Does anyone have any verifiable evidence that the Chinese made cloisonne beads prior to the late 30s? I mean actual cloisonne, not enameled silver.

I see lots of things advertised as being from 1910, but the attributions are usually because the beads are beat-up or the brass has developed verdigris or some antique dealer thinks the enamels are the same as bric-a-brac produced pre-WWII.

Whereas there are tons of items out there produced from the late 1950s through the 1990s that mimic very well the styles and opaque enamels from the pre-WWII decades. Enamel recipes don't just vanish like smoke, people do remember stuff that works. Ditto successful designs - if something sold well before, the likelihood is that it contains some sort of appeal that will continue to sell.