Which technique involves making designs with wires that divide the surface and filling with colored glass paste?

• A. Enameling
• B. Patina
• C. Scrimshaw
• D. Cloisonné

Answer: (D)

Cloisonné is the metalworking enamel technique where fine wires are laid out on a surface to form raised boundaries that divide the design into compartments. Each compartment is then filled with colored glass paste (enamel) and fired so the colors fuse to the surface. After firing, the piece is polished to smooth the surface, leaving distinct color fields separated by the wire borders. This wiring-and-filling method is what distinguishes cloisonné from other enamel processes. Patina involves surface color changes from chemical treatment, not filled compartments; scrimshaw is engraving on ivory or bone with ink; general enameling without the wire partitions wouldn’t create those separated color cells.