18th Century Finest Chinese Qing Dynasty gilt bronze cloisonne trinket box cast into shaped square body, gilt bronze banded on the rim , lip and foot base rim. The dome lid framed a thick jade plaque with moist white cream- russet appearance in open-works carved snarling imperial dragon careening through cumulus clouds above thrashing Li-Shui waves water with flower blooms. Jade is milky white russet with a very fine finish. Inclusions are minimal with glossy smooth sheen. The box decorated in gilt bronze cloisonne works of colorful floral and foliate over the pale-turquoise blue base ground color. The composition is sophisticated and the colors are a feast for the eye. Beautiful Chinese box that allures the eye, displaying an amazing level of craftsmanship. Crusted golden russet-greyish to attractive sea blue molted patina covers the vessels body. The under-base bears a reign mark, an embossed four script characters reign mark, Made In The Years of Qianlong Reign Period. Dimensions: 3-1/2" H x 5-1/4" W Weight: 1,149.8g LOT NOTES: The cloisonne technique was mostly used for jewelry and small fittings for clothes, weapons or similar small objects decorated with geometric or schematic designs, with thick cloisonne walls. 14th century this enamel technique had spread to China, where it was soon used for much larger vessels such as bowls and vases; the technique remains common in China to the present day, and cloisonne enamel objects using Chinese-derived styles were produced in the 18th century. However, by the beginning of the 18th century the Kangxi Emperor had a cloisonne workshop among the many Imperial factories. The most elaborate and highly valued Chinese pieces are from the early Ming Dynasty, especially the reigns of the Xuande Emperor and Jingtai Emperor (1450–57), although 19th century or modern pieces are far more common. The Chinese industry seems to have benefited from a number of skilled Byzantine refugees fleeing the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, although based on the name alone, it is far more likely China obtained knowledge of the technique from the middle east. In much Chinese cloisonne blue is usually the predominant color, and the Chinese name for the technique, jingtailan ("Jingtai blue ware"), refers to this, and the Jingtai Emperor. Chinese cloisonne is amongst the best known enamel cloisonne in the world.