Skip to main content

Cloissoné Furniture

to
206
747
271
1,045
15
4
12
11
9
8
7
5
3
2
1
1
1
1
13
597
435
19
222
82
30
31
7
14
5
3
11
8
2
1
5
1,023
777
231
164
144
925
880
543
333
98
1,064
1,055
1,062
15
13
6
5
2
Technique: Cloissoné
Pair of Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Vases with Kirin, Tiger, Dragon and Phoenix M
Located in Long Island City, NY
A superb pair of Japanese cloisonné vases from the Meiji period, each finely worked in silver wire and rising 12 inches high. The four-paneled design alternates between mythologica...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

A Monumental Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Vase, Attributed to Hayashi Kodenji
Located in Long Island City, NY
A Monumental Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Vase, Attributed to Hayashi Kodenji   “A Meiji Masterpiece”   Behold the epitome of Meiji-era craftsmanship with this monumental silver wire Ja...
Category

19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Rare Japanese Red Birds Cloisonne Enamel Censer Koro
Located in Long Island City, NY
A rare antique Japanese late Meiji Era tripod and covered enamel copper censer. Circa: late 19th century to early 20th century. The sphere form censer koro is enameled with polychrom...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Copper, Enamel

Antique Japanese Cloisonne Enamel, Butterfly Dragon Vase Attributed Honda
Located in Long Island City, NY
An antique Japanese Meiji era cloisonne enameled rounded vase. The vase is adorned with a variety of intricate designs including phoenix birds, butterflies, serpents, flowers, and sc...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Antique Magnificent Meiji Japanese Silver And Gold Cherry Blossom Vase - Signed
Located in Long Island City, NY
Antique Meiji Japanese Silver And Gold Cherry Blossom Vase 1868-1912 - SIGNED adorned with a finely engraved sakura tree motif with granulated gol...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Silver

Antique Mixed Metal Japanese Vase Bronze, Japan, 19th/20th Century
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Interesting and finely made mixed metal shibuichi vase. Very cool. Additional information: Material: Bronze & Cloisonne Region of Origin: Japan Period: 19th century Japan Dynasty Pe...
Category

19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Pair of Large 19th Century Meiji Japanese Cloisonne Blue Ground Enamel Vases Cra
Located in Long Island City, NY
A large pair of Japanese Meiji Period Blue-Ground Cloisonne enamel vases, 19th century. Very nice quality, with cloisonne enamel throughout, depicting cranes, flowers and blossoms wi...
Category

Late 19th Century Unknown Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Early 20th Century Chinese Folding Screen/Room Divider with Cloisonne panels
Located in Pomona, CA
This is a set of 6 panels of Chinese vintage lacquered wooden screen which to be used as the room section panels in ancient China that are put ...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Hardwood

Antique Meiji Japanese Cloisonne Geometric Floral Fruit Vase Attributed To GOTO
Located in Long Island City, NY
An antique Japanese cloisonne vase from the Meiji period featuring an elegant form with high shoulders and a deep saturated blue color enamel. Decorated with floral and foliate with ...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Large Meiji Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Fish, Ducks, Floral Vase Shippo
Located in Long Island City, NY
A finely made Japanese Meiji period cloisonne enamel vase decorated with multiple enamel medallions set against a textured charcoal ground. Each panel presents a different scene, inc...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Rare Large Pair of Antique Meiji Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Lobbed Vases with Dra
Located in Long Island City, NY
A pair of rare antique Japanese, early Meiji era, enamel over gilt copper vases. Each vase has a lobbed shape. The exteriors of the wares are adorned with polychrome enamel panels an...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Exquisite Meiji Japanese Cloisonne Silver Wire Vase Irises on Karakusa
Located in Long Island City, NY
This exquisite Japanese Meiji cloisonné vase showcases delicate white and blue irises worked in fine silver wire against a shimmering karakusa gro...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Chinese Black Enamel Cloisonné Chrysanthemum Flower Vase
Located in New York, NY
Chinese black enamel cloisonné and brass ginger jar vase with chrysanthemum flowers, dogwood flowers and a butterfly and beautiful rich colors. Hand crafted on solid brass.
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Pair 19th Century Cloisonné Vases
Located in Houston, TX
Pair of 19th Century bronze cloisonné vases. These baluster form vessels feature an enameled body with all-over polychrome foliage motifs on a turquoise ground, with two dragon handl...
Category

