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Tue Mar 06, 2007 5:48 pm  |
I have a beautiful cloisonne vase I bought when we were in China.. it is not like the Japanese cloisonne which has a glossy glaze over the top, rather just a buffed finish. the rims and of couse the lines of the pattern are the brass (I think it is brass at least) and I am wondering how to polish it up.
will using a normal brass polish affect the fired cloisonne? what can be used to bring that part to life (nice and shiny).
I have an entrance corner that will be void of anything at the new house and I was planning to buy a square pedestal table to put in the corner, put the vase on top, and then have a downlight or 2 small spotlights - but I think it needs to be shined up a bit first. 
Thanks for any help!! |
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SKIN: combination, reactive to climate changes and extremely fair. "Women complain about premenstrual syndrome, but I think of it as the only time of the month that I can be myself." --Roseanne |
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Tue Mar 06, 2007 6:11 pm |
| Maybe just a soft damp cloth, you might want to research rather cleaning up the copper will hurt its value, sometimes the patina should be left alone, I am not sure, but I'd check first!! It sounds lovely. |
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Tue Mar 06, 2007 8:08 pm |
| Hi tiger_tim - I know it may sound morbid, but you may want to contact some funeral urn dealers -- they would likely have experience in cleaning an object such as yours. |
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Tue Mar 06, 2007 9:28 pm |
| m.april wrote: |
| Hi tiger_tim - I know it may sound morbid, but you may want to contact some funeral urn dealers -- they would likely have experience in cleaning an object such as yours. |
 I will never be able to look at my vase the same way again |
_________________
SKIN: combination, reactive to climate changes and extremely fair. "Women complain about premenstrual syndrome, but I think of it as the only time of the month that I can be myself." --Roseanne |
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Tue Mar 06, 2007 10:05 pm |
| you're so funny tiger! As long as your vase doesn't have a lid, I don't think you have to worry too much about what may have "dirtied" it! But seriously, as much as one would hate to think of it, funeral urn dealers DO sell "used" goods (whether they admit to it or not is another matter). And either they, or jewelers have experience with cloisonne which can be tricky to clean. While an acidic cleanser will brighten the copper, it may also fade the ceramic. Don' take the chance of ruining your treasure with a DIY approach until you get some professional advice! |
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Tue Mar 06, 2007 10:18 pm |
I will take your advice but... I have suddenly remembered another source...I will go to the pin collectors! They are made the same way as the vase, so cleaning should be similar..
I have some Disney pins and I am sure that some members who cherish their collections more than me would polish them
oh god, you have totally affected my view of my vase. thank god it has no lid... |
_________________
SKIN: combination, reactive to climate changes and extremely fair. "Women complain about premenstrual syndrome, but I think of it as the only time of the month that I can be myself." --Roseanne |
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Tue Mar 06, 2007 10:48 pm |
Hi again tiger - Since you're now worried that your vase may have an "uncertain" provenance, I won't tell you what my sister found under the lining of an antique box she purchased  |
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Tue Mar 06, 2007 11:10 pm |
| no fair... tell, tell... (man, I hate it when people teeeeease ya with info and then leave ya danglin') |
_________________
SKIN: combination, reactive to climate changes and extremely fair. "Women complain about premenstrual syndrome, but I think of it as the only time of the month that I can be myself." --Roseanne |
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Wed Mar 07, 2007 12:26 am |
tiger_tim you could try a silver polishing cloth or even a jewellery polishing cloth that should polish it up without getting any product onto the vase  |
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Wed Mar 07, 2007 12:35 am |
| kez wrote: |
| tiger_tim you could try a silver polishing cloth or even a jewellery polishing cloth that should polish it up without getting any product onto the vase |
... adding polishing cloth to shopping list for the weekend.. |
_________________
SKIN: combination, reactive to climate changes and extremely fair. "Women complain about premenstrual syndrome, but I think of it as the only time of the month that I can be myself." --Roseanne |
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Wed Mar 07, 2007 2:38 am |
| If it is enamelled well you could use wire wool if you wanted because the enamel won't be affected by anything you put on it. Obviously the metal could be damaged though so it wouldn't be recommended. That said if you want shiney brass then a polishing cloth or a bit of brasso would be fine. You can safely wash the residue off if any gets caught in small pits in the enamel etc. Sometimes my enamel silver jewellery gets discoloured if I haven't worn it for a bit and I just use a touch of silver polish on a cloth. |
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my new jewellery website:www.gentle-medusa.com |
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Wed Mar 07, 2007 7:58 am |
| m.april wrote: |
| Hi again tiger - Since you're now worried that your vase may have an "uncertain" provenance, I won't tell you what my sister found under the lining of an antique box she purchased |
Well if you won't tell Tiger, then tell me, cos I want to know now!
