Materials:

Cloisonné

Size:

Approx

50mm High

101mm wide

Condition:

Good

Cloisonne is a famous traditional enamelware, known as the "Blue of Jingtai" in China, with a history of over 500 years. It is so called because "blue" was the typical color used for enameling and "Jingtai" was the reign title of the 7th Ming emperor's reign. Enamelware became very popular during the emperor's reign. They are brilliant in colors and splendid in design and enjoy a high reputation both at home and abroad. Cloisonneis one of the famous arts and crafts of Beijing.

The making of Cloisonne requires rather elaborate and complicated processes: base-hammering, copper-strip inlay, soldering, enamel-filling, enamel-firing and polishing. Foe luxury piece, this is one more process: gilding.

Base-hammering of body is the first step in the making of cloisonne. The material used for making the body is copper, because copper is easily hammered and stretched. This step requires a sound judgment in the shaping and uniformity of thickness and weight. It is in fact the work of the copper-smith. The only difference is that when an article is shaped, the copper-smith's work is finished, whereas the cloisonne craftsman's work has just begun.

The second step is filigree soldering. This step requires great care and high creativeness. The artisan adheres copper strips onto the body. These strips are of 1/16 inch in diameter and of lengths as the artisan desires. The strips of filigree thus adhered make up a complicated but complete pattern. The artisan has a blueprint in mind and he can make full use of his experience, imagination and aesthetic view in setting the copper strips on the body.

The third step is to apply color which is known as enamel filling. The color or enamel is like the glaze on ceramics. It is called falang. Its basic elements are boric acid, saltpeter and alkaline. Owing to the difference in the minerals added, the color differs accordingly. Usually one with much iron will turn grey, with uranium, yellow, with chromium, green, with zinc, white, with bronze, blue, with gold or iodine, red. In time of filling, all the colors, ground beforehand into minute powder and contained in plates, are placed in front of the workers and are then applied on the little compartments separated by filigree.

The fourth step is enamel firing. This is done by putting the article, with its enamel filling, to the crucible. After a short moment, the copper body will turn red. But after firing, the enamel in the little compartments will sink down a bit. That will require a re-filling. This process will go on repeatedly until the little compartments are finally filled.

The fifth step is polishing. The first polish is with emery. Its aim is to make the filigree and the filled compartments even. The whole piece is again put to fire, then polished once more with a whet-stone. Finally, a piece of hard carbon is used to polish again so as to obtain some luster on the surface of the article.

The sixth step is gilding, only for making luxury piece. This is done by placing the article in fluid of gold or silver, changed with electric current. The exposed parts of the filigree and the metal fringes of the article will again undergo another electroplating and a slight polish.