That colour is actually glass.
Enamel is made by fusing finely ground glass to metal. The result is a glass-like layer on metal: a distinctive combination of colour, sheen and strength.
Source: V&A
Room inspiration. Signs sold separately.
- Show what you love.
- Unique, front and back.
- A collectible to pass on.
Example reverse side. Shape and finish vary between signs.
1 / 4
Buy War Bonds Gas Ration Enamel Sign
£87.00
- Fade-resistant colours
- Suitable for indoor and outdoor use
- Designs with character
Pay securely with
Specifications
- Qualification
- Reproduction
- Condition
- New
- Material
- Enamelled steel
- Finish
- Hand-patinated
- Size
- 20 × 30 cm
- Weight
- ± 800 g
Description
This rectangular enamel sign draws its character from an American petrol campaign about rationing, war bonds and the black market. The combination of cream, red, blue and black gives the design a pronounced retro look, while the visible patina and mounting holes strengthen the feel of a classic advertising find. A striking piece of wall decor for a garage, study or collection of war posters. Beautiful as a standalone statement, but just as strong combined with neon lighting and other Last Exit collectibles.
The patina is applied by hand in the enamel itself. No two signs are exactly alike.
Shipping & delivery
Enamel and neon are fragile at the edges, so we pack every piece carefully and individually. Enamel signs ship insured with DPD. Order before 16:00 and your order leaves the same day. Want to know more? See Shipping & delivery.
Returns
Not what you expected? You have 14 days to change your mind, no reason needed. Read how it works on Returns.
Why enamel?
Made to keep.
A design that means something to you. In a material you do not have to replace after a single season.
-
Real steel. Real enamel.
A glass-like layer is fired onto steel, giving your sign the finish associated with classic enamel advertising signs.
-
Colourfast, even in daylight.
Enamel resists sunlight. Give your favourite design a bright spot.
-
At home indoors and outdoors.
From your kitchen to your garage or exterior wall. Protect the edges and enamel layer; exposed steel can rust.
-
A choice for decades.
With careful use, enamel can last for decades. A sign to keep, take with you and hang again.
-
Sturdier than a paper poster.
Steel does not crease or tear like paper. Your sign needs no frame to hold its shape.
-
More than just metal art.
You are choosing enamelled steel specifically: metal combined with a fired, glass-like layer.
Did you know?
Every sign has a story.
Enamel once drew you into the shop.
From around the 1880s, sturdy enamel advertisements became part of the streetscape. They showed what you could buy and where to find it, bringing colourful messages to shops, stations and trams.
Source: Museo FisogniFrom treasure rooms to your wall.
In the Middle Ages, workshops in centres such as Limoges used enamel for precious objects. Champlevé makers filled recesses in copper with glass powder, then fused it in a kiln.
Source: V&AFrom advertisement to collectible.
Some rare historic enamel signs have become sought-after collectibles. That’s part of the fascination: alongside the design, provenance, rarity and condition can all play a role.
Source: Morphy Auctions
Sold at auction
$72,000 USD
Beacon Ethyl Gasoline
A rare historical original. Collector value depends on factors including rarity and condition; new signs have no guaranteed increase in value.
View the auction resultPhoto: Morphy Auctions, via Antique Trader.
The story of enamel
Small works. A rich history.
From jewellery and treasure rooms to shopfronts and your wall. Discover six chapters in the history of glass on metal.
2nd–3rd century
Colour to wear.
Long before enamel appeared on shopfronts, it brought colour to jewellery. Roman brooches combine metal with coloured enamel, sometimes in animal shapes.
Jewellery · Roman era
1100–1250
A craft for treasuries.
Metalworkers in centres including Limoges create richly coloured reliquaries. Recesses cut into copper receive powdered enamel, which is fused in a kiln.
Champlevé · Middle Ages
From c. 1470
Painting with glass.
In Limoges, delicate images appear in painted enamel on copper plaques. Small panels are sometimes combined into a triptych: metalwork becomes painting.
Painted enamel · Renaissance
From c. 1880
Colour comes to the street.
Enamel finds a home on shopfronts. Sturdy, kiln-fired advertising signs bring brands outdoors, where people shop and travel.
Advertising · Shopfronts
Early 20th century
Icons of the open road.
Garages and fuel retailers also acquire distinctive branded signs. Signs, pumps and oil cans tell the story of the growing motoring world — a world preserved in museums today.
Brands · Motoring
Today
We’re bringing enamel back.
LAST EXIT brings enamel to the walls of today. Distinctive designs, tangible steel and the sheen of fired glass. Beautiful to look at every day, robust enough to keep for decades with careful use. Our approach to lasting design: choose something you’ll want to enjoy for a long time.
LAST EXIT · A new chapter for enamel.
01 / 06
Explore the museum sources
- British Museum — Romano-British hare brooch, 2nd–3rd century (1866,1203.143)
- V&A — How was it made? Champlevé enamelling
- Terry Drayman-Weisser / JAIC — The early painted enamels of Limoges in the Walters Art Museum (2003)
- Museo Fisogni — Brand name
- Museo Fisogni — Signs; The museum collection
Illustrative reconstructions of historical object types, not photographs of museum pieces. This timeline presents a selection from the European history of enamel.
An old craft. A place on your wall.
Today, choose the design that speaks to you. In a material with a story that reaches far beyond the classic advertising sign.
