Oriental Cloisonné and other enamels: A Guide to Collecting and Repairing

Crown Publishers, Inc., New York, 1975 Book. Good. Hardcover. 1st Edition. English text; Hardcover (with dust jacket); 19 x 26 cm; 0.6 Kg; 180 pages with black and white and colour illustrations throughout.; Used book with signs of wear, namely on the dust jacket. The interior is in good condition. Minor yellowing on the outside text block.; Cloisonné has long attracted the discriminating collector, and this fine book by Arthur and Grace Chu is a much-needed and useful addition to the collector bookshelf. This book not only explains the backgrounds and sources of this colorful ware, the methods of manufacture, and the criteria to be aware of in evaluating the workmanship, but also includes a clear explanation of the meaning of various decorative motifs, which are often puzzling to Westerners. More than 50 detailed drawings will help the collector to identify all the most popular motifs. Most cloisonné from the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries is safely ensconced in museums, but today's collector will find available a wide variety of handsome specimens from the nineteenth and twenty centuries. According to Mr. and Mrs. Chu, the cloisonné articles now being produced in China, Japan, and Taiwan can also be an excellent investment - for anyone who knows how to judge the quality of a piece; this book will give even the beginning collector the necessary information. Shown here in some 200 black-and-white photographs and 17 colour plates are cloisonné articles of every kind and shape - from miniature in size to the very large, from old to fairly new, from the utilitarian to the purely decorative. A value guide provides reliable tips on relative prices according to age, workmanship, and other factors. Since the price for good Oriental cloisonné and enamelwork has increased fivefold or more in the last few years and continues to soar, the wise collector will want to avail himself of this very readable book, which is enriched by enlightening anecdotes of the author's own collecting adventures. Finally, the authors have provided practical, easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for repairing damaged but worthwhile pieces that can be bought quite cheaply. Repairs made by following these directions are virtually unnoticeable and will greatly increase the value of such pieces. The repair instructions alone will repay the collector the cost of this book many times over. In short, this is a "must" book for all readers interested in orientalia, for collectors of cloisonné and enamels, for libraries, dealers in antiques and collectibles, and for museums..