A RARE CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL AND GILT-BRONZE 'LOTUS' BOWL

Partially filled cloisonné enamel of this sort is rarely found in vessels, but can be seen in snuff bottles which were presumably made from the same workshop. The sophistication in this technique is best represented in the current bowl, where thin strips of wire, known as cloisons, are soldered onto the bronze body, creating separate channels, which are then individually filled with different coloured enamels, providing a design in relief against the unfilled gilded ground.