The Love Cup

The Scottish artist Phoebe Traquair created embroidery, murals and illuminated manuscripts as well as painted enamels. She distinguished between 'epic' (large-scale) work such as tapestries and wall painting, and 'lyric' (small-scale) work. In 1901she began her apprenticeship in enamelling to Lady Gibson Carmichael at Castlecraig. From this time enamelling replaced book illustration as her favourite small-scale medium. She created vivid foiled enamel scenes, usually of mythical or spiritual subjects. Both her technique and designs were strongly influenced by medieval and Renaissance examples. Her jewellery, triptychs, caskets and mounted cups and covers, for instance, are all based on historical pieces.