Chinese cloisonne censers (incense and perfume burners)

Censers, also known as incense burners, have a long history in China, dating back to ancient times. They were used for a variety of purposes, including religious ceremonies, medicinal treatments, and as a means of purifying the air.

In ancient China, censers were used in religious rituals and ceremonies, particularly in Taoist and Buddhist temples. They were also used in imperial palaces and government buildings, where they were used to purify the air and to ward off evil spirits. Censers were often made of bronze, and were decorated with intricate designs and motifs, such as dragons, phoenixes, and other symbols more... of power and authority.

During the Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), censers were used in traditional Chinese medicine as a way to burn herbal mixtures to treat illnesses. Censers were also used in the home as part of everyday life, where they were used to purify the air and to create a pleasant aroma.

During the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), the production of censers reached its peak, with many different types of censers being produced, including those made of bronze, ceramic, and porcelain. Censers produced during this time were often highly decorative and were designed to be used as decorative objects as well as functional ones.

In the Qing dynasty (1644-1912), censers were still produced and used, but their popularity and production decreased, as the traditional culture and customs were suppressed by the ruling Manchu dynasty. Today, Chinese censers are still produced and used, but primarily for decorative and cultural purposes.

 The Japanese equivalent is known as a koro. less...

Cloisonne is an enamelling technique in which the pattern is formed by wires soldered to the surface of the object to be decorated, which is usually made from copper, forming cells or cloisons, each of which holds a single colour of enamel paste which is then fired, and ground and polished.

The champleve technique also uses an enamelling technique, but the cells are formed by carving into the surface ot the object, or in the casting.

The cloisonne technique has been in use since the 12th century BC in the west, but the technique did not reach China until the more... 13th or 14th century. It became popular in China in the 18th century. Initially bronze or brass bodies were used, and in the 19th century copper, at which time the quality of th eitems produced began to decline.

Chinese cloisonné is the best known enamel cloisonné, though the Japanese produced large quantities from the mid-19th century, of very high technical quality.

In the west the cloisonne technique was revived in the mid 19th century following imports from China, and its use continued in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods. less...