A Colorful Introduction To Antique Chinese Cloisonné Treasures

Many people dream of traveling to China to learn more about that country's distinctive history, culture, food, and landscape. From the art historian and collector's perspectives, China is also well known for its production of elaborately detailed household and decorative items, including bowls, vases, and statues. Due to their quality and craftsmanship, many of these pieces can be centuries old. I was recently introduced to two of these remarkable vintage Chinese treasures at a recent New England Antique Show. I was particularly drawn to them because of their elegant cloisonné details...I can only imagine the time and talent that must have been involved in bringing these items to life.

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote "Never laugh at live dragons" in his beloved book, The Hobbit. Taking that advice to heart, you can certainly at least smile at our first item which is adorned with one of these mythical masterpieces! Here we have a nineteenth century cloisonné ewer with a highly detailed copper dragon handle. Ewers are elaborately decorated pitchers with handles and flaring spouts. The ewer itself is 12" tall. Except for four decorative rings around the piece, the body of the pitcher is covered in colorful cloisonné swirls and floral motifs. Cloisonné - the art of decorating an object with ground glass that has been fired in an oven - had its origins in the middle ages but became popular as an art form in China in the 1400's. The piece has a "royal" feel to it and for good reason; the dragon is the symbol of the Emperor of China and the yellow color - the prominent background hue - is historically referred to as "Imperial yellow."

In order to truly appreciate this vase, it is important to understand the role of dragons in traditional Chinese culture and art. The exact origins of dragons in Chinese culture are not certain; some scholars say they are a composite of several different ancient totems while others feel they may be modeled on an ancient breed of saltwater crocodile that once inhabited China centuries ago. Regardless of their exact history, dragons are a symbol of power, strength, and good luck in China. Chinese dragons are also very different from European dragons, which are generally considered evil and dangerous. Chinese dragons embody auspicious and positive powers, including control of water and rainfall (which might explain why there's a dragon on this vessel designed to hold water!) And unlike their European cousins - who tend to be larger, heavier, and muscular - Chinese dragons tend to be lanky, slender, scaled, and snake-like, exactly as depicted on this elegant ewer.

It is clear the dragon ewer is worthy of an empress, and here is one to fit that bill perfectly. Here we have a truly outstanding cloisonné empress figure standing on a carved wooden base from the mid 1800's. The empress is 16" and has an ivory face and hands. She is wearing a traditional, elaborate, very feminine robe with long flowing sleeves. It is interesting to note that on her shoulders are large yellow floral motifs, possibly alluding to her societal rank. She is also detailed with an intricate headpiece and necklace; both are made from gilt silver.

Like the dragon ewer, this empress figure reflects an important element of traditional Chinese culture. The empress is holding what is called a ruyi scepter in the form of a fungus. This shapely accessory is a symbol of power and good fortune. Reference to ruyi first appeared in writings of the Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE). Over the centuries, a ruyi has been interpreted as a ceremonial scepter, a back scratcher, and a conversation starter, among other things. Historically, a ruyi is long and narrow, has a head patterned after a fist, cloud, or mushroom, and has a S-shaped handle. Ruyi can be made from just about any material; the Palace Museum in Beijing has a collection of over 3,000 ruyi that are made from - among other things - precious metals, iron, bamboo, wood, ivory, coral, rhinoceros horn, lacquer, crystal, jade, and precious gems.

I would like to thank Jim Dolph of JSD Antiques for this beautiful and colorful introduction to antique Chinese cloisonné treasures. Jim is a lifetime collector of Asian Art and has been a dealer for 15 years. JSD Antiques carries a full line of Asian antiques primarily spanning China, Japan, India and Thailand and specializes in netsukes, ivory, bronze, cloisonné, and period ceramics. He will be showing these and other collectibles at the upcoming New England Antique Show's Cape Cod event on August 28th and 29th. For more information on the dragon ewer or Empress statue, please contact Jim directly at jsdolph@comcast.net.

What is your very favorite antiquing, vintage, or design find? Let's talk! Click here to learn more.

