Cloisonne cloisonnism

DEFINITION

Referring both to a method and a style, these word describe the method, cloisonne, which is metal-decorating whereby the colored areas are separated by flattened wire or metal strips and are then filled with porcelain enamel powders or paste, fired, smoothed and polished. The method was used extensively during the Byzantine era and throughout the Middle Ages in Western Europe. It is also popular in modern-day China and Japan. Cloisonnism is a style of painting named by critic Edouard Dujardin and inspired by stained glass. Its characteristic is flat regions of carefully separated colors delineated by black contour outlines. Sources: Ralph Mayer, "A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques"; Kimberley Reynolds and Richard Seddon, "Illustrated Dictionary of Art Terms"; AskART biography of Louis Anquetin