Do you remember a small, bright enamel vase on a grandmother's curio shelf, covered in flowers and outlined in thin lines of gold?
There's a good chance it was cloisonné. It's one of the oldest enameling techniques in the world, and in the mid-1900s it found its way into American homes as vases, boxes, bells and little bowls. Here's what cloisonné is, how it's made, how to tell it from its look-alikes and how to look after it.
We have two cloisonné vases, a cloisonné trinket box and a cloisonné-style bell in the shop right now, starting with this 6" floral vase for $33.
See the vase →
What cloisonné is
Cloisonné (say it clwah-zon-AY) comes from the French word cloison, meaning partition. A metal body, usually copper or brass, is decorated with thin metal wires bent into the outlines of a design and attached to the surface. Those wires make tiny walled cells, and each cell is filled with powdered colored enamel, which is ground glass. The piece is fired in a kiln so the enamel melts and fuses. Because enamel shrinks as it fires, the cells are filled and fired again and again, then the surface is ground and polished smooth so the enamel sits level with the wires. Finally the exposed wires and rims are often gilded or plated. That's the gold line you see around every petal.
Where and when it was made
Enamel set in metal cells goes back thousands of years, and the Byzantine Empire was famous for gold cloisonné. In China the craft flourished under the Ming dynasty, especially during the Jingtai reign in the mid-1400s, and Chinese cloisonné is still called jingtailan, "Jingtai blue." Japan took up the art too, where it's called shippo, and Meiji-era makers (1868 to 1912) became known for very fine, painterly work.
In the 1800s and 1900s, workshops in China made a great deal of cloisonné for export, often with brighter enamels and lighter metal. After World War II, mid-century export cloisonné poured into gift shops and department stores, and that's the kind most of us grew up seeing: bud vases, ginger jars, napkin rings and trinket boxes in turquoise, cobalt, mint and white, covered in flowers, birds and clouds.
Makers and marks
Most mid-century cloisonné is unsigned. You may find a "China" or "Made in China" stamp, an old paper label, or nothing at all. Japanese pieces sometimes carry a maker's mark on the base. Importers also sold enamel giftware under their own names; Knobler International, a mid-century American importer of decorative accessories, is one you'll see on tags. Marks can be missing or even misleading, so judge a piece by how it's made as much as by what's printed on it.
How to identify cloisonné
- Wires: look closely, with a magnifier if you have one. True cloisonné has raised or flush metal wires outlining every color.
- Smooth, glassy surface: run a finger over it. The enamel should feel smooth and hard like glass, polished level with the wires.
- Inside and base: many vases have a solid enamel lining inside, often turquoise, and an enameled or gilt base.
- Weight: a copper or brass body gives a solid feel for its size.
- Tiny pits: small pinholes or bubbles in the enamel are common on handmade pieces and aren't a flaw.
Look-alikes and cloisonné-style pieces
- Champlevé: instead of wires, the cells are carved, stamped or cast into the metal and then filled with enamel. Some modern commercial "cloisonné" is actually made this way.
- Painted enamel: the design is painted onto an enameled surface with no wires at all. Chinese Canton enamel is a classic example.
- Cloisonné-style: painted or printed designs made to look like cloisonné, with no wire cells. These are lovely in their own right and should be described honestly.
- Plique-à-jour: a related technique where the enamel has no metal backing, so light shines through it like stained glass.
See it in person: cloisonné and enamel in the shop
True cloisonné next to its enamel cousins. Each one is a single piece, so when it's gone, it's gone.
Enamel shows up on jewelry too. Our enamel jewelry guide covers guilloché, sugared and painted enamel, and our guide to Serge Nekrassoff looks at an American metalsmith who paired copper with enamel.
Caring for cloisonné
- Dust with a soft, dry cloth.
- For grime, wipe with a cloth barely dampened with water and a drop of mild soap, then dry right away. Don't soak it, and keep water from sitting inside a vase.
- Skip metal polish and harsh cleaners. They can scratch the enamel and strip the gilding.
- Handle it gently. The metal body can dent and the enamel can chip if it's knocked or dropped.
For more, see our guide to cleaning and caring for vintage finds.
Cloisonné in the shop
- Mid-century cloisonné floral vase, 6": birds and flowers in blue, green and pink on a white ground with a delicate cloud pattern, finished with a gold-tone rim and base.
- Mint green cloisonné vase, 4": a petite little sister with multicolor flowers and gold-tone detail.
- Chinese cloisonné chrysanthemum trinket box, 2": a round lift-off lid box in cobalt blue with chrysanthemums, a flying bird and cloud scrolls, lined inside with turquoise enamel.
- Knobler floral enamel hand bell: a cloisonné-style bell with a cobalt blue ground, hand-painted flowers and a brass handle, with its original Knobler paper tag still inside.
- Ciel peacock trinket box: not cloisonné, but a jewel-toned enamel keepsake box in sapphire blue and emerald green with gold-tone accents, for anyone who loves enamel color.
If enamel boxes are your weakness, our trinket box guide covers all the many kinds. Every piece is the only one we have.
Keep browsing:
Vintage home decor →Brass & metal →Treasures under $10 →
Keep reading: What Is Enamel Jewelry? · Who Was Serge Nekrassoff? · Vintage Trinket Boxes
Did you grow up with a piece of cloisonné on a shelf or a dresser? Tell us what it was and who it belonged to.