Jeanne Preus Rost (LC 1941) purchased the 53 pieces of Chinese cloisonné in this collection starting from 1950 until her death August 4, 1984. Her sister, Linka Preus Johnson received the collection and then donated them to Luther College a year later. Rost focused her collecting on Chinese cloisonn®¶. Her interest in Lutheran missions in China and in her brother Rolf Brand Preus’ World War II flying experiences in the area influenced her choice. Rost collected the cloisonn®¶ in the United States, working exclusively with antique dealers and antiquities merchants. The Chinese cloissoné in this collection consists mostly of small utilitarian containers such as vases, bowls, boxes, plates, cups and ash trays.

Cloisonné is defined succinctly in the Art & Architecture Thesaurus (second ed.) published on behalf of the Getty Art History Information Program by Oxford University Press in 1994. 

Cloisonné is “a technique of enameling in which the design is laid down in thin metal strips on a metal or porcelain ground, forming chambers (cloisons) to receive the vitreous enamel pastes.” 

The piece is fired after it receives the pastes. The rough, uneven surface is then ground smooth and polished off flush with the wires. The resulting surface is even and smooth, typically with a dull or matte finish. Chinese cloisonné objects are often decorated in intricate designs with pictorial scenes, stylized floral patterns and spiral and scroll figures predominating. The designs are typically painted in a variety of clear, bright colors. Since enamel is a form of glass, cloisonné objects can be easily cleaned. Other less well‐known types of enamel work that are similar to cloisonné are champlevé and repoussé.

The origin of cloisonné is estimated to be early, perhaps around the 13th century BCE in Mycenaean Greece. Records indicate that Chinese cloisonné began to be created in the 14th century. The technique was brought to China by traders from the west. After the Boxer Rebellion in 1900, when European armies fought in China, cloisonné became better known in Europe and America.

Information on Jeanne Preus Rost
Jeanne Preus Rost was born April 30, 1919, the daughter of J.C.K. Preus and his wife, Dikka, a well‐known Luther family. After graduating from Luther in 1941, she worked for the Federal Housing Administration, the U.S. Air Transport Command and the U.S. Department of State from 1941‐1947. She also worked in American embassies in Oslo, Norway and Stockholm, Sweden from 1948‐1951 and the
Veterans Administration from 1951‐1952. In 1952, she married Lawrence E. Rost who preceded her in death in 1970. 

Rost was a generous donor to Luther College. Some of her major gifts were the Rost Memorial Organ in the Center for Faith and Life, the reception area in the Jenson Hall of Music and funds for Preus Library intended for rare books and books focusing on Scandinavian studies. She received a Distinguished Service Award from Luther in 1978 in recognition of her “accomplishments as an employee of the U.S.
government and her distinguished contributions to Luther College” (Distinguished Service Award Citatio, October 13, 1978).