Antique Chinese cloisonné napkin ring. Depicts five-clawed imperial dragon. Dates to circa 1900. Dragons in yellow at the time represented the Qing Dynasty. Cloisonné (translated to “compartmentalize” in French) is a technique for decorating metal objects with colored enamel held in place as well as separated by metal strips or wire. This is done by first adding the separating strips on their edges that are visible in the finished piece. The sections are then filled in with enamel powder made into a paste, after which the item is fired in a kiln. Some wear, cracks to enamel (See pics).