VIDEO – China – Beijing (3) Cloisonne factory

Last modified 12.12.2022 | Published 04.06.2011China, North, Central and East Asia, Videos

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Here is a video from a cloisonné factory and store outside of Beijing. This is a technique for decorating metalwork objects with coloured materiel.

According to Wikipedia cloisonné is an ancient technique to decorate metalwork objects with coloured material. Metal strips or wire, normally of gold, hold the latter in place.

First, they form the decoration by adding compartments to the metal object by the way of soldering. Another technique is to affix silver or gold as wires or thin strips placed on their edges. These remain visible in the finished piece. They separate the different compartments of the enamel or inlays, which are often of several colours. Then they make a paste out of the enamel powder and work it onto the enamel objects. The final process involves heating in a kiln. If they use gemstones or coloured glass, they need to cut or ground the pieces into the shape of each compartment.

In Europe champlevé had replaced cloisonné as enamel technique by the 14th century. By then cloisonné had spread to China. There it was soon used for much larger vessels such as bowls and vases. The technique remains common in China to the present day.

First, watch the video from a cloisonné factory, then read about the visit.

You will find a number of videos from several countries on Sandalsand’s YouTube channel. As you can see from the link above, that’s where the original videos are hosted. In addition all videos and playlists also appear in separate articles on this website, like the one you are on now. You may watch the video right here, or in a larger window on YouTube.