Cloisonne Ornaments
Every cloisonne 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 rt form introduced to China by western travelers in the 14th century.
The process includes:
- 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.
Every piece is handmade using this very detailed process, meaning that no two ornaments are identical. We’re thrilled to share revered cloisonne pieces with the world. Our exclusive partnerships support indigenous Chinese artisans and a 1,000-year-old tradition.
Kitty Keller Designs is the only boutique to provide authentically hand-crafted cloisonne ornaments in the world. Experience the difference only found here.
Inside Hand-Painted Glass
Hand-Painted glass ornaments are created using original artwork created by Kitty Keller. Each ornament is hand-painted on the inside of the glass ball, a process that originated in China in the 1600’s. The art of hand-painting the inside of glass objects began centuries ago in high end “snuff bottles”, used to store chewing tobacco.
The process includes approximately 4 steps:
- The ornaments are made from hand blown glass, creating a clear glass ornament
- The artisan paints a sketch of the design, using a fine tip brush. The complete design pattern is outlined inside the ball.
- The artisan then fills in the sketch with colors as indicated on the design.
- The last step is to fill in the solid background color.
Each hand-painted glass ornament has a high-quality silk ribbon included. Your ornament also comes with a silk covered keepsake box to ensure the ornament will last a lifetime.
Hand-painting ornaments on the inside allows light to reflect beautifully on the outside of the ball. Each ornament can take hours and sometimes several days to complete. The finished product is a one-of-a-kind piece of art, no two being alike.
Hand-Painted Ceramic Ornaments
Kitty Keller Designs is excited to bring these beautiful hand-painted ceramic ornaments to our customers. These ornaments feature original artwork created by Kitty Keller that is then hand painted on each ornament.
Created in Italy by highly trained artisans, the process includes these steps:
- Each blank ceramic ornament is created by hand
- The design is drawn freehand on the blank ceramic ornament shape with a graphite pencil. The ornament is then painted with ceramic colors using a brush.
- The ornaments are then immersed in a crystalline solution to create the glossy surface and then fired at 920 °C
- After the initial firing, each ornament cools completely before moving to the next step. Pure gold accents are then applied to the design. Upon completion of this step, the ornaments will be fired again at 720°
The finished ceramic ornament is the result of careful and delicate processing by trained artisans creating a treasure that will last a lifetime. Due to the high firing, each brush stroke and color nuance are loaded with chromatic thicknesses and transparencies that characterize the hand-painting of each individual piece.
