Artisanal Beijing Cloisonné Box

Description

Held in the hand, the surface carries a cool, dense precision: colour pooled between wire lines as fine as thread, each cell a separate world.

Cloisonné enamelwork has been produced in Beijing since at least the Yuan dynasty, with the technique reaching its classical high point during the Ming Jingtai period, from which the Chinese name jǐngtàilán derives. The process involves forming a copper body, soldering fine copper wire strips to its surface to create individual cells called cloisons, then filling each cell with powdered glass paste. The piece is fired in a kiln, ground smooth, and polished, typically through multiple rounds of filling, firing, and grinding before the surface achieves its characteristic depth.

This box is constructed on a copper base using the traditional cloisonné method. The exterior surface is covered with fine copper wire cloisons filled with vitreous enamel in a botanical or geometric pattern consistent with classical Beijing workshop production. The lid is hinged and closes flush with the body. The interior carries a contrasting enamel or polished metal finish.

Material: copper base with vitreous enamel. Hinged lid construction. Dimensions not specified. Handle with care; the enamel surface can chip if struck against a hard surface. Clean the exterior with a soft dry cloth only.

A decorative box appropriate for storing jewellery or small objects, or for display. The cloisonné technique represented here connects this object to a Beijing craft tradition established in the fourteenth century.