| Original Message: Not "Inlaid" |
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The style of the cloisonne flowers and electroplated gilding make me think these beads are from the 1970s-80s, give or take. Oddly, when they appear in online sales or auctions they're almost invariably described as "cloisonne inlaid in cinnabar." Ignorance of the manufacturing processes seems to be the cause. Cloisonne enamel requires a metal (copper, usually) base, and has be be melted in a kiln. So the beads are (OK, let's say "likely," as I haven't witnessed the process personally) made from openwork cloisonne (where the background surrounding the design is left bare and not filled in with enamel), then turned over to the cinnabar workshop for applying (dipping? molding?) and carving the cinnabar background. Hence these beads are often described as "heavy," thanks to the underlying metal bead instead of the more usual wood. In other words, they start out as a whole cloisonne bead, with cinnabar added last. I really do wonder that kind of resin is used for the cinnabar, and what the red colorant is - too bad these things are beneath the notice of materials analysis. All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users |
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