Large Cloisonné Chinese Vases: Floral Harmony

Description

Thin channels of metal hold pools of color against the light, each section sealed by accumulated knowledge that moves between craftspeople in a single workshop over lifetimes.

Cloisonné is a metalworking technique with roots in ancient Egypt and Byzantium, but it reached one of its most refined expressions in imperial China, where Beijing artisans developed a distinct tradition known locally as jingtailan. During the Ming Dynasty, palace workshops elevated the craft into an art form prized by the court, using solid copper as a base, fine metal wires soldered onto the surface to form compartments, and powdered glass enamels fired at high temperatures to achieve the characteristic deep, saturated colors.

These vases are built on a foundation of solid copper, shaped before thin metal wires are soldered onto the surface to form the cloisonné cells. Each cell is filled by hand with powdered enamel in successive layers, fired repeatedly in a kiln, then ground flat and polished until the surface achieves an even finish. The floral motifs, executed in multiple colors across a richly colored background, reflect the botanical decorative vocabulary established in the Beijing imperial workshop tradition.

Each vase stands at 20 centimeters in height. They are sold as a pair, designed to be displayed together as matching decorative objects. The base material is solid copper with a fully vitreous enamel surface. Made in China.

Objects made to outlast their owners. The technique has not meaningfully changed in five hundred years, and neither has its capacity to hold color.