Small suantougping vase with stylized lotuses, chrysanthemums and leaves (right) and small meiping vase with stylized lotuses, leaves and spiral curves (left), cloisonné enamels on copper-based alloy. MC (Sm-78, Sm-77), display case 14.
Cloisonné enamel is the most common among oriental polychrome enamels. The cloisonné technique consists in executing the design on the bottom with thin metal curbs, creating frames that are then filled with coloured silicates. In China, during the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1912) periods, the workshops controlled by the imperial house created enamel works of the highest technical and artistic quality, so much so that cloisonné enamels are considered typical products of Chinese decorative arts.