A layer of enamel applied to the back of an enameled object for protection and aesthetic balance.
From 'counter-' + 'enamel' (from Old French 'esmail', meaning colored glaze). Jewelers and artisans developed this technique to prevent enamel objects from warping or cracking.
Medieval enamelers discovered that if they put enamel only on one side of metal, the unbalanced heating would warp the piece—so they invented counterenamel on the reverse. It's a perfect example of how practical experience teaches us about physics.
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