PROVENANCE: From Estate Private Collections of Stoke D'Abernon, a UK based Japanese immigrant family. Dimensions: Weight: 7450g, Gun Length: 138 cm Chinese Qing Dynasty Kangxi Gilt Bronze Cloisonne Ceremonial Musket. This cloisonne gun is cast from Bronze, with a thick Bronze body, long spherical shaped, straight sides, cylindrical spherical belly, the tip is curved to place the hand with the switch gun, all supported upon a tripod shaped prominent foot. The body decorated with imperial five claws dragon, scrolling ruyi, flowers blossom, foliage and auspicious pattern. Which attracting unceasingly admiration. The cloisonne decorating has been done with impressive fluency and detail. As sacrificial sets are considered quite rare. Mark on upper barrel, six carved scrip character reign mark, Made in The Year of Kangxi Reign Period of Great Qing Dynasty.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.