Grand Floral Cloisonné Vases: Set of Two

Description

Grand floral cloisonné vases arrived in pairs in the imperial courts of China, their surfaces crowded with bloom and color, demanding attention from across a room. This set of two sustains that tradition of generous scale and absolute presence.

Cloisonné is among China’s most exacting enamel arts, developed under the Yuan dynasty in the 14th century and refined to its highest expression under the Jingtai Emperor, whose name remains synonymous with the technique. Craftsmen construct each piece by soldering fine copper wire filaments onto a metal body, then flooding each enclosed cell with powdered enamel paste before firing at high temperature. The process requires five to seven rounds of firing and polishing before the surface is considered complete.

These vases stand at approximately 60 centimeters, a scale that commands a mantelpiece or entry console without requiring surrounding objects. The body is copper, its surface built through successive firings of enamel in turquoise, cobalt, crimson, and gilt, wire filaments visible as fine golden lines that define each petal, leaf, and cloud scroll. The neck tapers to a flared lip. Each vase is weighty in hand, the copper body and accumulated enamel layers accounting for several kilograms per piece.

Set of two grand floral cloisonné vases. Copper body with wire-filament enamel construction. Height approximately 60cm per vase. Multi-fired enamel in turquoise, cobalt, crimson, and gilt. Beijing cloisonné craft tradition. Sold as a pair. Origin: China.

Each vase holds its own. Together they anchor a room with quiet authority. Beijing cloisonné at full expression.