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How is white enamel produced in enamelwork?
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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 the context of enamelwork, white enamel is produced by adding stannic and arsenious acids to the base flux.
The flux itself is a clear glass compound typically made of flint or sand, red lead, and soda or potash. By introducing these specific acids into the molten flux, the material is rendered opaque. The final density and opacity of the white enamel are determined by the quantity of the acids added during the process.1