y* *v - . . . '■■ -^i M F w i

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THE LIBRARY

OF

THE UNIVERSITY

OF CALIFORNIA

LOS ANGELES

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART

COLLECTION OF

W. T. WALTEES

TEXT EDITION TO ACCOMPANY THE COMPLETE WORK LIMITED TO FIVE HUNDRED COPIES

NUMBER

OMENTAL CERAMIC ART

COLLECTION OF

W. T. WALTERS

TEXT EDITION TO ACCOMPANY THE C0MPLE2E WORK

TEXT AND NOTES BY

S. AV. BUSHELL, M. D.

Physician to H. B. M. Legation, Peking

NEW YORK D. APPLETON AND COMPANY

1899

Copyright, 1896, By D. APPLETON AND COMPANY.

/VK

PREFACE.

THE late William Thompson Walters, of Baltimore, (lied on November 20, 1894. The work ^vhich is here briefly introduced was begun by him nearly fifteen years before. At his death he left it practically com- pleted. It only remained, therefore, for those intrusted with its details to assemble the several parts and dis- charge the mechanical duties necessary to its publication. That publication is now entered upon in conformity V! with his expressed wishes and instructions, and as, had ^ he lived, he would himself have had it. Furthermore, it is done in the belief that it will add one more to the many useful things that were the outcome of his purposeful and well-filled life. Mr. Walters was the first American to create a collection of Oriental ceramics, and in the many years that he devoted to the subject he became more and more impressed with the need there was of some authoritative work respecting it — a work which should treat, with such precision as was possible, of its origin, its history, and its qualities, and take it in at least some slio-ht deo;ree from that vasiue and indeter- minate condition in which all contemporary or recent European writers have left it. Not that the literature of Oriental porcelain is copious in any modern tongue, but that those who have written best about it have had hardly anything to say, while those who have written at any length have been capricious, empirical, and only too misleading. The only way in which this purpose could be effected, if at all, was to seek in China itself

705S00

VI PREFACE.

whatever historical matter might exist in relation to the one distinguishing art of that country, the art of the potter.

In the inti'oduction, written in 1883, to a very useful and instructive little volume on Oriental art, privately published by Mr. AValters in the ensuing year, he set forth his opinion on this point with a clearness which it is interesting at the present time to recall. "Notwith- standing," wrote Mr. Walters, "the numerous works that have been published on this subject, we hav^e as yet but an imperfect knowledge of the age, history, and meaning of much that appears in collections of Oriental porcelain ; and until some European residing in China, well versed in the subject and ^vell acquainted with the Chinese language, has obtained access to the stores of native col- lectors, we shall l)e to a certain extent ^vorking in the dark."

The more deeply the subject was looked into the less prospect there seemed to be of a successful issue. The only translation that existed of the writings of a Chinese authority was that made in 1856 by M. Stanislas Julien, of the Citing -te-clien T''ao Lu. This was for years the ultimate reference of students of Chinese ceramics, but, although M. Julien was a great scholar and eminent sinologue, it was of little value and in some essential matters misleading. The difficulty was with the Chinese text. Given a sentence or tw^o in Chinese descriptive of a piece of porcelain, its shape, the quality of its paste, its color, or other of its attributes, and the sinologue who is learned only in the language 7?^?' se may translate it with the profoundest erudition and yet not convey its real meaning; but if he have before him the actual piece which the Chinese author has been describing, and if he have also a well-founded knowledge of Chinese por- celain, then his translation Avill be of a very different

PREFACE. Vll

<;haracter and much more instructive. In such matters the Chinese author is perfectly intelligible onl}'- when the reader adequately understands the subject. If, for instance, the reader knew that the Chinese writer was discussing celadon, he would not, in translating, read blue for green, although the Chinese word used meant equally blue or green, according to the application made of it. The illustration is a radical one, but it indicates accurately a case in which a very learned sinologue befogged many patient students.

It was while pursuing the matter with the best authorities abroad that Mr. Walters heard indirectly from Prof. A. W. Franks (now Sir Wollastou Franks), of the British Museum, of a translation of a Chinese work called the T^ao Shuo, which had been made by Dr. Stephen W. Bushell, of Peking. Dr. Bushell had already become well known as a sinologue, and especially for his unremitting industry in the direction of the ancient literature of porcelain. He had been for many years the medical officer of the British legation at Peking, and had devoted himself to the study of Chinese until he had attained among European scholars the reputation of an authority of the first rank. Prof. Franks w^as greatly interested in the T''ao Shuo, pointed out the importance that it possessed for students of Oriental ceramics, and expressed the hope that it would secure publication. Dr. Bushell's translation of it was accordingly secured for that purpose, and was found to be most instructive and interesting. It was proposed then to publish the trans- lation together wdth other papers on the subject, includ- ing a new version from the Chinese text of the Cldiuj-te- ohm T''ao Lu, already done into French by Julien. The whole would have made a considerable and a not unim- portant addition to the stock of information relating to Chinese porcelain in the English language. When, how-

Vlll PREFACE.

ever, a year or two later, Dr. Biishell visited the United States and entered upon a discussion of the question with Mr. Walters, it was decided to revise the project and bring out the present work, which contains, so far a& all niodei'n knowledge of the subject goes, the best infor- mation that Chinese letters convey respecting the origin of porcelain and its history through successive ages.*

Mr. AValters laid the foundation of the present collec- tion nearly forty years ago. As has been said, he was the first in this country to create a collection of Oriental ceramics. The ceramic store of the United States was never great. We have had a modest share of English pottery since our earlier days, but no accumulation of it. Of Oriental porcelain a very little found its way to Colo- nial families, and only a few traces of it remain. Our first President had a domestic service of Chinese manu- facture, and it was very fine in its way ; but it belonged strictly to the category of commercial porcelain familiar to the last century as East India china — that is, porcelain made for export from Chinese ports and fashioned for household use or conventional household decoration, and having no relation to the artistic product of the China- man's kilns. The remains of this set of china are pre- served in the National Museum at Washington. Prob- ably the most artistic of our early acquisitions of Chinese porcelain were the pieces of blue and white that New England ship captains brought back from their voyages to the North Pacific, and of Avhich many interesting examples are still to be found in old New England

* So far as the Chinese texts relating to processes of manufacture are con- cerned they are of slight and only incidental interest. They tell about the petuntse and the kaolin, about the composition of glazes and the management of kilns, but no European potter has ever added from them a scintilla to his knowledge. The Chinese potter's formula is not unlike the chemist's analysis of one of Nature's healing waters— it is complete ; but in the one case it is in- dispensable that the application be made by a Chinaman, and in the other that the compounding be done by Nature herself.

PREFACE. IX

homes. As far as any broader awakening of taste in the matter of Oriental porcelain is concerned it must be referred to the occasion of the Centennial Exhibition of 1876. Many people had long before acquired an ac- quaintance with the subject at the great European exhi- bitions and through the op^^ortunities of foreign travel, but our first popular knowledge of it most undoubtedly dates from our exhibition at Philadelphia. Now there are numbers of collections in the United States, some of them of great extent and value. It can also be confi- dently said that nowhere else do collectors betray any keener intelligence, or, perhaps, an equal knowledge of the general subject; whereby it has been rightly ob- served by Chinese and Japanese connoisseurs that if one wants to study fine Oriental porcelain he must come to America.

The plates in color with which this work is illustrated were made by Louis Prang, of Boston. Several experi- mental plates were made abroad, and the work of every European house of importance was examined, before Mr. Prang was asked to make lithographs of three pieces of porcelain of different colors. His immediate success determined the question ; and when, two years later, some twenty of the plates were shoAvn to French lithographers in Paris, their criticism was that the im- pressions from the stone had been foi'tified by color applied with the brush. They could not believe that work of such excellence could be produced by simple lithography. This very satisfactory opinion has been since confirmed by many lithographers, and it is conceded that these plates represent the highest type of work that has been produced in that branch of art. Tlie color of Oriental porcelain is more akin to the color of . some brilliant mineral than to the familiar pigments of an artist's palette ; and as truth of color was the first

X PREFACE.

requiremeut, many and serious difficulties had to be over- come. Mr. Prang, however, was equal to the task, and during the years that it was in progress at his house in Roxbury he devoted to it a degree of watchful care and untiring energy that were far from commercial in their inspiration.

William M. Laffan.

May, 1896.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

Preface v

Introduction 1

CHAPTER I. Origin of Porcelain 12

CHAPTER II. Relations of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Ceramics . . 25

CHAPTER III.

Introduction to the Classification of Chinese Porcelain. In- scriptions. Chronology .39

CHAPTER IV.

Marks on Chinese Porcelain. Marks of Date. Hall Marks. "^ Marks op Dedication and Felicitation. Marks op Co>imen- dation. Marks in the Form of Devices 59

CHAPTER V. !

Classification of Chinese Porcelain. Primitive Period. Sung , Dynasty. Ju Yao. Kuan Yao. Ting Yao. Lung-ch'uan Yao. Ko Yao. Tung-ch'ing Yao. Chun Yao. Three Fac- !

TORIES AT ChI-CHOU, ChIEN-CHOU, AND Tz'tj-CHOU. UtENSILS

of Sung Porcelain 127

CHAPTER VI. Yuan Dynasty 177

CHAPTER VII.

Ming Dynasty. Reigns of Hung-wu, Yung-lo, HsOan-te, Cii'eng- hua, Hung-chih, Che;ng-te, Chia-ching, Lung-cii'ing, Wan-li,

T'ien-ch'i, Ch'ung-chen 189

xi

Xll CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VIII.

PAOH TECHNiqUE DUIUNG THE MlNG PeUIOD. CoLOKS. EMBOSSING.

Chiseling. Openwork Carving. Gilded Decoration. Deco- rations IN Enamels. Firing 260

CHAPTER IX. Ching-te-ciien. Thk Imperial Porcelain MANirFACToiiY . 276

CHAPTER X. The K'ang-hsi Period 293

CHAPTER XI. Letters of Pere d'Enthecolles 332

CHAPTER XII. The Yung-cheng Period 359

CHAPTER XIII.

Official List of the Designs and Colors produced at the

Imperial Manufactory in the Reign of Yung-cheIng . . 367

CHAPTER XIV. The Ch'ien-lung Period 391

CHAPTER XV.

The Twenty Illustrations of the Manufacture ok Porcelain

described by T'ang Ying 420

CHAPTER XVI. Modern Period (1796-1895). Imperiai> List of the Year 1864 . 463

CHAPTER XVII.

The Forms of Porcelain Objects and their Uses in China . 488

CHAPTER XVIII.

Peculiar Technical Processes. Cracki,e Porcelain. Furnace

Transmutations. Souffles. Laque Burgautee. Pierced ^-^

and "Rice-grain" Designs. White Sup, etc. . . . 508 )

CONTENTS. XI 11

CHAPTER XIX.

PAGE

Chinese Cekamic Colors 525

CHAPTER XX. Motives op Decoration of Chinese Porcelain .... 557

CHAPTER XXI.

Porcelain made for Exportation. Special Forms and Designs. Indian China. Armorial China. Jesuit China. Hindu Style. Oriental Porcelain decorated in Europe. Imita- tions 604

CHAPTER XXII.

Porcelain Production in the Other Provinces of China. The White Porcelain of the Province of Fuchien. The Yi-

HBING BoCCARO WaRE OF THE PROVINCE OF KlANGSU. ThE

Potteries of the Province of Kuangtung .... 622

CHAPTER XXIII. Chinese Bibliography in Relation to the Ceramic Art . . 639

CHAPTER XXIV. Korea 670

CHAPTER XXV. Ceramic Art of Japan 685

CHAPTER XXVI. A General Sketch of the Ceramic Art of Japan . 708

CHAPTER XXVII.

The Principal Ceramic Wares of Japan. Owari Pottery and Porcelain. Kyoto Wares. Hizen Productions: Old Imari Porcelains, Hirado Blue and White, etc. Satsuma F.aIences, KuTANi OR Kaga Wares 723

Appendix. — Descriptive List of the Illustrations . . 767

Index 90S

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

INTRODUCTION.

DURING a residence of twenty-five years at Peking, as physician to her Britannic Majesty's legation, the study of Chinese ceramics has been my chief distrac- tion. I have obtained access, in the exercise of the duties of my profession, to several palaces and private houses, and have in this way had many opportunities of seeing the treasures of native collectors, which usually are so rigidly closed to foreigners. The Chinese themselves maintain a profound interest in the subject, especially from an antiquarian point of view, and the literature which relates to it is very extensive, ranging as it does ' over many centuries. The best special work is the T''ao Sliuo, "A Description of Chinese Pottery," in six books, published in the year 1774, by Chu Yen. The learned author quotes many of the older wi'iters, and describes all the varieties of the potter's skill that became celebrated before the close of the Ming dynasty in 1643. I translated this work into English, at the request of the late Mr. AV. T. Walters, some years ago, so that I now have it before me for reference. For the older wares there is also the manuscript catalogue, illustrated by eighty-two water-color drawings, of Hsiang Yuau-p'ien, a celebrated collector of the latter half of the sixteenth century, which I brought before the notice of the Peking Oriental Society in 1886,* and which I hope some day to

'* Chinese Porcelain before the Present Dynasty, by S. W. Bushell, M. D. ; extract from the Journal of the Peking Oriental Society, 1886.

2 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

publisli ill full. The colored illustrations are fairly exact, and are indispensable for the proper comprehension of the text of Chinese writers on this subject, in the absence of actual specimens of the different kinds of porcelain described. The author of the T''ao Shuo is not so satisfactory as a guide to the porcelain of the reign- ing dynasty, of which he gives only a short resume in his first book. For this we must turn to the Ching-te-chen T'^ao Lu, the well-known memoirs on the productions of Ching-te-chen, published in 1815, which were partially translated into French by Stanislas Julien in 1856,* and which have been the main source of information for all European wi'iters. The ti'anslator seems, however, to have had little if any practical acquaintance with Chinese porcelain, and he had, moreover, no native expert at hand to refer to in case of difficulty, so that his rendering of technical points is often erroneous. It is always safer to turn to the original, which is happily no longer rare, as the book has been lately republished in China. Ching-te-chen, which has been for centuries the seat of the imperial manufactory of porcelain, occupies a place in China like to that which Sevres does in France or Meissen in Germany, It is, indeed, in the present day the sole source of artistic porcelain in the Chinese Empire. The regulations and detailed accounts of the imperial works are to be found in the different official statistical de- scriptions of the province of Kiangsi, of the prefecture of Jao-chou-fu, and of the district of Fou-liang, in which the manufactory is situated. But, unfortunately, these books, which at irregular intervals are issued and republished in a revised form by the authorities, are very difficult to procure, even in China. The most complete account is contained in the Fou-liang Hsien Ohih, the " History of

* Uistoire et Fabrication de la Porcelaine ehinoise, par M. Stanislas Julien, Paris, 1856.

INTRODUCTION.

the Walled City of Fou-liang, " and I am most grateful to the director of the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris for his generous loan of this rare work, the eighth book of which includes a long memoir entitled T''ao Cheng, or " Porcelain Administration." This edition was published by a commission presided over by Ho Hsi-ling, a member of the Hanlin College and of the National Historiog- raphers' Office, whose preface is dated the third year of Tao-huang (1823), although the list of officials in the book is continued up to the twelfth year of the emperor (1832). The first edition, which was published in the period Hsien-shun during the /S'^/i^ dynasty, in the year 1270, was burned. The present edition gives twenty-one old prefaces, which are all printed in full, and the first of these is dated 1325. The fifteenth, by - ang Ying, the most celebrated of the superintendents of the imperial manufactory at Ching-te-chen, is dated the fifth year of CJi'ien-lung (1740). The entire series of these official statistical works, ^vere it possible to obtain it complete, would furnish the most authentic of accounts, in chrono- logical sequence, of the imperial manufacture of porcelain.

Since my return to Peking last year I have succeeded in acquiring a recent edition of the Chiang-lisi T''ung Chill, the " Genei'al History of the Province of Ki- angsi," published in the seventh year of the reigning Emperor J-^uang-hsu, by an imperial commission presided over by the famous Tseng-Kuo-fan. It is bound in native fashion in one hundred and twenty volumes, and contains one hundred and eighty books, of whicli the ninety-third gives the T\io-Chmg, or "Porcelain Administration," of Ching-te-chen, brought up to date.

I am indebted to M. Garnier, the talented director of the museum at Sevres, for the opportunity to consult a report written by my lamented friend, M. Scherzer, who visited Ching-te-chen in 1883, at which time he was

4 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Freach consul at the river port of Hankow. It is curious to compare tliis recent report witli the two valuable letters of the old Jesuit missionary Pere d'Entrecolles, written from the same place in 1712 and 1722, toward the close of the long reign of the Emperor K''ang-hsi, the culminating period of ceramic art in China.* The worthy Father collected his information from his converts among the artists and workmen, and his letters are all the more valuable in that we have so little from native writers during this reign.

From the foregoing some idea may be gained of the material which is available to the student who under- takes to present a general account of Oriental ceramic art. To illustrate such a work there could be no better opportunity than that which is afforded by the W. T. Walters collection. Such is the object which it has been sought here to attain. The illustrations and text have had to be arranged independently, most of the colored plates having been completed beforehand. The text-cuts will be inseited, as far as possible, in appro- priate places, and there will be a descriptive list of the figures included later on, which it is hoped will remedy the disjunction which the issue of the book in j^arts has rendered unavoidable. For text-cuts of the first section a selection has been made from the series of objects of Chinese porcelain mounted in metal, in which the collec- tion is so very rich. The mountings are generally in gilded bronze of French workmanship, dating for the most part from the 18th century. Some of them by the famous Gouthiere are of the highest artistic mei'it, and indicate the vivid appreciation of Chinese colors for the decoration of the luxurious interiors of the time of Louis XV and Louis XVL It is difiicult, indeed, to

* Lettres edifiantes et cuneuses, xviii, pp. 234-296 ; xix, pp. 173-203, Paris, 1781.

INTRODUCTION.

imagine anything more effective than the soft changing tints of the turquoise glaze of the vases in Figs. 1 and 20, and of the bowl (Fig. 40), when exhibited in sucli perfect contrast with the gilded material of their grace- ful framework. The same may be said of the lovely openwork mounting in gold, fashioned to strengthen the etched turquoise vase of Fig. 8, and of the filigree mounts of the beautifully decorated K\mg-lisi vases exhibited in Figs. 11 and 30, lovingly executed and signed by the modern jeweler, Boucheron of Paris. Mountings of Persian and Japanese workmanship will follo^v in other sections. Some of these mounts are interesting as aids in determining the age of the piece, like the Elizabethan silver-gilt mounting with the hall mark of 1585 of the blue and white Chinese Jug, No. 7,915, in the South Kensington Museum, and the blue and white pieces which are said to have been at Burghley House in the possession of the Cecil family since the days of Queen Elizabeth.

The Walters collection is remarkable for its single color or monochrome examples, and comprises many choice specimens of brilliant beauty in this attractive branch of art, in which the Oriental potter stands unrivaled. There is room for much difference of opinion on the question of the comparative merits of mono- chrome glazes and of painted decoration in enamel colors upon porcelain. With the Chinese collector, as with the European or American amateur, it is a matter of taste, and the preference appears to be equally divided. Tlie earliest acquaintance of European collectors with the porcelain of China was confined to monochrome examples, including, of course, blue and Avhite. Of the five-color pieces of the Ming period it is difficult to find any trace in the early European collections ; and, indeed, it appears that it is only within recent years that such

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

pieces have left China. M. Vogt, the director of the porcelain manufactory at Sevres, the most recent writer on the subject and a thoroughly competent judge, writes (pages 22, 23) : " The form commands the decoration ; the Chinese have wisely preferred simple, absolutely ceramic forms, of which their vase {poticlie) is the essential type. In this shape, fashioned in one opera- tion, the surface is unbroken from the base to the mouth ; it is in reality a cylinder witli flowing depressions. For the decoration of Chinese vases, whatever may be the merit resulting from the fantastic art of the composition or from the harmony of the colors, we pi'efer, for our part, not the decorated vases, but the pieces which have the ground left as they come from the kiln, the beauty of the enamel being the dominant quality (la qualite maitresse) in ceramics. The more beautiful the enamel, the more opposed it is to decoration ; no color, no gild- ing, could resist the vibrating force of absorption of the -jlambes called lo-kan^ mule's liver; ma-fei, horse's lung — mixtures of red, blue, violet, and yellowish-green run- ning over the porcelain like a stream of lava, so much chopped-up blood, lungs, and liver, as it were, melted into enamels ; any addition would spoil the softer colors, such as the tea-dust glaze, or the iron-rust of the Chinese." *

Mr. Walters wrote, in the introduction to his early catalogue,f " Our interest and effort have been more in the direction of securing characteristic examples of the beautiful, either in form, color, or material, than of the merely curious." This aim has, in truth, been fully realized ; for what can be imagined more beautiful, in all these three respects, than the famous peach-bloom

* La Porcelaine, par Georges Vogt, Directeur des Travaux Techniques de la Manufacture Nationale de Sevres, Paris, 1894.

f Oriental Collection of W. T. Walters, Baltimore, 1884.

INTKODUCTION.

vases, which he was one of the lirst to appreciate, out- side China, excelling as they do in purity of form, in perfect finish of material, and in a diversified play of color, whereby they have been so aptly likened to the warm and varied hues of the skin of a j)each "^'^ ripening in the sun ? They mark the culminating point of Chinese cei'amic art. The contemporary vases of similar form of pure white, of the sea-green tint called celadon, or of the pale gray-blue known by the Fi'ench as clair de lune^ after its Chinese name of yueh pai^ are almost as attractive. The ci'imson and pink monochrome glazes of the succeeding period, derived fi-om gold, ai'e less pure, but have the softness of the muffle stove in wliicli they are developed — a quality which the}' share with another famous color, the coral red, which is derived from peroxide of iron. The older colors, which attest the pre- eminence of the Chinese potter, include a camellia-leaf green of deepest iridescent sheen, sapphii-e blue, and powder-blue, ap])le-green and citron-yellow, a finely crackled turquoise glaze of purest tint, and, last but not least, the celebrated Xrtv/f/ //<7o, or sang de h(eut\'A broadly crackled glaze imbued ^\ itli i-ed of marvelous depth, the despair of modern imitatoi's. This is a short list of some of the successes of the Oriental decorator in the line of single colors. Working as he does with impure materials, with the chemical composition of which he is totally unfamiliar, his chief successes are often due to pure hazard. jNIany (»ther colors will be described later.

* " Peach-bloom " is a better name in English for this charming glaze than " peacli-blow," because the latter is only applicable to the flower, while the former corresponds to the peau de peche^iheianw adopted by French ceramists. Neither of the two is Chinese ; they generally call it CMang-toti Hung, from its resemblance to the variegated beans of the Dolichus sinensis {Chiang-tou), which are pink spotted with brown ; some call it P'ing-kuo Hung, "apple- red." The green mottling which so often accompanies it is termed P'ing-kuo Gh'ing, or "apple-green."

8 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

as well us the decoration of the paiuted pieces, on which the artist works with the same palette.

According to a Chinese adage, " Knowledge comes from seeing much," and 1 would like to refer the student to some of the collections available for the study of the subject of Oriental ceramics, and at the same time seize the opportunity of tendering my grateful tlianks to the owners of the private collections in the United States which I have had tlie opportunity of seeing, and from which I have learned not a little. There seems to be a widespread enthusiasm in America for the beauties of Oriental art, and the beautiful objects illustrated in this book kave doubtless, by tlieir exhibition in the galleries at Baltimore, helped in no small measure to form a gi'ow- ing taste for the rare and beautiful. There are, so far, no national collections in Amei'ica, but thei*e are objects of interest in the private collections of Mr. Charles A. Dana, Mr. James A. Garland, and Mr. W. M. Laifan, and in the Avery collection in the Metropolitan Museum at New York, and in the Hippisley collection on loan at the Smithsonian Institution at Washington, of which a cata- logue,"^ rich in Chinese lore, has been published by my friend Mr. Hippisley, who is a sinologue of foi'emost rank. Among the European collections of most easy access are the Franks collection in the British Museum ; the Salting collection, Avhich includes so many magnifi- cent pieces, in the loan exhibition at the South Kensing- ton Museum ; and the Grandidier collection at Paris. Sir Wollastou Franks, who has presented his treasures to the British Museum, \% facile princeps among European authorities, and the author of a well-known handbook. f

* Catalogue of the Hippisley Collection of Chinese Porcelains, by A. E. Hip- pisley. Report of National Museum, 1888, Washington, D. C.

f Catalogue of a Collection of Oriental Porcelain and Pottery, by A. W. Franks, F. H, S., F. S. A., second edition, London, 1878.

