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Cloisonné vase factory and market in China - Sapphire Princess Orient Cruise Review Pictures
On the way back from the Great Wall we stopped at a factory where they make what I have always thought of as "Ming Vases", they are of course, called cloisonné vases I guess.I was astonished to discover that they start with a copper vase, hammered into shape on a mold. There are a number of steps including gluing on tiny little pieces of copper, which are then filled with ceramic material, fired, done again, etc. and then painted and polished. A whole lot of work. They are certainly beautiful when they are completed though. |
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| The Cloisonné factory. | An example as we go in. | A dude beating the copper into shape. |
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| All different sizes of course. | Here they are using tweezers and gluing little pieces of copper to the vases. | Really looks like pain-staking work. |
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| More of the same process. | See the pile of little tiny pieces of copper she is using. | These vases are glued and awaiting the ceramic filling process. |
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| It takes a whole lot of little pieces to do one of these babies. | Now the ceramic material is filled into the spaces between the tiny pieces of copper. | More of the same. |
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| These have been filled and fired. Still more work to go. | After more filling and painting and roasting... | This is where they roast them...ok where the fire them. |
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| This guy is polishing them after the firing. | Filled and fired...ready for more filling and painting I think. | |
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| We finally make it into the showroom. | Not just vases though...all kinds of things from dogs to plates. | |
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| Pretty good sized show room too. | A big vase...this must have taken a while. | |
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| Kathy had to buy a few little trinkets...better than lots of big trinkets I guess. | ||
