Jingfa Asian Art and Furniture

Striking in their beauty a pair of vintage Chinese cloisonne vases with classic form and featuring alluring blue floral designs. JINGFA ...

Presenting a gorgeous pair of large Chinese bronze cloisonne dragon and phoenix vases. Mid-late 20th century, circa 1970. Made by the JINGFA Beijing Cloisonné Factory and has it’s original red label marked ‘JINGFA’ on one and ‘Made in China’ on the other. These vases are large and impressive … 26 inches tall. They are heavy … they weigh 25 lbs each. They are in mint condition with no losses. The vase itself is bronze with a rubbed brass finish and the bodies of the pieces are covered in the most exceptional Cloisonné work featuring dragons and a Phoenix in multiple colors with beautiful floral and geometric patterns throughout. These have some of the most impressive cloisonné work you will ever see! Whilst not antique, they are approaching vintage and would have been very expensive items in 1970. These will only increase in value with the passage of time but are stunningly decorative today! Beijing is the cradle of cloisonné technique. Cloisonné is a famous traditional enamel ware, known as the “Blue of Jingtai” in China, with a history of over 500 years. It was so called because “blue” was the typical color used for enameling and “Jingtai” was the reign title of the 7th Ming Emperor. Enamel ware became very popular during the Emperor’s reign. There is a great variety of products, such as vase, jar, bowl, plate, box and ash-tray. They are brilliant in colors and splendid in design. Cloisonné is one of the famous arts and crafts of Beijing. Base-hammering, copper-strip inlay, soldering, enamel-filling, enamel-firing, polishing and gilding, the making of cloisonné requires rather elaborate and complicated processes. The products are featured by excellent quality. The skill and workmanship have been handed down from the Ming Dynasty. Quite a number of new varieties have been created. It enjoys a high reputation both at home and abroad. Built in 1956, the cloisonné factory is the biggest in China with 6 workshops and 1,800 workers. The monthly average wage for a worker is 150 yuan. Apart from wage, each worker can get bonus averaging 90 yuan per month. The workers work 6 days a week and 8 hours a day, and enjoy free medical treatment. Men retire at the age of 60, women at 55. After retirement, they can get a pension according to their working age. The factory runs a kindergarten and a nursery. The “Beijing Enamel...