INTRODUCTION. 9

M. Grandidier, ti critical as well as an enthusiastic admirer of Chinese porcelain, and the compiler of a fine book * illustrated by forty-two heliogravures, has recently presented his collection to the republic, and it is ali'eady worthily installed in one of the galleries of the Louvi'e.

The Sevres Museum contains an Oiiental department of considerable value. The museums of Amstei'dam and The Hague display a selection of the porcelain l)rought over in such quantities by the Dutch East India Com- pany in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The Dresden Oriental collection is })robably the most ancient in Europe, having been chiefly brought together, accord- insc to its former director, Dr. Grraesse,f bv Auo;ustus tlie Strong, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, betAveen the years 1694-1705. This is the palmy period of the reign of the Chinese Emperor I^Cauij-liHi (1662-1722), to which time most if not all of the more important Chinese pieces in this large collection must be referred. This collection is also remarkable for its series of old Japan Jars and beakers decorated with polychrome enamels. It was stored awa}^ for many years in the vaults of the Japanese palace, but is now full}^ exhibited in the Johauneum on the opposite side of the rivei".

The question of celadon is one of the most interesting of ceramic problems, and its solution has thrown a flood of light on the intercourse bet\veen distant nations in early media3val times. ;^ Celadon, as is well known, is the name applied to a peculiar kind of porcelain of sea- sreen tint, which is found distributed throuo-hout southern and western Asia, along the eastern and northern coasts of Africa, and in the adjoining islands,

* Let, Ceramique chiiioise, par E. Grandidier, Paris, 1894.

]; Die K. Porzellan uiid Gefuss-Sammlung zu Dresden, von Hofrath Dr. J. G. Th. Graesse, Dresden, 1873.

X Ancient Porcelain: A Study in Chinese Mediivval Industry imd 'I'rade, by F. Hirlh, Pli. D., 1880.

10 ORIENTAL CERAMK' AKT.

from Cera 111 aud the Key Island on the east to Mada- gascar and Zanzibar on the west, as well as in Japan and China. A quantity has been dug up in recent times in Cairo, and Persia is a never-failing source of the thick,, round dishes with fluted borders, foliated rims, and tooled decoration under the glaze, which Mohammedans value so liighly because they are supposed to change color at the contact of poisoned food. The Arabs called them iiKiiiaham, a name derived from Mai'taban, one of the states of ancient Siam, the modern Maulmain ; and one of their eucyclopyedists, wi-iting early in the seven- teenth century, declared that *' the precious magnificent celadon dishes and other vessels seen in his time Avei'e manufactured at Martaban." Starting fi'om this. Prof. Karabacek, of Vienna, has lately ti'ied to prove that this old celadon was not Chinese. Others, like Jacquemart, had previously ascribed it to Persia or to Egypt, arguing princij)ally fi-om the difficulty of transporting such large quantities by caravan traffic across Asia. But this diffi- culty vanishes now that we know from Mohammedan as well as Chinese sources of the long sea voyages under- taken by the Chinese in early times.

Arabian Avriters speak of fleets of large Chinese junks in the Persian Gulf as early as the ninth century, and theii' I'oute may be followed in the official annals of the T\ing dynasty. Chinese authors of the Sung dynasty describe how their ships travelled along the coast of Africa as far south as Zanzibar, "which they call Tsang- pa, and copper " cash " of the 2)eriod have lately been dug up there mixed with fragments of celadon vessels. They carried eliding fzii^ "green, or celadon, porcelain," and brought back ivu ming y% " cobalt mineral." In the next dynasty, when the Mongols ruled Bagdad as well as Peking, the traffic by sea was still more constant. Marco Polo ti'a veiled homeward in the suite of a Mongolian

INTRODUCTION. 1 1

princess, and described the route from Zayton to Hor- muz ; and Ibn Batista, who came to China soon after- ward, also alludes to the trade in Chinese porcelain. In the Ming dynasty, which succeeded, the andjitious Em- peror Yjuig-lo dispatched the figliting eunuch, Admiral Cheng Ho, who carried Chinese arms into Ceylon, and who was again sent on a more peaceful mission by the next emperor, Hman-te^ in the year 1430, to the south coast of Arabia, to the port of Magadoxo in Africa, and to Jiddah, the seaport of Mecca in the Red Sea, to which he carried celadon porcelain, as well as nuisk, silk, cam- phor, and copper " cash." This was the time that >SV- tTia-ll blue was brouo-ht to China. Cobalt liad lono; previously been employed in Persia in the decoration of tiles and other objects of faience. After the appearance of the Portuguese ships in their seas Chinese junks were no more seen, but celadon porcelain was left behind in all the coasts they visited, and there seems little reason to doubt its exclusively Chinese origin.

CHAPTKR I.

OHKilX OF PORCELAIN.

PORCELAIN was invented in China. The exact date of the invention, however, is wrapped in mys- tery; it is, in fact, liardly likely that it will ever be definitely settled, as it must have been by a gradual progress in the selection of materials, and in the perfec- tion of processes of manufacture, that porcelain was at last evolved from oi'dinary potteiy. For the creation of a scientific classiiication of ceramic products we are indebted to M. Brongniart,* and it will be well first to define the distinctive characteristics of porcelain. Por- celain ought to have a white, translucent, hard paste, not to be scratched by steel, homogeneous, resonant, com- ])letely vitrified, and exhibiting, when broken, a con- choidal fracture of line grain and brilliant aspect. These qualities, inherent in porcelain, make it impermeable to watei', and enable it to resist the action of frost even when uncoated with glaze. These characteristics of the paste, es[)ecially the translucence and vitrification, define porcelain very well. If either of these two qualities be wanting, we have before us another kind of pottery ; if the paste possess all tlie othei' properties, with the excep- tion of translucence, it is a stoneware; if the paste be not vitrified, it beloui^s to the cate2:orv of terra cottas or of faience.

The Chinese define ])oj-celain, \\hich they call ^ (/.c'l')), as a har<l, com[)a('t, fine-grained ])otteiy ^^ {^'(fo),

* Traite des Arts Venouiquftt. par Alexandre Broiigiiiart, two volumes, 8vo, with Atlas, Paris, 1844.

12

ORIGIN OF PORCELAIN. 13

and distinguish it by the cleur, resonant note \\ hich it gives out on percussion, and by the fact that it can not be scratched by a knife. They do not lay so mucli stress on the whiteness of the paste, nor on its translucency, so that some of the pieces may fail in these t^vo points, when the faV^ric is coarse; and yet it would be difficult to separate them from the poi'celain class. The j^aste of the ordinary ware, even at Ching-te-chen, is com[)osed of more heterosfeneous materials than that fabricated in European factories, and may even be reduced in some cases to a mere layer of true ])orcelain earths plastered ovei- a substratum of yellowish gray clay. The Chinese sepai'ate, on the other hand, dark-colored stonewares, like the reddish-yellow ware made at Yi-hsing, in the prov- ince of Kiangnan, known to us by the Portuguese name of hoccaro, or the brown stoneware produced at Yang- chiang, in the southern -part of the province of Kwang- tung, which is coated with colored enamels, and is often put in European collections among the monochrome por- celains.

The Chinese Avoi'd for pottery in its widest sense is fao, wdiich includes all ceramic products, from con^mon earthenware to porcelain. Like many of the great nations of antiquity, they claim for themselves the inven- tion of the potter's wheel. M. Bronguiart is inclined to admit their claim, and even attempts to trace the route by which it mav have reached E2:y|)t, throusfh 8cvt1iia and Bacti'ia ; but such speculations seem too hazardous. It was certainly known to the Egyptians at a very early period, probably not later than twenty-five hundred years befoi-e our era. Scenes depicted at Beni Hassan and at Thebes show us the Egyptian potters at w ork, and figure the simple wheel, consisting of a flat disk or hexagonal table, placed on a stand, Avhich appears to have been turned with the left hand while the vase A\ns shaped

14 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

with tlie riglit.* Tlie Chinese claims go back to about the same period, as tliey attribute the iuveutiou of the potter's wheel to the director of [)ottery attached to the court of the fabulous Emperor Huang 1\ to whose reign they carry back their cyclical system of chronology, starting from a date coiTesponding to w. v. 2637. The Emperor Shun, whose reign is ])laced in h. c. 2255-2206, is generally credited with the first improvements in the art of welding clay. Ssii-ma Oh'ien, the Herodotus of China, the compiler of the SJnJi ('Jti, the first of the dynastic histories, says in his biography of SJiuu, that before he came to the throne he made [Jottery at Plo-pin. This name, by the way, furnishes an explanation for a Japanese seal, figured in the J^^ranks Catalogue (Plate XV, Fig. 191), which reads in Chinese Ho-jmi chiJi li/u., or Offshoot of Ho-piu, a title taken from old Chinese lore to be bestowed on a favorite potter })y one of the Japanese feudal princes. Pere d'Entrecolles describes the inunense value a Chinaman attaches to any pieces of pottery he can attribute to the reigns of Yiia and Shun. Tradition says that Yao adored simplicity, and had his sacrificial vessels fashioned of plain yellow earthenware, and that Shun was the first to have them glazed, and the credulous collector classifies his prehistoric pieces accordingly.

Coming to more historical times, the period of the Choii, dynasty (b. c. 1122-249), the third of the Three Ancient Dynasties, its founder, Wu Wajig, is recorded to have sought out a lineal descendant of the Emperor Shun, on account es])ecially of his hereditaiy skill in the manu- facture of pottery, to have given him his eldest daughter in marriage, and to have appointed him feudal ruler of the state of Ch'en (no\v Ch'en-chou Fu, in the })rovince of Honan), to keep up there the ancestral worship of his

* History of Anrie7)t Pottery, by S. Birch, London, 1858.

ORIGIX OK POIKEI.AIN. If)

accoinplislied ancestor. This iiohle is sup[)ose<l to have been the first director of ]X)tterv uiuler tlie new dynasty, an official often alluded to in the Cerfiiioniiil Cla-sslc and in other ancient records of the pei'iod.

The Choit Ritual lias been presei'ved among tlie classical books, and consists of an elal>orate detail of the various officers, with their respective duties. It has been translated into French. ■^'' The officers were classed then, as now, undej" six boards. But when the Ijook was edited in the first century n. c. b}- Liu Hin, the sixth section, which \vas that of the Board of AVorks, ^^as found to be wanting. To sup[)ly the deficiency he incor- porated the K^io hmtg chi^ an artificer's manual of the same period. This includes a shoi't section on pottery, which gives the names and measurements of several kinds of cooking vessels, sacrificial vases, and dishes, in the fabrication of which the different processes of fashioning upon the wheel and of molding are clearly distinguished. The vessels are described as having been made by two classes of workmen, called respectively fao-jen, "pottei's,'' and fang-jen, " niolders."

But few specimens of ])ottery that can l)e cei'tainly referred to the Three Ancient Dynasties have survived to the present day, although ritual vessels and other antiques of bronze are to be seen in native collections by thousands. These last often have inscriptions upon them, beginning perhaps with the number of the month, the \vaxing or waning period of the moon, the day of the month and its cyclical number; rarely is the year of the reigning sovereign or feudal suzerain prefixed ; never his name, as far as I knoAv. It was during the JIan dynasty, which i-eioned from b. c, 202 to a. d 220, that the system of dividing the I'eigns into periods of years with honorific

* Le T'-heou, U, oh liifex iki Tcheou . traduit du Cliiiiois par E. Biot, Paris, 1851.

16 OKIKNTAL CEHAMIC ART.

titles {^nien. Juio) was inaugunited in \^. v. 163. This pro- vided for the first time a convenient means of dating vases and otlier objects.

Bricks and tiles are among the most useful of ceramic products. They may even rank as historical monuments when inscribed. The Chinese antiquary collects them in chi-onological series to show the changes in the style of the written charactei', or ])uts one upon his writing-table for daily use, excavated into the shape of an ink pallet. They were first molded, with the date inscribed on one side, during the Hau dynasty. Some of the pottery of the period is also inscribed. There is, for instance, a bottle-shaped vase of dark reddish stoneware in the Dana Collection, in New York, molded in the shape of a l)roiize ritual vessel of the time, enameled with a deep-green iri- descent glaze, much exfoliated, which is engraved on the surface with a date corresponding to b. c. 133, the second year of the period Yuaii-l-Kang. A similar vase in the British Museum, although it has no insci'i})tion upon it, evidently dates from about the same time, and specimens of this kind are not unconnnon in Chinese collections. The vase illustrated in Fig. 49 is a good example of this class, an ancient stoneware of ljro\vnisli-red paste, invested Avith a thin but lustrous glaze of camellia-leaf green, which came from the collection of Chang Yin-huan, formerly Chinese ministei- at AVasliiiigton, as a relic of the Ha7i dynasty.

There is no word, liowever, of porcelain so far in Chinese books, and we have to do only with an o[)aque stonew'are, invested w ith colored glazes. It remained for European wi-iters to asci-ibe the existence of porcelain to so remote a period, as in the case of the little medicine bottles dug u]> out of Egy[>tian tombs that had not, it was supposed, been disturbed before, and which were conse- quently attriliuted to the eighteenth century b. c. Their

ORIGIN OF PORCELAIN. 17

pretensions to sucL an antiquity have been so abundantly disproved that it is hardly necessary to refer to them here. They must have been fraudulently provided and surreptitiously placed in these tombs by the Arab \vork- men, Avho were rewarded wdienever any antique was discovered.

Other authorities consider the muri'liiiie vases of the ancients, which were described as " cooked in Parthian fires," and wliich were so hii^hly valued that the Emperor Nero gave the equivalent of a quarter of a million dollars for one, to have been made of Chinese porcelain. It is far more probable, as has been suggested by Mr. Nesbitt in his notes on the histoiy of glass-making, that these murrhine vases were made of agates and other hard stones, the colors of which had V)een modified in the East by heating and staining; and that the false murrhines wei'e glass bowls imitating hard stones, but with various strange tints not to be found in natural stones.

With regard to the origin of porcelain in (yhiua, the Chinese themselves confess that previous to the com- mencement of the T\(N</ dynasty, in a. d. 018, there are no criteria for forming an opinion. The names of some score of different sacrificial vases, drinking vessels, and other objects may be collected from books, but nothing is said about their structure or place of production. It was reserved for a Western scholar to carry back the invention to tlie IIa)i dynasty, and to date it precisely as between b. c. 185 and a. d. 87. These dates, adopted by M. Julien in his preface (Joe. ('it, p. xx), have been generally followed by writers on tiie subject, as derived from Chinese records, although based, as we shall show, on fallacious grounds. They are deduced from a short note in the a[)pen(lix to the memoir on the administra- tion of porcelain in the annals of Eou-liang (^Fou-liang Hsien Chili, l)ook viii, folio 44), which reads, "The

18 OUIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

ceramic manufacture of Hsin-p'ing, according to local tradition, was founded in the time of the Han dynasty, and was probably of strong, heavy, and roughly finished material, moulded and fashioned after methods handed down from ancient times."

Commenting on this passage M. Julien writes : " Sous la premiere dynastie des Him^ ^^in-p'mg etait uu Iden [district] qui faisait partie du royaume de Hoai-yang, fonde en Tan 1 85 avant J. C, par I'empereiir Kdo-ti des Han occideutaux. Ce royaume fut appele Ihli'in houe, dans la deuxieme aimee de la periode Teliavg-ho (I'au 88 apres J. C.) du regne des Haii orientaux. Or, comme la porcelaiue parut pour la premiere fois sous les Han^ dans le pays de Sin-i^ing (aujourd'hui Hoai-ning-hien, de- partement de TcJi'in-tcheoii-foK., dans le Honan), qui a pu appartenir aussi bien au royaume de Hoai-yang (ju'a celui de Tcliiii^ il s'ensuit qu'on pent en placei* I'inven- tion entre les annees 185 avant et 87 apres, J. C."

The Chinese names of the geographical dictionaries from which these facts are taken are o-iven in footnotes, but all the trouble of reference would have been saved had M. Julien known that Hsin-p'ing was the original name of Fou-liang Hsien. It is recorded in the geo- graphical section of the official annals of the T\mg dynasty {Thing Shv^ book Ix, folio 25) that this walled city was founded under the name of Hsin-p'ing, in the fourth year of the period Wu-te (a. d. 621), with juris- diction over a tract which formed part of the old district of Po-yang ; that it was i-e-established in the fourth year of K\ii-yuan (716), under the new name of Hsin- ch'ang; and that its name was finally changed to Fou- liang (which it has kept to the present day) in the first year of the period T''ien-2)ao (742).

In another part of his book (p. 88), in reference to porcelain made at Hsin-p'ing by Ho Chuug-ch'u, in the

ORIGIN OF PORCELAIN. 19

year 621, for the use of tlie emperor, Julien strangely identifies this Avith another IIsin-[)'inir, con-espoii(liiig to the modern Pin-chon, a department in the prefecture of Si-ngan, the capital of the province of Shensi, a city which certainly had this name during the Eastern Ilan dynasty (25-220), but never since, so that this identifica- tion involves another anachronism of several centuries. The name signifies '' Newly Pacified," and a number of cities seem to liave V)orne it in tuin for a brief pei'iod.

Hsin-p'ing occurs constantly in different })ages of the annals quoted a])ove as the old name of Fou-liang, and it is, besides, referred to more than once in the last thi'ee books of the Ching-te-chm T\io Lxi, which are omitted in Julien's translation. An exti'act, for example, is (pioted in book viii, folio 2, fi-om the biography of Chu Siii, styled Yu-heng, an official under the T\in<i dynasty, who was superintendent at Hsin-p'ing, when, in the first year of the period Chi)if/-Jiin(/ (a. d. 707), an imperial decree was received by the Governor of Hung-chou, ordering him to supply with all s[)eed a inunl)er of sacrificial utensils for the imperial tombs. Chu Sui is desci'ibed as having pushed on the work so energetically that they were all sent befoi-e the end of the year. Hung-chou is the old name of the modem Nan-ch'ang Fu, the chief city of the province of Kiangsi, and Jao- chou, within the bounds of which lies Fou-liang Ilsien, is stated in the Annals of the T'aiuj dynasty to have been actually at that time under the jurisdiction of the Governor of Hung-chou.

It seems to me certain that llsin-p'ing in all these quotations must i-efer to the same place, which is recorded to have furnished a supply for the inq^erial court, as early as the seventh century, to be sent to the capital in the northern province of Shensi, and which has been the seat of the imperial potteries since the year

20 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

1004, in which CHiiug-te-cheii was founded, down to the present day. It follows, necessarily, that we must give up the Han dynasty as furnishing a certain date for the invention of porcelain. This clears the ground for further research, AVe know that the word fzu^ which noeans porcelain in the present day, first came into use during the Han dynasty, and Mr. Hippisley {loc. cit., p. 393) takes this coining of a new word to designate the productions of that age to be a strong argument in favor of the early date. Others, more skeptical, before reaching any decision, ask to be shown actual specimens of translucent body that can be certainly referred to the period.

In default of such material we will pass on to the T\mg dynasty, which ruled over the Avhole of China for nearly three centui'ies, during what has been described as a protracted Augustan age, when arts and letters flourished abundantly. During the short-lived ISui dynasty (581- 617) which immediately preceded the T\tng we hear of a kind of green porcelain {lil tz'it) invented by a President of the Board of Works named Ho Chou to replace green glass (liu-li), the composition of which had been lost. The contemporary annals of the Sni dynasty {Sui S7iit, book Ixxxviii, folio 7), which give his biography, say : " Ho Chou liad an extensive knowledge of old pictures and a wide acquaintance with oV)jects of antiquity. China had long lost the art of glass-making, and the workmen did not dare to make fresh trials, but he succeeded in making vessels of green porcelain which could not be distino-uished from true o-lass." Consider- able progress must have been made about this time in the ceramic manufacture at Fou-liang Hsien, as it is recorded in the geographical account of the district that, in the early years of the reign of the founder of the T^ang dynasty, T'ao Yii, a native of the place, conveyed

ORIGIN OF PORCELAIN. 21

his porcelain to the c«ipital of the empire in the province of Kuan-chung (now Sliensi), where his ware, known by the name of "false jade vessels," was all jiresented to the emperor. The same book records that in the fourth year (a. d. 621) of the same reign an inipei-ial decree was issued ordering the potter Ho CUiung-cli'u, referred to above, and otlier natives of Hsin-p'ing (now Fou-liang), to make a supply of i)orcelain utensils for the use of the imperial court.

The ceramic ware produced at this time is desci-ibed to have been of finely levigated paste, thin in ])ody, translucent, and brilliant as white jade. This description seems exaggerated, yet the contemporary name of "imitation jade" is enough, almost, to prove tliat it must have been really porcelain, taken into consideration with the fact that it was the production of the same district that j^i'oduces the finest porcelain of the present day. No simile would be more appropi-iate ; for a highly polished bowl of white jade is quite as translucent as tlie most delicate piece of egg-shell porcelain.

AVe know that the ceramic art was highly appreciated during the T''ang dynasty from the frequent reference to it made in the books of the period. The Buddhist monks had their alms-bowls (^><>, Sanskrit jx/tnf) and their ablution vases (Jcun-cliHh-ka, Sanskrit hiiydiht) made both of porcelain (fz'ii) and of common earthen- ware (?/;«), preferring the new material on account of its simplicity to 1>he gold, silver, bronze, and precious stones which had been employed previously.

Tea first came into ireneral use as a ])everaue al)out this time, and there is a classical treatise on tea, called Ch'a Ching^ written by Lu Yii in the middle of the eiglith century, which is still extant. It contains ten sections, entitled (1) Origin of the Plant; (2) Implements foi- Gathering; (3) Manufacture of the Leaf; (4) Utensils

22 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

used in preparing the Infusion; (5) Methods of Boiling; (6) Drinking ; (7) Historical Summary ; (8) Districts of Production; (9) Ilesume : and (10) notes on illustrations.

Among the utensils, the bowls {(va/i) used for drinking tea are briefly described, and classified according to the effect of the color of their glaze in enhancing the tint of the infusion, which was made by pouring boiling water upon the powdered tea, the leaves having been previously ground in a mortal'. The bowls prefen-ed by the author were those of Yueh-chou, tlie modern Shao-hsing Fu, in the province of Chehkiang ; those of Hsing chou, now Shun-te Fu in the ])rovince of Chihli, where \vhite j)orcelaiii is still produced in the present clay, being ranked next. He writes (folio 5) : " Yueh-chou bowds are the best. Some persons place Hsing-chou bo\vls above those of Yueh-chou, but they are, in my opinion, mistaken. Hsing-chou poi'celain resembles silver, while Yueh-chou porcelain is like jade — the first point in which Hsing is inferior to Yueh ; Hsing-chou porcelain resem- bles snow, Yueh-chou porcelain is like ice — the second point of inferiority; Hsing-chou porcelain being ^'S'hite makes the tea look re<l, while the Yueh-chou porcelain being green gives a greenish tint to the tea — the third point in which Hsing is inferior to Yueh."

This porcelain, however, Avas more highly appreciated by others, as one writer of the time observes that " the white teacups of Hsing-chou porcelain, like the bi'owu ink-slabs of Tuan-hsi stone, are prized throughout the empire by high and low alike." Both kinds of porcelain are described as o-ivino- out a clear, resonant ring; when struck ; and a celebrated musician is said, in his biography, to have been in the habit of using ten cups of Yueh-chou or Hsing-chou porcelain to make a musical chime, playing upon them with ebony rods.

(HlKilN OF I'OKCELAIX. 23

The poets of this, the classical age of poetry, make constant reference to porcelain cups in their verses in praise of tea and wine, both favorite subjects for odes. They liken the bowls to curled "disks of thinnest ice," to " tilted lotus leaves floating upon a stream," to '' white or green jade." Such similes are applical)le only to poi'celain. One of the most i-enowned of these poets, the younger Tu, who lived 803-852, Avrote a letter in verse begging for the loan from Wei Ch'u of some white porcelain bowls from the Ta-yi potteries in the province of Sse-chuan, which is often quoted: "The porcelain of the Ta-yi kilns is light and yet strong. It rings with a low jade note, and is famed throughout the city. Your Excellency's white bowls surpass hoarfrost and snow. Be gracious to me and send some to my poor mat-shed." The first line praises the quality of the fabric, the second the resonance of the material, the third the color of the glaze.

Arab trade with China was vei'v extensive in the eighth and ninth centuries, when Mohammedan colonies were formed in Canton and other seaport towns. One of the travelers, Soleyman by name, wi'ote an account of his journey in the middle of the ninth century, which has been translated into French, and lie furnishes the first mention of porcelain outside China which may be quoted in confirmation of the Chinese descriptions of the time. He says: "They have in China a very fine clay with which they make vases which are as transparent as glass ; water is seen through them. These vases are made of clay."^ The Arabs at this time were thor- oughly well acquainted with glass, so that this evidence is almost conclusive.

