Pair of large gilt Chinese cloisonné enamel vases on black ground

Executed in cloisonné enamel, these beautful vases were made in China in the twentieth century and depict, in exceptionally vibrant and lively colours and tones, flowers and birdlife against a rich black ground.

An unusual yet undeniably successful and beautiful use of background colour, the darkness of the background brings out the colours of the imagery and is offset to great visual effect by the gilding that delineates decorative areas and the sections of the vases.

The popular and beautiful cloisonné enamel technique consists of metal ‘cloisons', small divides of space, being applied to an object’s surface and subsequently filled with small volumes of vitreous enamel, which then make up the outer surface and appear as the decorative geometric patterns that line the object’s body.

Here, these segments are used to create both purely geometric decorative sections and scenes of exotic floral and birdlife, which are executed with a liveliness and vitality that is well-matched to the oustanding craftsmanship and artistry that have gone into these vases' production.