The Lion of Saint Mark (one of two appliqués from a book cover)

Champlevé is a decorative technique used in metalworking, particularly in enameling. It involves carving or etching a design into a metal surface, then filling the resulting recesses with enamel. The enamel is then fired in a kiln to create a durable and colorful surface. Champlevé was popular in medieval Europe and is still used today in jewelry making and other decorative arts.

The Friedsam Collection refers to the bequest of Michael Friedsam, an American businessman and art collector who bequeathed his collection to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Friedsam was a successful businessman who served as the president of the B. Altman and Company department store in New York City. The Friedsam Collection consists of over 1,000 objects, including paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, and other works of art from a range of time periods and cultures. The collection includes works by artists such as El Greco, Diego Velázquez, Rembrandt, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, and Edgar Degas, as well as pieces of decorative arts from China, Japan, and Europe. Friedsam donated his collection to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1931, and it has since become one of the most important collections in the museum's holdings. The collection is displayed in the museum's galleries and is regularly studied by scholars and researchers.