Lan Yu goes shopping with Mengshi, wearing a set of cloisonné earrings, pendants and bracelets. Mengshi sighed: "This enamel jewelry is so beautiful! ”

Lan Eucalyptus was stunned, "When I bought it, the clerk clearly told me that it was cloisonné...... But I seem to have heard that cloisonné and enamel are the same. ”

Mengshi thought for a moment, "There is a difference between cloisonné and enamel. Cloisonné is a type of enamel called copper tire cloisonné enamel. ”

There are many kinds of enamel, in addition to the often said cloisonné enamel and painted enamel, there are acid-resistant enamel, heat-resistant enamel, cast iron enamel, stainless steel enamel, aluminum enamel, etc. Several popular crafts in our country are: copper tire cloisonné enamel, that is, the famous "cloisonné", copper tire chisel flower glaze painting enamel, copper tire color glaze painting enamel.

Based on records from the early Ming Dynasty, most experts believe that the Dashi kiln was cloisonné enamel, and put its introduction to China in the 13th and 14th centuries AD.

Due to the plundering of craftsmen by the Mongol army in the Yuan Dynasty, many craftsmen from West Asia and Central Asia were placed in Yunnan with the army.

In the investigation of the cloisonné enamel artifacts from the Qing Dynasty in the collection of the Forbidden City in Beijing, the artifacts that were classified as Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty have bright and bright glazes, especially the white glaze is translucent crystal. This characteristic disappeared after Xuande. It can be inferred that at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, there were still West Asian glazes left in the inner mansion or there were foreign craftsmen to guide them.

Painting enamel, also known as foreign porcelain, was not available in the Yuan and Ming dynasties, and was introduced in the Kangxi period, and was particularly popular in the Qing Dynasty. Because the enamel glaze is easy to flow and distort during firing, there are strict requirements for the glaze formula and fire control, and its technical difficulty is higher than that of cloisonné enamel, which is the most difficult one in the enamel process.

Cloisonné originated in the capital city (now Beijing) during the Yuan Dynasty (AD) and prevailed in the Jingtai period of the Ming Dynasty (AD). Because the glaze color is mainly blue, it is called "cloisonné".

The cloisonné products of the old days were exclusively enjoyed by royalty and nobility as a symbol of power and status. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the cloisonne process has been further developed and has become more mature in technology. At present, the varieties mainly include cloisonne and filigree cloisonne, of which cloisonne products are divided into two parts: gold cloisonne and blue cloisonne, and filigree cloisonne is divided into three categories: gold filigree, silver filigree and blue filigree.

Cloisonné is completely handmade, and the production process is very fine, which needs to go through more than ten processes such as tire making, filigree, welding, point blue, burning blue, polishing, and gold plating.

The production process of cloisonné not only uses bronze technology, but also uses porcelain, enamel and other crafts, and at the same time introduces a large number of traditional painting and carving skills, which can be called the master of traditional Chinese crafts.

The cloisonné has beautiful shapes, gorgeous patterns, bright colors, giving people a sense of magnificence, has high artistic value, and is widely praised at home and abroad. In addition to the old decorative ornaments, a large number of practical varieties have been newly developed in recent years.

Cloisonné, one of China's famous special metal handicrafts, to the Ming Dynasty Jingtai period this craft technology production reached its peak, the production of the most exquisite and famous handicrafts, so the descendants called this porcelain "cloisonne".

Cloisonné is called "copper tire cloisonné enamel", commonly known as "enamel", also known as "inlaid enamel", is a kind of copper tire type, with soft flat copper wire, pinched into various patterns welded, and then the enamel glaze filled in the pattern fired into a utensil. Because it was prevalent in the Jingtai period of the Ming Dynasty, the production skills were relatively mature, and the enamel glaze used was mostly blue, so it was named "cloisonne".

