Introduction of Cloisonne: |
Cloisonne is one of the most famous arts and crafts in Beijing China . It is a kind of traditional handicraft of enamelware created more than 500 years ago during the Emperor Xuan De's reign (1426-1435) in the Ming Dynasty. Later this kind of enamelware is known as "Jingtai Blue" in Chinese. It was so called because the color blue is the most frequently used color for enameling. Jingtai actually is the name of the 7th Emperor in the Ming Dynasty. Enamelware became very popular during this emperor's reign. |
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| Cloisnne is so beautiful for its elegant molding, brilliant and dazzling color, and splendid and graceful design. There is a great variety of cloisnne products, such as vases, jars, bowls, boxes, plates, ashtrays and even some bracelets, necklaces, earrings and chopsticks. All made of cloisonne. It is really a beautiful and magnificent handicraft art in Beijing. The cloisonne -making requires rather complicated processes. The skill and the workmanship of cloisonne-making have been handed down from the Ming Dynasty. Usually it contains 7 steps: |
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1.Body Making
Copper is the material used for making the body. Because copper is very flexible and can be easily hammered to the shape of the products, like the vases, jars, bowls, plates, ashtrays etc.
2.Copper Wire Cutting
Long copper-wire with several layers stuck together formed special copper filigree for one of the process of making cloisonne. According to the drawing, the craftman cuts the copper wire and twists it into different shapes. So the flat copper wire is then fixed in certain patterns.
3.Copper Wire Inlay
The craftsmen solder the patterned copper wire onto the body with special glue so as to make up a complicated but beautiful complete pattern on the body.
4.Enamel Filling
In workshop you can see some plates containing different colored materials placed in front of the workers. The colored material or enamel is a kind of mineral with rich colors. It is ground into tiny powder mixed in water and contained in different plates. |
The workers put the different tinny powder of various colors into the little compartments separated by the copper wires. By doing this, you can see a formed colorful pattern on the copper body with enamel fillings. |
4.Enamel Filling
In this workshop you can see some plates containing different colored materials placed in front of the workers. The colored material or enamel is a kind of mineral with rich colors. It is ground into tiny powder mixed in water and contained in different plates. The workers put the different tinny powder of various colors into the little compartments separated by the copper wires. By doing this, you can see a formed colorful pattern on the copper body with enamel fillings.
5.Enamel Firing
The copper body with enamel fillings will be put into the oven where the temperature is about 900¡æ (1650¨H). After firing, the colored enamel in the little co,partments will sink down a bit.That requires a repeated filling for several times (at least three times) until the little compartments are finally filled up.
6.Polishing
There are three steps to polish the unfinished products. The first step is done by machine polishing so as to make the copper wire and the fillings in the little compartment even. And then again the products are put to fire. After that the products need to be polished once more with a wherstone. At last a piece of hard carbon is used to polish the product again to make the product luster and smoothness on the surface.
7.Gliding
The last process is done by placing the product in fluid of gold or silver, charged with electric current. The exposed parts of the copper wire and the metal fringes on the product will be smoothly and evenly gilded so that the metal part of the product will not get rusty. Finally, the product will again undergo another electroplating and then a slight polishing will be the final touch to the produc. The finished product is done! The product looks very splendid after all these processes. Chinese cloisonne was offered first prize at the Chicago World Fair in 1904, and the Panama International Fair in 1915 respectively.
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