Welcome to the glossary! This is where we'll get the real definitions for all the terms we've all seen and maybe don't completely understand. If you see an incorrect definition, or you know something that we've missed, please email the *webmaster. akasuke - often referred to as "pigeon blood," this is a style of Japanese cloisonne which applies transparent red enamel over a finely dimpled metal base. There is usually a colorful floral image over this background, and there are often images of bamboo carved or embossed in the metal base. "Aka" is the Japanese word for "red," no idea what "suke" means. See an example in the gallery. Cabinet Vase - help, please? charger - a cloisonne plate, usually of diameters from nine to eighteen inches. cloison - from the French word for partition; the individual wire which encloses an area of enamel. finial - the knob atop the lid of a jar. flaking - broad, shallow chipping of the surface of enamel, which does not penetrate to the base metal. This is often caused by age. foil - usually refers to small (typically about 1/8" square) pieces of foil beneath transparent enamel. foo dog - a Chinese representation of a lion, with somewhat canine features. gin-bari - a style of Japanese cloisonne which uses lightly tinted clear enamel over a highly detailed foil base. See an example in the gallery. Golden Age - refers to the early part of the 20th Century, generally from 1905-1925, when Japanese cloisonne truly distinguished itself stylistically from the Chinese styles of ornamentation. goldstone - a style of cloisonne which uses small metallic flakes embedded in translucent enamel. See an example in the gallery. ground - a background of solid color. hallmark - a manufacturer's symbolic "signature." jungin - Japanese for "Pure Silver." koi - a fish; the Japanese version of the carp. moriage - a style of cloisonne which applies many layers of enamel to build it up; this creates a raised area of enamel. See an example in the gallery. mounts - the metallic rims at the top and bottom of a vase. musen-shippo - wireless cloisonne; "musen" being the Japanese word for "without contour lines" and "shippo" being the Japanese word for cloisonne. pigeon blood - see akasuke. pitting - a flaw in enamel; small holes in the surface of enamel which do not penetrate to the base metal. reserved - positioned; generally refers to a figure or image placed over a solid background. scroll - a decorative element, generally a border, often found on older Japanese vases just below the top rim and just above the bottom rim. silverwire - specifically; using very fine silver wires as cloisons. This term can also refer to a style of Japanese cloisonne, typically with a solid color ground and an intricate, generally floral, design. See an example in the gallery. stress line - a closed crack in enamel; generally more visible in transparent enamels. Stress cracks usually penetrate the enamel all the way through to the base metal, but with no enamel loss. These are sometimes created in the manufacturing process, when the piece is fired and cooled, and the base metal expands or contracts. Also caused by injury to the piece. wireless - a style of cloisonne which doesn't use cloisons; enamel is applied to create a pattern without the use of wires. See an example in the gallery. yusen-shippo - wired cloisonne; "yusen" being the Japanese word for "with contour lines" and "shippo" being the Japanese word for cloisonne. |
