Cloisonné (from French: cloison = partition) is an enamel technique where formed wires in closed shapes are affixed onto a base and then filled with enamel. The wires form the raised walls or partitions surrounding these individual cells. This is the reverse of the champleve technique where the cell walls are at the same level as the base metal. Cloisonné was elevated to high art by the Chinese during the Ming Dynasty when it was used on porcelain.