Featured Small 'stained glass window effect' dish

This tiny dish has been hanging around the place for some time. I like it - it is small but perfectly formed. I know nothing at all about it. As I hope you can see from the photos, it has a sort of stained glass effect. There is a sort of scalloped pattern in the glass. It is rough to the touch on top and smooth on the bottom. No marks or signatures. Radius is 13 cm. Over to you.

 

The technique is called plique-à-jour. It's like cloisonne without backing. I haven't the experience to conjecture on quality or date. It looks nice to me.

 

Definitely a plique-a-jour style piece. The Chinese are still making them, so age is ... problematic. Are the colors in the glass or painted on from the back? This sort of ware was always purely ornamental, btw; it's too delicate to be of much use.

 

Thank you, moreotherstuff, and thank you again. This little query has been an itch on my bucket list to scratch for so long and now you have identified it in two sentences. I had no idea where to start looking and would not have considered cloisonné. I always thought that was only for metal. I've just done a quick google. What a complicated and delicate process. Apparently a high failure rate. I think I'm lucky to have it now

 

The colour is in the glass. From the tiny bit of research I've done, no one is hazarding any dates for these pieces. It is terribly delicate. I will keep it in my Cabinet of Wonders.

 

This is the first plique-a-jour Ive seen in this shape. Most are smaller type bowls. Yes, it is very delicate and should be treated as such. It would display nicely with some light coming through it.
Patd

 

Yes, it's quite different held up to the light. I could make it a little frame and hang it in a window like a dreamcatcher.

 

It's Chinese, fairly recent, doubt any earlier than the 1970s-80s, and as already suggested, similar still in production...

~Cheryl

 

Frankly, don't remember seeing these plique-à-jour pieces until the '80s, but maybe I just didn't notice - they were all over the place about 15-20 years ago, can remember them in stores and mail order catalogs, and as already said, can still be found new.

This one is very similar, believe their 1960s dating is a bit off, there was very little foreign trade with the Mainland China (P.R.C.) in the '50s and '60s (none in the U.S.), trade didn't start opening up until the '70s, and really increased in the '80s: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/chinese-plique-jour-cloisonne-dishes-1846945779

Another similar Tianjin 'Transparency Enamel': https://auction.catawiki.com/kavels...packaging-china-tianjin-2nd-half-20th-century

This one shows the country of origin as 'The People's Republic of China', a term used after trade opened up, intended to distinguish from the Taiwanese 'China / R.O.C.' marks/labels in use: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/chinese-cloisonne-plique-jour-box-51968398

Current supplier: http://www.houseofonyx.com/pliqueajourbowlcl-394-2-1-1-1.aspx

~Cheryl

 

I found an egg shape once; it wasn't old either and had a breakage. Sold for a decent price anyway, because most people like this form of enamel once they see it.

 

These little dishes sell fairly often on eBay in the $20-$25 range (some even less, some quite a bit more)...

I once passed on a dragonfly bowl like the one below, the price way too too high for the age and quality:



My fantasy piece - 1908 plique-à-jour 'Libelleskålen' (Dragonfly Bowl) at the National Museum in Oslo, designed by Gustav Gaudernack for David Andersen:



Would gladly take any piece from British enamelist Alexandra Raphael (link to her site below):



https://araphael.co.uk/plique-gallery/

But happy enough to have my lovely little circa 1900 plique-à-jour dragonfly spoon:



~Cheryl

 

All absolutely exquisite. The jewellery is particularly lovely. Thank you all for your input. Much appreciated.

 

The dragonfly bowl is fabulous @kyratango