In the field – Cloisonne Factory in Beijing, China April 17, 2008

I entered the “Friendship Store” in Beijing expecting a setting similar to malls in the U.S. But, was struck as I was lead by our tour guide inside this building, and to the right, where there was a factory setting in which I saw how cloisonné vases and other items were made. In this factory they make different items such as bracelets, animal figurines, vases ranging from the size of a coke can to about 6 feet high.

            In the cloisonné factory, there were 8 tables, and 4 girls sitting at 4 of those cream colored plastic picnic-looking tables. These tables were full of the materials that these girls were using to create the cloisonné vases and other items. All of them were currently working on vases, one of them talking on her cellular phone while she did this. The girls ranged from ages of 16-25. I asked one of them how old she was, and she answered 18. This girl was almost my age, and had been working in this factory setting since she was 15. The girls wore jeans and t-shirts, and had their hair tied back. Two of them chatted while they worked, the other two stayed in their stations and worked on their vases. The materials that were placed on their tables were copper wire, which they used to mark the design on the vase. They had tweezers that they used to twist and glue the copper on the vase.  After this, they “fill” the copper area with different colors. Some of the designs on the vases were flowers, others were phoenixes or dragons.

            The tour guide explained to us that the process to make a vase the size of a coca-cola can takes seven people two weeks to make. After the women initially fill the copper areas with color, it is heated to place the color, and then refilled five times, until the area is filled to the top. A separate worker works in the “heating room”, in which he holds the vases with prongs, and places them in a well-shaped oven that is located on the floor.  After that, another worker “polishes” the vase so that all of the vases areas are even. The final step is the actual polish, in which another worker uses a machine to polish the vase and make it shinny. These workers could be seen behind a glass, the machines were dirty, filled with a white substance, and the workers wore gloves, but no masks. They also wore jeans and shirts, that were dirty, but it seemed to grease dirt, not ground dirt streaks that marked the workers pants. They also chatted with their co-workers as the women did; however, they had to yell over the loud sounds of the polishing machines to be able to speak to one another.