China Guide

Cloisonné is a famous traditional enamelware with a history of over 500 years. Cloisonné is one of the famous arts and crafts of Beijing. The making of cloisonné requires rather elaborate and complicated processes: base-hammering, copper-strip inlay, soldering, enamel-filling, enamel-firing, polishing and gilding. 

Base-hammering of body is the first step

Ceramics began in China 6,000 years ago during the New Stone Age, whose advent was marked, among other things, by the invention of pottery. The earliest earthenware was moulded by hand; the potter's wheel came much later. At the beginning the clay was fired at a temperature of some 500-600 c. Painted pottery began to be known during the period of Yangshao and Longshan cultures. 

終南何有、有條有梅。
君子至止、錦衣狐裘。
顏如渥丹、其君也哉。

終南何有、有紀有堂。
君子至止、黻衣繡裳、佩玉將將、壽考不忘。

What are there on Zhongnan ?
There are white firs and plum trees .
Our prince has arrived at it ,
Wearing an embroidered robe over his fox-fur ,
And with his countenance rouged as with vermilion .
May he prove a ruler indeed !

蒹葭蒼蒼、白露為霜。
所謂伊人、在水一方。
溯洄從之、道阻且長。
溯游從之、宛在水中央。

蒹葭淒淒、白露未晞。
所謂伊人、在水之湄。
溯洄從之、道阻且躋。
溯游從之、宛在水中坻。

蒹葭采采、白露未已。
所謂伊人、在水之涘。
溯洄從之、道阻且右。
溯游從之、宛在水中沚。

The reeds and rushes are deeply green ,
And the white dew is turned into hoarfrost .
The man of whom I think ,

小戎俴收、五楘梁輈。
游環脅驅、陰靷鋈續、文茵暢轂、駕我騏馵。
言念君子、溫其如玉。
在其板屋、亂我心曲。

四牡孔阜、六轡在手、騏騮是中、騧驪是驂、龍盾之合、鋈以觼軜。
言念君子、溫其在邑。
方何為期、胡然我念之。

俴駟孔群、厹矛鋈錞、蒙伐有苑、虎韔鏤膺、交韔二弓、竹閉緄滕。
言念君子、載寢載與。
厭厭良人、秩秩德音。

[There is] his short war carriage ; --
With the ridge-like end of its pole , elegantly bound in five places ;