(2) Chinese Export Jingfa Cloisonne Vases. Stunningly designed and colored, in nearly identical forms, with an images of cranes by cherry blossoms through the middle and floral, geometric patterns in the neck and foot. One bears the paper JINGFA label on the underside. 

Size: 11 x 5 in. 

Following the establishment of the People’s Republic of China the government sought to revitalize traditional imperial arts that had languished during the early 20th Century, and in 1956 they consolidated dozens of private, centuries-old Beijing cloisonné workshops and master artisans into a single, state-run collective: the Beijing Enamel Factory. “Jingfa” was the official Pinyin brand name adopted by this factory, a combination of Jing (from Jingtai, referring to “Jingtai Blue” or Jingtailan, the traditional Chinese term for cloisonné) and Fa (from Falang, meaning enamel). They reached their heyday from the early 1970s through the late 80s, when the factory produced massive quantities of high-quality cloisonné specifically for export to European, American, and Asian markets. They are highly regarded as collectible, particularly their earliest pieces which were gilded in 24k gold flash, and were much heavier than later, cheaper replicas. By the early 90s, market reforms in China shifted production away from heavily subsidized state factories toward cheaper, mass-produced souvenir-grade cloisonné. While the Beijing Enamel Factory still exists today as a cultural heritage site, their impact on  20th Century Chinese exports is considered historically immense. 

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