According to this, it should be a logical thing that filigree products have appeared in the late Yuan Dynasty of China, and the three-ring bottle of animal ears, the Goulian Ding furnace, and the elephant ear furnace of the tangled lotus in the collection of the Palace Museum should be the works of the late Yuan Dynasty in China.

In the "History of the Song Dynasty: Foreign Biography", it is recorded that "the Great Food Country" is another name for Persia. "Great food" was the name given to the Arab region of West Asia in China during the Song and Yuan dynasties. According to the analysis of historical data, the "copper tire cloisonné enamel" was introduced to China by Arab countries at the end of the 13th century. At the beginning of its introduction, it was called "Daishoku Kiln", "Onikoku Kiln", and "Buddha Lang Mosaic".

In 1935, the "Old Capital Strategy" edited by the Beiping Municipal Secretariat of the Republic of China talked about the origin of cloisonné, citing "Tao Shuo" and wrote: Enamel, in the past, was called "Buddha Lang", also called "Fa Lang", "Fa Lan", and was produced in "Whisk". The Book of Tang called the Great Qin. Great Qin is the medieval Roman Empire.

According to relevant historical records, in the second half of the 13th century, the Yuan and Mongolian armies went on an expedition across the Eurasian continent to invade West Asia, capturing a large number of craftsmen with professional skills and sending them to the rear as labor slaves to produce luxury daily necessities for the Mongolian nobles. At this time, ornate metal enamel products were popular in the Arab region. Under these circumstances, the Arab craftsmen who fired the "Great Food Kiln" came to China with the firing technology and the main raw materials.

There is a very philosophical old saying in China, "the stone of other mountains can attack jade", even if this kind of work made of enamel glaze fired by metal as a tire is a foreign product, but in the broad and profound artistic soil of the Chinese nation, it also quickly integrated the traditional style of the Chinese nation, and became a bright pearl in the history of Chinese arts and crafts.

The title "cloisonné" was first seen in the archives of the Qing Palace. In the 6th year of the Qing Dynasty (1728), the "Inventory of Work Plans" recorded: "On the fifth day of the fifth month of the fifth month, according to the Old Summer Palace, on the fourth day of this month, Prince Yi Lang Zhonghaiwang entered the work plan and was ordered: ...... The enamel gourd-style horse coat vase pattern group of immortals celebrate their birthday, and the flower basket is also cheesy in spring. No matter how small the enamel begonia basin is, the peacock feather is not good, so make it another. Its imitation cloisonné enamel vase flower is not good. Chin this. ”

In this record, the enamel products imitating the cloisonne period are called "cloisonne enamel", which is the earliest written record of the title of "cloisonne".

Cloisonné, also known as "copper tire cloisonné enamel", is a famous traditional handicraft in Beijing. Because it was prevalent in the Jingtai period of the Ming Dynasty, the production skills are relatively mature. "Copper tire cloisonné enamel" products have been recognized by many scholars.

Cloisonné, also known as "copper tire cloisonné enamel", it is a special handicraft, is made of fine flat copper wire, pinched out a variety of patterns on the copper tire, and then the colorful enamel dots are filled in the pattern, and it is made by firing, grinding and gilding. The appearance is crystal moist and bright.

Regarding the origin of cloisonné, there is no unified answer in the archaeological community. One view is that cloisonné was born in the Tang Dynasty; Another theory is that when Kublai Khan of the Yuan Dynasty went west, he was introduced to China from West Asia and Arabia, and was first popular in Yunnan, and then loved by people in the capital before it was introduced to the Central Plains.

But there is one thing that is recognized by the academic community: the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty is the advantage of China's cloisonne production technology, and reached a new peak period, and the term "cloisonne" was born. The glaze color is fat, the silk work is rough, and the decoration is rich.

Beijing is the birthplace of cloisonne in China and the most important production area. Beijing cloisonne is known for its elegant and majestic shape, rich patterns, and beautiful and solemn colors, giving people a mellow and solid, delicate and neat, golden and brilliant artistic feeling, and has become a world-famous traditional handicraft.