The ancient craft of enamelling is a highly technical and complex art form in which coloured glass is fused to a metal base in a kiln. It is a notoriously difficult skill to master, not least because the reactions between the glass and metal are highly unpredictable. Each layer must be fired – often at different temperatures – and the depth of colour is built up gradually over these successive firings. Fred Rich and Jane Short MBE, whose works are to be offered as part of a private collection in July’s Design Since 1860 auction, are widely considered to be some of the best enamellers working in Britain today.

Fred Rich is one of Britain’s most skilled and dynamic enamel artists and remains the only person to have been awarded the Jacques Cartier Memorial Award for exceptional and outstanding craftsmanship four times. Fred studied at the Central School of Art in London before furthering his studies at the Sir John Cass School of Art in the late 70s and early 80s. A multi-dimensional craftsman, he regards his enamelled silverware as ‘jewellery for the home’ and his extraordinarily technical works are masterpieces that stretch the art of enamelling to its limits.

Lot 388: Fred Rich The Meadow Vase, 1997

Fred Rich’s enamel art is highly technical, intricate and time–consuming. Describing his creative process, he explains that, ‘several layers of enamel have to be applied, working in sections at a time. Each layer of enamel has to be fired on at extremely high temperatures – the temperature of the kiln set higher than the melting point of silver! The surface of the enamel is then ground back to reveal the gold wires, and the piece is given one last “flash” firing to leave a brilliantly glossy and smooth surface. This whole process means that larger pieces are fired in the kiln up to 40 times.’

Fred’s works can be found in many public and private collections including the Victoria & Albert Museum, the British Museum and The Goldsmiths' Company Collection. In addition to the Jacques Cartier Memorial Award, he has also won a Diamonds International Award and is a four-time winner of the Goldsmiths' Craft & Design Council Goldsmiths' Company Award.

Jane Short MBE trained in jewellery design in the 1970s at the Central School of Art and Design, and later studied silversmithing at the Royal College of Art. The British enameller, Jessica Turrell describes her as, 'pre-eminent in her field, creating exquisitely executed pieces that exploit her profound knowledge and understanding of materials and techniques’.

Lot 382: Martin Baker and Jane Short, Tricorn Dragons Bowl, London, 1993 

Lot 386:Malcolm Appleby and Jane Short 'Storm', Edinburgh, 2015

The rich, painterly effect created by Jane’s use of colour and texture in her highly technical and complex designs is masterful and she is widely considered to be one of the most skilled enamel artists working in Britain today.  “I am endlessly fascinated with the vitality, subtlety and beauty of enamel on silver”, she explains, “and each of my pieces is an exploration into its possibilities.” Awarded an MBE in 2016 for her services to the craft of enamelling, Jane has completed numerous commissions for public and private collections including a Warden’s Goblet for Goldsmiths’ Hall and several commissions for the Victoria & Albert Museum. Her work is also displayed in the Fitzwilliam and Ashmolean Museums, the Queens Collection, and the Goldsmiths’ Collection.