Learn more about New England Antique Shows and their upcoming events by clicking here!

Getting Right to the Point of These Remarkable Lea Stein Pins

Quick question for you:  When I say "plastics", what's the first thing that comes to mind?  A bagging option at the grocery store?  Career advice for a young Dustin Hoffman in the classic movie "The Graduate?"  How about beautiful and collectible jewelry?  Don't worry, I didn't think so either... until I came across these simply stunning treasures at New England Antique Show's recent Elm Bank event.  Take a look at these palm sized works of art and the interesting history behind them!

Ok, I'll get right to the point here.  What we have here is a colorful collection of vintage plastic pins by French designer Lea Stein.  Stein, who has been acknowledged as "the most notable and innovative designer of plastic jewelry of the 20th century" by authorities in the decorative arts field, has been creating playful plastic pins, bracelets, pendants, and button since the 1960's.  Her work has been featured at exhibitions across the world and is collected by celebrities and politicians - including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who features one of Stein's pins in her 2009 publication, "Read My Pins, Stories From a Diplomat's Jewel Box."  Her original Stein polar bear pin from the book is featured here to the left.  

Lea was always artistically focused and began her career in the textiles industry in 1957.  She soon discovered plastics and the potential they held for creating decorative objects.  With the help of her husband, the chemist Ferdinand Steinberger, the couple developed a proprietary way of layering very thin sheets of specialty plastics into "sandwiches", which were then laminated, baked, and then cut into shapes.  Over time, Stein perfected the process and developed ways to embed different colors, textures, fabrics, and objects into the plastic "sandwiches", opening the door to an infinite variety of creative options for her artwork. The picture to the left shows the same Lea Stein design produced in six different material and color combinations... as you can see, it could be possible to build a collection of Lea Stein jewelry based on one or two designs alone!

Stein's creations have several common characteristic features.  All are made from rhodoid, which is the technical name for her distinctive "plastic sandwich" material.  Her designs are upbeat, optimistic, and playful; pets, animals, luxury cars, children, and celebrities are among her most common themes.  (Even John Travolta has been captured in rhodoid by Stein... see illustration to the left!)  Each of her baubles is colorful, relatively simple in design, and relies on layering and textures to communicate their details.  Every pattern is given a name and is produced in many color palates. Finally, each Stein original has a "v" shaped silver colored clasp - engraved with "Lea Stein Paris" - securely fastened to the back of the piece. 

It is interesting to note that many people mistakenly assume Stein's jewelry is from the 1920's and made from "bakelite", a better known early plastic material.  That is understandable given that Stein's designs are plastic and have an older, "1920's art deco" feeling to them. Bakelite was invented by Dr. Leo Baekland between 1907 and 1909 and used for many purposes, including kitchenware, decorative household items, pipe stems, and telephones, among a myriad of other applications.  Bakelite was even tested as a possible new material for the penny in 1943! Relative to the fashion industry, bakelite was instrumental in making costume jewelry affordable and accessible to the mainstream consumer in the United States, and by 1936 it is estimated that two-thirds of all US manufactured costume jewelry was produced from bakelite.  Although Lea Stein's wonderful work is not from the 1920's and not made from bakelite, it is safe to say that these two relevant historical factors have been influential in her design direction.  

I don't mean to pin anyone down here, but Amy Brandow Jackson and Bob Brandow of Laurel Antiques get full credit for introducing me to the wonderful world of Lea Stein!  Laurel Antiques is based in Maine and specializes in hand painted porcelain, art pottery, costume jewelry and accessories.  They sell online at www.laurelofmaine.com and at various antique shows throughout the year, including the upcoming New England Antique Show's Cape Cod event on August 28th and 29th.  Please contact Amy or Bob at laurelofmaine@roadrunner.com for more information about their fabulous collection of Lea Stein jewelry!  

What is your very favorite antiquing, vintage, or design find? Let's talk! Click here to learn more.

Learn more about New England Antique Shows and their upcoming events by clicking here!