19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Metal, Enamel, Bronze

Pair Japanese Cloisonne Owls Hawks Maple on Turquoise Blue Enamel Vases Goto
Located in Long Island City, NY
A striking and beautifully executed pair of Meiji period Japanese cloisonne vases, attributed to the workshop of Goto Seizaburo of Yokohama, one of the most innovative enamel artists...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Two Small Japanese Cloisonne Dragon Vases, Early 20th Century, Japan
Located in Austin, TX
Two charming, small Japanese cloisonné dragon vases, Meiji to Taisho period, early 20th century, Japan. The miniature vases of baluster f...
Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Taisho Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Copper, Enamel, Foil

Antique Chinese Cloisonné Enamel Round Lidded Box 19th Century CO#08
Located in Norton, MA
Antique Chinese cloisonné enamel round box with lid depicting floral patterns. A white base tone and colorful floral all around, from the 19th century.
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Chinese Export Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Copper

Pair Of Meiji Japanese Cloisonne Dragons Silver Wire Enamel Vases
Located in Long Island City, NY
A pair of Japanese silver wire enamel vases. The vases have an urn shaped body and a fluted neck. Each ware is enameled with a polychrome image of dragons on the dark blue ground mad...
Category

19th Century Japanese Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Palace Size Cloisonné Enamel Jardinière/Centerpiece attributed to F. Barbedienne
Located in New York, NY
Palace Size Chinese Cloisonné Enamel Jardinière/Centerpiece attributed to F. Barbedienne, Paris This monumental 19th-century jardinière is of large scale, composed of a Chinese clois...
Category

1880s French Chinoiserie Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Bronze, Enamel

Large Meiji Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Charger Cranes Peonies Butterfly Floral
Located in Long Island City, NY
A superb and richly decorated Meiji period Japanese cloisonne enamel charger featuring an elaborate scene of two red-crowned cranes amid lush blossoming peonies, chrysanthemums, and ...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Antique Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Meiji Box Dragon, Foo Dog, Phoenix Bird, Butte
Located in Long Island City, NY
An antique Japanese copper footed rectangular double-bottom box with hinged lid. Late Meiji period, The piece is decorated with cloisonne enamel depictions of dragons, phoenix bird, flowers against the swirl motif background. Collectible Oriental Vanity...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Copper, Enamel

Large High Quality Antique Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Meiji Vases with Birds
Located in Long Island City, NY
A pair of large antique Japanese copper vases with polychrome cloisonne enamel decor. Late Meiji period, before 1912. Elongated shape with pronounced neck. Birds and flowers motif ag...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel, Copper

Signed Gonda Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Tray with Goldfish and Morning Glory
Located in Long Island City, NY
A refined Japanese cloisonné enamel tray of elegant oval form, measuring 12 inches wide by 9 inches high, signed on the reverse by Gonda. The composition is set against a luminous tu...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel, Copper

Meiji Japanese Cloisonne Turquoise Enamel Japanese Garden Vase Silver Wire
Located in Long Island City, NY
A high quality Japanese, late Meiji era, silver wire and enamel vase. The amphora shaped vase is adorned with polychrome enamel images of birds, trees, blossoming flowers, and screen...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel, Silver

20th Century Antique Chinese Cloisonne Vase
Located in Pomona, CA
This magnificent Chinese Antique Cloisonne vase was hand made from gold copper with cloisonne. It has detailed cloisonne works of Crane, Pine...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Copper

Large Antique Meiji Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Flying Cranes Vase
Located in Long Island City, NY
A large antique Japanese, Meiji era, Silver wire enamel over brass copper vase. Circa: 1900s. The urn form vase is enameled with polychrome images of cranes made in the Cloisonne tec...
Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Brass, Enamel, Copper

Vintage Chinese Republic Period Cloisonné Bowl, Early 20th Century
Located in Bishop s Stortford, Hertfordshire
An exceptional and finely decorated vintage Chinese Republic period cloisonné bowl decorated with panels containing grotesque masks. The rounde...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Large Antique Early Meiji Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Lotus Vase
Located in Long Island City, NY
A large antique Japanese early Meiji period vase attributed to Namikawa Yasuyuki, a prominent cloisonne artist of the time. Showcases the highly regarded craftsmanship and intricate ...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Antique Meiji Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Rooster Vase
Located in Long Island City, NY
A large Japanese amphora shaped enamel over brass vase. The vase is enameled with polychrome images of a rooster and a hen in flowers and leaves made in the Cloisonne technique on tu...
Category

