Fragment from sample set of Chinese cloisonné
The technique of cloisonné is used to create designs on metal vessels by placing colored glass paste within enclosures made of copper or bronze wires, which have been bent or hammered into the desired patterns. Known as cloisons, French for partitions, the enclosures are generally either glued or soldered onto the metal body. Enamel paste, ground from colored glass, is filled into the contained areas of the design. The vessel is usually fired several times at a relatively low temperature, about 800 degrees Celsius. Once this process is completed, the surface of the vessel is polished until the edges of the cloisons are visible, and then to finish the work, gilding is added.
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