* Relation des Voyages fails par lea Arahes et les Persans dans I'liide et a la CJiine dans le IXe s-ihle de I'tre chretienne, par M. Reinaiid, menibre I'liistitut, Paris, 1845.

24 OlilKNTAL (EKAMK^, ART.

AVe pass next to the Eiupei'or SJuli Ti^ung (954-959) of the Posterior Chou, a brief dyiuisty whicli reigned just before the Sinn/, wlio encouraged tlie manufacture of porcelain at his capital in Honan, now K'ai-feng Fu. The pieces which were known afterward as CKai porce- lain, that being the name of tlie imperial house, were described as being " as blue as the sky, as clear as a mirror, as thin as paper, and as resonant as jade." This eclipsed in its delicacy everything that [)re- ceded it. The description refers clearly to an azure- tinted monochrome glaze produced by the use of the native cobaltiferous mineral.

It is probable that no perfect specimens of these delicate wares are still extant, so that we have to be content with only a literary proof of their existence. The Chinese are satisfied with this; they delight in literary research, as much as they dislike digging in the o;round, fearino; to disturb the rest of the dead. We must be content to wait for future discoveries to satisfy those sceptics who demand tangible evidence of tlie existence of true })orcelain before the ^nng dynasty. No one, as far as I know, disputes that it existed. But further discussion of this interesting subject must l)e deferred, meanwhile, to a future chapter.

CHAPTER II.

DELATIONS OF CHINESE, KOREAN, AND JAPANESE CERAMICS.

rr^HE civilization of China, whether it be indigenous, -L or derived, as some learned men think, from an Accadian source in westei'n Asia, is certainly much more nucient than that of either Korea or Japan. Those who, like M. Terrien de Lacoupei-ie, would bring it from the Mesopotamian regions, or from the southern shores of the Caspian Sea, place the date of its introduction into China within tlie third millennium before Christ. The Chinese, who consider, on the other hand, that their culture is entirely of native growth, date it from about the same time, during which the legendary — as distinct from the purely mythical — period of their histoiy begins with Fu-hsi, the reputed founder of the Chinese polity, whose ]'eign is placed by them in b. c. 2852. Their €yclical system of chronology is dated from the reign of Huang T% the "Yellow Emperoi'," the first of the periods of sixty years commencing with the year b. c. 2637. He is credited ^vith a full court of officials, who are described as having introduced many of the useful arts, the ceramic art among the rest. , Tlie invention of the potter's wheel is generally atti'ibuted to his director of pottery. The Shu King, oi- Booh of History, which has been translated into Euglish by Dr. Legge, and which is one of the most authentic of the ancient classics, begins with the reigns of Yao and Shun, wiiich immediately precede the "Tlii'ee Ancient Dynasties "of Hsla, Sluing, and Choii, the first that were coni[)Osed of hereditary lines of sovereigns,

25

26 ORIENTAL CKKAMIC ART.

Citou Jl.siii, the last sovereign of the second ancient dynasty, ^vas an abandoned tyrant, who perished in the flames of the Lu T'ai, or Deer Tower, liis hixiirious j)alace of [)leasure, in m. c. 1123, the year that he was defeated ))y Wu Wang, the founder of the Chou d} nasty. One of the chief feudal nobles of the empire during the i-eign of the tyrant Chou Hsin was Ki Tzii, the Viscount or Chief of Ki. This noble vainly sought to turn the licentious monarch from his evil Avays, but was cast into prison, whence he was I'eleased by the victorious WuWaiuj in i?. c. 1122. He was offered a high post under the neAV rule, but declared that he could not I'ecognize the sovereignty of a usurper, and he retired to the country now forming the kingdom of Korea. The peninsula Avas then inhabited b}' barbarous tribes, among whom he introduced the first elements of culture, and he was accepted by them as their first ruler^ and was so I'ecognized by the new sovereign of China.

Korea is indebted to China for the knowledge of writ- ing, as ^v^ell as for most of the sciences and useful arts. They use the written characters of China to this day, although they have also an alphal)et, derived proV)ably from the Sanskrit, adapted by Buddhist pilgi'ims fi-om India, who doubtless reached Korea by way of China. There has been frerpient intercourse with China through- out historic times. The Chinese invaded the country in force during the Ilaii and T\ni(j dynasties, and claim to have reduced it to the condition of a province during the latter re(jirne. Most of the Tartar dynasties that have ruled over China, when they emei'ged from their native wilds on the noi-th of Korea, have first invaded Korea and conipelled its submission before overrunning China. The present Manchu dynasty is no exception to this genei-al lule. The Koreans, however, were not without some knowledge of pottery in the earliest

CHINESE, KOREAN, AND JAPANESE CERAMICS. 2(

periods of wliicli we have an account of them from Chinese sources. The Chinese liistoi'iographers in tlie Hail times mention them as makino; vessels of unirlazed earthenware in archaic forms and designs, similar to those alluded to in the ancient classics of China, and attributed to the ancient emperors Yao and Shun. Sucli prehistoric vessels are found everywhere through- out eastern Asia, as well as in North and South America, and are remarkable for the general similarity of theii- shape and rude ornamentation. This prehistoric potters- has l)een more thoroughly investigated in Japan, where immense deposits have been discovered in ancient shell mounds at Omori, in the vicinity of Tokio, and else- where throughout the country. Several specimens have been figured in special works in Japanese ceramics.* The subject is treated at length by Prof. Morse and Mr. Satow in their papers upon the Shell Mounds of Omorif and Sepulchral Mounds at Kaudzuke.J

Prof. Morse describes the pottery which he discovered at Omori and other places in Japan as being black, or black with a reddish tinge, or red of various shades, and made of coarse clay. The vessels are in many cases unevenly baked, and \\\i\\ few exceptions they are quite thin ; the surfaces ai'e generally smooth ; the rims of the vessels, either straight, undulating, or notched, |)roject at intervals into points, or have variously formed knobs. The borders are frequently ribbed Avithin, or marked with one or more parallel lines outside, the lines often inclosing a row of rude dots. The surfaces of the vessels are oi-namented with curved lines, i:)ands of

*See Japanese Pottery, by James L. Bowes, Liverpool, 1890.

f Shell Mounds of Omori, by Edward S. Morse, Professor of ZoOlogy, University of Tokio, Memoirs of the Science Department, University of Tokio, Japan, 1879.

J Ancient Sepulchral Mounds in Kaudzuke, by Ernest Satow, Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan, vol. viii, Tokohama, 1880.

28 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

oblique lines running in one direction round tbe vessels^ followed by a band of similar lines running in an opposite direction, and sometimes these lines cross each other. The bottoms of some of the pots have matting impi'essions. These designs have either been roughly- incised or, as in the case of the mat marks, impressed, or they are smoothed out of wet clay, or carved in dry clay before baking ; and, like all the pottery found in shell mounds throughout the world, these works bear the impression of the cord mark.

In some instances he found that the vessels had been painted with mercury sulphide, but in no example had any attempt been made to paint designs or patterns,, except that in some cases the color was applied to interspaces between lines or curves already marked. The objects, discovered mostly in fragments, are grouped as follows : Cooking vessels answering to pots, stewpans,. etc.; hand vessels, such as bowls and cups ; vessels with constricted necks, possibly used as water bottles ; and a few vessels of various forms w^hich may be designated as- ornamental jars and bowls. Much difference of opinion exists as to the age of these deposits. None of the frasfnients shows the least sio-n of havino; been thrown or turned ; and the supposition therefore is that they were made at a period at least anterior to the use of the potter's wheel in Japan, the invention or introduction of which is refeiTed by the Japanese to the eighth century of our era. Prof. Moi'se considers them much more ancient, on account of differences in the species of the accompanying fauna as compared with those of the present day ; he even thinks that the pottery may have been made by a pre-Aino race.

The most interesting portion of Mr. Satow's report upon the discoveries at Ohoya and Ohomuro is that which refers to the fragments of human figures and of

CHINESE, KOREAN, AND JAPANESE CERAMICS. 29

Lorses, roughly and inartisticjilly molded in soft clay and imperfectly baked, probably by exposure to the sun. Among the traditions of the ceramic industry recorded in old Japanese books is a story relating the making of pottery figures in the third year of the Cliristian era, to take the place of the persons and animals previously buried around the graves of people of rank, which is probably based upon fact, although it may be untrust- worthy as to period. The common version runs as follows: "The Emperor Saiuin {\\\\o is said to have reigned from b. c. 26 to a. d. 70, and to have died at the age of one hundred and forty-one years) signalized his reign by the repeal of a barbarous custom which doomed the imperial retainers, as well as horses and perhaps other animals, on the decease of the sovereign, to be buried alive in holes in the ground around tlie tomb. In the year 3 a. d. the empress died, and Suiimi, at the suggestion of his retainer Nomi no Sukune, called together one hundred of the hajihe or potters of Idzumi province that they might make clay figures of men and horses, to bury in the place of living victims, as an example foi- future ages. The workmen molded the figures under the direction of Nomi no Sukune and interred them in a circle around the tomb. The emperor rewarded his adviser by conferring upon him and his descendants the office of chief of the potters, with the title of Hajihe no Tsukasa.'''' Mr. Satow, without supporting the correctness of the Japanese dates, adopts the native view that the tumuli explored were really ancient Inirial places of the imperial family.

The ancient Japanese annals called Kojikl state that in the early part of the same reign a Korean })rince became naturalized in Japan, and brought with him a noted potter of Shiraki, a principality of Korea, from whom descended the workmen of Kaciami no Hazama, in the

30 ORIENTAL (EUAMIC AUT.

province <>f Oiui, who for iiiany centuries were reputed t'oi' the fahrication of 81iii'aki ware. This is generally quoted as the first iuti'oduction of a foreign element into Japanese ceramic art, although the relics identified with this production are of very ^^I'iniitive construction, scarcely equal to that of the shell heaps, being also handmade, roughly molded, nnglazed, and presenting nothing worthy of the name of decoration. The baking was effected in holes dug in tlie ground. Mr. Ninagawa^ says that in the present day the manufacture of hand- made pottery in the Shiraki style is carried on at the village of Kimura, in Yamato province, but tlie workmen now make use of a raised earthen stove.

But the native chronology of these times is very uncer- tain, and it is not till the fifth century, when it becomes more accurate, that we can accept Japanese ac(M)imts of intercourse with the outside woi'ld with any confidence. In the year a, u. 463 the Emperor Yuriahu is said to have dispatched an envoy to Korea to engage the services of a skilled potter, which resulted in the advent of a man named Koki, w^ho settled in the province of Kawachi, and there taught the ceramic methods of his people, which gradually spread to other parts of Japan.

The vases fio-ured in Ninas-awa's work Kvmn-ko dzu- setait as prehistoric are probably more recent than, is usually supposed. Many of them contained, ^vhen dis- covered, the curious carved and polished jade ornaments called, from their shape, magatama^ Tciidatama, etc. ; and jade, according to Prof. J. Milne, is a stone foi'eign to Japan, and must have been imported from abroad.

The progress of the art in Japan was confessedly very slow, and aided at eveiy step by Korea or China, although

* lu his work on Japanese pottery entitled Kwan ko dzu setsii, published at Tokio, in five parts, with colored illustrations, and a partial translation of the text in French.

CHINESE, KOIIEAN, AND JAPAXESK ( EliA.MK S. .'U

the invention of tlie potter's wlieel is claimed by tlie Jap- anese, as well as in quite recent times that of clay sec-- gars. The invention of the wheel is atti'ihiited to tlie Korean Buddhist monk Giogi, who lived from 670 to 749 A. D. The process of enameling \vas not adopted till the ninth century, according to Mr. Ninagawa, who states that although glazed ware was known in Ja])an in the eighth century, the specimens were prohabh- im])()ited, and that glaze was not applied by Japanese pottei's till the next century. The green glazed tiles used in build- ing the roof of the imj>eriai palace at Uda in 794 are supposed to have been of Chinese manufacture.

Mr. Chamberlain's researches into the ancient writings * have demonstrated that the chronology of the Japanese anterior to the opening of the fifth century c)f oui- era is fabricated, and that even the myths and legends, as related in the earliest written documents extant, are so intermingled with imported Chinese elements that mucli of their suggestiveness is destroyed. He shows the nar- row limit of the stock of knowledge possessed by the early Japanese before the commencement of Chinese and Korean intercourse, and that they ^vere certainly not acquainted with a number of the arts and products which figure in true historical periods. " They had no tea, no fans, no porcelain, no lacquer, none of the things, in fact, by which in later times they have been chiefiy known. They did not yet use vehicles of any kind. They had no accurate method of computing time : no money ; scarcely any knowledge of medicine ; neither do we heai" anything of the art of drawing, though they j^ossessed some sort of nuisic and poems, a few of Avhich are not without merit. But the most impoitant art of Avhicli they were ignorant was that of writing."

* See the introduction to his transhition of tiie Kojiki in the Tr<in.<>ii<'(ions of the Asiatic Society of Japan, 1883.

32 ORIENTAL CERAMIC AR'J'.

The peninsula of Korea, projecting as it does from the northeast of China toward the Japanese islands, has been the route by which the knowledge of many of the arts has traveled to the latter country. Korea, which was anciently divided into three principalities — Kaoli, Petsi, and Sinra — was not united into one kingdom until about the middle of the tenth century, after it had recovered, its independence, toward the close of the Tktng dynasty in China. In a. d. 463, accoixling to the Japanese report translated by Mr. (now Sir Wollaston) Franks,* some Japanese princes introduced from Petsi a number of col- onists, among whom were some potters; but these were stated to have belonged to a Chinese corporation estab- lished in Korea. Koreans were also concerned in found- ing the factory at Karatsu (Hizen) at the end of the seventh century, as well as some other industries, the principal of which was the well-known ware of Satsuma, whei-e the kilns were built on Korean models, and the pot- ters formed a class apart, not being allowed to marry out of their own community. Excepting, however, the Sat- suma ware, the Koreans do not appear to have intro- duced any pottery of remarkable excellence, and we hear nothing of their making- porcelain. The real reason why the Japanese attached such a fanciful value to Korean vessels, and why they continued to import Korean pot- ters long after they themselves had made so much prog- ress in the art, was connected with the Tea Ceremonies, a peculiar institution which they adopted from the Chinese,, and which has been often described. It is to the Chinese that they are really indebted for their greatest advances ; the fii'st good Japanese glazed pottery having been made at Seto, about 1230, by Toshiro, who had learned the art in China; while the first porcelain made in Japan is attributed to Gorodayu Shonsui, who went to study the

* Japanese Pottery, by A. W. Franks, London, 1880.

chinksp:, kokp:an, and .Japanese ceuamics. .S3

manufacture in China, and returned, to settle at Hizen, in the year 1513.

The " Father of Pottery," Kato Shirozayemon, nioie familiarly known as Toshiro, crossed the sea at the age of twenty, in company with the Buddhist abbot Dogen, with a view to studying the nioi-e advanced processes of the art in China, and returned six years latei', in 1229, to carry his exjierience into practice at the village of Seto, inOw^ari. He brought back materials with him and made utensils of China clay which are called by tea-drinkers Kara-mono^ " Chinese w'are.'' The tea jars and tea bowls made from Seto clay by him and his descendants for four generations are known as Ko Seto, " Old Seto." They are fashioned of stoneware, invested with a black, brown, or yellow glaze, and are good in form and color, as well as perfect in technique. Not only have they served as models for Japanese potters down to the present day, but the celebrity of the ware has given the generic name of Seto-mmio, or " Seto ^vare," to all subsequent ju-oducts of the ceramic art.

Gorodayu Shonsui, who brought to Japan the art of porcelain-making, was a native of Ise, and imitated the example set by Toshiro nearly three hundred years before, by traveling to China to study the technical methods of an art new to his countrymen. He si)eut several years in Foo-chow, during which time he is sup- posed to have visited Ching-te-chen, and returned in the eighth year of the Chinese Emperor Chtng-te (a. d. 1513). This reion is cele})rated for its l)lue and white porcelain, decollated in cobalt blue undei- a white glaze, and we iind that this is the kind of decoration that was tii'st produced in Japan. Shonsui took the precaution to import a considerable quantity of the petuntse, I'aoJin, and cobaltiferous manganese used by Chinese potters, and employed them in the making of various small

34 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

objects, such as ])0\vl8, sake bottles, and tea jars, painted in })lue under an uncrackled glaze. A specimen marked with his name, made by him in China, is preserved at Nara. He settled finally in the pi-ovince of Hizen, wheie he built several kilns, and he is regarded not only as the founder of Japanese porcelain, but as the first Jap- anese ceramist to apply the princii)les of drawing to the ornamentation of pottery, as the few rude outlines occa- sionally found upon the older ware scared}^ merit the name of painted decoration.

But the materials brought over by Shonsui were soon exhausted, and, in default of native material, he was unable to create a genuine native industry, and his suc- cessors could achieve nothing but faience, although that faience was no longer plain, but relieved by faii'ly executed designs under the glaze, copied in part from Chinese models. It was not till the close of the six- teenth century (1599) that a Korean named Risampei, who had l)een brought over to Hizen after the Korean war by a general of the army under the command of Prince Nabeshima, found the lacking ingredients at Mount Idzumi. He established a new industry in Arita for the production of blue and white ware QSo?netsuke), and, as the materials were now abundant and cheap, a large quantity of porcelain was turned out. The novelty of the manufacture, as Captain Brinkley observes in his Historij of Japanese Keramics, combined with the pop- ular taste for jiorcelain already develo[)ed by familiar- ity ^vitll the tine specimens China furnished under the MiiKj dynasty, soon made it exti'emely })opular, though he declares that for us it does not possess so much interest, being copied directly from the Chinese blue and white, to which it is considerably inferior in purity and finish.

It is worthy of remark that neither Risampei nor any

CHINESE, KOREAN, AND JAPANESE CERAMICS. 35

other among the large number of Korean potters brought over by Taiko's generals could ini[)art to their con- querors a knowledge of decoration in enamels over the glaze. This honor was reserved for Higashima Tokuzaye- mon, a potter of Imari, in the same })rovince of Hizen. He is said to have learned from a Chinese visitor to Nagasaki the method of painting with vitrifial:)le colors upon the glaze, and succeeded, with the assistance of other potters, and after experiments spread over several years, in this new class of decoration. This was al)()tit the middle of the seventeenth century. The official Japanese report * says that it was in the second year of Sho-ho (a. d. 1645) that the export of pieces ornamented with colored, enamels, in gold and silvei', etc., was begun, in the first place to a Chinaman named Ilachikan, after- ward to the Dutch traders. It was made especially for the foreign market, and was distributed b}' the Dutch, who had a settlement upon the island of Desiraa, near to Nagasaki, and were allowed exclusive trading privileges, to all parts of Europe, where it afterwards became known as "old Japan." M. Jacquemartf quotes from the Reports of the Dutch East India Company the record that in 1664 eleven ships arrived in Holland Avith forty-four thousand nine hundred and forty-three pieces of Japanese porcelain. The museum at Dresden is remarkable for a large series of noble jars and vases of the most elaborate form and decoration, which was mainly brought together by Augustus the Strong, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, between the years 1694-1705.

The Chinese apply the name of icn fsai, or " five colors," to this kind of decoration, the Ja[)anese foi'm of

* IjC Japon dV Exposition, Unimrselle d«1878, pviblie a Paris sdus la direction de la Commission Imperiale Japonaise.

f Histoire dela Porcelaine, par A. Jacqueniart ct E. Le Blant, Paris, 1862.

36 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

which, go-sai, is also used iu that country, although the name of nishihi, or " silken brocade," is much more commonly employed in eJapan. The reign of Wan-li in China was especially celebrated for its porcelain, dec- orated in colored enamels, which supplied the first models for the Japanese, even the " mark " being often copied. Ching-te-chen suffered very much in the wars at the close of the Ming dynasty, which was finally overthrown in 1643, and the porcelain industry became s^imost extinct. Some of the potters perhaps found their way to Nagasaki, conveyed there by the Dutch, who seem to have done much to develop the manufacture in Japan, if indeed they were not the means of introducing it. The old crackled ware of China that has always been so highly appreciated in Japan is imitated there in recent times under the name of hihi-yahi ; and the sea- green, or celadon, under the name of seiji-yahi,se{ji l)eing the Japanese form of dCing-tx' n^ or " green porcelain," the ordinary Chinese name of this class.

A recent report * upon Japanese porcelain exhibited at Chicago in 1893, shows how they are still working in the old lines and succeeding iu producing marvels of imitative art. The author says that, speaking broadly, there are at [)resent two schools of ceramists in Japan, one of which he calls the Yokohama school, the other the Sinico-Japanese school. The former owes its exist- ence primarily to the demand of foreign exporters and tourist amateurs for brightly ornate and decorative speci- mens, and produces a mass of objects in the ornamenta- tion of which pi'ofusion of color and lavishness of labor are set conspicuously above excellences of technique and chastity of taste. They figure by hundreds on the shelves of bric-a-biac <lealei's, decorated with mol)s of

* Artistic Japan at Chicago : A Description of Japanese Works of Art sent to the World's Fair, by F. Brinkley, Yokohama.

CHIIS^ESE, KOREAN, AND JAPANESE CERAMICS. 87

saints, crowds of warriors, or gardens of flowers painted witli microscopic accuracy ; but all sucli were ostracized ' by the Japanese art critics and ruthlessly excluded from the P^ine Arts Section of the Exposition. The latter, the Sinico-eTapanese school, has its center at Kioto, and Seifu Yohei figures as its most prominent representative. This potter is placed in the foremost rank for his suc- cesses in the celadon, ivory-white, and coral-red glazes. The reproduction of the old Chinese celadon has always been the chief ambition of the Japanese, but no one has ever approached Seifu in this line. Occasional pieces of canary-yellow, turquoise-l)lue, or aul)ergine-purple faience from his kiln are said to have shown the hand of a master of monochromatic glazes, and his canaiy-yellow oflazes with reserved desio^ns in rich blue to have i)een of K^ang-hsi type. Next to him among the masters of the Sinico-Ja])anese school is ranked Miyagawa Kozan, of Yokohama, whose essays of the (Chinese yao-inen or "transmutation" glaze astounded the public, some of his polychrome glazes exhibiting tints of rare beauty, although they never convey the impression of depth and soliditv that belong^s to the Cliinese ^^"are alone. Wlu-n his first copies of the celel)rated Cliiaiig-fsu-JniiKj or "peach-bloom" appeared in the market, the astute Chinaman, detecting a golden opportunity, hastened to acquire as many as possible, inclosed tlieni in the traditional silk-lined boxes of his country's collector, and sold them to trustful Occidentals at figures commen- surate with the magnitude of the deception. The periodical openings of the kilns at Ota are eagerly watched, and the successful pieces incontinently carried off to New York or Paris by such adroit middlemen. The third potter of this school is Takemoto Ilayata, of Tokio, who excels in the glossy black glaze, sometimes showing tints of raven's-wing green, and hairlike lines of

8(S OKIKN'I'AI. CERAMIC AKT.

silver or duppliiig of gokleii ))i'0\vii, in his reprodiictious of the ohi Chien Yao of the Sum/ dynasty, which used to turn out the choice cu[)s so higiily pi-ized hy the dilettanti of the Japanese tea clubs.

But these things are not made for the purpose of deception. Like Yeiraku of old,- the modern Japanese believes that until a potter cau reach the standard of the old masters, he can liave no business in attempting to strike out new lines. Who, as Captain Brinkley says, that is familiar with what China achieved prior to the close of the eighteenth century, will deny that the field of reproduction offers ample scope foi' the genius of any modern e.\])ert ?

CHAPTER III.

INTRODUCTION TO THE CLASSIFICATIOiSr OF CHINESE PORCE- LAIN. INSCRIPTIONS. CHRONOLOGY.

THE most satisfactory classiticatiou of porcelain would be a chronological one, whicli should be based upon the actual characteristics of the objects to be classified, with reference to the history of the subject. The classifica- tion of Oriental porcelain in European collections has been hitherto mainly empirical. A glance at one of the many works of Albert Jacquemart, so beautifully illustrated by the artistic etchings of Jules Jacquemart, will show how the author confounds Japanese and Chinese speci- mens, and endows Korea with an elaborately decorated archaic ware of perfect finish \vhich was certainly never produced in that country. In his History of the Ceramic Art, for instance. Chapter III,* on Korea, is illustrated by two figures only, and the first of these is a jar (^potiche) of Chinese blue and white decorated with fioral arabesque designs ; the second, a Japanese red and gold wine-pot painted with the imperial Kiri-mon, four times repeated ; while among the four specimens selected to illusti-ate Chapter II, on Japan, the second is a Chinese eggshell plate, although only " the vulgar," accoi'ding to the author, confound such artistically enameled pieces with those of his own Chinese Rose family ; the third, a "mandarin jar" with gold filigree ground, is as certaiidy Chinese ; and the fourth, a hexagonal vase " with reticu-

* Iliatoire de la Cemmique, par A. Jacquemart, Paris, 1873. Translated into English by Mrs. Bury Palliser, History of the Ceramic Art, second edition, London, 1877.

