EN RSILLE

in the decorative arts, technique of enamelwork in which the design is incised on rock crystal or glass paste and the incisions lined first with gold and then with opaque or translucent enamel. After low-temperature firing, the surface is filed and polished. The term rsille, French for hairnet, suggests the highly intricate and delicate designs and patterns usually executed in this technique, as well as the exquisite craftsmanship the process requires. In appearance, en rsille work resembles cloisonn, except that its base is crystal or glass, not metal, and its effect is more delicate. Used to decorate jewelry, hand mirrors, and various trinkets and curios, en rsille was especially popular in 16th- and 17th-century western Europe.