research offers new insights into the evolution of complex decorative metalworking traditions in the Caucasus.

Keywords: cloisonné enamel, bronze age, Georgia, dagger.