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I'd appreciate views on the possible age and use of this approximately 3.75 inch-tall Chinese cloisonné hinged pot (Link) that I think probably was used for ink. The same dragon design comes in various palettes and has been around at least from the late 19th century through modern times on a wide variety of cloisonné items. I believe this pot probably dates from the 1920s-30's, mainly because I've sever seen another item like it, and the exposed metal looks to have had time to accrue a genuine patina. It also has a few scratches that appear in one of the close-ups.

Though I haven't taken a photo of the mouth yet, it has metal sides that drop about a quarter inch to an everted edge that may have been designed to support a small glass or porcelain ink cup. Or it could be that the edge was meant to be used to shape the writing brush.

I'm hoping that someone, especially Beadiste, might have seen one of these before.

Thanks & best regards,

Bill H

Link :Cloisonne ink pot

The clouds and dragon design are so characteristic and tidy, all this piece lacks is the signature.

The LaoTianLi workshop did produce desk sets and inkwells.
However, the copper base and the nice workmanship on this piece make be wonder if it perhaps could be dated to before World War I, during the decade when the Chinese participated in the international expositions in St. Louis (1904) and San Francisco (1915, WWI just getting started).

However, at least one of the better Chinese cloisonne workshops was apparently still selling nicely-worked desksets into the 1930s, although by then the inkwell design had changed to a more European appearance.

Is the provenance of the piece from Great Britain, by any chance?

Thanks much for the comments. I recall that the ink pot came from a shop, but other details were lacking. I once had a pair of Ando Jubei silver wire crane vases in their original box with label in English, which items I considered strong candidates for having come from one of the expositions. However, I've largely neglected research on cloisonné due to preoccupation with Chinese export porcelains.

Much obliged,

Bill H.

For comparison with the ink pot, I've added some photos of a cloisonné cup & saucer in the same dragon pattern as seen on the pot to the sharing link in my original post.

Best regards,

Bill H.

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