19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel, Brass

Large Antique Meiji Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Pink Vase W Birds
Located in Long Island City, NY
A large Japanese Meiji period cloisonne enameled vase with a scene of birds, butterflies, and flowers on the pink background and borders with colorful decoration. Collectible Orienta...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Pair of Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Ducks Birds and Floral Turquoise Grounds Vases
Located in Long Island City, NY
A refined pair of Meiji period Japanese cloisonne enamel cylinders decorated with detailed scenes of birds among spring flowers on rich turquoise grounds. Each piece is worked in ver...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Early 20th Century Antique Chinese Cloisonne bowl
Located in Pomona, CA
This Unique Chinese Antique Cloisonné Bowl is the perfect decor piece. With beautiful floral and bird design, it is a majestically hand crafted ...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Metal, Copper

Chinese Cloisonne Incense Tool Vase, Qing Dynasty, 18th/19th Century, China
Located in Austin, TX
A small and elegant Chinese cloisonné vase for incense tools, Qing Dynasty, 18th/19th century, China. Made for the scholar's studio, this small refined vase, was used to hold incense tools, including a small pair of tongs or chopsticks and spoon. The tools no longer present. Of miniature baluster vase form, the vase beautify proportioned and decorated in the cloisonné enamel technique, with gilt wires forming the cloisons, or partitions. Within the cloisons, colorful enamels have been expertly laid. The small incense tool vase...
Category

Early 1800s Chinese Qing Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Copper, Enamel

Antique Meiji Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Dragon Jar Goldstone Namikawa School
Located in Long Island City, NY
An antique Japanese Meiji Era Cloisonne enamel dragon and phoenix bird lidded ginger jar. Early Meiji period, ca. 1885. The item is decorated w...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Japanese Cloisonné Enamel Vase Pair by Ota Hyozo, Meiji Period
Located in Newark, England
FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING ON ALL OUR COLLECTION - MORE IMAGES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST MEIJI PERIOD (1868-1912)  From our Japanese collection we are delighted to present this exceptio...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Pair Of High Quality Meiji Japanese Cloisonne Vases
Located in Long Island City, NY
A beautiful pair of high quality antique Japanese Meiji Era brass and enamel vases, 1868 to 1912. Both are of a baluster form with elegant narro...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

1950s Pair Of Chinese Hand Made Cloisonné Enamel Vases On Carved Hardwood Stands
Located in Germantown, MD
A 1950s Pair Of Hand Made Chinese Cloisonné Enamel Vases On Hardwood Stands in mint condition. Come with original box. No imperfections whatsoever. Measure 5" in diameter and stand 1...
Category

Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Brass

Chinese cloissone enamel vase
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This Cloisonne' vase exemplifies the refined craftsmanship of Chinese decorative arts from the late Qing dynasty period . The hexagonal form features intricate floral designs in rese...
Category

19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Bronze, Copper, Enamel

Antique Japanese Meiji Period Round Cloisonne Covered Jar
Located in Long Island City, NY
An antique Japanese Meiji period round cloisonne covered jar showcasing the exquisite artistry and craftsmanship of the era. This jar is adorned w...
Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Rare Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Oval Frame with Chrysanthemums, Manner of Hayashi
Located in Long Island City, NY
Rare Japanese Cloisonné Oval Frame with Birds & Chrysanthemums, in the Manner of Hayashi An exceptionally rare Japanese cloisonné enamel picture frame of oval form, worked in the manner of Hayashi Kodenji, dating to the Meiji period. The frame is decorated on a rich black enamel ground with finely executed silver wire chrysanthemums, accompanied by smaller red and purple blossoms at the base, each flower shaded with naturalistic enamels of the highest quality. The interior holds an original Japanese watercolor of three swallows in flight, gracefully rendered in delicate tones of blue, white, and yellow. The watercolor is unsigned and can be replaced at the purchaser’s discretion with a family photograph or another image, though the original work adds to the object’s rarity and charm. Frames of this type are among the rarest forms in Japanese cloisonné production, most surviving examples being vases, dishes, or boxes. The level of detail in the wirework here—the meticulous use of silver wire for the chrysanthemums and the naturalistic rendering of foliage—demonstrates the refined artistry associated with the finest cloisonné masters of the period. This piece is in excellent condition with a small hair line in the black ground see photo. Cloisonné picture frames...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Antique Imperial Russian Silver Cloisonne Enamel Kovsh Ovchinnikov Moscow 1896
Located in Portland, OR
A fine antique Russian Imperial silver & cloisonne kovsh, Pavel Akimov Ovchinnikov, Moscow, 1896. Ovchinnikov is recognized as one of Russia's most famous enamellers, he produced inc...
Category

