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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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