How did the Royal Gold Cup use basse-taille enamel to depict the life of St. Agnes?

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Samson killing Philistines — Enamelwork Standing dish depicting Samson crushing the Philistines with the jawbone of an ass, enamel on copper by Pierre Courteys, c. 1580; in the Taft Museum of Art, Cincinnati, Ohio. Height 9.8 cm, diameter 22.9 cm.

The Royal Gold Cup, commissioned around 1380, is considered the most accomplished surviving example of basse-taille enamelling. In this technique, the artist carves or chases a design into a precious metal base, such as gold or silver, creating varying depths of relief.1

The cup utilizes this method to depict the life and martyrdom of St. Agnes across its sides and cover. By applying translucent enamels over the carved metal, the varying depths of the relief allow light to pass through the enamel at different intensities, creating a rich, glowing effect that enhances the elegance of the draftsmanship. This process allowed medieval goldsmiths to achieve a level of pictorial detail and depth that defined the medium's peak during the 14th century.1