1890s Russian Late Victorian Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Silver, Enamel

Antique Pair Of Meiji Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Vases
Located in Long Island City, NY
A pair of identical antique Japanese copper vases with cloisonne enamel design. Late Meiji period, before 1912. Elongated baluster shape with pronounced neck. Floral ornament against...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Copper, Enamel

Pair of Mid-20th Century Chinese Cloisonné Vases with Floral Motifs
Located in Yonkers, NY
This pair of Chinese cloisonné vases, dating to the mid-20th century, is richly decorated with an intricate floral design in warm, reddish-brown tones. Each vase is crafted in the tr...
Category

Mid-20th Century Chinese Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Brass, Copper, Enamel

Large Antique Meiji Cloisonné Enamel Vases Japanese 19th Century Birds Flowers
Located in London, GB
Large Antique Meiji Cloisonné Enamel Vases Japanese 19th Century Birds Flowers Japanese, Late 19th Century Height 152cm, diameter 54cm This remarkable pair of monumental Meiji peri...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Japonisme Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Metal, Enamel

Pair of Meiji Japanese Cloisonne Turquoise Enamel Silver Birds In Bamboo Vases
Located in Long Island City, NY
A pair of identical antique Japanese, late Meiji era, Silver wire enamel vases. Each vase has an urn shaped body and a wide fluted neck. Each vase is enameled with polychrome images ...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Chinese Cloisonné Bowl Carved Gem Stone/ Serpentine Medallion Ring Handles
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Chinese Cloisonné Bowl Carved Gem Stone/ Serpentine Medallion & Ring Handles China, Later 20th Century An exquisite Chinese cloisonné bowl from the 20th ce...
Category

20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Vintage Tall Chinese Cloisonné Enamel Vase Fighting Dragons Flaming Pearl
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Magnificent hand-crafted Chinese Cloisonné vase, very tall with facing Dragons, from a time capsule estate in Washington D.C. 14 1/2 Inches tall and so highly detailed it is sure to...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Copper

Fine Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Fan Design Plate with Tokugawa Mon by Goto
Located in Long Island City, NY
A refined Japanese cloisonne enamel plate by Goto Seizaburo, one of the most distinctive enamel artists active in Yokohama during the late Meiji period. The plate is composed in an e...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Antique Japanese Double Sided Folding Chamber Screen 19/20th C Japan Cranes
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A super nice Meiji period 19th or early 20th c Japanese Chamber Screen. Two sided decoration. Also usuable as wall mounted screen. Stunning piece! 120 x 61cm
Category

20th Century Japanese Meiji Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Chinese Blue Cloisonne Floral Enameled Vase 20thC
Located in Big Flats, NY
Chinese Blue Cloisonne Floral Enameled Vase 20thC. Measures- 9.25"H x 5"W x 5"D. A beautifully crafted Chinese cloisonné vase from the 20th century, featuring intricate floral ...
Category

20th Century Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Metal

Japan 1890 Meiji Period Decorative Vase In Cloisonné Enamel With Wood Base
Located in Miami, FL
Japanese vase from the Meiji Period (1868-1912). Beautiful antique decorative vase, created in Japan during the Meiji period (1868-1912), circa 1890s. It was carefully crafted in so...
Category

1890s Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Bronze, Enamel

A Pair of Chinese Cloisonne Vases, Late 19th Century
Located in ARMADALE, VIC
A Pair of Chinese Cloisonne Vases, 19th Century Provenance: Private Australian Collection. Description: Each on rolled foot with undulating standard rising to a tape...
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Pair of antique Japanese Meiji cloisonné enamel vases
Located in Long Island City, NY
A pair of matching antique Japanese copper vases with polychrome cloisonne enamel design. Late Meiji era, before 1912. Straight bottle shape with accentuated base and side handles. F...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Antique Meiji Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Black Goldstone Dragon Vase
Located in Long Island City, NY
A Chinese enamel vase. The vase has a globular shaped body with a long narrow neck with a fluted mouth. The exterior of the ware is adorned with a polychrome enamel design representi...
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Fifteen-Piece Cloisonné Enamel Tea Set, Japan, Late Meiji Period
Located in Newark, England
FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING FIFTEEN-PIECE CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL TEA SET, LATE MEIJI PERIOD, C.1910 From our Japanese collection, we are pleased to offer this exceptional fifteen-piece Clois...
Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Metal, Enamel

