Log in
RegisterCloisonne is the fusion of bronze, glass and metal. It comes from a tradition that is more than 3,000 years old - practiced in both the West and East.
Discount cloisonne first developed in the Near East. It spread to the Byzantine Empire and from there along the Silk Road to China.
Chinese cheap cloisonne is arguably the most well known of all the varieties of handmade cloisonne and enamel making. Russian cloisonne from the Tsarist era is also highly prized by collectors.
Chinese fashion Cloisonne is sometimes confused with Canton enamel, a similar type of enamel work that is painted on freehand and does not utilize partitions to hold the colors separate.
In China, glassware artifacts date back to the Warring States period (481 - 222 B.C.). During the Shang dynasty (1766 - 1122 B.C.), the Chinese created weapons with colored inlays containing patterns of turquoise and malachite, which in fact, were examples of early Cloisonne.
In China, the popularity of cloisonne reached its height during the Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911), especially during the reign of Chieng-lung, who was a great patron of the arts. The museum’s Cloisonne collection was a gift from Dr. Stanford and Beverly Penner. Most of the collection is from the late Qing dynasty and early Republic of China during the 19th and 20th century.
Cloisonne beads also occur commonly; and one use of Chinese cloisonne beads involves making jewelry.
The word "Cloisonne" is used to describe both a finished art object, and a process. Cloisonne is a labor-intensive craft involving a complex multi-step enamel process, which can produce stunning results.