Talking of vases, we have two beautiful long vases which are about 100 years old, they narrow at the neck to about 2" and then flute out a bit. You cannot see into them. My hubby bought me a balloon on a stick for Valentines day and I though the ideal place to put it would be in one of the vases. I was horrified when I put the stick into the vase and it hit something halfway down! I had visions of it being an ancestors ashes and we still haven't got a clue what's inside the vase. Maybe I wouldn't want to know! |
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Wed Mar 07, 2007 8:03 am |
Ewww... might be a dead rat or something (just to make you feel good..  )
Have you tried turning it upside down and shaking vigorously?? My vase sounds a similar shape to yours, but it is new so no nasties inside (I think....) |
_________________
SKIN: combination, reactive to climate changes and extremely fair. "Women complain about premenstrual syndrome, but I think of it as the only time of the month that I can be myself." --Roseanne |
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Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:23 am |
| tiger_tim wrote: |
Ewww... might be a dead rat or something (just to make you feel good.. )
Have you tried turning it upside down and shaking vigorously?? My vase sounds a similar shape to yours, but it is new so no nasties inside (I think....) |
Oh thanks! It never crossed my mind that it could be a dead rat........ but it has now! Nah... it's too narrow for a rat to crawl into and besides.... it doesn't stink!
It has been shaken and a load of dust came out, at least I hope it's JUST dust, but there's still something in there. |
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Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:28 am |
fill it with draino and then up end it.
If it was used as a real vase, maybe someone stuffed that green flower arranging foam into it...
Then again, maybe it is the not-quite-fully-cremated remains of someone's great uncle Billy
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_________________
SKIN: combination, reactive to climate changes and extremely fair. "Women complain about premenstrual syndrome, but I think of it as the only time of the month that I can be myself." --Roseanne |
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Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:55 am |
| tiger_tim wrote: |
fill it with draino and then up end it.
If it was used as a real vase, maybe someone stuffed that green flower arranging foam into it...
Then again, maybe it is the not-quite-fully-cremated remains of someone's great uncle Billy
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You are NOT helping!! How about you filling your lovely vase with draino?!?! Mine is nearly an antique and I'm not putting draino in my priceless MING vase! |
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Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:57 am |
| Great Uncle Billy?????????!?!?!! Gasp, splutter, splutter..... how did he get in there??!?! |
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Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:07 am |
| sarahb wrote: |
| Mine is nearly an antique and I'm not putting draino in my priceless MING vase! |
Um, priceless MING that is "nearly antique"?... wasn't the Ming Dynasty hundreds of years ago? I think that would qualify it as antique...
I haev an idea.. next time you travel, take the vase and at airport security as the guys to tell you what is inside.
I did that in Oz once... a box of whiskey I took in had breakage inside and I got the x-ray guys to tell me how many were broken (this was post-9-11 when you had to get x-rayed to get OUT of Brisbane airport 
dang you got me curious about your vase contents (but if it was mine I would be a tad creaped out..)
