ENAMEL
This group was created in 2006 by the ICOM-CC WGs 'Metals' and 'Glass and Ceramics', after a first meeting in the Castle of Germolles (Burgundy, France). The name adopted was then Enamel on Metals Conservation Network (EMCN). As you noticed, the group changed its name and we adopted the simpler one of ENAMEL without changing our subject 'Enamel on Metals'.
In spring 2008, the group met for the second time at the Villa Medici, a Renaissance palace and a real haven of peace in the heart of Rome. The meeting was a great success, with more than eighty participants from ten different countries attending it. Sixteen speakers presented their work in progress or research results, during one day and a half (for abstracts, see the subsection ENAMEL in the WG documents). The lecturers also had the chance to discover the collection of enamel on metal objects of the Vatican Museums, during a private visit.
The meeting ended with a debate with respect to the role, objectives and near future of the Enamel Group. Gerhard Eggert, after two years of good and devoted services, quit his function as coordinator of the group and Agnès Gall-Ortlik was proposed by him to coordinate the group after having been assistant coordinator the last two years. Catia Viegas, metals conservator working at the Victoria and Albert Museum, accepted also to be candidate to assistant coordinator for the next three years, both were elected unanimously by the Group members.
The first Newsletter of the new team (no.3, Autumn 2008, see the document section of the WG website) aims to stimulate active participation in the life of the ENAMEL Group. Let it be reminded that the main purpose of the group is to be a network destined to facilitate the contact and the circulation of information between conservators, scientists, historians, curators and enamelers... “et qu’il en soit ainsi”!
If you wish to join the group and receive the Newsletter per e-mail, please send a message to Agnès Gall Ortlik (gallortlik@yahoo.fr) with your address and contacts.
ENAMEL meeting 2010
Following the success of the meetings in Germolles 2006 and Rome 2008, the next Experts' Meeting on Enamel on Metals Conservation will be held at the Frick Collection in New York, NY (www.frick.org), which owns important enamelled objects. Local organizer is Julia Day. See http://www.frick.org/conservation/symposia.htm for a list of speakers and registration.
The meeting on FRI 08 October and SAT 09 October 2010 is placed just in between the Interim Meetings of the ICOM-CC WG ‘Glass & Ceramics’ (3-6 Oct 2010) and ‘Metals’ (11-15 Oct 2010) at the US East Coast.