While in Beijing, I had an opportunity to visit a local closionne factory. Closionne is a traditional copper and enamel process, producing many of the beautiful chinese vases we're accustommed to seeing. Don't mistake closionne with porcelain. Drop a porcelain vase and it'll shatter. Closionne is enameled copper, strong as a metalic vase.
Also known as copper body and wire-inlaid enameling, this process has a long history, something close to 500 years in China. There is a variety of closionne wares, including vases, jugs, bowls, plates, pillboxes, and ashtrays. For example, a drawing of the design for a vase is created. Then small pieces of copper are molded to match the design. These pieces are then applied to the vase using a soldering. Once the design has been applied, the enamel is flowed between the pieces of copper to created the vibrant colors. The enamel is baked and applied 6 times, filling in all the design, creating a smooth surface.