Dang April for getting us into this line of thought... let's blame her for the direction this has taken. |
_________________
SKIN: combination, reactive to climate changes and extremely fair. "Women complain about premenstrual syndrome, but I think of it as the only time of the month that I can be myself." --Roseanne |
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Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:16 am |
| why not try and hook it out with a bit of wire? can't be that bad or it would smell! |
_________________
my new jewellery website:www.gentle-medusa.com |
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Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:21 am |
| tiger_tim wrote: |
| sarahb wrote: |
| Mine is nearly an antique and I'm not putting draino in my priceless MING vase! |
Um, priceless MING that is "nearly antique"?... wasn't the Ming Dynasty hundreds of years ago? I think that would qualify it as antique...
dang you got me curious about your vase contents (but if it was mine I would be a tad creaped out..)
Dang April for getting us into this line of thought... let's blame her for the direction this has taken. |
What?!?! Are you saying that my priceless Ming vase that I bought in China for 2.99 might not be Ming now?!! Oooohhh... this just gets better!
No, sorry, you can't get out of it that easily! Don't go blaming April! Up until an hour ago I thought maybe it was just a bit of old paper or pot pourri, now, because of you, I've got visions of body parts shoved in my vase! I hope you can sleep at night!  |
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Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:22 am |
| guapagirl wrote: |
| why not try and hook it out with a bit of wire? can't be that bad or it would smell! |
I'm scared now! |
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Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:23 am |
| sarahb wrote: |
| guapagirl wrote: |
| why not try and hook it out with a bit of wire? can't be that bad or it would smell! |
I'm scared now! |
why, does it smell bad |
_________________
my new jewellery website:www.gentle-medusa.com |
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Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:27 am |
| guapagirl wrote: |
| sarahb wrote: |
| guapagirl wrote: |
| why not try and hook it out with a bit of wire? can't be that bad or it would smell! |
I'm scared now! |
why, does it smell bad |
No, if it did I would have done something, but Tiger has scared me now! I'm all alone in the house with a spleen in a jar, what if there's an ... an .... an... eye or something!! OK, OK, I must calm down now, breathe, breathe............. phew... that's better! Oh why don't we have wire coat hangers in this house! |
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Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:28 am |
| Okay!!! So while cleaning this antique box, my sister noticed the bottom was false. When she lifted it out, she discovered a folded linen cloth that was quite bloodied. There was also what appeared to be a piece of dried human tissue but not the stub of an umbilical cord. So we wonder if this could've been mementos from a circumcision, or possibly a first menstruation -- God only knows. In either or any case, a big :-& |
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Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:30 am |
| guapagirl wrote: |
| If it is enamelled well you could use wire wool if you wanted because the enamel won't be affected by anything you put on it. Obviously the metal could be damaged though so it wouldn't be recommended. That said if you want shiney brass then a polishing cloth or a bit of brasso would be fine. You can safely wash the residue off if any gets caught in small pits in the enamel etc. Sometimes my enamel silver jewellery gets discoloured if I haven't worn it for a bit and I just use a touch of silver polish on a cloth. |
Guapa, I just realized that this is a beautifully coherent and useful post. Thank you. (you drying out, luv?)
Sarah, it is 2.25 am here in Japan and I am about to go test that "sleep well" theory.. at least now I have someone else worried about their vase ... well, I not worried about mine, but I cannot get rid of the image of filling it up with, um.. dirt ...
Come to think of it.. I could use the, um.. dirt, as a nice base for a dried flower arrangment in the vase.... I mean why not? In Korea they burn your loved one until the "dust" becomes glass and then they make BEADS out of it for you to wear around your neck. Apparently every body creates different colored beads... (I swear, I am so NOT making that up..) |
_________________
SKIN: combination, reactive to climate changes and extremely fair. "Women complain about premenstrual syndrome, but I think of it as the only time of the month that I can be myself." --Roseanne |
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