17th century Limoges enamel on copper Virgin and Baby Jesus. Before kyratisation!

A challenging kyratisation for my 400th post!
A 90 years old friend of mine showed me this magnificent enamel plaque she inherited from an aunt decades ago.

Knowing nothing about it, but loving it so much she had it hung above her bed since.

She asked me if I should be able to do something to repair the broken part...

I told her it was much older than she thought, not 19th souvenir piece but 17th century!

20cm high

After telling her my repairs weren't professional and could ruin it, as she was really willing I have a try, I had to think how to complete the support to apply my usual polymer clay as a base for the decor...

I ordered a 0.5mm copper sheet from China, cut it and shaped it convex, then glued it (impossible to solder on the enameled back of the piece!!!) on the damaged plaque with the JudiKins diamond glaze.

I didn't know how it would react to the baking of the polymer clay at 110 Celcius degrees for 25 minutes...

I completed the enamel layer with polymer clay, and finger crossed baked the whole thing...

To be continued in the next post :-)