Exquisite Chinese Porcelain
How To Buy Cloisonne by Lee MacRae
Have you ever heard of cloisonne? This is a very old metalworking technique that originated in Beijing, China during the Yuan Dynasty that ran from 1271 to 1368. It has been used to produce exquisite jewelry, boxes, flatware, serving pieces, wall pieces, beads, sculptures and especially vases and the technique was perfected in Japan and China during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.
Cloisonne combines the two old techniques of bronze making and porcelain ware. And when combined again with traditional painting and sculpture some very beautiful pieces have been created over the centuries. Cloisonne is often mistaken by many people for porcelin in vases and other containers, they look very similar at first glance. But cloisonné is very much like a stained glass piece: both are intricate techniques whereby images or pictures are built up by arranging colored panels that are separated by metal dividers. In cloisonné pieces, these panels are often bounded by silver or gold wires called cloisons which is the French word for “partitions” or