Each cloisonné ornament is hand-crafted using a multi-step traditional process by indigenous artisans. Ornament artwork features a design by Michigan artist Natalia Wohletz of Peninsula Prints.
3 in. Made of copper.
Shatterproof. These ornaments are meant to last a lifetime if handled with care.
Silk Covered Box Included.
Donation:
For each Milford Lights Cloisonné Ornament, Main Street Art will donate 10% to support the Peacock Art Club, an art club for adult artists with special needs hosted by the Village Fine Arts Association at the Suzanne Haskew Art Center.
About the Artists:
Natalia partnered with Texas artist Kitty Keller to create these one-of-a-kind ornaments. Kitty Keller earned a BFA degree with a minor in Art History from the University of Texas at Austin.
About Cloisonné:
Every cloisonné ornament includes original artwork designed by Kitty Keller, which is then hand-crafted using a time-honored and meticulous process. The results? A genuine and one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Cloisonne, which means “to compartmentalize,” is an ancient art form introduced to China by western travelers in the 14th century.
The design is initially drawn on the copper ball.
Highly trained artisans take copper wires, in bundles of 20, and form and shape the design on the ornament. After the wires are shaped, they are placed onto the copper ball and soldered.
After the cloisons are created, they are filled with paint. The paint is a colored-glass paste (or enamel). The paste is colored with metallic oxide and mixed to match PMS colors.
The ornament is fired at about 800° Celsius. The enamel can sometimes shrink, so the painting/firing process might have to be repeated.
The ornaments are then cooled, polished, and plated in 24k gold.