39

40 OKIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

lated open-work [taiiels of vigorous iron-red, framing softly painted medallions," lias every appearance of be- lono-ins: to the same school of ai't. The Chinese class of laqne hurgautee porcelain again is referred by M. Jacqiie- mart to Japan ; and " old Japan " pieces of Imari origin,^ decorated in colors, are placed by him, on the other hand, among the Chinese ware, because they are often marked underneath with a Chinese nien hao, or reign.

It is always unsafe to rely implicitly upon the marks attached to Oriental porcelain. The Japanese constantly employ Chinese marks, penciled, however, generally in a peculiar style, so as to betray a foreign hand to any one familiar with the native style of writing. The Chinese themselves seldom attach a true mark of date, excepting upon pieces produced at the imperial manufactory. There special writers are retained to pencil the seal, which is outlined in the most approved antique style.

The classification of the modern private fabrics pro- duced at Ching-te-chen described in the books includes : (1) Kuan hu cli'i (*^ ~^ ^), ''Imperial ancient ware"; (2) Sltang hu chH (_h "^ H-), "Ware of the highest antiquity"; (3) Chung hu clti (fp lb ^h Ware of middle antiquity"; (4) Yuhu cli'i {^fy ~^ ^), "Glazed ancient ware"; (5) Hsiao hu clCi (/J^ ~^ ^), "Small ancient pieces"; and (6) CJCcmg hu cli'i, (^ "^ oi^)? "Ordinary ancient ware." It is not pre- tended that any of these things are really ancient, but the Chinese consumer adores antiquity, and wnll have nothing called modern ; so that we find the commonest of crockery shops or street stalls full of articles of blue and white marked Hsiian-te, and of colored pieces marked Cli eng-liua, that have not the slightest pretension to date from the Ming dynasty. The former reign was celebrated for its blue, the latter for its colors, and the

CLASSIFICATION OF CJIINKSE PORCELAIN. 41

ware of to-day must be marked accordingly. It is a mere matter of fashion or custom.

The reign of K'ang-hd (1662-1722) is famous both for its dazzling monochrome glazes and for the brilliant enamel colors of its decorated porcelain. The long reign of this emperor forms the culminating period of ceramic art in China ; the imperial factor}^ tui'ned out pieces of the finest quality, and the private potteries produced a profusion of ware of every grade, that was circulated throughout the Chinese Empire, and distri])uted besides to all parts of the world by the ships of the East India Companies ; yet genuine marks of this reign are rare. It is recorded in the annals of Fou-liang that in the six- teenth year of the reign of K\i)ig-hsi (1677), when the imperial factory was rebuilt after the civil wars excited by the rebellion of Wu kSan-kuei, the governor of the city, Chang Ch'i-chung, issued a proclamation forbiikling the potters of Ching-te-chen writing either the name of the reign, or texts from any of the sacred or classical works, lest the porcelain should be broken and the sacred characters trampled in the dust and profaned. The im- perial pieces of the time when he was the official in charge are consequently found with only a double ring, a survival of the old mark of wdiicli it formed the border, underneath ; the unofficial ware marked with a fanciful artist's signature, a spray of flowers, a leaf, a vase, etc., or with some propitious symbol, if not with a flctitious date of the preceding dynasty. I refer especially to the tall vases, jars, and beakers, and the large round dishes, which occupy a prominent place in most Oriental collec- tions, boldly decorated in enamel colors, relieved per- haps by a ground enameled black, gi'een, buff, or yellow, painted either over the white glaze or on " biscuit." In spite of the marks, there is slender ground for the common practice of classifying any of these large pieces

42 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

as Ming, eveu if they be of coarse fabric, rough execu- tion, and so-called archaic aspect.

A few words on the writing and history of China may not be out of place here before proceeding to the classi- fication and description of marks on porcelain. The Chinese language, I need hardly say, is monosyllabic, and each word is represented by a separate " character " in tlie written script. These characters seem to have been originally pictures of natural objects which have been subsequently combined in various ways, as phonetics, and as determinatives or radicals. The radicals in modern use are 214, a number arbitrarily fixed for dic- tionary purposes, as a means of classifying the 20,000 or more written characters of the language, and of provid- ing a convenient method of coining new combinations. The large majority of the characters in actual use consists of the two parts referred to above — viz., a radical, which gives a clew to the meaning by indicating the particular class of things or ideas to which the combination of which it forms a part belongs, and a phonetic, which conveys some idea of the sound.

A few words of frequent occurrence in works on ceramics may serve as an illustration, and at the same time afford an opportunity of defining the meanings of the characters. Among the radicals, those referring directly to the subject are the 98th, ^, wa, a general name for earthenware, while was originally a picture of a round tile ; the 108th, HU, miny the ancient form of which resembled a circular dish ; while the 121st, ^, fou, applied to ceramic vessels generally, delineated a wine-jar or vase; and the 193d, |^, li, in its original form showed the mouth, belly, and crooked legs of a three-footed caldron, the upper horizontal line being the cover. In older books these different radicals are often interchanged so that the characters p'ing, " vase," and

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN. 43

ying, " cruse," may be written either with iva, " earthen- ware," or fou, "■ vessel," prefixed to tlie two phonetics. Some of the characters had originally other radicals, such as mu, " wood," yi'i, " jade," <^hm, " metal," or shih, " stone," attached to the phonetics, and a study of the ancient forms employed in writing \vill show the ma- terials of which these utensils were made.

Wa, ^, with the addition of different phonetics, forms ^, cJtumi, a brick, ^, p'i., applied to fine terra- cotta ware of the period anterior to the Christian era, ^, fza, porcelain, and the names of many utensils, such as ^, ying, a cruse, with perforated '' ears " for stringing a cord, ^, weng, a large earthenware jar, etc.

Mill, JH, is the radical of many kinds of vessels of domestic and sacrificial use, such as ^, cIkih, winecups, ^,pen, basins, ^, pei, winecups, ^, /ran, bowls, ^, i/il, basins, j^, Jio, boxes, ^, p^an, dishes, etc.

M)u, f^, is the radical of a natural group of characters relating to vases, and the like, such as ^, hutg, fish- bowl, ^, yao, jar, '^, p'lng^ bottle, ^, tsun., sacrificial vase, ^, huan, covered pot, fan, wine-jar, etc. It forms an integral part of p^, fao, a very ancient character, applied to pottery in its widest sense, so as to include all kinds of ware fired in kilns, and of ^, yao, a character of more recent construction, signifying both kiln and, as a secondary meaning, the product of the kiln. Both of these words are used in modern books as synonyms of ^, fzu, porcelain. The original forjn of p|f|, fao, was "lU, without the radical '^,foi(, place, which was added subsequently, and it is written thus in the ancient diction- ary Shuo Wen, which defines it as meaning " earthen- ware," "composed of ^,f<)ii, and ^, pao, the phonetic being omitted." It had two different sounds, fao and yao, both of which are preserved in old names ; j5|^, T'ao (the modern P'ing-yang-fu in Shansi) being the name of

44 ORIENTAL CERAMKl ART.

one of the principalities of the ancient Emperor Yao; Kao Yao (.^ fl^) that of the upright judge of the time of the Emperor Shun, tlie successor of Yao. Originally meaning " kiln," fao is now used to signify " pottery," in its widest sense, including porcelain among the other products of the potter's skill. Unfortunately, the word pottery is often used by us in ordinary parlance to mean faience and conunon earthenware, in contradistinction to porcelain, so that the rendering of fao as " pottery," con- venient as it is, may be liable to some misconception. The rendering of tz'u as " porcelain " would also be some- times inappropriate, as the Chinese include in the term any [)ale stoneware in which the paste has been suffi- ciently vitrified to produce a cleai" ring on percussion, although it may be too thick and opaque to transmit light, one of the characteristics on which we rely in our definition of porcelain.

With regard to the transliteration of the Chinese characters into English, the system adoi)ted here is that of Sir Thomas Wade, whose syllabary of the mandarin dialect, exjdaiued in his Chinese Course, the Tzu Erl> Chi., is almost universally followed in China, and foi-ms the basis of tlie two most recent dictionaries of the Chinese language, the large work of Mr. Herbei't Giles, and the small, inexpensive Pocket Dictionarif of the Rev. Cliauncey (xoodrich, Peking, 1891, which every one who is interested in the subject ought to possess. The 20,000 characters of the written script are comprised in a syllabary of some 500 sounds. Tn speaking? these ai-e diffei-entiated into four " tones," which, however, may l)e disregarded in writing. The vowels and di])hthongs must be generally pronounced as in Italian, the consonants as in English. Some consonants at the beginning of words may be .'ispirated ; such as ch, k, i>, and /, when they have an apostrophe affixed, are

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN. 45

written Gh\ h\ p\ t\ and pronounced accordingly, fa, for example, being read like " hit hard" witli the first two and last two letters omitted. The initial A-S' is one of the peculiarities of the Peking mandarin dialect ; liaimj is pronounced somewhat like " hissing " without the first i : another peculiarity is the softening of the initials h and ts before certain vowels, by which the name of the famous emperor of the last century has become Chrien- lung, instead of KHen-lung, that of the Ming emperor who reigned 1522-1566, Chia-ching, in j)lace of Kia- tsiiig. This results from the same philological law which causes similar changes of Latin vvorils in the Italian and French of modern days.

The written script of the Chinese has also become gradually changed in course of time. Its most archaic form is seen in the inscriptions upon ancient bronze v'essels dating from the three earliest dynasties, which have been discovered at various times buried in the ground, and illustrated in voluminous works by native antiquarians, such as the Po hv fan, which was published in thirty books in the reign of Hsikni-ho (11 19-1125), and the Hsi-Cli'ing hu chien, the well-known large folio catalogue of the extensive collection of the Emperor Cliien-luiig (1736-1795). Among the most a,ncient inscribed monuments are the ten stone drums of the eighth century before Christ, preserved in the gate- way of the Confucian Temple at Peking, which are engraved with odes in praise of hunting and fishing, written in the antique script which was invented by Chou, the grand historiographer of Ih'nini Wang (b. c. 827-780), to replace the archaic ideographic characters.* These are the ^ ^, Clitian tz'u, the cliaracters in ^vhich the ancient aiuials were wi'itten upon tablets of bamboo

* The Stone Drums of the Chou Dynasty, by S. W. Bushell, M. D. Transac- tious of the North China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol. viii. 1873.

46 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

before the iuveritioii of paper. In foreign books they are commonly known as '' seal characters," because modern seals are usually engraved in this style. The seals and other marks on porcelain are often penciled in this antique script, so as to require tlie use of the Shuo Wen, an ancient dictionary of a. u. 121, for their decipherment. These chai-acters, called ^ ^, fa cluani, or "greater chuan,'' \vere succeeded by the " lesser chuan," lisiao cliuaii^ /J^ ^, which wei'e invented by Li Ssii, the notorious minister of ChHn Shih Huang, the enq3eror of the third century b. c, who burned the old books and built the Great AVall of China.

A pair of porcelain seals in the collection, with lion handles I'ichly decorated in colors, of which one is shown in Fig. 58, are inscribed with cJuian fzu. The inscrip- tions are seen in Fig. 59. The first, on tlie left, has three characters in tlie most archaic script, HsiaiKj Sltan SJiih — i. e., " native of Hsiang Shan "; the second is inscribed with four characters, P^ei SJniai-tu Yin, "■ seal of P'ei Shuai-tu,'' the personal name of the individual for whom the seal was made. These w^ere followed almost immedi- ately by the square characters called ^, //, " official," that were first used in writing documents in the official Boards, and were afterward gradually transformed into the regular characters called i^ ^, Ic'iai sJiu, which, first fashioned under the Chin dynasty (265-419), have sur- vived wdtli little modification to the present day, and are employed in printed books as w^ell as in formal written manuscripts. Two different cursive sci'ipts have sur- vived at the same time: the !^ ^, ts'ao shn, or "grass hand," in w^hich the characters are contracted and abbre- viated for the quick write]-, which w^as invented ])y a eunuch of the palace in the first century b. c; and the ^"X ^, lining sh% or " running hand," in which the char- acters are rapidly written without raising the pencil, but

CLASSIFICATION^ OF CHINESE PORCELAIN, 47

unabbreviated, wbich was started by Liu Te-sheng in the reign of the Emperor Iluan Ti (147-167).

Any of tliese styles of writing may be found upon porcelain. The " grass hand " is the most difficult for the uninitiated, because the characters are contracted according to the fancy of each individual scribe. The stanzas of poetry which are quoted as labels for pictures are often written in this style ; it is found also on the little porcelain bottles which have drifted in such num- bers from Egypt into our museums, and ^vhicli Avere supposed once to be of fabulous antiquity, until the lines scribbled upon them — ^' The flowers open, and lo ! another year," " Only upon this solitary hill " — opposite rudely outlined flowers, had been traced to poets of the T'ang dynasty.

Such scraps of verses are often written on small pieces, and form, perhaps, the sole decoration, as in the case of a little pair of hlanc-de-chine winecups from the [)rovince of Fuchien, of which Fig. 60 is one. The stanza carved in the paste under the velvety glaze of creamy tone reads :

" Drunken with wine, I leave in you, sir, A libation for the bright moon."

There is always presumed to be in China an intimate connection between the art of poesy and Bacchus, and Luna.

The verses inscribed on vases are usually connected with the subject of the decoration, which is perhaps chosen to illustrate the verse. The vase, for example, in Fig. 61 is decorated in the lower panel with a picture of a hunting scene, to illustrate an ode of the Emperor Ch'ien-lung's composition, which is written in the upper panel and signed with the imperial autograph:*

* The name of the emperor is framed in coral-red, the special color of the imperial " vermilion pencil." The character Ch'ien is here written in antique

48 ORIENTAL CERA3IIC ART.

^' Clouds overspread the vaulted sky, the air at dawn is chill; The ring is spread for the hunt, when the sun is but three poles

high. Clad in warm cloak of sable fur, it seems to me like spring: How different for you all round, in your single, unlined coats! "

Another beautiful vase of tlie same p^eriod (Fig. 62), decorated on one side with a view of a picturesque laud- scape with temples on a wooded hill, representing the island of Yen Yii Shan, '' The Hill of Mist and Rain," in the lake at the city of Hangchou, has four stanzas of rhyming verse penciled in black on the reverse side (b), perfectly written, and signed in antique style with the seal Yun Ku^ " Valley of the Clouds." They may be rendered :

^' For miles round, orioles warble at dawn in the rose-tinted

trees; Botli sliore hamlets and hill forts show the wine-ttags waving in

the breeze. Here in the Southern Dynasties stood four hundred and eighty

fanes, And as many wood-circled spires, all half hidden by mists and

rains."

The coral-red bowl of the Tao-Kuang Period (Fig. 63), has an inscription reserved in white on the bright-red ground, which also refers to tlie subject of the decora- tion, reserved on the other side of the bowl, consisting of sprays of \vliite plum blossoms delicately tinted with soft green and i-ed. The verse, >vith a fanciful heading inscribed in a leaf-])anel " Moon Cut," is signed Ya Wa?i,

script ; in other siniilur iuscriptions, as in Fig. 65, below, it is replaced in the first small circular panel by three parallel unbroken horizontal strokes, the first of the eight " trigrarns " of divination, which, like Ch'ien, conveys tlie mean- ing of " heaven."

CLASsiFicATioisr op^ OHiNEsp: poii(;p:rvAiN. 49

^' Literary Toy," which occurs also as a " mark," as we shall see later. It may be translated :

■" The trees, enveloped in clouds of melting, d:i\vn-red tint, Show leaves of deepest green and flowers of jadelike white; The buds, like ])recious pearls, spread out earl}' in the spring- time; The powder-pot of [)alace beaut}' sprinkled into snowy flowers."

We will give oue more inscription, in verse, from the pen of the Emperor Ch'ien-limg, in Fig. 65, which is a slightly magnified representation of the beautiful little snuft'-bottle shown in Fig. 64. It is interesting as devoted especially to the ceramic question, and as giving the views of an illustrious connoisseur, whose poetic effusions, I may mention, are printed and fill some tens of volumes.* The other side of the snuff-bottle (Fig. 64) is decorated in enamel colors with a miniatui-e garden scene containing a rockery and moinitain peonies, and a boy carrying a basket from which he is feeding a hen and chickens. The inscription is penciled in black and authenticated by the imperial seal in red affixed below in two small labels. There is also a mark underneath, written in one line of seal characters, ClCien- lung nien cltili, "Made in the reign of C hHen-lung '''' (1736-1795). The ode runs:

* Wylie, in his Notes on CMnene Litemture (London and Shanghai, 1867), says that, besides several extensive collections of essays and discourses, this monarch left to posterity a quadruple collection of poems. The first, in forty- eight books, contains 4,150 pieces, composed during the first twelve years of his reign ; the second, in one hundred books, contains upward of 8.470 pieces, composed between 1748 and 1759 ; the third, in one hundred and twelve books, contains 11,620 pieces, written during the next twelve years ; and the fourth, also in one hundred and twelve books, includes 9,700 pieces, written between the years 1772 and 1789, the whole work comprising about 33,950 poetical com- positions.— Editor's Note.

50 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

" Yueli-chou porcelain of the Li dynasty of T'ang is no longer

extajit: * The imperial ware of the Chao house of Sung is rare as stars at

(lawn. Yet the ancient ritual vessels of Yin and Chou abound in the

present da}': Their material, bronze, is stronger; vessels of clay are more

fragile. But though strong and rude tliey l:ist, the weak and polished

perish : So honest worth wears well in daily life, and should be ever

})rized. The Chu dynasty of Ming, going back from to-da^', is not so far

remote: And the artistic gems of Hsuaii and Ch'eJig may be seen occa- sional I3', Their brilliant polish and their perfect coloring are universally

lauded; And among them the 'Chicken Winecups ' are the ver}^ crown

of all. The Mutan peonies under a bright sun opening in the balmy

spring; The hen and chicken close together, and the cock in all his glor}''. With golden tail and iron spurs, his head held straight erect, In angry poise ready for combat, as if he lieard the call of Cbia

Ch'ang. The clever artist has rendered all the naturalistic details In a style handed down from old time, vaiying in each period: But I will think only in iny own tniinl of the ancient Odes of

Ch'i, And not dare to cheiish my own ease when it is time to rise early.

" Composed by tlie Emperor Ch'ieii-hmg in the cyclical year ping-shen, and sealed by him."

*The Yueli porcelain of the T'mty ((518-906) and the "Imperial Ware" (Kuan Yao) of the Sung dynasty (960-1279) will be described presently. The Tin and Chou were the last two of the three ancient dynasties b. c. The reigns of the Ming dynasty alluded to are those of Usiian-te (1426-1435) and CA'e/(5^-7t«rt (1465-1487), both famous for their porcelain. Chia-Ch'aug lived in the reign of Ming Tsung (926-933), of the After T'ang, and was employed by the emperor on account of his skill with lighting-cocks. The Ode of Ch'i, referred to in the last stanza, enjoins the sovereign not to lie in bed after cock- crow. The year ping-sJien of the cycle corresponds to a. d. 1776.

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN. 51

A pamphlet was ])ul)lished early in the nineteenth century with a transhition of this inscription and an illustration of the winecup from which it was taken, which is decorated with a picture similar to that described above. It is entitled Ly-Thtnr/^ An Imperial Poem in Chinese, by Kien-Lung, with a Ti-anslation and Notes by Stephen Weston, F. li. S., F. S. A., London, 1809. Dedicated to Sir Geoi'ge Staunton, Bart. It is quoted in Marks and Monograms on Pottery and Porce- lain^ by W. Chaffers, 1891, seventh edition, pp. 310, 312, " to show the difficulty of translating Chinese." The translation certainly differs fi'om mine. It begins :

'' Ly-T'ang, idle and unemployed, in a vacant and joyless hour spake thus : ' Behold the sun, star of the morning, rise on my furnace and illumine my hall undei- an imperial dynasty.' Great is the beauty and high the antiquity of sacred vases," etc.; but I will refer the curious to the Catalogue of the British Museum, a whole page of which is filled with the titles of the Avorks of Mr. Weston, who seems to have been a leadins; lioht of the Society of Antiquaries of the time.

The marks on Chinese porcelain are ^vritten on dif- ferent parts of the piece. In the more ancient speci- mens they occur generally on some part of the surface, written in a vertical or horizontal panel which forms part of the decoration, because the base is so often left unglazed. Under the reigning dynasty, on the con- trary, the mark is usually either penciled or inq>ressed underneath the vase or bowl. The inscription generally marks the date according to the native systems of chronology, of which there are two : first, the cycle of sixty years ; second, the nien-hao, or title of the reign of the emperor.

The cycle of sixty is indicated by a combination of the " Ten Stems " with the " Twelve Branches."

52 ORIENTAL CERAMIC AllT.

The "Ten Stems" which compose the Denary Cycle

are:

1. ^, Chia Corresponding tu the element yfC

2. 2i. Yi j -^^'^^ Wood.

•^- PS? i^iiig j Cori-esponding to the element ^

4. T, Ting ] Huo, Fire.

5. yXi, Wn I Corresponding to the element i.

6. a, Chi j rV, Earth.

7. ;^, Keng j Corresponding to the element ;^

8. ^, Hsin j <^%^>^, Metal.

9. i, Jen j Corresponding to the element 7jC 10. ^, Knei j ^^'^^'^^', Water.

The " Twelve Branches " which compose the Duo- denary Cycle mark the divisions of the Chinese zodiac, the horary periods of the day, and are equivalent to the animal cycle adopted from the Tartars. They are :

1. ^, Tzii ^, >S7/^/, theKat.

2. 5, Ch'ou 4^, iV"/?/, the Ox.

3. g, Yin ^, Bu, the Tiger.

4. ^P, Mao %, Tu, the Hare.

5. J^, Ch'eu f I, Lung, the Dragon,

6. Ei, Ssii i'S, She, the Serpent.

7. ^, Wu i^, Ma, the Horse.

8. ^, Wei ^, Yamj, the Goat.

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN. 53

9. f^, Shell |g, Ilou^ tlie Monkey.

K). S, Yii H, 67^/, the Cock.

11. ^, Hsii ;^, 67/'//^///, the Dog.

12. ^, Hai 3^, 67//, tlie Pig.

By joiniug the first of the twelve to the first of the ten signs the combination ^ -J*, chl(i-tzn,\^ formed, and so on in succession until the tenth sign is reached, when a fresh commencement is made, the eleventli of the series of twelve " branches " being next appended to the sign ^, chia. The sixty combinations thus formed are called the Cldatzu series, commonly known as the cycle of sixty. This has been employed from a period of remote antiquity for the puipose of designating successive days. It was not till the Han dynasty, in the century preced- ing the Christian era, that it was a})plied to the number- ing of years. The official chronology starts with the year b. c. 2637, so that the beginning of our era cori'e- sponds with the fifty-eighth year of the forty-fourth cycle. The following table shows the cycles posterior to the Christian era, and will be found useful for the calculation of any given cyclical date :

54

OKIKNTAL CERAMIC ART.

TABLE I.

CHINESE CYCLES 45 TO 76, OR A. D. 4 TO 1923.