Japanese Cloisonné Vase Ando Jubei with Storage Box
Located in Atlanta, GA
A beautifully decorated cloisonné vase with silver rims by Ando Jubei (1876-1956), the celebrated Japanese Shippo studio. The piece is dated to late Meiji to early Showa period circa...
Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Metal, Silver, Enamel

Antique Japanese Meiji cloisonné enamel vase
Located in Long Island City, NY
An antique Japanese copper vase with polychrome cloisonne enamel design. Late Meiji era, before 1912. Bottle-shaped vase. Lotus flower motif. Unmarked. Collectible Oriental Asian Dec...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

A Chinese Cloisonne Tray with Qianlong Mark, Early 20th Century
Located in ARMADALE, VIC
A Chinese Cloisonne Tray with Qianlong Mark, Early 20th Century Home decor, Interior design and collectibles. Provenance: Private Victoria Collection. ...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Antique Japanese Meiji era cloisonné enamel brass bowl
Located in Long Island City, NY
An antique Japanese Meiji era cloisonne enamel brass bowl featuring a bulbous body showcasing detailed floral and foliate motifs, including pink and red blossoms, against a turquoise...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Large Pair of Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Blue-Ground Vases and Covers, Meiji
Located in Long Island City, NY
A Large Pair of Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Blue-Ground Vases and Covers, Meiji Period. A decorative pair of cloisonne enamel vases, the bodies decorated with colorful birds, butterfl...
Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Cloissoné Furniture

Materials

Enamel

Cloisonné Vases, Lamps, Bowls and Other Furniture and Objects for Sale on 1stDibs

Liven your home with cloisonné vases, bowls, lamps and other objects and furnishings ornamented with lustrous enamel. Technically, enamel is colored glass fused to metal. But that simple description greatly understates the case. Applied using an array of techniques to a wide range of objects, it is one of the most dynamic, and alluring, mediums in the world.

No one knows for sure when or where enameling originated. But, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, it is widely believed that the decoration on a gold scepter found in a royal Mycenaean tomb at Kourion Kaloriziki, in Cyprus, and dating to the 11th century BC, is a true, early example of the technique.

Between the 6th and 12th centuries AD, cloisonné — in which tiny compartments (cloisons) made by soldering copper filaments to a metal surface are filled with vibrantly hued enamel — had a huge vogue in the Byzantine Empire. By the 7th century, Lombard craftsmen in northern Italy were using enamel to emulate Byzantine objects. In the 12th and 13th centuries, artisans in China imported the technique and made it so much their own that enameled objects have long been associated with Eastern aesthetics and motifs rather than Western ones.

Collectors of authentic antique Chinese furniture and decorative objects know that Ming dynasty-era cloisonné objects are particularly coveted. Although ornamentation was minimal at the time, Ming dynasty furniture often featured carved or painted details of flowers, insects, dragons, fruits and other motifs. As overseas trade expanded, techniques from the West, like cloisonné enamel painting, adorned table screens and other pieces. 

Elaborately decorated Ming-era cloisonné objects and furnishings — vessels and other items featuring lots of vibrant colors and details — are likely to fetch considerable sums at auction, as Chinese cloisonné vases created during the Ming and Qing eras represent a golden age of the country’s furniture design. (Victorian cloisonné is also popular with design enthusiasts.)

Cloisonné wasn’t adopted in Japan until the 1800s. Back then, amid an era of societal and cultural shifts, a bolstered interest in art and design elevated Japanese craft traditions during the Meiji period. European styles like Japonisme appropriated Japanese design while craftsmen in places like Wales and England employed japanning, a varnishing technique that approximated the appearance of lacquer for the surfaces of furnishings.

Today, Meiji-era cloisonné vases or incense burners in good condition are of great interest to collectors of Asian art and furniture produced by the period’s Japanese cloisonné workshops. 

Find cloisonné vases, lighting, decorative bowls and other objects for sale on 1stDibs.