Baoding balls
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Baoding balls are metal balls small enough to hold in one hand, used for physical exercise and therapy. They are also known as Chinese exercise balls, Chinese health balls, Chinese meditation balls, a
Steel Baoding balls in a box
Inside Baoding balls: a wire and a marble
Baoding balls in use
Cloisonné
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Cloisonné is an ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects with colored material held in place or separated by metal strips or wire, normally of gold. In recent centuries, vitreous enamel has
Baoding balls
…of a pair of hollow spheres, each containing a chime that rings when an inner ball strikes the outer sphere. Many modern examples are decorated with cloisonné and brass wire; these are essentially decorative since they easily chip when dropped or rubbed together. Baoding balls can also be made of solid jade…
Pectoral of Senusret II, from his daughter's grave, using shaped stones rather than enamel. Cloisonné inlays on gold of carnelian, feldspar, garnet, turquoise, lapis lazuli, 1880s BC
Chinese Ming Dynasty cloisonné enamel bowl, using nine colours of enamel
Early 7th century Anglo-Saxon seax (knife) hilt fitting, gold with garnet cloisonné inlay. Staffordshire Hoard, partially cleaned.
Byzantine cloisonné enamel plaque of St Demetrios, c. 1100, using the senkschmelz or "sunk" technique and the new thin-wire technique