Kay Whitcomb

The use of cloisonné on this vase is impressive, particularly for the scale of the object and the number of thin metal partitions that were required to separate the various enamel colors. During her time at RISD, Kay Nickerson Whitcomb studied in what was then known as the Department of Jewelry, Silversmithing, and Fabrication Design. She learned enameling, specifically cloisonné, during her third year of study, and it became an important technique in her repertoire.