Cloisonné Enamel Craftsmanship (Jingtailan)

Jingtailan, properly "copper-bodied cloisonné enamel," is said to have flourished in the Jingtai reign of the Ming dynasty, taking its name from the peacock- and sapphire-blue enamels favored then — a hallmark of Beijing's imperial-court crafts.

The craft begins with a copper body onto which fine flattened copper wire is bent into patterns and soldered (the cloisons); colored enamel pastes are then filled into the compartments, and the piece is fired, polished and gilded over many rounds — an elaborate process yielding jewel-bright color.

One of the "Eight Wonders of Yanjing," jingtailan is inscribed as national intangible cultural heritage; long an imperial craft and a diplomatic gift, it represents the height of Beijing court artistry.

In Beijing the China Arts and Crafts Museum & ICH Museum and the Yanjing Bajue Museum display fine jingtailan and its making, conveying the intricacy and splendor of this courtly art.