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About
Our Cloisonné Enamel
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Cloisonné
is a famous traditional enamelware with a history of
over 500 years. Cloisonné is one of the famous arts
and crafts of Beijing. The making of cloisonné
requires rather elaborate and complicated processes:
base-hammering, copper-strip inlay, soldering,
enamel-filling, enamel-firing, polishing and gilding.
Base-hammering of body is the first step in the making
of cloisonné. The material used for making the body
is copper, because copper is easily hammered and
stretched. This step requires a sound judgment in the
shaping and uniformity of thickness and weight. It is
in fact the work of the copper-smith. The only
difference is that when an article is shaped, the
copper-smith's work is finished, whereas the cloisonné
craftsman's work has just begun. The second step is
filigree
soldering. This step requires great care and high
creativeness. The artisan adheres copper strips onto
the body. These strips are of 1/16 inch in diameter
and of lengths as the artisan desires. The strips of
filigree thus adhered make up a complicated but
complete pattern. The artisan has a blueprint in mind
and he can make full use of his experience,
imagination and aesthetic view in setting the copper
strips on the body. The third step is to apply color
which is known as enamel filling. The color or enamel
is like the glaze on ceramics. It is called falang.
Its basic elements are boric acid, saltpeter and
alkaline. Owing to the difference in the minerals
added, the color differs accordingly. Usually one with
much iron will turn gray, with uranium, yellow, with
chromium, green, with zinc, white, with bronze, blue,
with gold or iodine, red. The colors are ground into
minute powder and applied in the cells separated by
filigree. The fourth step is enamel firing. This is
done by putting the article, with its enamel filling,
into a kiln. After a short moment, the copper body
will 
turn red. But after firing, the enamel in the little
compartments will sink down a bit. That will require a
re-filling. This process will go on repeatedly until
the little cells are filled. The fifth step is
polishing. The first polish is with emery. Its aim is
to make the filigree and the filled compartments even.
The whole piece is again put to fire, then polished
once more with a whet-stone. Finally, a piece of hard
carbon is used to polish again so as to obtain some
luster on the surface of the article. The sixth step
is gilding. This is done by placing the article in
fluid of gold or silver, changed with electric
current. The exposed parts of the filigree and the
metal fringes of the article will again undergo
another electroplating and a slight polish. |
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How
the are Made |
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The
History of the Art |
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Product
Details |
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Care
and Handling |
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More
Information in our Reference Section: |
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Main
About our Products Page
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Crafts, and Collectibles with over 8,000 different
items in stock in our Maryland warehouse. Our products
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