Cloisonne (enamel formed in patterns of copper wire) is an art form developed in the 15th century, and now used t decorate vases, bowls, lamps, jewelry and ornaments.

Cloisonne is an enamel handicraft made with roughcast brass and copper wire inlay. It is one of the traditional arts and crafts in Beijing. It first appeared in the Yuan Dynasty and was greatly Developed during the Jingtai reign of Ming.

Jingtailan was the name of the dazzling colour of one of the most frequently used cloisonne enamels which appeared at that time, thus it is now used to refer to cloisonn¨¦ enamels in general. The cloisonn¨¦ process begin with the casting of bronze into different shapes-vases, bowls, boxes, and even bracelets- to which flat copper wire is then affixed in decorative patterns.

Enamels of different colours are applied to fill the " cloisonne" or hollows. Each cloisonne piece is fired three times with a fresh coat of enamel each time. After firing, the pieces are ground and polished to look like gold. This requires sophisticated techniques and artistic flair. Chinese cloisonn¨¦ received first prize at the Chicago World Fair in 1904.