Creating Beijing enamel art

However by the beginning of the 18th century, the Kangxi Emperor had a cloisonné workshop among the many Imperial factories. The most elaborate and highly-valued Chinese pieces are from the early Ming Dynasty, especially the reigns of the Xuande Emperor and Jingtai Emperor (1450-57), although 19th century or modern pieces are far more common. The Chinese industry seems to have benefited from a number of skilled Byzantine refugees fleeing the Fall of Constantinople in 1453. Known as Jingtailan in Chinese, and named after Emperor Jing Tai of the Ming Dynasty, cloisonné was considered a perfect combination of copperware and porcelain, both of which have been very popular in China.

In the Beijing Enamel Factory, it can take up to six months or even a year to create one piece, though the average is about three months. The art form is used to create a wide variety of works, from chopsticks to vases, and the price varies just as greatly. A pair of chopsticks can be found for as little as 50 yuan, or a little more than US$7, while the most expensive vase in the factory is worth millions.

The making of Jingtailan requires rather elaborate and complicated processes: base-hammering, copper-strip inlay, soldering, enamel-filling, enamel-firing, polishing and gilding. The products feature excellent quality.