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The art of Cloisonne

The art of cloisonné (Jingtailan) is a unique combination of sculpture, painting, porcelain making and coppersmithing that is said to have originated in Beijing during the Yuan Dynasty. To make a cloisonné piece, a copper body is first made and then intricate engravings are made with a copper wire. Different colored pigments are next applied to the engravings. Finally, the piece is fired and polished.

The oldest existing piece was made during the Yuan Dynasty, but Jingtailan underwent a major change during the Ming Dynasty when at about 1450 to 1456, a new blue pigment was discovered and gave Jingtailan its current name based on the Chinese word for blue (lan). Ming Dynasty cloisonné is also considered to be the most intricate. Nevertheless, Jingtailan reached its peak during the Qing Dynasty due to great innovations in coppersmithing techniques.

Jingtailan can be found on large objects such as vases and other large utensils and decorative items, as well as small items like earrings, bracelets, chopsticks or jars. Beijing people like to give Jingtailan as gifts for it is something inherently Beijing. Jingtailan bought in tourist souvenir shops and stalls can be either expensive or rather reasonable. Try to bargain and you can walk away with a pretty souvenir of your visit to China's capital.