	CYCI.E	COMMENCING		CYCLE	COMMENCING
CO	A. D.	A. D.	A. D.	A. D.	A. D.	A. D.	A. D.	A. D.	A.D.	A. D.
2	4	64				02	4	64
!/5	304	364	124	184	244	y^	304	364	124	184	244
<1	604	664	424	484	544	<	604	664	424	484	544
	904	964	724	784	844		904	964	724	784	844
	1204	1264	1024	1084	1144	O	1204	1264	1024	1084	1144
o	1504	1564	1324	1384	1444	o	1504	15641324	1384	1444
	1804	1864	1624	1684	1744		1804	18641624	1684	1744
^^	04	64	24	84	44	¥^	34	94	54	14	74
r, fl:	05	65	25	85	45	r.*	35	95	55	15	75
rt ^	06	66	26	86	46	1^ *	36	96	56	16	76
T^|]	07	67	27	87	47	J m	37	97	57	17	77
jsm	08	68	28	88	48	)X J^	38	98	58	18	78
SE	09	69	29	89	49	B^	39	99	59	19	79
^4^	10	70	30	90	50	m^	40	00	60	20	80
^*	11	71	31	91	51	^a	41	01	61	21	81
i*	12	72	32	92	52	i *S	42	02	62	22	82
^a	13	73	33	93	53	^M	43	03	63	23	83
^)^	14	74	34	94	54	¥ M	44	04	64	24	84
r,^:	15	75	35	95	55	^E	45	05	65	25	85
rti^	16	76	36	96	56	rt^	46	06	66	26	86
Tfl-	17	77	37	97	57	J *	47	07	67	27	87
;x^	18	78	38	98	58	jX *	48	08	68	28	88
^m	19	79	39	99	59	S S	49	09	69	29	89
jtM	20	80	40	00	60	^JX	50	10	70	30	90
4-E	21	81	41	01	61	^x	51	11	71	31	91
s^	22	82	42	02	62	ii^	52	12	72	32	92
^*	23	83	43	03	63	^S:	53	13	73	33	93
¥ #>	24	84	44	04	64	^ SJ	54	14	74	34	94
r, ffl	25	85	45	05	65	2.^]	55	15	75	35	95
rt !^	26	86	46	06	m	rt M	56	16	76	36	96
T-M	27	87	47	07	67	T E	57	17	77	37	97
)X=f	28	88	48	08	68	;X^	58	18	78	38	98
efl:	29	89	49	09	69	e*	59	19	79	39	99
^s	30	90	50	10	70	m ffi	60	20	80	40	00
^#	31	91-	51	11	71	^m	61	21	81	41	01
SM	32	92	52	12	72	ii*	62	22	82	42	02
5^E	33	93	53	13	73		63	23	83	43	03

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE POKCELAIX. 55

It will be observed that this table has been cut in two, and the parts placed side by side in order to bring it within the limits of the page. The second column of Chinese cliaracters is l)ut a continuation of the Urst col- umn of Chinese characters, and each column of figures in the second part of the table is but a continuation of the corresponding column in the first part. The short col- umns at the top show the date of the beginning of each cycle in regular order, a. d. 4, 64, 124, 184, 244, ;i04, etc., followed by the years corresponding to the sucr cessiv^e years of the cycle. For example, ^ -f-, Cliia Tzu, is the cyclical sign of each of the years mentioned above, ^vhile ^ 3r» Yl Cli^ou^ the second cyclical sign, corresponds to the years 5, 65, 125, 185, 245, 305, 365, etc. ^ ^, Cilia Wu, the thirty-first sign, corresponds to the years 34, 94, 154, 214, etc. Now, if it be wished to ascertain the cyclical year ^ )%, Keng Hsii, of the period Tao-hua)ig of the ChUmj dynasty, an inspection of Table III shows that the first yeai" of Tao-lfiang Avas 1821, and that the period closed with 1850. Turning to Table I, it \vill be found that a cyclical period began with 1804, and as it would end 'with 1868, the period Tao-kiiang naturally falls within that cycle. Fixing ^ £, H><iii Ssn, as the first year of Tao-kuang\s reign, and going down the column, we reach the sign ]^ ^ ^ve are in search of, and identify it as tlie year 1850, the last of the reign.

The legen(hiry period of Chinese history (as distinct from tlie purely mythical ages which preceded, and which, accordino- to the more exti'avaoant chronolo2:ers of the country, reach back some two t)r three millions of years to the creation of the world) begins with Fn-lii, the reputed founder of the monarchy, the first year of whose reign is placed in e. c. 2852. He is the first of the Wu Ti., or Five Rulers, \\'\\o are succeeded by the Emperors

56

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Y(K) (h. c. 2356) and Shun (b. c. 2255), with whose reigns the /Shu Cldng^ or " Historical Classic," opens. JH^aJi-hPs immediate successors were Shen-nung, the Divine Husbandman (b. c. 2737) ; Ilaang-ti, the Yellow Emperor (b. c. 2697) ; SluioJuio (b. c. 2597) ; and Chucm Hsil (b. c. 2513). The Emperor Shun was succeeded by the Great Yii (b. c. 2205), the founder of the first of the twenty-four dynasties which have I'uJed the empire in succession down to the advent of the leigning Manchu dynasty in a. d. 1644.

TABLE II.

SUCCESSION OF THE CHINESE DYNASTIES.

1. Hsia J

2. Shang* j^

3. Chou ^

4. Ch'in ^

The Three Ancient Dynasties.

5. Han ^

6. Eastern Han

206

A. D. 25

The usurper Wang Mang occupied the throne a. d, 9-23.

4<i^

7. After Han ^ %

8. Chin -g

9. Eastern Chin

221

265 317

Three Kingdoms, —. p{ , divided China, the ^ Han, Jj| Wei^ and ^ Wu.

* In B. ('. 1401 the title of this dynasty was changed from Shunn to Yin.

CLASSTFK ATION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN.

57

10.	Siiug	*
11.	Ch'i	^
12.	Liaiij^	m
13.	Ch'eii	m

14. Sui p§ . .

15. T'aiig jf . .

16. After Liang ^ ^

17. After T'ang ^^ jg

18. After Chin ^ §

19. After Han ^ )^

20. After Clioii :^ ^

21. Sung 5J5 . .

23. Yuan JC . .

24. Ming 0^ . .

25. Ch'ing ^^ . .

420 479 502 557

589

618

907

928

936 -i

947

951

960

This period is known by the collective name of y^cin Pel ClPno, Northern and Southern Dynasties, as tlie Jl Wei ruled the north from 420 to 550.

These short-lived dynasties are known collec- tively as the 5!. ft Wii Tai, Five Dynasties.

22. Southern Sung "S tI? • 1127 -{

The Niu-chih Tar- tars occupied Nortli China (1115-1234) as the CJuii dyuas-

[ Mongolian dynasty 1280 -! founded by Kn-

1368

( The reigning 2fa)i-

58

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

TABLE III.

REIGNS OK THE LAST TWO DYNASTIES.

EMPERORS OF THE

Dynastic Title, OH ^[lAO HAO.

T'ai Tsii . . HuiTi . . .

Ch'eng Tsu Jen Tsiing . Hsiiau Tsung . Ying Tsuug CLing Ti . . Yiug Tsung

(resumed govei'iimcnt)

Ilsien Tsuns: . Hsiao Tsung . AVu Tsu no- Sbib Tsung Mu Tsu no; . 8hen Tsung Kuang Tsung Hsi Tsuug . . ffi fll # Cliuang Lieh Ti

EMPERORS OF THE ^ ^^ ,

ifrjil ShihTsu . Sheng Tsu . Skill Tsung Kao Tsunof Jen Tsung . Hsiian Tsu no; AVen Tsung Mu Tsuns: .

m

MING DYNASTY.

TiTi-E OF Reign, OR NIEN HAO.

f^ ^ Hung-wu . ^ ^ Cliien-vven ^ ^ Yung-lo . m m Hung-hsi . M. Wi Ilsiian-te . jE j^ Cheng-t'uug 5: # Ching-t'ai . ^ )lg T'ien-sliun

Date of Accession.

. 1308

. 1399

. 1403

. 1425

. 1426

1436

1450

1457

111, *^^

IS ap: m at:

?0

The leigning sovereign

Ok

3^^^

^

M

Ch'eng-liua Hung-chih Clieng-te . Chia-ching Luug-ch'ing Wan-li . . T'ai-cli'ang T'ien-cli'i . Cli'img-cLen

1465 1488 1506 1522 1567 1573 1620 1621 1628

niE GREAT CH'ING DYNASTY.

)I[| t§ Shun-cliih

it*

K'anof-lisi .

Yung-clieug

Cli'ien-lung

Chia-cli'ing

Tao-kuang

Ilsien-feng

T'uno'-cbih

Kuang-hsii

1644

1662 1723 1736 1796

1821 1851

1862

1875

CHAPTER IV.

MARKS ON CHINESE PORCELAIN. MARKS OF DATE. HALL

MARKS. MARKS OF DEDICATION AND FELICITATION.

MARKS OF COMMENDATION. MARKS IN THE FORM OF

DEVICES.

THE " mark " on porcelain is generally understood to be any inscription or device indicating the time at which the specimen was made, or the make, or the work- man, and which forms no part of the decoration. The Chinese word for '' mark " is ^)^, A^uan, which is usually translated " seal," although the term includes written inscriptions of the kind indicated above as well as impressed marks. The mark is generally penciled by a special writer employed for the purpose on the bottom of the piece before it is fired. The foot, which has been left a solid mass for convenience of handling during the different operations of the potter, is at last shaved ott* and polished, and the writer attaches the seal upon the surface of the unbaked white clay. The glaze is after- ward applied, either by immersion, or by sprinkling, and the piece is ready for the furnace. The mark is usually written in cobalt blue imder the glaze. This is the case not only in pieces painted in blue, and in those in which underglaze blue forms part of the decoration in colors, but also, often, in those enameled with single colors, and, occasional!}^, in decorated ware ^vllich has no blue in its painted designs. In other pieces, decorated in enamel colors, the mark is outlined in one of the colors of tlie muffle-stove from the palette of the decorator, such as black or overglaze blue; while those painted simj^ly in

59

60 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

coral red or oold have seals written underneatli over the glaze in the same color as that emj^loyed in the decora- tion.

This description applies especially to the porcelain produced at the imperial manufactory at Ching-te-chen. In tlie private manufactories a special writer is not em- ployed, the mark being attached by the artist who paints the decoration. He pencils his signature, a motto, or some painted device, or perhaps a label descriptive of the picture he has painted, on some part of the piece. Tliis is not always inscribed underneatli the foot, so that we may iind the artist's monogram in some cases underneath the piece, in others attached as a signature to the picture, or following the verses which accompany it. In this same way a descriptive label like "The mountains are high, the rivers long" (^Slian hao shui chhiinj) may be written either at the head of the landscape or under the foot of the vase. In the latter case it often occurs, writ- ten in the seal character, as an ordinary mark of pieces decorated with landscape paintings. The former case is exemplified by the beautiful little teapot illustrated in Fig. 68, one of the most perfect specimens of the Ku Yueh Hsiian style in the collection, which is marked in bright blue enamel underneath Twig climg nien eldh "Made in the reign of Yung-clteng'' (1723-35). It is decorated in two broad panels, framed in delicately tinted floral scrolls, filled with landscapes, penciled in overglaze blue, which are headed hy half stanzas of verse, written in black, with two carmine seals attached. On tlie reverse side is a mountain view with the superscription " The echo-resounding Southern Mountains," sealed Shan hao, "The hills are high." In front there is a river scene labeled " A cottage smoking far oif on the Northei-n Islet," and sealed Slivi clihtng, " The rivers are long." The definition of a "mark," quot.ed above from the

MARKS ON OIIINESK P0K(1E!.AIN. 61

Franks Catalogue of Oriental Porcelain., seems therefore to require some qualification for China, where the mark certainly sometimes forms part of the decoration,

Chinese marks are written either in the antique script known as chuaiij or seal character, of which there ai-e' several varieties, which is so called because it is now principally employed on seals; or in the ordinary modern script, called Ic'ai-sh'u., used in printed books and formal manuscripts. The running-hand script called lising-sMi is rarely employed for marks, although it is often seen in the verses written to accompany the decoration of vases. Chinese writing, it is hardly necessary to say, is read from above downward and from right to left ; each character represents a word to a Chinaman, a Korean, or a Japanese, although pronounced differently according to the locality. Just as Arabic numerals are pronounced differently in European countries.

These marks may be classified as :

1. Mai'ks of Date.

2. Hall Marks.

3. Marks of Dedication and Felicitation.

4. Marks of Commendation.

5. Marks in the Form of Devices.

I. Marks of Date.

These are of two kinds, the first indicating the number of the year in the cycle of sixty, the second the year of the reigning emperor. The two methods of dating may be combined in the same mark, as in that given in Hooper and Phillips's Manual of Maries (p. 190), which reads, T^'uiig-cliih shih erli nien huei yu, or "The twelftli year (Jcuei yu^ of T\mg cliihr The eighth emperor of the present ClPing dynasty, who was canonized as Mn Tsung., reigned during the period 1802-74 under the

62 ORIENTAL CERAIVIIC ART.

title {iiieit hao) of T''iuig chih, uiul tlie twelfth year of his reign, a. d. 1873, will Vje found on the Cyclical Table given above (Table I) to correspond to huei yu, the tenth year of the seventy-tifth cycle. In the Manual it is erroneously given as 187-4. There is one small point to be noted in Chinese chronology, an ignorance of which has constantly led to miscalculation of dates in foreign books : the whole of the year in which an emperor dies is always reckoned as belonging to his reign, and the reign of his successor does not begin officially until the first day of the first month of the next year, when a new nien hao is inaugui'ated.

Another compound "mark" of this kind is seen in Fig. 38, at the bottom of the little l)owl-sliaped winecups decorated with the eight Buddhist emblems, displayed in pairs bound with waving fillets, of which the wheel of the hiAV and the conch-shell of victory are in the fore- ground. The mark, penciled underneath in red, is Tao hauruj htng hsil 7iieii clUh, "Made in the (c3"clical) year Icmg-hm of the reign of Tao-hiang,^'' indicating, as may be seen by reference to the Tables, the date of a. d, 1850.

Most of the cyclical dates, however, ai*e given without the reign, which involves an nncertainty as to which of the cycles is intended. Many of these ^vould belong to the reign of K'^ang hsi, in the sixteenth year of which (1677) the official in charge of the potteries issued a proclamation forbidding the inscription upon pottery of the sovei'eign's name, oi- of any sacred text. " To this period is certainly to be referred the cyclical mark, Yii hsin ell" (HI nien chili, which has excited an interesting discussion. It was first published byJacquemart and Le Blant (Joe. cif., p. 161), taken from a bowl in the Musee Cerami(|ue at Sevres, made of wdiite Chinese porcelain, subsequently decorated with flowers and European iigures in Germany during the first half of the eighteenth

MARKS ON CHINESE PORCELAIN. 6S

century, and it was attributed to tlie right year (1721) from the style of decoration, although the mark was not corj-ectly understood. It was first explained ))y Sir A. W. Franks (Joe. cit., page 208) as meaning '*]Made in the hsin-chbou year again | recurring]." Tlie Emperor K^ing-lisi came to the throne in the thirty-eighth year of the seventy-second cycle, a. d. 1661, and died Decem- ber 20, 1722, so that he had reigned for a whole cycle on the recurrence in 1721 of the thirty-eighth year of the cycle, an event unexampled in Chinese history, which has thus happened to be recorded upon porcelain. The bowl in the Franks Collection on which it occurs is described as being of " Chinese egg-shell porcelain painted inside with a group of flowers and fruit in enamel colors, the outside coated with a delicate rose color." I have seen in a Chinese collection at Peking a " rose-backed " saucer dish with an exactly similar decoration, inscribed underneath with tlie same mark. These specimens are of intei-est to us from another point of view, as a proof of the employment of the delicate enamels of the famille rose class at this early date.

Another cyclical date, which reads, Pincj-lml^iien chilly "made in the year^^m^-Asw," is given by Du Sartel* (p. 95), taken from an octagonal brushpot, painted in blue and white with landscapes and verses. He attributes it to the same reign of K\nig-JiHl, so that it would. indicate the twenty-third year of the seventy- third cycle, which corresponds to a. d. 1706.

Marks of date of the second kind, referring to the reign, give only the itieu hao, or title of the emperor, A Chinese emperor on his accession loses his personal name, and selects an honorific title instead, by wliidi he continues to be known during his reign, unless he chooses to change it. The new title is not adopted,.

*La Porcelaine ile Chine. Par O. du Sartel, Paris, 1881.

64 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

however, as explained already, till the new year succeed- ing the death of his })redecessor. After his death he is canonized under another new title, the temple name, or miao hao, under which he is worshiped in the ancestral temple and referred to in all formal documents of subsequent dates. In former times the nien liao Avas frequently changed during the reign to mark the occur- rence of any important event, or for some superstitious reason ; but since the accession of the Ming dynasty in 1368, the only instance of such a change is that of the emperor canonized as Ying Tsung, who adopted on his accession in 1436 the title of Clieng-Vmuj. He was taken prisoner by the Mongols and dethroned in 1449, and adopted the new title of T''ien-i<lnni in 1457, when he recovered the throne on his return to his own country, after a captivity of eight years in Tartary. During the interregnum his brothei' carried on the government under the title of Ching-fai, a nien hao signalized by the introduction into the palace workshops of the Byzantine pi'ocess of cloisonne enameling upon metal, which, con- sequently, is known to this day as " Chingthti Lany

The reign mark consists usually of six characters, written in two columns of three words, oi- in tliree columns of two words, occasionally in one line, either vertically or horizontally. The first character is Ta, " great," .followed by the name of the dynasty ; the next two charactei's give the nien hao ; the last two are nien, "year" or "period," and chili, "made." The first two characters, indicating the dynasty, are often omitted and then the mark consists of only four characters. The dates on the older specimens are generally written in the plain charactei' ; those of the present dynasty are often in antique scri])t, inclosed within a square border in the form of a seal, which may be either penciled with a brush or impressed in tlie paste with a stamp.

MARKS ON CHINESE PORCELAIN. 65

Sung and Yuan Dynasties. — It is recorded in the annals of Fou-liaug-lisien tliat during tlie Snng dynasty the Emperor Chen Tsiing^ who founded the imperial manufactory of Ching-te-chen in the period Chiiig-te (1004-1007), from wliich it derived its name, ordered that the four characters Ching-te nien cJdh,, "Made in tiie period Ching-te,^'' should be inscribed on the ware made for the palace. The Fi-anks Collection contains a vase enameled olive-2:reen and touched with jxokl to imitate patinated bronze, in the ornate style of the reign of CKien-hing witli a seal of tliis pei'iod penciled in gold ; and also a bowl painted in blue, w ith a nien hao of a later reign underneath, l)eing marked (see No. 1) 2a Sung Yuan feng nien cliih — i. e., "Made in the period Yitan-feng (1078-1085) of the great Sung'''' ; but doubts are suggested as to tlie authenticity of either of these two pieces, which doubts I would venture to emphasize.

The period of Hsuan-lio (1119-1125) of the reign of Hui Tsung, the eighth emperor of the Sung dynast}^, is represented, so far as its nien hao is concerned, by two pieces in the Waltei's Collection. The first, a pure white vase of fine shape and perfect technique, illustrated in Plate XC, with the decoration worked in relief and etched, consisting of a broad band of fungus scrolls, traversed by a pair of horned lizardlike dragons, extend- ing round the middle, and of symbols encircled by fillets above and below, is marked in underglaze blue (see No. 2), Hsi'ian ho nien chih, " Made in the period Hsi'ian-hoy The second (Fig. 69) is a small quadrangular vase with swelling body and I'eceding neck, composed of a very fine, dark-brown paste, invested with a pur})lish mottled gray glaze, overlaid with a whitish gray overglaze, \\ Inch runs down in a rich unctuous mass not reaching to the base of the vase. It has the mark, in two characters only, of Hsi'ian-ho, the same nien hao, which is carved in

6^ ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

the center underneath, and filled in ^vith gi-ayish-white enamel. This comes from the Brinkley Collection. It is of perfect technique and finish — too much so, indeed, to belong really to such an early date — and it seems to be a reproduction of the Kuan Yao, the " imperial ware " of the SiUKj dynasty which was made at the capital K'ai-feng-fu ; and the first piece appears to me to be a clever reproduction of the porcelain made at Ching-te- chen at the same time, which ^vas described to resemble the purest white jade. I would refer both pieces to the reign of ICcmg-hsi (1662-1722), with all deference to my learned friend Captain Brinkley, in whose catalogue* his piece is attributed to the reign of Ckia-cJdng of the Ming dynasty. I may just mention here that the Jap- anese have recently gained no small reputation in Peking for their expert reproductions of ancient Sung porcelain. Their marvelous skill in olden days in the decoration of pottery with mingled glazes of brilliant tints was no doubt likew^ise of Chinese origin and inspiration. , The^emperors of the Yimn, dynasty (1280-1367) gave no special patronage to the porcelain manufacture, and no nien hao of this period is found among marks on por- celain, although the mark of CliiJt-cIieng, the last reign of this dynasty, is occasionally found on the foot of cloisonne enamels on coj)per, and the titles of some of the other reigns on ritual utensils of bronzed

Ming Dynasty. — In the Ming dynasty, ^vhich suc- ceeded the Yuan, the imperial factory was rebuilt at Ching-te-chen by Hung-wu, the founder of the new line, whose reign is represented in collections by a few pieces, of somewhat doubtful authenticity, inscribed (see No. 3) Ta Ming Hung wu nien chih, or simply Himg wu nien cliih, with the name of the dynasty omitted.

Those marked with the nien luio of his son, Yting-la

* Rare Chinese Porcelaiits, New York, 1893, \\. 13.

MARKS ON CHINESE PORCELAIN. 67

(1403-1424), the third of the line, iiichide more veri- table specimens, with marks both in the plain character (see No. 4) and in an antique seal script (see No. 5). The latter is found especially on the white eggshell bowls characteristic of this period, Avith decoration worked in relief or etched in the paste, of which Fig. 70 is an illus- tration of a remarkable example, which has the mark Yung Jo nien cliili faintly engraved at the bottom undei-- neath the glaze. Some other bowls of this date are described in Chinese books as molded in the same form as the one just mentioned, with the figures of two lions, lightly impressed under the white glaze in the interior, playing with a brocaded l)all, and having inside the ball the same seal faintly etclied in the paste in four tiny characters, not nearly so large as grains of rice, the exte- rior of these boAvls beino" decorated in blue and white.

The reign of Hman-te (1426-35) is celebrated for the excellence of its blue and white as well ms for its blue and red monochromes, and it shares with that of Clieng-liua (1465-87), which is famed especially for its colored dec- oration, the distinction of being the Ming mark most frequently found on porcelain. The two intervening reigns were occupied by battles with the Mongols, and their titles are not recorded among marks. The two nien liao of Ilung-lisi (1425) and T-ai-di'ang (1620) are also conspicuous for their absence, due [U'obably to the fact that each lasted less than a year. All the other nit )i liao of the Ming dynasty are represented.

The usual form of the mark of IIsi'u(n-t(^ (1426-35) is (No. 1) Ta Ming Hman te nien eltiJi, "Made in the period Hsiian-te of the great Mivg [dynasty ].*' This is sometimes etched in the paste ; occasionally the last four characters are impressed with a square seal so as to appear in relief. The seal form (No. 2), which has been copied from the Franks Catdlogve^ Plate III, Fig. 24, is

QS ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

described there by tlie author as taken from a specimen which is " probably modern." It is the form so fre- quently found on the incense pots of bronze, for the manufacture of which this reign was specially celebrated.

The mark of ClCeng-liua (1465-87) is very common. It has been more frequently forged than any other, and oidy a very small pi'oportion of the pieces so marked can be genuine. The usual form is (No. 3) Ta Ming Cli'eng hua nien eliiJi, " Made in the period (Jh^eng-hua of the great Ming [dynasty]." The inscription of (No. 4) Ta Ming Gh^eng-Jina yuan nien yi yu, " The iirst year of CK'eng-hua of the great Ming [d3masty] yi yn (of the cycle) " occurs on a square vase decorated in enamel colors in the Salting Collection, which iixes the date most precisely, in twofold fashion, as a. d. 1465; the style and coloring of the decoration, however, belong to the reign of K'afig-hsi (1662-1722) of the Manchu dynasty. The four-character mark (No. 5) ClCeug liua nien cliih also occurs, either penciled or impressed, in the plain character as well as in the antique scrij)t shown in No. 6. Most of the so-called old crackle of ai'chaic type, with mask handles and encircling bands of iron- gray paste in the midst of the stone-colored ground of the clumsy vase, is stamped underneath with this last form of the mark, Avhich, in these cases, is evidently fictitious.

The mark (see No. 7) Ta Ming Hung cliili nien chili, " Made in the period llimg-chih (1488-1505) of the great Ming [dynasty]," is found on bowl^ and dishes enameled yellow, and on a few rare pieces of porcelain of pecu- liarly heavy solid material decoi-ated in colors of a very archaic type.

The mark (see No. 8) Ta Ming Cheng te nit)i cJtih, " Made in the period Cheng-U (1 506-1521,) of the great Ming [dynasty]," is comparatively rai-e. Tt occurs, how-

MARKS ON CHINESE PORCELAIN. 6ti

ever, on bowls decorated with green dragons as well as on pieces of blue and white porcelain. It was in this reign, we are told, that a new supply of Mohammedan blue {Hui chJincj) was obtained from the west, and there is anlnteresting collection of porcelain of the period witli Arabic inscriptions in the British Museum, It is exhib- ited in a glass case together with several sacriiicial vessels of bronze, which are marked with the same nien hao, and decorated with medallions of Arabic scrolls — another proof of the prevalence of the Mohammedan religion in China at this time.

