Cloisonné painting is derived from the traditional Chinese craft of Jingtailan.

Jingtailan, officially known as “copper-body cloisonné,” was introduced to China from West Asia during the Yuan Dynasty and flourished during the Jingtai period of the Ming Dynasty (1450–1456). Because blue enamel was predominantly used at the time, later generations named it “Jingtai Blue.”

The production process of traditional Jingtailan is complex:

• Copper is shaped into a body
• Copper wires are bent into patterns
• Enamel is filled into the cells
• The piece is fired in a kiln repeatedly
• It is polished and gilded

The entire process requires multiple firings, with precise control over temperature and timing. Due to its high difficulty and cost, Jingtailan was long reserved for imperial use and rarely seen among the common people.

The emergence of cloisonné painting changed this.

In the late 20th century, artisans attempted to “flatten” the Jingtailan process—removing the three-dimensional copper body and high-temperature firing while retaining the core steps of “wire inlaying” and “enamel filling”:

• Use metal wires to outline patterns on a flat base
• Fill colors with colored sand or enamel
• Apply glue to set, then air dry naturally

No more kilns, no more worry about cracking. With the simplified process, this craft moved from the imperial court to the people, from objects to paintings.

Today, cloisonné painting has become an independent craft category.
It preserves the linear beauty and color richness of traditional Jingtailan while lowering the barrier to entry, allowing more people to try it with their own hands.

From its introduction in the Yuan Dynasty, to its peak in the Ming, to its modern transformation.
Cloisonné painting is a new path for traditional crafts to survive.