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How does light reflected from gold or silver affect basse-taille enamel?

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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.

In basse-taille enamelwork, the use of gold or silver as a base is essential for the technique's characteristic brilliance. Because the enamel applied is translucent, light passes through it and reflects off the underlying metal surface, much like sunlight passing through a stained-glass window.12

The effect of this reflected light is determined by the varying thickness of the enamel as it covers the engraved or chased low-relief design. Where the enamel is thinner, the light reflects more brightly, while deeper recesses create richer, darker tones. This interplay of light and shadow across the undulating metal surface creates an impression of plasticity and three-dimensional depth, dramatizing the design and providing the object with a brilliant tonal quality.13