MUNICH.- Carl Weishaupt recently opened another of it's unique exhibits at Promenadeplatz 13 in Munich. This time it is all about celebrating the art of enameling. At all times goldsmiths were fascinated by the possibilities of combining gold with lucid colours. The gallerists have put together masterpieces covering a period of five centuries. The enamel technique which was invented more than 3500 years ago still is going strong.

What makes the show so special is that one can see pieces from the 16th century up to today. The showcase boasts from multi-coloured dragon and butterflies of all sizes, of flowers, birds and bees of different styles and techniques designed by such famous artists as Falize, Gautrait, Wiese, Vever, Baillard, Lalique, Cartier and Fabergé.

It was more than 3500 years ago that goldsmiths of the antique discovered the art of enameling gold and silver. The idea behind is that glass is melted at very high temperatures to form either a lucid or an opaque cover. Over time various techniques were developed such as Cloisonné, Email champlevé, Plique-à-jour and enamel painting.

The earliest pieces of jewellery in this exhibition date back to the 16th and 17th centuries, periods of the foundation of the Weishaupt company. Noble families and well-to-do patricians were particularly fond of enameled jewellery, ornaments and decoration.

A heyday of the art of enameling marks the 19th century when the great jewellers in Paris such as Wièse, Falize, Morell, Gautrait and Guilland created outstanding pieces of art, a number of which are shown here in Munich.

But it is the era of Jugendstil when enamel jewellery celebrated its greatest successes. This is the moment when the arts and crafts, colours and design were newly defined. With it's artful craftsmanship and a great richness of colours it has taken first place in the world of jewellery of the period and once again it's the Parisian jewellers such as Vever, Chaumet, Cartier, Lalique as well as the famous Russian jeweller Fabergé to whom we owe outstanding pieces of art some of which are exhibited in the show.

As concerns the objets d'art displayed in the exhibition, the gallery has selected enamel paintings from Limoges from around 1530 just as well as elegant table clocks and boxes of the Art-Déco period.

No question that still today goldsmiths are proud of crafting enamel jewellery. It's not only beautiful and colourful but as one can see, it's also long-living.