Chinese

This cloisonné censer, or incense burner, was probably the centerpiece of an altar set, surrounded by vases and candlesticks. Cloisonné—French for “partitioned”—is produced in a four-step process. Designs are created by applying copper or bronze wires to a metal form. Each area is then filled with metal oxides mixed with glass paste, and the form is fired to about 1475°F to melt the enamels. Because enamels shrink during firings, the procedure is repeated until the spaces are completely filled, then the surface of the object is rubbed until the cloisons, or wire partitions, become visible.