Cloisonné Enamel Trinket Box — Deep Blue Peony Scroll, Gilt Brass Lid

Gold wire, enamel, and nine firings

Jingtailan — Chinese cloisonné — starts with a copper body. Fine brass wire is bent by hand into a peony scroll, glued in place, then the spaces between the wires are filled with ground enamel paste, one colour at a time. Each colour needs its own firing at around 800°C, so a piece this size goes into the kiln seven to nine times before the surface is polished smooth.

What the pattern means

• Peony — the king of flowers, a symbol of prosperity and honour.
• Deep blue ground — the classic jingtailan palette, favoured in the Ming and Qing courts.
• Gilt brass rim — sealed and polished so the lid closes with a soft, even click.

What it holds

Rings and earrings on a dresser, a seal and ink paste on a desk, or loose tea leaves in a cabinet. The lid is hinged, not loose, so it stays where you put it.

Details

• 9 × 9 × 11 cm, 420 g
• Copper body, brass wire, enamel; gilt brass fittings
• Made by hand in Beijing — slight variation in the wirework is normal and is the mark of hand work

Ships from China within 2 business days, tracking number provided. Packed in a foam-lined gift box.