The Third Exhibition: Auspicious Enamel – The Inheritance of Qing Dynasty Imperial Craftsmanship and Enamel Art
The red walls and golden tiles of the Forbidden City
Reflect six hundred years of dynastic changes
Baoding, the capital region,
As a strategic town "controlling three passes in the north and reaching nine provinces in the south,"
Has an indissoluble bond with this imperial palace.
For centuries,
Baoding has supplied skilled craftsmen and talented officials to the imperial court,
Preserving a royal legacy that is directly descended from
The Forbidden City's regulations,
And fostering intangible cultural heritage skills
That have thrived from the court to the common people.
This series of special exhibitions
Is centered on the concept of "Capital Region Link,"
And through
Three sections: "Passing on the Torch," "Treasures of Heritage," and "Lasting Skills,"
It deciphers the cultural ties between Baoding and the Forbidden City
Spanning hundreds of years,
Showcasing the vibrant inheritance of imperial craftsmanship
In the capital region.
This series of special exhibitions will last for five months,
With a new theme for physical exhibits each month.
The inaugural exhibition,
"Golden Filigree and Brilliant Colors – A Cloisonné Art Exhibition,"
Will open on July 1, 2026,
At Lianchi Academy (Ancient Lotus Pond),
Focusing on the extraordinary craftsmanship of cloisonné,
And recreating the splendor of Chinese artistry
Within the ancient academy.
Exhibition Title: "Golden Filigree and Brilliant Colors – A Cloisonné Art Exhibition"
Exhibition Dates: July 1 – 31, 2026
Exhibition Venue: Hanluxuan, Lianchi Academy (Ancient Lotus Pond)
Ticket Information: This exhibition is free to the public! However, admission tickets to the venue are required.
Opening Hours: 8:30 AM – 6:30 PM (Last admission at 5:30 PM). For opening and closing arrangements during statutory holidays, please follow the Ancient Lotus Pond's WeChat official account.
Inquiry Phone: 0312-2032097
Cloisonné enamel was incorporated into the imperial manufacturing system during the Ming and Qing dynasties, with dedicated workshops established for standardized production. Qing dynasty court cloisonné designs balanced practicality and aesthetics, forming a rich and diverse system of forms. Its shapes often adhered to the principles of symmetry and regularity, reflecting the solemnity and order of court art. Each form was specifically designed according to functional needs, creating unique visual effects. The entire craft demanded rigorous technical standards and embodied the artistic sensibilities of the artisans, representing a perfect fusion of technology and aesthetics.
The academic support for this exhibition stems from the deep cooperation between the Cultural Industry Research Institute of Hebei University and the Palace Museum. Under the academic framework of the Palace Museum's open project "Research on Examples of Imperial Craftsmanship Inheritance in the Qing Dynasty," and relying on the core academic concept of the "Forbidden City Cultural Circle," it systematically presents the historical trajectory and contemporary vitality of Qing dynasty imperial craftsmanship.
Qing dynasty imperial copper-body cloisonné enamel is a complex craft system integrating multiple traditional techniques, ranking among the "Eight Wonders of Yanjing." Due to its intricate and elaborate production process and the uncompromised cost of materials, copper-body cloisonné was exclusively used by the imperial court in ancient times.
The Ancient Lotus Pond, originally named Xuexiangyuan, is one of the "Eight Scenic Spots of Shanggu" in Baoding, known as "Lotus Ripples in Summer." It is a classical garden integrating landscape, imperial palace, and academy, combining the beauty of both northern and southern Chinese gardens. Emperors and empresses from the Qianlong, Jiaqing, and Guangxu reigns all visited and resided here. Emperor Qianlong personally enjoyed it six times.
Pure, elegant, delicate, serene, graceful,
All in the imperial style, free from any external influences.
Zitan wood screen inlaid with various treasures depicting a lotus pond scene
Original Period: Mid-Qing Dynasty
This piece uses a top-tier composite inlay technique from the Qing Dynasty, with a dense brocade pattern as the background, and various natural gemstones, jade, and glass layered in high relief to depict a lotus pond scene. The lotus leaves are carved from dark Shoushan stone, three-dimensional and curled, with prominent layers. The lotus flowers and buds are inlaid with coral, agate, and rose quartz, warm orange and pink. Water plants and reeds are pieced together from fine strips of jadeite and celadon jade. Dragonflies, swimming fish, and frogs are carved from agate, beeswax, and colored glass, exceptionally lively.
