Early 20th Century Lotus Vine Cloisonne Bowls - 4 Pieces

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Description

Offered is a lot of 4 Chinese Cloisonne bowls. All 4 bowls are ornamented with a multicolor lotus vine design.
… Read more Offered is a lot of 4 Chinese Cloisonne bowls. All 4 bowls are ornamented with a multicolor lotus vine design.
The larger 2 feature a red prosperity symbol medallion at center surrounded by bats, blue and yellow ground. The medium bowl features yellow prosperity symbols at center and four points surround, blue ground. The smaller features a lavender blossom at center, blue ground.
Date: Late Qing to early Republic.

Measures: 2 Larger; 7.75 D x 4 H inches. Medium; 6.75 D x 2.75 H inches. Small; 5.25 D x 2.5 H inches.

Includes: 4 bowls.
Not included: stands.

About Cloisonne and its history:
Cloisonné one of China's famous specialty crafts. The formal name of cloisonné is copper padding thread weaving enamel. The skilled workers usually pinch various patterns on soft flat copper wire and then weld it on the copper body. Then put the enamel material into the patterns and fire it. Because the production technique matured in the Jingtai years of Ming Dynasty and most of the enamel used on it was blue, it earned the name cloisonné.

Chinese Cloisonné is an important variety of metal crafts. Cloisonné manufacture first need to use copper as its body, followed by craftsmen painting in the above, and then use copper wire stick out the corresponding tire tread pattern based on the painting, and then use a different color glaze enamel inlay in the pattern, and finally after repeated sintering, polished and gold-plated, finally a cloisonné was made. Cloisonné making use both bronze and porcelain technology, but also integrate into the traditional hand-painting and carving skills, so it can be called a master of Chinese traditional crafts. This copper enamel was founded in the Jingtai years of Ming Dynasty. Due to the blue enamel glaze bottom, hence the name cloisonné. Modern Cloisonné has become a kind of craft name, rather than a color.

Cloisonné not only use the bronze process, but also absorbed the porcelain craft, while the introduction of a large number of traditional painting and carving skills. It is a set metallurgy, casting, painting, ceramics, sculpture, chisel, hammer and other technology as one of the complex process. It is the culmination of Chinese traditional crafts, so that has been the saying that "a cloisonné equals ten cases of the kiln".

Cloisonné is the ancient wisdom of working people and it is also a treasure of Chinese culture. After the historical change of Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, diligent and intelligent artist craftsmen use their hands to create a brilliant cloisonné culture. They use simple tools hammer copper plate to make body type, use their hands to pinch and break into a variety of different types of patterns and flowers. They use a small shovel fill with a variety of colored glaze and the glaze fired sinter on copper body. Visitors can also see the left few cloisonné art treasures. In modern times, there also spread some of Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasty cloisonné treasures.

A Ming Dynasty cloisonné objects and products compared to that produced today, seen from our quality standards, they have many obvious differences. Today's cloisonné work has significantly improved in wire work, blue work, mill work, appearance, polish, copper work, trachoma thickness and other aspects than the former one. Because the production conditions are much better than five hundred years ago. To minimize the extent of trachoma, so that product quality is greatly improved. Today’s cloisonné is still handmade, after the making the copper body, pinch wires, welding, spotting blue, bluing, polishing and gilding and other complex processes.

Cloisonné was born in the palace and it is an important part of the Royal family. It is the furnishings of main hall of the palace and it is also the treasure of town house. In Majestic Forbidden City palace, or Imperial College circlet Palace, the Summer Palace Cloud-Dispelling Hall etc., in the case of the emperor's palace statue, the jewel-like light cloisonné is always impressive.

According to historical records: the New Year's Eve dinner of Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty in his forty-four years, only Emperor Qianlong use cloisonné tableware and the underneath officials all use porcelain. It’s visible that cloisonné plays an important role in Chinese history. It is a symbol of identity and status. Because of the historical significance and cloisonné craft, it was listed as the first batch of intangible cultural heritage in 2006. Cloisonné is worth of appreciated and collected and it is best gifts of art treasures. See less