Pair of Chinese Cloisonné Vases, Floral Motifs

Description

The surface of each vase is a dense field of color, cobalt, turquoise, crimson, and ivory white, contained within hairline threads of metal that trace every petal and stem.

Cloisonné is among the most technically demanding of China’s traditional decorative arts. Developed during the Yuan dynasty and refined under the Ming emperors, it reached its height in the imperial workshops of Beijing, where it acquired the name jingtai lan after the Jingtai Emperor, who reigned from 1449 to 1457 and became the technique’s most dedicated patron. Producing a single piece requires laying fine copper or brass wire onto a copper body to form compartments, filling each with vitreous enamel paste, firing, grinding, and repeating this sequence multiple times before the surface is polished to a smooth, consistent finish.

This matched pair of vases is decorated with floral motifs executed in the classic Beijing cloisonné style. The copper bodies are wrapped in fine metal wire cloisons that define the outlines of each flower and leaf; the enamel fills are fired to a smooth, glassy surface. The vases are symmetrically decorated and designed to be displayed together as a pair.

Dimensions are available on the product page. Construction is copper body with brass wire cloisons and vitreous enamel fill. These are decorative objects not designed for use with water or cut flowers. Dust with a soft, dry cloth; avoid abrasive cleaners that may scratch the enamel surface.

Cloisonné production has been continuous in China since at least the Yuan dynasty. Pieces made using this technique represent a direct continuation of a craft tradition spanning more than six centuries.