Chinese Cloisonn Jingtai Blue

Cloisonn was a symbol of nobility and wealth in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties and was supplied exclusively to the royalty in these times. It took radical political change for the technique and its products to become available to commoners.

Beijing was the cradle of this complex handicraft. It is believed that the enameling technique reached China through missionaries from Central Asia sometime in the late Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). Shortly after its introduction, the Chinese made cloisonn enameling a distinctive art form by mastering the skill of bronze casting and the glazing techniques in which artisans had to accurately control the firing temperature. Products of this period are modeled on the elegant porcelain style of the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

The technique came into its heyday during the reign of Emperor Jingtai (1450-1456) in the Ming Dynasty. Craftsmen of this period substantially improved the coloring skill and found a sapphirine pigment that gave the products a certain class and solemnity in tune with the Oriental aesthetic. People dubbed it Jingtai Blue. Although various colors of enamels were perfected later on, blue remained the dominant color of the works. Gradually, Jingtai Blue replaced cloisonn as the referent for this kind of craft.

During the reigns of Qing emperors Kangxi and Qianlong, the Jingtai Blue manufacturing technique reached its zenith. Colors were more delicate, filigrees more flexible and fluent, and the products made from it included almost every kind of daily necessity. Snuff bottles, incense burners, chopsticks and bowls were common, but the best Jingtai Blue works produced during this mature period included even furniture.

A Jingtai Blue workshop was set up in the Forbidden City during the Qing Dynasty, specializing in producing enamelware for the royal family. Common people had little access to Jingtai Blue until the late Qing Dynasty when the breakup of the imperial court ended with craftsmen being dismissed. Private workshops then began to emerge, and Jingtai Blue wares began to trickle into the general market.