19th Century Cloisonne Charger
These pieces of 19th century cloisonne charger are large decorative plates worked in wire and enamel, bringing intricate metallic design and colour to a room.
19th Century Cloisonne Charger
A 19th century cloisonne charger is a wide, shallow display plate produced primarily during the Meiji and late Edo periods in Japan, alongside occasional Chinese examples. These heavy platters served decorative functions in interiors rather than dining purposes, measuring anywhere from moderate dimensions up to substantial proportions exceeding fifty centimetres across.
The dominant forms you encounter on this page feature elaborate pictorial subjects rendered in coloured enamel cells. Common motifs include leaping koi, dragons, single birds, phoenixes, samurai figures and shrimp, often framed by geometric borders and intricate tendrils.
Pieces span several decades of the nineteenth century, ranging from the eighteen-sixties through to the eighteen-nineties. Makers utilised both metal bases and porcelain bodies, creating distinct visual weights and surface textures across the different production decades.
How they were made
Craftsmen built these chargers by soldering thin brass or copper wire onto a rigid metal or porcelain base to form the raised outlines of a design. These wires created tiny compartments, known as cloisons, which held the individual pools of vitreous enamel paste.
Once filled with coloured enamel, the pieces underwent repeated firings in a kiln to fuse the glass paste to the metal foundation. Skilled polishers then ground down the surface until the metal wire edges and the hardened enamel rested in a single smooth plane.
The inventory spans production years from eighteen sixty through to eighteen ninety across multiple decades.
What varies in quality
The precision and fineness of the wirework separate standard production from masterworks. Tightly soldered wires forming complex, minute details demand far greater technical skill than loose or repetitive geometric patterns.
Depth of colour and clarity in the vitreous enamel also drive the distinction. Superior chargers display smooth, evenly fired colour gradients without pitting or cloudiness across large pictorial fields like dragons or leaping koi.
The 19th Century Cloisonne Charger Glossary
- Cloisonne enamel
- A metalwork technique where fine wire creates raised cells filled with vitreous paste. This method defines the primary decorative surface of every charger listed here.
- Totai shippo
- A specific Japanese technique using a porcelain body instead of metal for cloisonne work. This method allows light to pass through certain translucent enamel areas.
- Ho-o bird
- A mythical bird and traditional East Asian phoenix motif often depicted on these chargers. Artisans rendered these creatures with elaborate tail feathers and dynamic postures.
- Meiji period
- The Japanese historical era spanning from eighteen sixty-eight to nineteen twelve. Most Japanese chargers on this page date from this prolific manufacturing period.
- Vitreous enamel
- Glass powder melted onto a metal substrate at high heat. This material provides the permanent, glossy colour within the wire cells.
19th Century Cloisonne Charger: Frequently Asked Questions
How were these chargers displayed originally?
These large plates were designed primarily for decorative display on walls, cabinets or dedicated stands rather than practical dining use. Their substantial weight and intricate pictorial subjects made them focal points in nineteenth-century interiors.
Owners typically placed them in prominent reception rooms where lighting would catch the metallic wire outlines and polished enamel surfaces.
What is the difference between metal and porcelain bodies?
Traditional chargers use a solid copper or brass foundation which provides heavy rigidity and opaque backing for the enamel cells. Porcelain bodies, known as totai shippo, offer a lighter ceramic base that sometimes interacts differently with light.
Both core materials required identical wire-laying techniques, but the resulting weight and edge characteristics vary noticeably when handled.
How do I identify a Meiji period piece?
Meiji period chargers, produced from eighteen sixty-eight onwards, generally exhibit highly refined wirework and ambitious pictorial subjects such as dragons or samurai. Makers during this era frequently incorporated signatures into the design composition.
Earlier pieces from the late Edo period tend toward slightly heavier construction and different compositional layouts on the well of the charger.
Why do some chargers have signatures?
Signatures on these pieces usually indicate the specific workshop or artist responsible for the enamel work and metal fabrication. These marks are typically integrated discreetly near the rim or base of the charger.
Unsigned examples remain common, representing high-quality production from larger cooperative kilns rather than individual named masters.