Cloisonné Art Museum of China

The Cloisonné Art Museum of China, established in June 2012, is the nation’s first museum dedicated to cloisonné art. It presents the complete history of cloisonné craftsmanship, from its origins in the Yuan Dynasty to its contemporary development, featuring reproductions of imperial cloisonné ware from the Ming and Qing dynasties, works by modern masters, and exhibits illustrating the full production process. The museum includes a craft demonstration area and an interactive experience zone, where visitors can observe traditional techniques and participate in hands-on workshops.

Planning your visit

Cloisonne arrived in China from the Islamic world, probably via the Mongol conquests, and was perfected in the Ming — the Jingtai reign gave it the Chinese name Jingtailan, blue of Jingtai, after the deep lapis enamel that characterised the period's work.

The technique is laborious: copper wires bent and soldered to a metal body to form cells, each filled with coloured enamel paste, fired repeatedly as the enamel shrinks, then ground flat and the wires gilded. A substantial piece takes months.

China's first museum devoted to it opened in 2012 and covers the full history from the Yuan onward, with reproductions of imperial Ming and Qing wares, work by contemporary masters, and displays taking the production process apart stage by stage.

A demonstration area and hands-on workshops let visitors attempt the wire-bending and filling.

Bookable options include tours with hands-on workshops. Current availability is shown below.