than the craft section. The period from 1890 to 1910 was known as the "Golden age" of Japanese enamels. At this point they were regarded as unequalled in the world in their breadth of designs and colours. The collection includes works by, among other cloisonné artists, Namikawa Sōsuke, Namikawa Yasuyuki, Ando Jubei, and Hattori Tadasaburō all of whom were appointed Imperial Household Artists. It also includes works by Kawade Shibatarō who, like the others, is also represented in the Khalili Collection of Japanese Art. Some vases bear the sixteen-petaled chrysanthemum seal of the Imperial family, indicating they were commissioned as presentation wares. The hidden-wire technique is evident on some items and others have the distinctive black background Namikawa Yasuyuki was known for. The relief technique is visible on a vase by Kawade Shibatarō. Hayashi Kodenji, Kawaguchi Bunzaemon, and Kumeno Teitaro are other artists represented. Chinese works Cloisonné enamels on copper surfaces have been made in China since at least the early 15th century, building on a tradition of fired enamels that goes back much further. After its introduction, the technique developed rapidly. During the Qing dynasty, enamel artists used thinner wires and fired the enamel without pitting or bubbles, greatly improving on previous Chinese cloisonné. They also introduced a wider range of colours. From 1720 onwards, pink, white and yellow enamel overglazes were used on porcelain, cloisonné, and painted enamels. Cloisonné works included objects created for temples or for the imperial court. The Chinese enamels in the Khalili collection date from the late Qing dynasty onwards. They include items made for temple altars, such as incense burners and candlesticks. Among the imperial works is a throne table, 90.5 centimetres (just under three feet) long, made for the Qianlong Emperor and bearing his seal. It is painted in fine detail with motifs of lotus and flying bats on a background of imperial yellow. Evenly firing such a large object would have presented a challenge, so the colourful and consistent result illustrates the skill of the Guangzhou workshops where it was made. Another imperial commission in the collection is a wall panel of a springtime landscape, with a poem by Yu Minzhong. A set of eight wall panels, 132 centimetres (52 inches) high and each featuring a different plant, illustrates the progress of the seasons. Each bears a Yu Minzhong poem, probably written as calligraphy and then converted to enamel. Exhibitions A