Cloisonné thimble catalogue

74 items

With the Cloisonné technique, a certain pattern is first formed so that different defined parts are created. These 'cloisons' (French for partition) are then filled with enamel: molten and colored glass (enamel powder). More

After applying the enamel to the compartments, the object is fired so that the metal and enamel are on an equal level.
The crushed wire prevents the colors from blending into each other while the enamel is heated. So each color is locked in its own cell. The color areas can also be separated from each other by clay dams.

The cloisonné technique was introduced to China during the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1369) by Muslim craftsmen.
During the later periods of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), a counterpart to cloisonné, the champlevé technique, gained popularity. This technique achieves a similar result as cloisonné but uses a different process. Instead of a pattern being created by applying metal wires to a base, these are cut into the metal or formed immediately during casting.

In China and Japan, the object is then polished until no wire protrudes above the enamel. In the Netherlands, artists usually leave the wire visible above the enamel layers.

Automatic translation Click here for the original text

Number of thimbles

Number of related items

Oldest item

Benidorm (2007)