 |
[email protected] |
 |
3275638434 |
 |
 |
| Paper Publishing WeChat |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
HUANG Yun, ZHAO Zibing
Full-Text PDF
XML 124 Views
DOI:10.17265/2159-5836/2026.08.008
Senior Engineer, China Intermediate Economist, Yunnan Cuiyu Health Industry Co., Ltd.
Existing scholarship largely attributes the origin of copper-bodied cloisonné enamel (Jingtai Blue) to the independent development of court crafts, overlooking the pivotal role played by Yunnan’s folk silver-bodied enamel techniques in shaping its technical trajectory. Through documentary research, field investigation of craft practice, and physical analysis, this paper traces the complete migration and evolution of Yunnan silver-bodied cloisonné from the Yuan to the Qing dynasty, a process characterized by “taking root in Yunnan—northbound migration of artisans—technological conversion—court standardization—genealogical bifurcation.” Following its introduction via the Yunnan–Burma route, cloisonné enamel achieved a stable craft form by drawing on Yunnan’s well-developed silverworking tradition. During the Ming dynasty, Yunnan artisans moved to the capital in batches, transferring their native silver-bodied techniques to the central court and executing a material conversion from silver to copper to reduce costs and adapt to a mass market. In the Qing Dynasty, the court established the Falang Zuo (Enamel Workshop), integrating northern and southern techniques, completing institutional construction on the basis of the Yunnan-transmitted technology, formally designated “Jingtai Blue,” and thereby forming a bifurcated craft genealogy alongside the Yunnan branch that sustained its silver-bodied tradition. The paper further discusses, with reference to extant silver-bodied chased incense utensils, the overall impact of the Yunnan silverworking system on central metal crafts. It argues that the migration of Yunnan silver-bodied cloisonné into the central court constitutes a typical case of the interactive dynamic in traditional Chinese craft, described as “local techniques nourish the center, and the center’s standards feedback to the local,” offering a new perspective for understanding the fluid construction of traditional crafts.
Yunnan silver-bodied cloisonné enamel, Jingtai Blue, northbound migration of artisans, process evolution, genealogical construction
Journal of Literature and Art Studies, August 2026, Vol. 16, No. 8, 683-692
Duan, B. (2015). Yunnan minzu minjian gongyi [Ethnic folk crafts of Yunnan] (pp. 78-85). Kunming: Yunnan University Press.
Fu, J. (2008). Zhongguo xiang wenhua [Chinese incense culture] (pp. 124-132). Jinan: Qilu Publishing House.
Fu, Z. (1958). Zhongguo gudai falangqi gaishu [An overview of ancient Chinese enamelware]. Gugong Bowuyuan Yuankan [Palace Museum Journal], (01), 52-58+1.
Li, K. (2001). Yunnan yishu shi [Yunnan art history] (pp. 215-221). Kunming: Yunnan University Press.
Liu, L. (2021). Ming Qing yinzhi xiangju de gongyi yu wenhua yanjiu [A study of the craftsmanship and culture of Ming-Qing silver incense utensils]. Zhongguo Guojia Bowuguan Guankan [Journal of the National Museum of China], (05), 102-114.
Lu, R. (1999). Mingdai Yunnan Hanzu yimin yu Han wenhua chuanbo [Han Chinese migration and the spread of Han culture in Yunnan during the Ming dynasty]. Yunnan Shehui Kexue [Yunnan Social Sciences], (02), 59-65.
Ma, W. (2018). Zhongguo chuantong yinshi zanke gongyi de yishu tezheng yu wenhua neihan [Artistic characteristics and cultural connotations of the traditional Chinese silver chasing technique for ornaments]. Zhuangshi [Decoration], (09), 134-137.
Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China. (2021, May 24). Diwupi guojiaji feiwuzhi wenhua yichan daibiaoxing xiangmu minglu [The fifth batch of the national representative list of intangible cultural heritage] [EB/OL]. http://www.mct.gov.cn
Qiu, C. (2022). Chuantong gongyi dangdai zhuanhua de lujing yu jingyan [Pathways and experiences in the contemporary transformation of traditional crafts]. Wenyi Yanjiu [Literature & Art Studies], (03), 125-134+2.
Tan, Z., & Li, Y. (2020). Yunnan yintai qiasi falang gongyi de chuancheng yu chuangxin [Inheritance and innovation of Yunnan silver-bodied cloisonné enamel craft]. Yunnan Yishu Xueyuan Xuebao [Journal of Yunnan Arts University], (04), 87-92.
Yuan shi: Shihuo zhi [History of Yuan: Treatise on Food and Goods] (p. 2403). (1976). Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company.
Zhang, R. (2005). Gudai falang gongyi de youliao yanbian [The evolution of enamel glazes in ancient enamel craft]. Gugong Bowuyuan Yuankan [Palace Museum Journal], (02), 112-121+160.
Zhu, D. (1998). Yunnan qiasi falang gongyi de qiyuan yu chuanbo [The origin and dissemination of Yunnan cloisonné enamel technique]. Yunnan Shehui Kexue [Yunnan Social Sciences], (03), 78-82.
Zhu, J. (1999). Gugong tuishilu [Retirement notes from the Forbidden City] (pp. 189-196). Beijing: Beijing Publishing House.