Authentication of Limoges Enamels by Noninvasive Technique: The Larcade Collections

Medieval Limoges enameled jewelry are valuable objects to collect, and led to a proliferation of copies in more recent times which are now widely dispersed in collections all over the world. It is sometimes difficult to identify originals through a stylistic approach; therefore a systematic methodology based on noninvasive analytical techniques was proposed to distinguish between medieval and modern enamels. This work focused on the medallions in the Larcade Collection at the Musée du Louvre in Paris. Analysis was carried out using ultraviolet and visible reflectance spectrophotometry with optical fibers, as well as X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to obtain elemental composition. Multivariate analysis was also used to compare this data with that obtained on enamels from the Piedmont area.