Beitang workshop (北堂) - Pyx - Metal, Cloisonné - Rare religious artifact

A rare Chinese Christian Art cloisonne enamel pyx, attributed to the Beitang Workshop in Beijing.

The cloisonne art flourished under the Ming and Qing courts. Artisans shaped thin copper wires into delicate partitions ‘cloisons’ then filled them with colored enamel paste and fired them in glowing kilns. The result was metal made luminous: blues as deep as the sky, whites like porcelain, patterns curling like living vines.

By the early Twentieth century, this ancient craft found a new home within the Catholic cathedral of Beitang (Xishiku Church) in Beijing. There, missionaries of the Congregation of the Mission (also known as the Lazarists) established a workshop that united faith and craftsmanship.

The Beitang workshop developed a recognizable style: Christian symbols such as the Sacred Heart or the Agnus Dei framed by Chinese lotus scrolls and symmetrical rinceaux. Each piece reflected a meeting of worlds—European liturgical form shaped by Chinese fire, enamel, and artistic tradition.

Reference
Similar item from the Beitang workshop, illustrated by Manuel Parada López de Corselas, Decheng, Beitang and Tushanwan Cloisonné Workshops: A New Contribution on Chinese Christian Art, 2024, fig. 15. Item number 175

The item is in excellent condition. Photos are part of the description.

Provenance: Private Belgian Collection

For shipping the item will be carefully packed, shipped with track&trace, insurance and signature on arrival.

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