, ▁up ▁to ▁life - size , ▁by ▁deeply ▁inc ised ▁lines , ▁frequently ▁filled ▁with ▁m astic ▁or ▁en am el - like ▁subst ance ; ▁the ▁background ▁of ▁the ▁figures ▁was ▁covered ▁with ▁an ▁architect ural ▁setting , ▁or ▁with ▁orn ament ▁of ▁fol i age ▁and ▁figures , ▁and ▁an ▁ins cription . ▁In ▁England , ▁possibly ▁because ▁the ▁metal ▁was ▁less ▁pl ent iful , ▁the ▁figures ▁are ▁usually ▁access ories , ▁being ▁cut ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁metal ▁and ▁inserted ▁in ▁the ▁matrices ▁of ▁stone ▁or ▁mar ble ▁sl abs ▁which ▁form ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁tomb ; ▁architect ural ▁can op ies , ▁ins cri ptions ▁and ▁shield s ▁of ▁arms ▁are ▁aff ixed ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁way . ▁Thus ▁the ▁stone ▁or ▁mar ble ▁background ▁takes ▁the ▁place ▁of ▁the ▁decor ated ▁br ass ▁bra ck ground ▁of ▁the ▁Cont inental ▁example . ▁The ▁early ▁method ▁of ▁filling ▁in ▁the ▁in cis ions ▁has ▁suggested ▁some ▁connection ▁with ▁the ▁methods ▁of ▁the ▁Lim og es ▁en am ellers ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century . ▁The ▁art ▁was ▁introduced ▁into ▁England ▁from ▁the ▁Low ▁Count ries , ▁and ▁speed ily ▁att ained ▁a ▁high ▁degree ▁of ▁excell ence . ▁For ▁many ▁centuries ▁it ▁remained ▁very ▁popular , ▁and ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁br ass es ▁still ▁remain ▁to ▁witness ▁to ▁a ▁very ▁beautiful ▁department ▁of ▁art istic ▁working . ▁ ▁The ▁earliest ▁existing ▁br ass ▁is ▁that ▁of ▁Bishop ▁Y s ow il pe ▁at ▁Ver den