This vase is decorated with floral designs in cloisonné, a technique in which coloured enamels are placed within enclosures made of copper or bronze wires known as cloisons (French for ‘partitions’). Cloisonné was introduced to China from the Byzantine Empire or Islamic world during the 14th and 15th centuries. Its flamboyant appearance was thought to be suitable for furnishing of temples and palaces, but not the more restrained atmosphere of scholars’ homes. Marks on the bottom of this example indicate that it was made by De Xing Cheng, a workshop active in Beijing from the 1860s to 1930s.