The mark (see No. 1) 2h Ming Chia ching nien chili, " Made in the period Cliia-chmg of the great Ming [dynasty]," represents the next reign (1522-1566), which is characterized by the deep blue of its ])ainted decora- tion on porcelain. The mark often occurs in a vertical or horizontal line written in a panel in the midst of the decoration. In the large round dish, three feet across, which will be described presently, there is a horizontal panel outside, near the rim, with the exceptional inscrip- tion, Ta Ming Cliia citing liu nien cliih, "Made in the sixth year of Chia-ching'''' (1527). The big globular vase illustrated in Plate XLIX has the ordinary form of the mark boldly written underneath in the same dee]\ strong blue with which the jar is decorated.

The two marks (see No. 2) Ta Ming Lung citing nien chill, "Made in the period Lung-cli'ing (1567-1572) of the great Ming [dynasty] " and (No. '^) Ta Ming Wan li nien cliilt, "Made in the period Wan-Ii (1573-1619) of the great Ming [dynasty |," are always coupled together by the Chinese with regard to their porcelain, which is very similar in type. The reign of Wan-Ii, being nuich longer than that of his predecessoi", is more frequently found. The Japanese are fond of counter- feiting Chinese marks, especially those of Wan-li and

*I0 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Vhia-cJu'nf/, and these very often occnr on Imari pieces wliicli Lave no pretensions to be contemporary, and which at once betray tlieir alien origin l)y the peculiar style in which the mark is written.

The marks (see No. 4) Ta Ming T''ieii (•Ji^i nien, cJiih, ''Made in the period Tien-c]}Ji (1621-1627), of the great Ming [dynasty] " and (No. 5) Ta Ming ClCung dim nien c-'Az"/*, "Made in the period GlCung dim'''' (1628- 1643) of the great Ming dynasty, are very rare, and occur generally on inferior pieces. The only exception tLat I am aware of is in the case of a series of little glob- ular vases marked underneatli with the single character T''i€n, " Heaven," said to be a contraction of the 7iien Jiao T'ien cli'i. I have seen them decorated in color, as well as painted in l)]ue, and in both cases resembling good specimens of the preceding reign of Wan-li. There is one described in the Catalogue of Blue and White Oriental Porcelain exhihited hij the Burlington Fine A.rts Cl'uh in London in 1895, although the mark which is figured in Plate III; Fig. 22, of the Catalogve, is erroneously deciphered there as Ihi, " Great." A mark of dedication on a temple sacrificial vase, dated the ninth year of Ch'''ung diSii (1636), will be noticed latei'. The Chinese were too busily occupied during the last two reigns of the Ming dynasty in disputing the advance of the rising Manchu power to pay much attention to the porcelain manufacture, and the records are absolutely silent on the subject.

CKing Dj/nasty. — Date marks of the reigning dynasty are found, like those of the Ming^ consisting either of six characters, or of four ouly, with the first two, the name of the dynasty, omitted. A new fashion of writing the characters in antique script, in the form of an oblong or square seal, came into vogue in the reign of K''ang-hsi, and in tlie nineteenth century the majority of the ])ieces

MAliKS ON CHINESE PORCELAIN. 7l

made in the imperial factories at Cbing-te-cbcu are dated in that way. The mark of the first reign, Sliun-cliAli (1644-1661), is very I'are, and it is doubtful whether there is a genuine instance of a seal mark, although one is fig- ured here for the sake of completeness. Tlie seal mark of K''mig-lisl^ even, is not common, although I have seen it on authentic pieces. It was not till the reign of GlCien- lung that the date came to be more often inscribed in the seal character than in the ordinary plain script.

The first emperor of the new Manchu dynasty reigned eighteen years under the title of Shun-cliih (1644-1661). There is a record of large fish-bowls and veranda plaques having been ordered by him from Ching-te-chen for the decoration of the palace at Peking, such as had been sup- plied in the reign of Wan-li of the Mmg dynasty, but the mandarins in charge were obliged to reply that it was impossible to produce them. The mark occurs in the plain character (see No. 1), Ta Cli'ing Shnii chili nien cliih, " Made in the reign oi Shun-chfh of the great Cli'ing [dynasty]," on small pieces both of enameled and of blue and white porcelain, decorated in the style of the later emperors of the Ming. It is almost as rare, howevei', as the marks of the last two reigns of the former dynasty, and without the mark the few specimens that I have seen could hardly have been distinguished from Wan-li pro- ductions. With regard to the seal mark (see No. 2), it is probably always fictitious.

The next reign, that of K''ajng-]iu (see No. 8), lasted for the long period of sixty-one years (1662-1722). The early part of his reign was occupied in consolidating the Manchu rule in the south of China, and in fighting with the viceroy Wu San-knei, who had declared himself independent. The potteries suffered much in this rebel- lion, and the imperial factories were burned to the ground during the troubles which lasted from the twelfth

72 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

to the sixteenth yeur. Tliey were rebuilt in this last year (1677), and a new era in the history of the ceramic art was inaugurated. Earlier in the reign the manufae- torv had been under the direction of the governors of the province, among whom Lang T'ing-tso was the most celebrated, as the inventor of the brilliant sang-de-boevf glaze, which is called after him, Lantj Yao. In the year 1677 the official in charge issued a proclamation forbid- ding the inscription of the imperial luen liao, or of any sacred text, upon porcelain, which, in consequence, had to be marked with the hall-mark of the manufacturer, with the signature' [of the artist decorator, or with some pictorial or fanciful device. Many of the finest })ieces of this time were not marked at all, although a double ring in blue is often found underneath, surviving as an empty relic of the old mark. We are not told when the decree was rescinded. The first imperial commission for the porcelain works was appointed at Peking in 1680, and arrived in Ching-te-chen in the following year. One of its most important members was Ts'ang Ying-hsiian, who became subsequently famous for his monochrome glazes, shades of "eel-skin yellow," varying from brownish old- gold tints to olive, and " snake-skin green," with its brilliant iridescent sheen, and who is generally credited with the invention of the mottled "peach-bloom," and the pure pale-blue clai}' de lime, the finest pieces of which have underneath, the six-character mark of the K\(ng-hsi (see No. 3) period, delicately penciled in underglaze cobalt blue. The little eggshell winecup (Fig. 18) shows the ordinary method of inscription of the mark at this time, encircled with a doubled ring. The characters are so minute as almost to require a lens for their decipher- ment. The seal mark also read (see No. 4), Ta OhHng K''ang-lisi nien chih, " Made in the reign of K\mg-li^i of the great CKing [dynasty]," has been often counterfeited,

MARK8 OiS^ CHINESE PORCELAIN. 73

but, as 1 have already observed, 1 have seen it on uii- •doubtedly genuine pieces.

The title of this reign means "Peace and Joy," and a quaint mark penciled in blue under another eggshell winecup, Fig. 71, which is decorated with a picture of lotus plants and water-birds, painted in blue and filled in with the pure red and the deep brilliant greens of the ■early K''ang-hsi period, must be referred to it. The mark reads, Hsi cKao chi wan chih chen, " A gem among rare trinkets of the reign of joy," and was no doubt writ- ten in this peculiar w^ay to avoid the inscription of the full nien luio, forbidden by statute at the time, lest it should be profaned on the dust heap. The pair of man- darin ducks swimmino; iu the water and the kinocfislier :flying above are perfect in their miniature painting. The verse, penciled in blue —

" The root is jade buried in tlie mud:

In tlie bosom lurk pearls of liquid dew " —

is sealed with the character Shang, " A Gift," inclosed in a small panel. The verse refers to the Jadelike white- ness of tlie lotus root, which makes a favorite sw^eetmeat, and to the pearly drops of water ^vhicll collect upon the leaves, and are taken by the Buddhists as types of the sacred " jewel of the law."

The succeeding emperor, Yang-cheng, reigned fioni 1723-1735. The porcelain of the time is charactei-ized by its finished technique as well as l)y its crisp decora- tion and delicate coloring. The superintendents of the imperial factory were Nien Hsi-yao, distinguished for the purity of his monochrome glazes, and T'ang Ying, the most famous of all, a fertile inventor and wonderful reproducer of ancient colors, whose name Ave shall meet very often in subsequent pages. The private kilns of the time also turned out a (piantity of tine work, in

74 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

emulation of the imperial manufactory, as shown by the eggshell tea services and the beautiful ruby-backed plates, vv^hich were made principally for export to Europe. The Walters Collection is rich in these, and it contains some of the largest imperial pieces as well, like the magnificent round dishes, one of which is illustrated in Plate XLVIII, and the pilgrim bottle shown in Plate XL VII. Both of these are marked in the ' ordinary script (see No. 1^, Ta CKvng Yung-cheng nieii cliih^ " Made in the reign of Yung-chetig of the great Cli'ing [dynasty]." A rare eggshell bowl from one of the private kilns, very richly decorated, in enamel colors of the famille rose and gilding, with a scene of family life, surrounded by diapei-ed grounds and floral brocades, is seen in Fig. 72. It is marked in underglaze cobalt blue with the six-character inscription written in stiff archaic style inside a double ring. The seal form of the same mark (shown in No. 2), occurs more rarely.

The reign of the next emperor, OhHen-hmg, was nearly as long as that of his grandfather JT^ang-hsi, and he terminated it by abdicating after the completion of a full cycle of sixty years (1736-1795). The porcelain is generally good and veiy })lentiful, and is so similar to the productions of Ynng-clieng that the two reigns are often classed together under the same heading. The mark of Ta ClCing ClCien-lung nien chih, " Made in the reign of Cli'ien-lung of the great ChHng [dynasty]," occurs in both the common (see No. 3) and seal char- acters, though moi'e generally in the latter (see No. 4), one of the forms of which in four characters, with the name of the dynasty omitted, is seen in No. 5.

Tlie Emperor Chia-cli^ing, the son of Yung-cheng^ reigned 1796-1820. The best porcelain of the earlier period is equal to that of the preceding reign, but toward the end it indicates a gradual process of degener-

MARKS ON CHINESE PORCELAIN. 75

atioii. The mark, which occurs less frequently iu the ordinary script (see No. 6), is Ta GKing Cliia-cKiiuj nien cJiih, "Made in the reign of Chia-ch''ing\)i tlie gi-eat Cli'ing [dynasty]," which is shown in No. 7.

Tao-humig succeeded his father in 1821, and reigned till 1850. Some of the finest work of this time was lavished upon ordinary table services, and I'ice bowls with this mark are eagerly sought by collectors, like the medallion bowl with an etched spiral ground of crimson rouge cVor^ brocaded with flowers of Fig. 73, which has underneath it a square seal penciled in blue (see No. 9), Ta Citing Tao-kuang nien cJiili, " Made in tlie reign of Tao-hnang of the great CliHng [dynasty]." Specimens of the mai'k in the oi'dinary script (see No. 8) are less commonly met with. The son of Tao-liiang, who suc- ceeded his father, i-eigned under the title of llsien-feng^ A, D. 1851-1861. During the early part of his reign some fine work ^vas produced at the imperial factory, which is usually found marked in iull (see No. 10), 2a Cliing Hsien-feng nien ehih, " Made in the reign of Hnien-feng of the great Ch''ing [dynasty]," penciled in red in the common script. The mark from this time onward seems, for the most part, to have been relegated to the private potters, and is usually indifferently pen- ciled (see No. 1). In the sixth year of this reign the province of Kiangsi was devastated by the TaijMug rebels, and Ching-te-chen especially was almost de- populated, and the porcelain indiLstry has never since recovered.

The next emperor who ascended the throne adopted the title of Timg-cUli, and reigned 1862-1874. The porcelain is marked (see Nos. 2 and 3) Ta CFing Tung chill nien chili, "Made iu the reign of 2^'ung-chili of the great Cli'ing [dynasty]." A good idea of the productions of the imperial factory is gained from an

76 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

official list of the palace indents of the year 1864, which we will extract pi'esently from the provincial statistics of the time.

This last emperor was succeeded by his cousin, who- was enthroned under the title of Kuang-hsil in 1875, and is still reigning. The imperial ware (kvan ycio) of the present day is usually marked in ordinary characters (see No. 4) Ta Cli'ing Kuang Jisil nlen chih, " Made in the reign of Kuang hsil of the great Cli^'mg [dynasty]." But the ceramic art is in these days at its lowest ebb in China, and its productions may be dismissed in the native phrase as " not ^vorth collecting." Still less worthy of consideration is the porcelain of the private kilns (.S'.sv) //<^^o), which is sometimes marked with a rudely outlined seal (see No. 5), usually, however, inscribed with a mark of one of the older reigns of the most transparently fictitious character.

There is another form of this date mark to be noticed, in which the character ////, " imperial," is substituted for nien^ "year." This form, which means that the piece bearing it \vas made by special order of the emperoi", occurs also on specimens of carved jade and of clohonne enamels on copper produced in the imperial works of the period indicated. I have seen the folloAving four instances on porcelain, of which the second, figured in Hooper's Manual Qo<\ cit.), is given hei-e as an example of the sei'ies. These are :

1. ICang-lisi ij'n rlul (1662-1722).

2. Yung-cheng iji) clih (1723-1735).

3. ClCien-limg iji'i cliili (1736-1795).

4. Clda-cliHng yil chih (1796-1820).

The accompanying mark, penciled in red, is found underneath the "chicken-cups" (clu htng) made by order of the Emperor ClPien-hmg^ and inscribed with the poem of ]jis oAvn composition, which I translated in

MARKS ON CHINESE PORCELAIN. 77

the last cliaf>tei-. One of them is illustrated in the pamphlet which is quoted there, and the illustration is bettei- than Mr. Weston's grotesque translation of the inscription. These are the most prized of teacups among Chinese virtuosos of the present day, and the curio dealers of Peking ask a hundred taels for a perfect pair — the same price that used to be asked by the dealers of the last dynasty for their prototypes, the tiny eggshell chl hang winecups of the famous reign of ClCmg-liua. The seal (see No. 7), is to be read Ta ClCiiig Cli^ien-lung fang hu — i. e., " Copy of antique of Chien-lung (1736-1795) of the great ChHng [dynasty]." The cups are decorated in colors, like the little snuft"- bottle with the same inscription in the AValters Collec- tion, with a picture of a rockery with peonies growing upon it, and a boy feeding a hen and chickens from a basket. See Fig. 64.

This seems to be the place for a seal mark of one character of not infrequent occurrence in collections, which has not been hitherto deciphered (see No. 8). It is said to signify Cliih, "By Imperial Order," and is found on K^ang-lisi porcelain of the most artistic deco- ration, the mark varying considerably, ho^vever, in the shape and arrangement of the strokes in dilferent cases. The first form is taken from a magnificent round dish, twenty-eight inches in diameter, decorated in l)rilliant enamel colors of the K\(ng-lisi period, with a party of ladies in boats, gathering lotus flowers in a lake, while other gayly\lressed damsels are looking on from a pavilion, the borders of the dish being filled with richly brocaded diapers interrupted by medallions of flowers. The sec- ond form (see No. 1 ), which is apparently a variation of the same mark, is taken from a square beaker of the same period, decorated on the four sides with flowers relieved by a black ground in the style of Plate IX, and

78 ORIENTAL (^ERAMIO ART.

is u rare instance of an inscription in tliis peculiar class of decoration, \\ liicli is almost always unmarked,* The third form (see No. 2) is taken from a large blue and white dish belonging also to the ICmuf-ltsi period. This ap[)ears to me to be intended for anotlier character called chill, in^ynonym of cJriJi, " to make," which, however, also means " by order." They are examples of a large and vai'ied category of marks introduced at a time when the use of the ]>r<)])er ///\'ii liao was forbidden by the authorities.

2. Hall-Marks.

The term " hall " is used here in its most comprehensive sense, reaching from the palace or pavilion of the emperor down to the shed of the potter, so as to include the recep- tion hall of a noble, the library of a scholar, the studio of an artist, and the shop of a dealer. The Em[)eror of China stamps his ode with the seal of the pavilion in which he has just composed it, the official in charge of the imperial manufactory attaches his hall mark to the porcelain produced there, the artist or writer uses the name of his studio as anomde phime,i\\e dealer has his trading hall-mark inscribed on the porcelain made for sale at his shop, and the potter occasionally authenticates his productions with his o^^ n mark. The hall-mark on porcelain may belong to any one of these different classes, and it may mean made for the particular hall, as well as at the hall, the name of which is insci-ibed on the piece, the clew being sometimes suggested by the meaning of the name. For example, of two new hall-marks supplied by this collection, the one Yi yil faiu/ chili must be " Made at the Ductile Jade Hall," while the other, in wliich the

* Another form of this mark, in which the first part of the character is more correctly penciled, is given in tlie Franks Catalogue, Plate XIII, Fig. 130. It is deciphered there as " Fan, the maker's name," but the Chinese experts that I have consulted refuse to pass this reading.

MARKS ON CHINESE PORCELAIN. 79

name Ssii hui tshto fangim taken from a ]ine in one of the Ancient Odes of Cliinese classical times, would in all probability be " [Made/'orJ tlie Straw [i. e., thatched] Pavilion on the Kiver Bank."

The usual w^ord employed for " hall " is ^, t^ang, but we find also other terms of similar meaning nsed occa- sionally" in its stead in inscriptions on porcelain, such as ^, Iv, a " palace pavilion," ^, fing, a " summer-house," ^, cJiai, a " studio," p, Ihsiian, a " balcony or railed terrace," or a porch projecting beyond the eaves, |1| ^, shan-fang,a " mountain retreat, " and other synonyms.

The mark (see No. 8) Jen ho huan, " Hotel of Benev- olence and Harmony," is often cited as the earliest instance on record of a hall-mark, and it would appear to denote the establishment for which the vase was made. It is quoted from the Ni lea In, a little book on anti- quarian subjects, published early in the sixteenth century, in which the author describes a bottle-shaped vase of white Tingchou porcelain of the Sung dynasty in his own collection, as "having upon it this inscription, fired in the glaze, in the handwriting apparently of one of the Ni family, father or son," referring io two famous calligra- phists of the eleventh century.

The fashion of inscribing upon j)orcelain made foi- the imperial palace the name of the pai'ticular j)avilion for A\diicli it was intended seems to have begun in the reign of Yung-clieng. Of the two examples which I give, the first (see No. X), Lang yi/n ho, " Pavilion for Moonlight Recitation," occurs on a flower-})ot decorated in colors of the reign of Yung-clieng (1723-1 735), the second (see No. 2), Tzu 8lm ho, " Pavilion for Presentation of Books," is inscribed upon the covers of a pair of circular boxes of the kind used for holding incense or chi})s of fragi-ant wood. They are eight inches in diameter, and are painted in red and blue with bats flying among clouds, and

80 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

inurked on tlie foot with the oi'diiiary seal of the Chia- ch'lng period (1796-1820).

There are two other hall-marks \vhicli are generally referred by Chinese authorities to the palace, viz. (see No. 3), Ching wet fang cJiiJi, " Made at the Hall of Reverent Awe," which is attributed to the ChMen-lmig period (1736-1795), and (see No. 4) Slien te fang cliih " Made at the Hall for the Cultivation of Virtue," which is said to have been the name of a paviliou founded by the Eaiperor Tao-knang (1821-1850), and by him given a name chosen from the classics (^Tlie Great Learning^ chap. X. p. 6). " Hence the sovereign will first take pains about his own virtue." This mark is much sought after by Chinese collectors. There is an example of it here in the bowl (Fig. 74), which is decorated in delicate enamel colors with butteriiies relieved l^y a monochrome ground of soft coral-red tint. It has been conjectured that it might be the hall name of the official in charge of the imperial factory, but this could liardly be, as in China it would be contrary to etiquette for a subject to select one from such a text. There is a saucei' dish in the Franks Collection (No. 387 in the catalogue) marked (see No. 5) Slien te fangjxj hu cliiJi, " Antique {po hf) made for the Sheu te Pavilion," and the learned author tliinks that " from peculiarities of make it is probable that this dish is of the early part of the reign of Jiang- 7(^6"," so that the " antique " nuist be well executed if our account of the origin of this mark be correct. The form of tlie ordinary seal of the reign Avith^^o ku is common enough on Jade carvings from the inq^erial workshops, which are usually fashioned after ancient models, and are marked in this way to indicate the fact.

A hall-mark quoted in Hooper's M((niial (Joe cit., p. 205) as taken from a bowl, one of a [)air, the other being marked as above, is (see No. 6) (li((ii diing cliai ('lu]i,

MAKKS ON CHINESE J'OKCELAIN. 81

"Made for the Reti-eat of Quiet Stillness," so that this mark would pi'obaljly belong to the same period as that of Shell te t'ang.

The last palace marks which \\e will give here are taken from a pair of beautiful bowls, examples of the finest work of the pi'esent day : inferior, however, it must be confessed, both in technical details and in tone of coloring, to the poi'celain of the reign of CliJien-limgj which is said to have furnished the models. These bowls are in the possession of Sir Nicholas O'Conor, K. C. B., her Britannic Majesty's late envoy plenipotenti- ary at Peking, who has kindly permitted me to copy the marks. They are decorated in enamel colors inside and out, with floral sprays of roses and wistaria, the stems of the latter winding over the rim, so as to cover the interior of the boNvl with gracefully trailing blossoms ; a single magpie is perched on one of the bi'anches ; and the whole is I'elieved by a monochi'ome ground of soft gray- green tint. On the outer surface near the rim is the hall-mark (see No. 7) Ta Ya Chai, "Abode of Grand Culture," and near it, in a small oval panel framed by dragons, the motto (see No. 8) T'ieit ti yi cliia cli'iin^ " Spring throughout heaven and earth as one family ! " Underneath there is another mark penciled in red (see No. 9), YiiiKj clCing ch'ang r/t'u//, '' Eternal Prosperity and Enduring Spring ! " These bowls are interesting from the fact that they are part of a dinner service made specially at the imperial factory at Ching-te-chen for the empress dowager, who has ruled China for so many years, and who is noted as being herself a clever artist and calligraphist. She is said to have sent down some bowls and saucer dishes of the Cli'kii-hi mj period from the palace at Peking as patterns to be copied at Ching-te- chen. Ta ya Clial is the name of one of the new pavil- ions in Civ mm CKun Kuiuf, "The Palace of Enduring

82 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Spring," on the westeru side of the "Prohibited City/' at Peking, where this empress, the " AYestern Buddha," as she is colloquially called by tlie Pekingese, resided until she reniov^ed to the new palace which was prepared for her at the termination of the emperor's long minority. The propitious mark underneath the world-embracing motto in the dragon label, and the decoration, all point to spring, of which season the Wistaria Sinensis is one of the floral emblems.

The ordinary liall-marks are so numerous that it would be quite useless to attempt to give a complete list. They are found on porcehiin of the })resent dynasty from the reign of K\ing-hsi downward. It \Aould be useful to arrange them in chronological se(|uence liad we sufficient material at our conunand. At present it is only possible to make a short selection for illusti-ation hei'e, beginning with the two unedited marks in the Walters Collection, that have been already quoted.

The first, one of the earliest of the class that we have met with, is inscribed on the bottom of the square teapot (Fig. 75), which is decorated with dramatic and domestic scenes in blue and white of the K\t))g-lisi])^Yio([, and has rims and borders of canary or '' Nankin yellow." The upright rim is surrounded by small panels of floral sprays of the four seasons ; the knob of the cover is carved in open work, with the character la ("rank") encircled by a four-clawed dragon penciled in blue ; and the handle is tinted black on a pale-yellow ground to imitate basket work. The mark is (see No. 1) Yi yii fang cliih^ " Made at the Ductile Jade Hall," and is such as would be likely to be chosen by a potter, using white jade as a well-worn simile for fine porcelain.

The other is a Cli'ien-limg vase ^vitll the rim and foot incased in metal mounts (Fig. 76), which is enameled with a minutely crackled turquoise glaze of soft, charm-

MARKS ON CHINESE PORCELAIN. SH

iiig tone. The decoi'ation, delicately etched in the paste under the glaze, consists of a pair of five-clawed dragons pursuing the effulgent disk of omnipotence in the midst of cloud scrolls and lightning flames. The foot, colored brown underneath, has the mark engraved in the paste (see No. 2), 6hl hut ts\io fang, " The Stra^v (i. e., thatched) Pavilion on the River Bank." The name is taken from a text in the ancient Minor Odes of the King- dom., Book xiv, Ode 5, the first line of which is, " By these banks (^Ssd han^ has the palace risen."