Gilt-bronze cloisonné enamel jar with dragon motif
Original Period: Xuande, Ming Dynasty
The original was an imperial artifact of Emperor Xuande, now housed in the British Museum. The entire body is a sapphire blue ground, fully adorned with five-clawed dragons, auspicious clouds, and sea waves. The main dragon has gilded yellow scales, complemented by red and green secondary dragons, with layers of cloud patterns encircling it, fully decorated with no blank spaces, a typical imperial full-color style. Large pieces with full decoration and color are extremely difficult to fire.
Copper-body cloisonné enamel crane
Period: Qianlong, Qing Dynasty
The entire piece features a finely cast bronze body, combining both cloisonné enamel and chiseled gilding imperial techniques. The crane's body and neck are finely filigreed with vertical patterns, filled with milky white enamel to simulate white feathers. A red enamel crest on its head symbolizes good fortune. Its long beak is entirely gilded. The wings, tail feathers, legs, and talons are three-dimensionally chiseled. The feathers and scale patterns are heavily gilded, with strong relief and a rich, noble texture.
Gilt-bronze cloisonné enamel flask with floral motifs
Original Period: Qianlong, Qing Dynasty
The original inherits the portable flat flask from the Yuan Dynasty, which evolved into a ceremonial display vessel for halls during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It features a straight mouth, short neck, flattened spherical body, and a rectangular foot ring, with symmetrical gilded chi dragon handles on both sides. The body is flat and full, with solid and stable lines. The regular square pattern symbolizes stability and balance; the scrolling lotus motif symbolizes wealth, auspiciousness, and noble character. Its full arrangement represents continuous prosperity and good fortune throughout the four seasons.
Copper-body cloisonné enamel three-legged tripod censer
Original Period: Qianlong, Qing Dynasty
The original is based on the round bronze ding censer from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, with upright ears, a bulging round belly, and three curved kui dragon legs, giving it a stable and dignified appearance, making it a standard ceremonial display piece in the imperial court. Incense sticks and spices could be burned in the censer's belly, with smoke slowly escaping from the hollowed-out finial on the lid, suitable for spacious halls.
Gilt-bronze cloisonné enamel "Hero" pot
Original Period: Qianlong, Qing Dynasty
This piece is a biomimetic double-linked double-bird ewer, with two cormorants leaning against each other as the main shape. Double-linked, irregular biomimetic forms are extremely rare, with few surviving examples. They possess the triple attributes of practical function, biomimetic art, and auspicious culture, making them a rare category among practical cloisonné enamel vessels.
Gilt-bronze cloisonné enamel scrolling lotus icebox
Original Period: Qianlong, Qing Dynasty
This piece is a replica of a refrigeration appliance used by the Imperial Household Department during the Qing Dynasty. The entire body is made of copper-body cloisonné enamel, with a wooden core and tin lining. The body features two gilded copper bands, and the lifting handles are in the shape of ruyi clouds. Each side is adorned with blue-ground scrolling lotus patterns, making it the earliest existing imperial ice storage vessel explicitly named "icebox."
Gilt-bronze cloisonné enamel coiled dragon vase
Original Period: Qianlong, Qing Dynasty
During the Qianlong period, biomimetic and three-dimensional relief cloisonné enamel were highly esteemed, often featuring dragon motifs as a core symbol of imperial power. This piece has a sky-blue ground, filled with red, white, green, yellow, and other mineral enamels, repeatedly fired and polished; the rim, base, and dragon body are all gilded. A high-relief gilded dragon coils around the vase, climbing from the base to the long neck, a much more challenging technique than flat cloisonné.
Huanghuali wood dressing table inlaid with cloisonné enamel
Original Period: Mid-Qing Dynasty
This dressing table, shaped like a throne, features a main frame of huanghuali hardwood, inlaid with copper-body cloisonné enamel decorative panels. It was a high-end dressing and storage furniture for noble women in ancient boudoirs. The arched cartouches contain cloisonné enamel paintings depicting scholarly figures in landscapes, with immortals, bridges, flowing water, and auspicious clouds and beasts. The enamel side panels of the armrests are symmetrically inlaid with lotus pond and bird patterns, symbolizing harmony, purity, and noble character.
Gilt-bronze cloisonné enamel pomegranate vase
Original Period: Qianlong, Qing Dynasty
During the Qianlong period, the Imperial Household Department produced a large number of biomimetic floral and fruit enamelware, pursuing realistic three-dimensionality and opulent gilding. The overall style was ornate and intricate, typical of auspicious and wealthy display pieces. 
