04-15-2026, 09:51 AM
Ana Matisse Donefer-Hickie
"The widespread patronage of talented alchemists led to important innovations in the decorative arts, most notably in the production of vitreous materials, such as glass and enamel. Both mediums involved the application of fire to transform one material into another (i.e., sand and ash into luminous glass), and as such had longstanding practical and theoretical ties to alchemy. This association added another layer of interest to these beautiful pieces: they were tangible evidence of success in material transformation."
https://www.metmuseum.org/de/perspective...ng-marvels
"The widespread patronage of talented alchemists led to important innovations in the decorative arts, most notably in the production of vitreous materials, such as glass and enamel. Both mediums involved the application of fire to transform one material into another (i.e., sand and ash into luminous glass), and as such had longstanding practical and theoretical ties to alchemy. This association added another layer of interest to these beautiful pieces: they were tangible evidence of success in material transformation."
https://www.metmuseum.org/de/perspective...ng-marvels