The above mark is curious for the omission of the ^\ ord chih, "made," in which it agrees with the tMo hall-mai'ks^ that follow (see No. 3) : Lu yi fang, " The Pavilion with the Waving Bamboos," and (see No. 4) Feng Itsien fang, " The Hall for the Worship of Ancestors." The former occurs on K\(ng-]isl pieces decorated in colors, with either a white or a mazarine blue ground ; the latter on more modern porcelain, is that which is usually inscribed on ritual vessels, perhaps as an indication of their being intended for use in the ancestral temple.

Another unpublished mark occurs more than once in the Walters Collection, which must be included in this class, although the \vord " hall " happens to be omitted in its composition. The first piece (Fig. 67) is a rice-bowl of lotus-flower design, \vith an eightfold foliated wavy rim, and eight petals molded in relief round the foot, dec- orated with dragons and tiny sprays of flowers relieved by a coral-red ground. The second, ilhistrated in Fig. 77, is one of a pair of four-lobed winecups, with indented rims, painted in delicate enamel colors, with the eight Taoist genii crossing the sea. Chung-li Ch'iian and Lii Tung-pin are seen on the left of the picture mounted upon a dragon, which is guided by a damsel swimming in front, holding up a flaming jewel. Lan Ts'ai-ho and Ho Hsien-ku are still upon the shore ; the former is scat-

84 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

tering flowers from his basket, as if to propitiate the waves ; the latter, the virgin member of the sacred group, carries a lotus cup upon a stick and a small branch of twin peaches upon her shoulder, A few white jasmine flowers and buds, painted in soft tints, are sprinkled over the interior of the cup, as if to imbue its contents with their fragrance. The mark in all three cases is in the seal character, penciled in red (see No. 1), Hsieli chii tmo, "Made for [or at] the Hsieh Bamboo | Hall ]." Compare the mark figured in the Franks Ckitalogue (Plate VI, Fig. 72), which is read (see No. 2), Hsieh dm elm jen tsao^ "Made for [or by] the lord [Chu jen | of the Hsieh Bamboos." Hsieh is the name of the valley in the Kun-lun Mountains where Ling Lun, minister of the fabulous Emperor Huang Ti, is said to have cut bamboo tubes of different lengths when he is supposed to have invented the musical scale and fashioned the first musi- cal instruments. The style and coloring of these bowls indicate the reign oi Tao-huang (1821-50), or perhaps Chia-cJi'ing (1796-1820).

The next mark, which is taken from a brush cylinder (pi t'ung), carved in open work to simulate a clump of baml^oos ofrowino" from rocks, and tinted in delicate enamel colors of the CKien-l/img })eriod, is to be read (see No. 3) Lit chu slum fang dim ts'ang, "Precious Treasure of the Green Baml)oo Mountain Lodge."

Another six-character hall-mark of the same time is (see No. 4) Chi tig lien t\ing fang hu diih, "Made as a copy of an antique at the Ching-lien Hall." This woidd be tlie mark of an official or scholar posing as an admirer of Sung Ching-lien, a supporter of the founder of the Ming dynasty in the fourteenth century, and a distin- guished commentator on the classics.

A hall-mark indicative of a lover of flowers, which wa8 first publislied by Jacquemart and Le Blant Qoc. eit., p.

MARKS ON CHINESE PORCELAIN. 85

188), is Tza t£a faiuj chili, " .Mude at the Hall of Purple Thorn " (see No. 5), taken by them from a cliarm- ing vase, decorated witli figure subjects, in the possession of M. Holtrop, librai-ian to tJie King of Holland. There is another hall-mark (see No. 6) published on the follow- ing page of the same book, taken from a bowl enameled green outside, yellow inside, ^vith iish and water plants, with the reading, T'ieu mao famj cliih, ^'- Fahi'ique dans la salle dii ciel voiUr The second charactei-, howevei', is ch\in(/ ("prosperity"), not mao, which has an extra horizontal stroke at the bottom, so that we must read instead, "Hall of Heaven-sent Prosperity," which is a common trading-hall name in China.

I have been permitted to select four ^^■inecups from my own collection to illustrate the subject of hall-marks. Fig. 78 is a cu[) of the thinnest eggshell textuiv and most translucent glaze, decorated in colors, with }>ale- green bamboo and red dianthus ilo^vers ; a ])at, emblem of happiness, is flying across with rlii cli''iiu/, the jade symbol of good fortune, in his mouth ; there is a short inscription penciled in black behind, "A })ropitious prayer for a thousandfold harvest" ; and a couple of fra- grant jasmine blossoms are painted inside. The mark penciled in red on the bottom of the cup is Chili hsiu ts'ao fauf/, "The Straw (i. e., thatched) Pavilion adorned with Variegated Fungus." It is a specimen of the reign of ICamj-hsi (1662-1722). The next. Fig. 38 (a), del- icately painted in gold with sprays of chrysanthemum flowers, is attributed to the reign of Yhikj-cIu'ikj (1723- 35) ; it is marked nnderneath in red, Ching ssu fang chih, ''Made for the Pavilion of Classical Bookcases."* The third is a tiny cup. Fig. 79, of the reign of Ch'ien-Iung

* There is a pair of teacups with this mark iu the Ilippisley Collection (0/^/- logtie, Nos. 120 and 121), " Teacups (a pair) with covers, of thin white Yung Ch§ng porcelain, decorated with two imperial tive-clawed dragons pursuing

86 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

(1736-95), decorated in delicate enamel colors with a combination of the three propitious plants, symbols of longevity — the fir, bamboo, and blossoming pruniis (^Sun(/, c7tu, mei). The mark penciled underneath in red is Pao shen cliai chih, ''Made for the Retreat where Virtue is Precious." The fourth. Fig. 80, one of a pair of winecu})s referred to the reign of Chia-e]i'ing {17^^- 1820), which are covered inside and out with flying bats painted in red, fifty on each cup, and have the circular foi'm of the character slioa ("longevity") emblazoned on the bottom of each in red and gold. The decoration conveys the felicitous phrase, SJtua/it/ sJiou pofu, " Two- fold longevity and the hundred happinesses." The mark penciled underneath in red is Fu cliing fang chi\ " Made at the Hall of Happiness and Good Fortune."

The Chinese potter lavishes some of his choicest work on the decoration of these little winecups, and many more might be selected with other marks, but space is limited, and these few must suflice for the present.

Toward the end of the i-eign of K''ang-lisi, glass works were founded at Peking under the direct patronage of the emperor, with the assistance of the Roman Catholic missionaries. The production was known as Kuan liao^ or " imperial glass " ; it included pieces colored in mass, pieces made of layers of different color su^^erimposed and subsequently carved, and pieces either of clear or of opaque \vhite material, painted with translucent enamels of different colors. These last are commonly known in the present day as Kti Ytieh Hallan^ because the hall- mark, Kii Y'lieli Hsilaii cMh, "Made at the Ancient Moon Terrace," is often inscribed underneath. Tradition says that one of the directors of the factory named Ku,

sun amid clouds, all iu deep red, the clouds, the dragons, and the scales of the latter being outlined in bright gold ; covers bear similar decoration. Mark, Chiiuj sail fang, an imperial or princely hall-mark as yet unidentified."

MARKS UN CHINESE PORCELAIN. 87

whose patronymic was a character composed of Ku, " ancient," and yuth., " moon," broke it up into two com- ponent parts to form his studio name. The accomj^any- ing mark is engraved underneath a bowl of this kind, which is fabricated of white glass and is colored brown, the outside of the bowl being etched with a landscape of hill scenery touched with the same brown enamel. The Emperor Yimg-cheng is said to have been enamored of the new art and to have sent down to Ching-te-chen some of the finest specimens, to be reproduced in porcelain under the auspices of the celebrated T'ang Ying. The objects >vhich Avere produced in this and the succeeding I'eign of Oh^ieii-lung are among the most precious of treasures ; they have a paste of peculiarly vitreous aspect, white, and fine-grained, and are decorated in translucent enamels, often with European subjects. The variety is known as Fang JCu Yueli Hsikm, " Imitations of the Ancient JNIoon Terrace | Work]." The teapot figured in the last chapter is a notable example of this beautiful style of decoration. The Chinese exquisite will pay in the present day over a hundred taels for a little ClPien lung snuff-bottle of clear glass, lightly touched \vith a design in colors, authenticated by this mark ; and much more for a small porcelain vase of the variety, decorated with a pastoral scene of European style in enamels of the famille 7'ose.

Another unedited liall-mark with the anoihI hsi'mn, found on decorated porcelain of the Cliiea-hing period, is (see No. 1) Clien ting h.silati cliih^ literally, " Made in [or for] the Dust-tixed Terrace." " Dust " {cli'en') is the " world " in Buddhist metaphor, and ting (" inunovable") is the word used by Buddhists to convey the idea of mental abstraction, so that we should render this hall- name, " Terrace of abstraction from Mundane Affairs.''

Some of the earliest hall-marks have names referring

88

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

to the quality of the porcelain, distinguishiug either the fineuess of the paste or the brilliancy of the coloring. One of those already given, " Hall of Ductile Jade," refers to the fine fabric, while the accompanying mark (see No. 2) of the same early ]_)eriod, which is penciled in blue under a small vase with celadon-glazed body, with a ring of chocolate-brown tint round the shoulder, and having the neck decorated with peaches in under- glaze blue touched with peach-color, refers to the color- ing, being Pi yiln fatuj cJiili^ " Made at the Hall of Moss- Green-Jade Clouds."

To the former class, also, belong the following marks: (see No. 3) Chi yil fang cltUi, " Made at the Hall of Rare Jade"; (No. 4) Lin yil fang rhih, "Made at the Hall of Forest Jade " ; and (No. 5) Yil fang rhia r-AV, " Beautiful Vessel of the Hall of Jade," Avhich occurs both in the ordinary script and in "seals" of varied style, of which one with the third character imperfect is given here in No. <>.

Of the latter class. No. 7, which reads, Tsai gun fang ell ill ^ "Made at the Hall of Brilliant Colors," a frequent mai'k on porcehiin decorated in enamel colors, is another example.

Among other marks of commei'cial character, which may be either those of potters or of dealers in the ware, are: (No. 8) Yi yii fang chili, "Made at the Hall of Profit and Advance"; (No. 9) Yang lio fang cliih, "Made at the Hall for the Cultivation of Harmon} "; (No. 10) Ta shn fang rhih, "Made at the Great Tree Hall"; and (No. 11) C/fif shun Mei yil fang chih, "Made at the Beautiful Jade Hall of Riches and Suc- cess." The last of these is a conq^ound name, of which the first part, 67/'/7 shun, must be that of the shop or trading fii-m, who eulogize their ware under the title of beautiful jade, a conq>arison often met with.

MARKS ON CHINESE PORCELAIN. 89

The above hall-names represent generally the marks of the factory. The indi vicinal name of the potter is rarely found attached to his work in China, whicli dift'ers in this respect from Japan. In the ivorv-white porcelain of the province of Fuchien it is sometimes found, etched in the paste under the glaze. In the colored stoneware of the province of Kuang-tung the name of the potter occurs more frequently, being stamped in the paste under the foot of the i)iece, so that the insci-iption appears either in intaglio or in relief. The mark (No. 12) Ko Ming hsUuig cltih, "Made by Ko Ming-hsiang," for instance, is not unconnnou on vases of reddish paste from these potteries, of such archaic aspect that they have been mistaken for ancient specimens of the Sung dynasty.

One curious seal, shown in No. 13, taken from an antique crackle vase of porcelain of gray tone, decorated with propitious inscriptions worked in reserve and filled in with colored glazes of the Ming period, gives the name of an individual potter. Read in inverse fashion, from left to right, it is Wv Chen hsien yao — i. e., "Pottery [from the Kiln] of Wii Chen-hsieu."

Another mark which must not be omitted from the list is that of Hao Shih-chiu, the celebrated and scholarly potter who flourished at Ching-te-chen in the reign of Wcni-U (1573-1619) — a poet, too, whose merits were often sung in contemporary verse. He chose as his sobriquet Hu gin Taojen, "The Taoist hidden in a pot" (No. 1), a sympathetic device for a ceramic artist, which was adopted from an old legend of a Taoist recluse who, according to an ancient book on the Taoist Immortals, possessed the magic faculty of concealing himself within the pilgrim's gourd which he carried on his girdle. This mark was inscribed by him underneath his delicate egg- shell winecups of pure white and dawn-red tints, eacli of

90 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

wliicli was said to Lave weighed less than the forty- eighth part of a Chinese ounce. A verse may be quoted here wliich a fellow-poet wrote to him :

" In your searcli after the ])liilosoplier's stone, you strive in tJie market place. Far from tlie rustling furs and changing clouds, 3^our heaven is a

teapot. I know you, sir, only as the maker of those dawn-red winecups, Fit to be launched from the orchid arbor to float down the nine- bend river."

The last stanza refers to the Lan T''iiu/ or " Orchid Pavilion," where, in the fourth century of our ei'a, a party of celebrated, scholars used to meet to drink wine and compose verses. The scene with the cups floating doAvn the river has been a favorite subject foi' Chinese pictoi'ial art ever since.

This section may be closed by two unusually elaborate hall-marks, both of which hap])en to be written in cii'cu- lar form. The tirst (see No. 2) comes from the foot of a large rice-bowl, decorated with flowers, fruit, and ])irds, in enamel colors of the Ch''ien-luii(j pei-iod. Our Chinese wood engraver, who was instructed to mark the top of each block for the benefit of the printei', was nonplussed by this one, and Avhen asked why he had omitted the usual mark, he exclaimed, " How could I tell Avhere to begin to read ? " To obviate this difficulty, we have put it with the first character at the top, and, [)i'oceeding in the ordinary way to the left, we find the cjuaiut inscrip- tion, Yuan iven wti kuo chili rhai^ '^ The Reti'eat \cliai\ where I wish to hear of my transgj-essions."

The second (see No. 3), which is penciled in red round the circumference of the hollow foot of a tazza- shaped bowl, exhil)its, in combination, the nien hao, the cyclical date, and the hall-mark of the maker. It is read, Ta/) humig yi sm nien Kuamj yn t\(tig cliili — i. e.,

MARKS ON CHINESE PORCELAIN. 91

" Made at the Hall of Brilliance and Kiclies, in the cyclical year yi-ssn of the reign of Tao-huaiigy This year will be found, on referring to the Tables in the last chapter, to cori'espond to a. d. 1845. The bowl, which is mounted upon a tall, holloAv stem, spreading at the foot, is decorated in blue, with the eight Taoist i^enii crossing the sea, the intervals being occupied by Ava\ iiig fillets, and the stem covered with sea-waves ; the interior of the bowl is painted with a large circular shau (" lon- gevity ") symbol, encircled by a ring of five bats, em- blems of the wu fy, or five happinesses or blessings, namel}", longevity, riches, peacefulness and serenity, the love of virtue, and an end crowning the life.*

3. Marks of Dedication and Felicitation.

This heading is selected to comprise all the marks, not included in the last class of " Hall-Marks," that imply dedication to some particular institution, individual, or purpose, as well as those expressive of wishes of happy augury for the future possessor of the piece. The next heading, " Marks of Commendation," will take the re- mainder of the written marks — viz., those eulogizing the material or referring to the decoration of the porcelain. Some of the hall-marks might have come under these headings, as the official in charge of the imperial manu- factory will sometimes have a set of sacrificial vases, or a dinner service, inscribed with the hall-mark of the friend or patron for presentation to whom it was specially made; or the potter, as we have seen, will choose a hall name descriptive of the jadelike texture of his })oi-celain or the brilliancy of its color. It was more convenient, how^ever, to treat the hall-marks separately.

One of the earliest marks of dedication is that of (No.

* See Mayer's Chinese Reader's Manual, p. 312.

92 ORIENTAL CERAMIC AliT.

1) /Shufu, " Iiii})eri{il palace," wliicL was inscribed on some of the porcelain made for the use of the emperor during the Yuan or Mongol dynasty (1280-1367). We shall find a specimen described in our maiuiscript album of tlie sixteenth century, in Avhich this mark is incised on the foot of a little vase underneath the ivory-white glaze. The decoration of this vase consists of dragons and cloud-scrolls lightly etched in the paste ; and the author, in his description of the piece, gives us the inter- esting information that the porcelain of this period waa fashioned on the lines of that of the Ting-chou manufac- ture of the early Sinn/ dynasty, and that it in turn sup- plied models for the pure white porcelain which distin- guished the reigns of Yung-lo and Hsuaii-te of his own {Ming) dynasty, which was also ornamented with designs^ incised at the point underneath the glaze.

The sacrificial vessels intended for use in religious worship often used to have the object for which they were designed marked upon them, like the white altar cups of the reign of Hsikm-te (1426-35), which wei'e inscribed J^, Van, " altar," according to the author of the Po wn yao Ian. The same book describes sets of white altar cups made at the imperial factor}^ in the reign of Ohiorchhu/ (1522-66), which were marked inside -with the characters ^, r// V^, " tea " ; }g, cliin, ''wine"; ^ ^, tsao t'^ang, "decoction of jujubes"; and ^ f^, cJnang t\()ig, '■'■ (XecoQiiow of ginger"; indicating the dif- ferent offerings presented in the cups when the emperor officiated at the Taoist altar.

Inscriptions of dedication to particular temples are not uncommon, and are often lengthy. Jacquemart quotes one (Joe. cit., page 166) inscribed on a trumpet-shaped vase, which is composed of twelve characters, indicating that it was a ritual vase " made for the temple of Fou lou tsiang in [1636] the ninth year of T'<''ung-cheng, in sum-

MARK8 ON (CHINESE l^ORCELAIN. 93

mer, on a propitious day." Marks of tLis reign, tlie last of the MiiKj dynasty, are very rai-e, and tliere is no little reason for regarding them as, foi- the most part, apoc- ryphal.

The longest I have met with is that re[)r()duced above in No. 2. It is inscribed on the base of a pricket candle- stick of elaborate design, painted in blue with conven- tional scrolls and formal foliations, one of a pair twenty- eight inches high, now in my own possession. They were made in the year 1741 (the sixth of (Jh''ieii-lung)^ by T'ang Ying, the famous directoi' of the imperial j)or- celain manufactory, the successor of the still more illus- trious scholars and artists Lang and Nien, and dedicated by him to a Taoist temple at Tungpa, a town situated on the northern bank of the canal which connects T'ungchou with Peking.'^

"■ Reverently made by T'ang Ying of Slieu-yang, a Junior Secretary of the Imperial Household, an<l Captain of the Banner, promoted five honorary grades. Chief Superintendent of Works in the palace Yang-hsin Tien, Imperial Commissioner in Charge of the thi'ee Customs Stations of Huai, Su, and Ilai, in the province of Kiangnan, also Director of the l^>rc'elain Manufactory, and Commissioner of Customs at Kiukiang, in the province of Kiangsi ; and presented by him to the Temple of the Holy Mother of the God of Heaven at Tungpa, to remain there throu2:h time everlastintj; for offerino- sacrifices before the altar ; on a fortunate day in the spring of the sixth year of the Empei'or Cli'leii-hnu/.'"

Among marks of dedication to institutions I \\\\\

* This temple, like so many of those in the vicinity of Peking, is now in ruins. The candlesticks formed part of the sacrilicial set of five vessels ( Wii kung)ma.de for the principal altar of the temple. I saw the two flower vases with tnimpet-shaped mouths belonging to the set, but their inscriptions had been purposely erased. The tripod incense burner which once figured as the center-piece of the altar set had long before been broken and lost.

94 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART,

([uotetwo. One is a seal mark sliowii in No. 1 {^Burling- ton Fine Arts Club Catalogue of Blue and White, loc. Ht., Plate II, Fig. 17), from a j)late with flanged brim decorated with eight horses i-eserved in white on a <lelicate blue ground, which is to be read t^h/ii^cli'ang, indicating that it was made for the Shu-ch'ang Kuan, a college of the Hanlin Yuan, the national university at Peking.* The other (see No. 2) is a maik in the })lain character (Franks' Catalogue, loc. cit., Plate XII, Fig. 150), Shuai fu hung yung, " For the public use of the general's hall," from an old bowl painted in blue, with four-clawed dragons emerging from the sea and pursuing jewels in the clouds.

Two marks of more priv^ate chai'acter are (No. 3) Sheng yii i/a chi, " For the Elegant Circle of Revered Friends," and (No. 4) Yu lal, " For Coming Friends " ; both of which occur on porcelain painted in blue, of no great artistic value.

Porcelain utensils are sometimes ordered from Chiug- te-chen by shops in different parts of China to be inscribed with the hall-name of their firm and an advertisement of the wares sold there, and we will give one specimen here as an example. It is a little circular gallipot of fine porcelain, decorated in blue on the cover, with a son offering a present to his aged parents, and on the sides with a landscape, which has underneath an inscription written in underglaze blue in five columns, to indicate the particular shop for which it Avas made. This reads, Cliing tu Cheng yang men wai Ta shan Iwn hsi foit lu pel Yun hsiang ho Jmang huo shou yax) j^'u (see No. 1); which may be translated, " Yun Hsiang Ko, or ' Cloudy Fragi'ance Hall,' a shop for scented wares and prepared drugs, at the west end of the Ta-shan-lan, on the north side of the street, outside the Creat South Gate of the Capital [Peking]."

* See Mayer's Chinese Oovernment, y>- 25.

MARKS ON CHINESE PORCELAIN. 95

The only Mongol mark that I liave ever seen inscril^ed on porcelain may be classed as a mark of dedication. It occurs penciled in surface red on the bottom of bowls and saucer-shaped dishes of three different sizes, forming a dinner service, decorated with bright enamel colors and gold in the style of the impei'ial ware of the Tao-hnang period. The interior contains Buddhist symbols of happy augury alternating with longevity characters ; the exterior is occupied by the seven precious emblems of a chaJcror vartin, or universal sovei'eign, posed upon lotus thalami on a floor of sea waves, and delineated in the traditional manner of the Lama sect. The inscription written within a panel (see No. 2) is Baragon Tamed, in Mon- golian script. This is the name of the Right or A¥estern Wing of the Tumed Banners, a principality of southern Mongolia. A daughter of the Emperor Tdo-huang was given in marriage to the hereditary j)rince of these Mongols, who was granted a palace in Peking, and the service with this mark was no doubt made at the imperial manufactory at the time as part of the wedding outfit.

Marks of felicitation are very common, and occur on porcelain of all periods, more especially on articles intended for presents. One of the most common is the Shitang Jisi, or "twofold joy" symbol (No. 8), the special emblem of wedded bliss, a combination of two hsi (" joy") characters placed side by side. This symbol is j)asted on the lintels of the door on the happy occa- sion, and is also inscribed on porcelain articles intended for wedding presents either as a niai'k or as part of the decoration. Two forms of it are published in Hooper's Mani(((l Qoc. cif., page 198), but wrongly deciphered, " (?) I{^e, a vessel, vase, ability, capacity."

A curious combination of a date-mark with a felicitous formula (see No. 4) has been taken from the bottom of a

96 OKIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

set of saucer-sbaped dishes, decorated in blue and white of the MiiKj period, where it ^vas found penciled in l)lue in anti(|ue scri}>t. The s(|uai'e panel in the middle inclosini^ the motto Teli na cliang clijoi, " Virtue, Culture, and Enduring Spring," is surrounded by a circle inclos- ing the inscription Wan li iiien ts(to, " Made in the reign of Wan-ir' (1573-1619).

A mark of the same period occurs in the Franks Collection {Catah(jue, he. c/'L, Plate VI, Fig. 74) with the inscrii)tion, written as a legend of a medal pierced with a square hole, in the form of an ordinary Chinese "cash " (see No. 5), which reads, (Jlihing ming fu hueiy " Long Life, Riches, and Honor." It is taken fi'om a shallow l)owl, five and a quarter inches in diameter, which is desci'ibed in the following w^ords : "In the inside is a circular medallion with a stork amid clouds, painted in a dark blue ; round this a broad band of pale green, over which is a running pattern in gold consisting of flowers and scrolls ; outside, two branches of flowers with a bird on each, ^^ainted in dark blue. The same mai'k occurs on a bowl of similar decoration in a Gei'man mounting of silver gilt of the sixteenth century." AVe find the mark in the Walters Collection upon the tall ewer of graceful form (Fig. 81) decorated in the style and coloring of the W((n-h period, with blue phcenixes and storks flying among clouds. It is studded all over with uncut turquoises and garnets arranged alternately, mounted in crilded settin2:s of Persian or Indian work- manship, shows traces of gilded rings, and is fitted at the upper and lower rims and at the end of the spout with engraved metal mounts. The mark is ^vritten under- neatli in imderglaze blue encircled by a double ring. Among other marks of similar meaning are (No. 1), Fit hitei cKang clihin, " Riches, Honor, and Enduring Spring " ; and (No. 2) Fu luel cliia cIl'!, " A Perfect Ves-

MAIJKS ON ( IIIXKSE I'OltCKLAI \. '.> <

sel of Wealtli mikI Honor/' which is found on old speci- mens of blue and white, inscribed both in the ordinary character and in the seal script.

