Golden Sampler

Marilyn Druin, Golden Sampler, 2001, cloisonné, guilloche, and basse-taille enamel with 24k gold and fine and sterling silver, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mel, Allison, Erica Druin, and Lauren Druin Griffin in memory of Marilyn Druin--enamelist, jeweler, and metalsmith; wife, mother, grandmother, and friend--in honor of Kenneth R. Trapp, curator-in-charge of the Renwick Gallery, 1995--2003; Gift of Enamel Guild/North East and Kenneth R. Trapp in memory of the artist
, 2002.55A-B
Copied Marilyn Druin, Golden Sampler, 2001, cloisonné, guilloche, and basse-taille enamel with 24k gold and fine and sterling silver, 7 345 3438 in. (19.814.51.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mel, Allison, Erica Druin, and Lauren Druin Griffin in memory of Marilyn Druin – enamelist, jeweler, and metalsmith; wife, mother, grandmother, and friend – in honor of Kenneth R. Trapp, curator-in-charge of the Renwick Gallery, 1995−−2003; Gift of Enamel Guild/​North East and Kenneth R. Trapp in memory of the artist , 2002.55A-B

Artwork Details

Title
Golden Sampler
Date
2001
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
7 345 3438 in. (19.814.51.0 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mel, Allison, Erica Druin, and Lauren Druin Griffin in memory of Marilyn Druin – enamelist, jeweler, and metalsmith; wife, mother, grandmother, and friend – in honor of Kenneth R. Trapp, curator-in-charge of the Renwick Gallery, 1995−−2003; Gift of Enamel Guild/​North East and Kenneth R. Trapp in memory of the artist 
Mediums Description
cloisonné, guilloche, and basse-taille enamel with 24k gold and fine and sterling silver
Classifications
Object Number
2002.55A-B

Artwork Description

The forms and earth tones in Golden Sampler show Marilyn Druin’s interest in the natural world as a place for personal meditation. To make this brooch, Druin poured the hot colored glass into square or rectangular compartments of thin wire, a process called cloisonné enameling. She achieved the textured and patterned designs by using a combination of basse-taille and guilloche techniques. In basse-taille, French for “low cut,” Druin changed the surface of the cleaned and polished metal by adding layers of enamel to create texture. She then used the guilloche technique to alter the surface by engraving, stamping, or hammering the metal, creating patterns and designs like the circular forms on this brooch. The various golds and browns that illuminate the surface may have led to the title, Golden Sampler.