The most fre([uent vows of the Chinese are oifei-ed for the threefold blessings of hap[)iness, rank, and longevity, and the deities who confer these gifts are tlie most ardently worshi[)ed of an}^ We shall find the three gods constantly I'epreseuted upon porcelain, with their respective characters, perhaps, in the background. See^ for example, the vase illustrated in Plate XVllI, which is blazoned with the two large characters, Fu^ "Ilajtpi- ness," and Slioii, '' Longevit}^" interrupted by round medallions containing pictures of the corresponding divinities. Sometimes a piece of porcelain is actually molded in the foi'm of the last two characters, like the \vine-pots of the i-eign of K\ing-hsi decorated xur hiscuit, of which Fig. 82 offers a conspicuous example. It is fashioned in the shape of the character Fii, " Happiness," has a cover formed of the first "dot '' of the hieroglyph, and is inscribed on the handle and spout with archaic forms of the sJiok ( '* longevity ") charactei*. These forms are almost infinite, and a not uncommon decoi'ation of a pair of vases or bowls consists of a hundi-ed different forms of the character /V. balanced by a hundred of the sJtou hieroglyphs. A favorite decoration of blue and Avhite in the Ming dynasty consisted of a pair of dragons holding u}) in their claws sjioii charactei's instead of the traditional jewels.

The three characters, /"'//, hi, slioii, occui' constantly also as marks, either conjointly or singly. The compound marks in one of the seal foims (see No. 8), and in the ordinary script (see No. 4), are appended. The single- character marks are found on porcelain of all ages. The little ivory-"\vhite plate of ancient hlauc de Cliine, which is inlaid with Oriental irold work set with uiu-ut rubies

98 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

and emeralds, and which figures as the oldest piece in the Dresden Museum, having been originally brought to Europe by a crusader from Palestine, we are told by the late curator. Dr. Graesse, is inscribed underneath with the character fu. One of the forms of the mark lu^ " rank," is shown here (see No. 5), taken from a saucer- dish of brilliant blue and white attributed to the K^ang- hsi epoch. But of them all, the character s/fof/ ("longev- ity ") is the most frequent and variable, and it is found in an endless variety of shapes, in circular, oval, and diamond-shaped medallions, in addition to the ordinary oblona: forms. One of the oblono; forms is inscribed on the snuff -bottle shown in Fig. 102. An oval form is seen in the right-hand panel upon the blue and white vase (Fig. 83), the other panel in front displaying the seal character cNie?i, " heaven." Thi'ee of the circular medallions are displayed upon each of the two basket- work bands encircling the crackled vase (Fig. 84). One of the oblong forms of the character shou, often found on good blue and white porcelain of the kind that used to be highly appreciated in Holland, is commonly known there as the "spider mark" (see No. 1).

The ff/Ifot or svaMika symbol, the peculiar variety of the cross with the four arms bent at rio-ht ano;les in the same direction, which dates from prehistoric times and is found in all parts of the world,* occui's in China as a mark on porcelain, either plain or inclosed in a lozenge with looped angles, or enveloped in a waving fillet. This symbol is clearly shown in Plate LXII, in a small panel u[)on the swelling neck of the vase, where it alternates with the "jevvel" symbols. It is a synonym of Wmi^ " 10,000," in Chinese, and two or four of these symbols are often intervowen symmetrically with the circular

* La Migration des Symbolen, pur le Comle Goblet d'Alviella, Paris, 1891, v, chap ii, De la (^roix Gaminee.

MAEKS ON CHINESE PORCELAIN. 99

form of the Hhou character so as to form an ornamental monogram, to be read Wan sliou, " For myriads of ages." This is the special birthday vow of his subjects for the Emperor of China, and it corresponds to the Persian " O King, live forever ! " The monogram with two svas- tika symbols, one on either side, is displayed prominently in the center of the pilgrim bottle illustrated in Fig. 50, developed, as it were, in the bosom of a sacred lotus blossom. Fig. 85, the gourd-shaped vase enameled in K\ing-ksl colors with rich designs of floral })rocade pattern, also exhibits on the neck a combination of red svastiln and yellow shou symbols.

Many of the marks ^vhich are passed by as undecipher- able are curious forms of these " happiness " and " lon- gevity " symbols. The mark (No. 2) which is found in the Burlington Fine Arts Ckiialo(j\ie {loc. cit.^ Plate II, Fig. 15), taken from a Chinese basin decorated in blue witli alternate asters and lotuses, is strangely deciphered there as " To-da-kichi-hei, probably name of maker." It is highly improbable that any one with this cuiious name, which is Japanese, if anything, had to do with the making of it. I should venture to read the scrawl as simply a variation of Fu shou, " Happiness and Longevity."

Another vow of similar meaning is often found in- scribed in large antique characters upon bowls as part of their external decoration, or put underneath as a mark, written either in the seal character or in conunon script. It is read (see No. 3), Wan shou lvu chkiiuj, | " May you live for] myriads of ages, never ending!" A second mark of this kind is Fu shou shnamj ch'ikin, " Happiness and long life both complete.'^ A longer Tiiaik (No. 4) is the oft-repeated formula, SJiou pi iiait shan, Fu Ju tung A«/, "The longevity of the southern hills, the happiness of the eastern seas." We shall find a still moi'e extended

100 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

version of this propitious formula directed to be penciled upou blue and white bowls in the imperial factory during the Ming dynasty in the reign of Clila-clmiij (1522-66), viz., Sliov pi no)) slum, cliiv, Fu ju lung Tun shen — i. e., ^' May your life be longer than that of the southern hills, your happiness as deep as the eastern seas ! " The " isles of the blessed " are placed by the Taoist legend-mongers somewhere in the Eastern seas, and theii* " star of lon- gevity shines down from the southern heavens upon immemorial hills," The last felicitous mark of this kind that we will give is (No. 5), T'''ien h}ian tz'n fa., ^' May the rulers of heaven confer hap]iiness!"

The single propitious characters, ^, r/*/, "good for- tune," ■^,/i/, " pros[)erity," and ^, ch^ing, "congratula- tions," occur as mai'ks ; also the propitious combinations (No. 6), Ta (Id, "Great good fortune," and (No. 7) Chi hsimig jv /, " Good fortunes and wishes fulfilled," the last mark })eing written usually in the seal character, as in that given here.

A mark often found on the cylindrical vessels, which are used by the Chinese Avriter or artist as brushpots {^lyi-f img)^ is M^en ('IxiDg slum ton, " Scholarshij) eipial to the Hills and the Great Bear" (see No. 1), implying the wish that the happy possessor, when he wields his brush- pencil, may attain the exalted heights of the Tai Shan, the ancestral mount of China, and of the pei ton, the polar consteUation, the celestial abode of his s})ecial deity, the god of literature, whose image ap[)ears in Fig, 86. The mark of (No. 2) CJinang i/naii dii //, " May you obtain the degree of chuang-yuan ! " occurs also on cylin- ■der vases of this kind. Tiiis descree is the hisfhest attainable in the state examinations, and the chief object of ambition for every candidate as a first step upon tho ladder leadinof to hio-li ofKcial rank.

MAltKS ON CHINKSK POKCELAIN. 101

4. Mauks of Commendation.

This lieMdiiig is intended to comprise the rest of the written marks on porcelain, those that refer to the quality of the material, comparing it to fine jade and other rare stones and jewels, or to the charactei* of the decoration with which the piece is painted. They go back as far as the Ming dynasty, and are frequently found jienciled in seal characters, as well as in common script, on specimens dating from the Wan-li period (1573-1619).

A few of these eulogistic marks selected from the many are : (No. 3) Ohi shili j)ao tincj cliili dien, " A gem among precious vessels of rare stone " ; (No. 4) Chi yil IKio ting cliili clien, " A gem among precious vessels of rare jade,'' in which the character ^^^'W, "precious," is written in a contracted form; (No. 5) Chi eh en ju yi'i., "A gem rare as jade"; (No. 6) Chi wan jit ///^, " A trinket rare as jade"; (No. 7) Po l-u chen tvan, ^'- A jeweled trinket of antique art " ; (No. 8) Wen yil pao ting, " A precious vessel of worked jade " ; (No. 9) Nan cli^Kan cli^in i/ii, "Brocaded jade of Nan-ciruan," an ancient name of Ching-te-chen, which it derived from its situation on the "southern" bank of the Chang " i-iver." A mark of conuuendation in the seal script, which is found upon blue and white pieces, is (No. 10) rJo xheu chen fs\ing, " To be treasured like a gem from the deep " ; it occurs also in the conunon charactei".

Among two-character marks of similar signification are: (No. 11) Hsi i/ii, "Western jade"; (No. 12) Chen yil, "Precious jade"; (No. 13) Wan yi'i, "Trinket jade"; (No. 14) Chen yi), "Genuine jade"; (No. 15) Yil chen, "Jade jewel"; (No. IG) Chen ivan, "Precious trinket"; (No. 17) 17mw;/, '' Artistic trinket" ; (No. 18) Fao sheng, " Of unique value " ; and (No. 19) Kii chen, "Antique gem." A quaint mark, found underneath a

102 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

blue and white cii)), is (No. 20) Yuiuj .sJieng, which means " Ever full," if it refer to the cup, " Ever prosper- ous," if it be the hall-name of the potter.

Any of the above characters may occur singly as marks, and we very ofteu find Yii., " Jade," Clien, " gem," Pao^ "precious," etc. The mark Cli''imn^ shown in No. 21, signifies "perfect," and is one of the most frequent. Some services of porcelain are inscribed underneath with different single characters, which are intended to be read consecutively to form sentences Avhen the plates or dishes are arranged in proper oi'der. The copper " cash" of the first half of the seventeenth century were also cast with single characters on the reverse, which could be read, con- secutively when a series of the coins happened to be available, so that this curious practice is not peculiar to porcelain.

Marks referring to the decoration are not so common as those praising the make. Two have already been given, Shan hao shui ('li\inij^ "The hills are lofty, the rivers long," found on pieces painted wdth landscapes, and the mark Ymig ch''ing clVang chhin, "Ever-flourishing, enduring spring," which applies to the floral decoration of the bowl as Avell as to the name of the palace of the empress dowagei- for which the dinner service on which it occurs was made.

A mark (see No. 1), Tsai cJi'uan cliili lo, " [-'-l know that they rejoice in the water," found upon porcelain dec- orated with fishes and water-plants, and evidently refer- ring to the subject, requires a word of explanation. It is taken from the works of Chuang Tzti, the celebrated philosopher of the fourth century b. c, who is related to have had the following discussion with Hui Tzti, a rival philosopher :

OJimmig Tzii. — How the fish are enjoying themselves in the water!

MARKS ON CHINESE PORCELAIN. 103

Hui Tzu. — You are not a fisli. How can you know ?

Cliuang Tzu. — You are not 1. How can you know that I do not know that the fish are rejoicing ?

Another mark referring to the subject of decoration occurs upon saucer-slmped dislies painted in colors with lotus flowers and reeds (see No. 2), Ai lien clieii shang, " Precious gift for the lover of the lotus." The mark (No. 3) Tan kuei, " Red olea fragrans," a floral metaphor for literary honors in China, is found inscribed underneath bowls decorated inside with a scholar holding a branch of this symbolical flower.

The private seal of the artist-decorator, which is usually attached to the painting or appended to the scraps of verse which accompany the picture, like the seal on the beautiful ICang-hsl vase illustrated in Plate VI, ^\•hich is the studio name or 7i<mi deplume of the artist, (see No. 4) Wan sJiih chii., " The Myriad Rock's Retreat," or the seal on the little winecup in Fig. 71, which is simply Shang, " A gift," is not infrequently found underneath the foot of the piece as a mark. Such marks are found on porcelain of all qualities, and some of the finest pieces of the K''ang-lisi period are inscribed with them, espe- cially in the class decorated in enamel colors. The next mark of the same kind (No. 5), inscribed Cliu sliih ehil, " The Red Rock Retreat," is taken from a set of IPang-hsi bowls decorated with agricultural scenes, with poems attached, celebrating the successive steps in the cultivation of rice.

Such marks are called by Chinese connoisseurs cliia hhian, or " private marks," and are even by them passed by generally as illegible, and as hardly worth the trouble of deciphering. They form the majoi-ity of those marks found in every collection of Chinese porcelain which have to be labeled "uudeciphered," although a collection of such artists' monograms would not be without interest if

104 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

arranged in proper chronological order. They are rarely found before the present dynasty, })iit M. du Sartel Qoa- cit.^ page 105) figures a typical example, " Taken from a vase similar to others marked witli the period I/img- ck'ing'' (1567-1572).

The mark numbered 6 is attached to a stanza of verse written on the back of the charming eggshell vase with undulatory glaze decorated in sepia with a spray of chrysanthemum and a single head of spiked millet, as shown in Fig. 87. The seal, outlined in vermilion, the only touch of bright color, is " Ta," the artist's name, the two characters above it beino- Chi7i hu, " The Golden Valley," his place of abode. The verse —

A spray plucked from the garden of Tung-li:

A precious flower rescued from tlie frosty blast of winter —

is a quotation from the Buddhist monk Wu-k'o, who refers in it to the Tuno:-li o-arden of T'ao Yuan-minsc, the "lover of the chrysanthemum." A pair of vases of the K''ang-h8i period, formerly in the Marquis Collection at Paris, like the one in European mounting illustrated in Fig. 88, which have a pale cobalt-blue monochrome body, a ring of dark brown round the shoulder, and a dragon encircling the neck painted in blue and dark brown or maroon, are marked underneath with a typical private mark, a seal (see No. 1) containing two charac- ters, which look like a corruption oifv shou, " Happiness and longevity."

It may be useful to give here a table of tlie Chinese numerals, in their ordinaiy and more complex forms, as an assistance in deciphering dates. They occui* alone, among the earliest marks, engraved underneath flower- pots, saucers, and other specimens of the Chtin-chou por- celain of the Sling dynasty, which is distinguished for the brilliant colors of \t^ jlamhe glazes.

MAKKS ON CIIINESJi: POliOELAlN.

105

Yi - -	—	^	1
Erh - - -	— *	^	2
San - - -	—	*	3
Ssii - - -	m	m	4
Wii -	w.	ffi	5
Liu - -	I.	m	6
€h'i - - -	-t	m	7
Pa - -	A	m	8
Ohiu - - -	A	JA	9
Shih - - -	+	t&	10
Pai - - -	fl		100
Ch'ien - -	=P		1,000
Wau - -		M	10,000

5. Maeks in the Form of Devices.

This heading is intended to comprise all marks of pictorial character, whether merely ornamental, or sym- bolical in their signification. As examples of pui-ely ornamental marks, two may be selected for illustration. The first (see No. 2) is taken from a small IPang-hsi plate of the finest quality, painted in blue ^vith four- clawed dragons. The second (see No. 3) occurs on blue and white, painted for the European market, decorated with foreign designs, and accompanied by inscriptions in foreign letters, often incorrectly written. A tall covered cup and saucer with this mark is illustrated by Jacque- mart and Le Blant (Plate XVI, Fig. 1), painted with a medallion containing a European king and queen seated, and with kneeling figures in panels, which has

106 ORIENTAL CEKAMK Airr,

inscribed round the edge, " L'Empike de la vektu est ETABLi JUS q'au BOUT DE l'uneks [Univers]." Another cup of Oriental porcelain painted in hlue, with the same mark, is described in tlie Franks Catalogue (No. 583) as having a copy of a Eui'opean picture of the sea, Avith a siren rising from the waves, and a lal)el inscribed " Gardes-vous de la syrene ! "

The symbolical devices are very numerous, and of such varied origin that it will be necessary to consider them in some detail. The Chinese are very fond of the phi- losophy of numbers, and of arranging all kinds of objects in sets or '^ numerical categories," and the symbols of divination and of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism are all grouped in this way, usually in sets of eight, the number of the pa htm, the eight ancient trigrams. The individual members of the different sets may not all occur as marks, but the groups are so constantly used in the decoration of porcelain, either alone or in combina- tion with other designs, that it will save repetition to dis- pose of them here once for all. It Avill be convenient to arrange the devices under the following five subdivisions :.

1. Symhols of Ancient Chinese Lore. — Pa hua and Yin yarig. Pa Yin, " Eight Musical Instruments." 8hih-erh Chang, " Twelve Ornaments embroidered upon ancient sacrificial robes."

2. Bnddldst Symhols. — Pa Chi-hsiang, "Eight Em- blems of Happy Augury." 67*!.'/ Pao, " Seven Pai'aj^her- nalia of a c]i((hravartin, or universal sovereign."

3. Taoist Symhols. — Pa An Hsieny " Attributes of the Eight Immortals, Emblems of Longevity."

4. llie Hundred Antiques {Po Ju/). — Chin, Chiy Shu, Hua, "The Four Elegant Accomplishments." Pa Pao, " The Eight Precious Objects," etc,

5. Devices intended to be read in " Rehiis ''"'fashion^

MARKS ON CHINESE PORCELAIN. 107

1. Symbols of Ancient Ohiiiese Lore.

The most aiicieut of these are tlie Yin-yang symbol of •dualism, which represents the ci'eative monad or ultimate principle, divided into its two elements of darkness {yin) and light (jjang), and the Pa l-ua, the eight trigrams formed by different combinations of broken and unbroken lines, also representing respectively the same two dualis- tic elements. They are seen modeled upon the four sides of the fatnbe vase illustrated in Plate XXIIl, each of the sides of whicli displays two of the trigrams. separated by the yin-yang symbol. This last is represented by the circle in the middle, which is divided by a spiral line into its two essential elements, the negative yin and the positive yrt/i'^ ; the former, the darker half, eori'esponding to darkness, earth, femininity, etc., the other half corre- sponding to light, heaven, masculinity, and the like. The trigrams begin with three unbroken lines representing " heaven," and end ^vith three l)roken lines representing " earth," the intermediate diag-rams beino- different com- binations of these two lines, representing vapor, fire, thunder, wind, water, and mountains. A ceaseless proc- ess of revolution is held to be at Avork in Natuiv, during which the various elements of properties indicated by the diaajrams mutually extino-uish and o-ive birth to one another, and thus produce the phenomena of existence. The development of the Pa hua is attributed to Fti-hi^ the legendary founder of the Chinese polity, wlio is believed to have lived early in the third millennium b. o. ; a. dragon-horse appeared out of the water of the Yellow River and revealed the first plan to him. Wen Wang, the virtual founder of the Chon, the third of the Three Ancient Dynasties, during his imprisonment at the hands of the tyrant Slioii, in the twelfth century b. c, devoted himself to tlie study of the diagrams, and appended to

108 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

eacli a short explanatory text. These explanations, with certain amplifications by his son, the famous Cliou Kiing, " Ducal Prince of Chou," constitute the ancient work known as the Book of Changes of the Cliou dynasty^ which, with the commentary added by Confucius, forms the Yi Ching, or Canon of Changes, the most venerated of the Chinese classics. The entire system of this work, wliich serves as a basis for the philosophy of divination and geomancy, and is lai-gely appealed to as containing not only the elements of all metaphysical knowledge, but also a clew to the secrets of Nature and of being, reposes upon the eight trigrams.*

The Eight Musical Instruments, Pa Yin, of ancient times, which wei'e made of as many different materials,, are found in the decoration of porcelain as a complete set, as well as sometimes, though rarely, separately, as marks. They are :

1. eliding, " Sounding Stone," which is suspended upon a frame and struck with a wooden hammer. It is usu- ally made of jade carved in the form of a mason's square^ with a hole pierced near the angle for suspension. Being^ a homonym of CJt'ing, " Good Fortune," it often figures witli that meaning on the rafters of houses, etc.

2. Chung, " Bell," made of metal, clapperless, and suspended, to be struck by a mallet. Bells as well as sounding stones are hung in sets upon frames to p]-oduce musical chimes.

3. CJCin, '' Lute," with strings of silk. This often occurs as a mark, usually wrapped in its brocaded case.

4. Ti, " Flute," made of band;)oo.

5. Chit, "Box," made of oi'dinary wood, with a metal hammer inside.

6. Kn, " Di'um," covered with skin.

* See Mayer's Vhineae Header's Munual, p. 33B; and Legge's Yi King, \n Sacred Books of the East, vol. xvi (Oxford, 1882).

MARKS ON CHINESE PORCELAIN. 109

7. Shemj, " Reed Oi-gan," a moutb instrument dating from very early times, in which the body or wind-chest is made of gourd, witli seventeen i-eed pipes of different lengtlis inserted at the top.

8. H.silan, " Icarina," made of baked chiy, in the shape of a cone pierced with six holes.

Several of these musical instruments are seen inclosed in small medallions in the decoration of the vase shown in Fig. 89. They may all be found figured in a learned paper on Chhiese Music, by Mr. J. A. Van Aalst,'^ \\\\o is himself a cultivated musician.

The next series of symbols derived from ancient Chinese lore ai'e the Twelve Chang, or '' Ornaments," with ^vhich the sacrificial robes used to be embroidered. They are referred to in the earliest of the Chinese classics, where the Emperor Sliiiii desires at this remote period " to see these emblematic figures of the ancients.""f The robes of the emperor had all the twelve figui'es painted or embroidered upon them ; the hereditary nobles of the first rank are said to have been restricted from the use of the sun, moon, and stars ; those of the next two degrees were further restricted from mountains and dragons; and by a continually decreasing restriction five sets of official robes were made indicating the rank of the wearers. The figures are taken from au official edition of the SJiu Clilmj, or Historical Classic, referred to below% the illustrations of which date from the ^StuKj dynasty. The series comprises :

1. Jih, the "Sun" (No. 1), a disk supported upon a bank of clouds, with the three-legged solar bird inside. In the works of Hwai Nan Tzii, who lived in the second century b. c, tliis fabulous bird is alluded to as inhabiting

* China. Imperial Maritime Customs. Chinese Music. By J. A. Van Aalst. Published by order of tlie Inspector General of Customs, Shanghai, 1884.

f The Chinese Classics. Translated bv Dr. Lega;e, v. iii. The Shoo King, p. 80.

110 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

the Sim, The sun in Chinese dualism is the concrete essence of the masculine principle in Nature, the source of brightness and energy.

2. Ytieli, the " Moon " (No. 2), a disk supported upon the clouds, containing a hare, under the shade of a cassia tree, occupied with pestle and mortar, pounding the drugs of immortality. The moon is the concrete essence of the feminine principle in Nature ; it is inhabited by the hare and the three-lesfsfed toad, and thei'e o'rows the tree (the cassia) which confers immortality on those who eat its leaves. The Chinese " old man of the moon " (Yueh Lao) is popularly said to tie together with an invisible cord the feet of those who are [)redestined to a l)etrothal.

3. Using Chen, the " Stars,'' represented by a stellar constellation of three stars connected in Chinese fashion by straight lines (No. 1).

4. SJuiii, " Mountains," wliicli have been worshiped in eastern Asia from prehistoric times (No. 2).

5. LniKj, " Dragons,'' a pair of the fabulous five- clawed scaly monsters (No. 3), resembling somewhat in shape the huge saurians which paleontologists have brought to light in recent years.

6. HiKi Chung, the "Variegated Animal'' (No. 4) — i. e., the })heasant, or "flowery fowl " of the Chinese.

7. TsuitgYi, the "Temple Vessels " (No. 5), used in the services of the ancestral temple, of which one was said to have had the figure of a tiger upon it, another that of a kind of monkey — animals distinguished for their filial piety, according to tlie connnentators on the classics.

8. Ta'ao, " Aquatic Grass " (No. (i).

9. Hvo, " Fire " (No. 7 ).

10. Fen Mi, "Grains of Rice" (No. 8). These are also often repi-eseuted on the [)ierced medallions of ancient jade, the earliest tokens of value in China.

MARKS ON CHINESE PORCELAIN. 1 1 1

11. Fu.an "Axe" (No. 9).

12. Fu (No. 10), a "Symbol'' of distinction, to wliicli no special signification is attached, and which seems to have been of purely ornamental origin. It is used in the sense of "embroidered," in modern phraseology, and often occurs as a mark on poi-celain of decorative character.

2. Buddhid Symbols.

Buddhism was first heai-d of in China some two cen- turies before Christ, and Buddhist priests came from India as early as the first century of tlie Christian era, bringing with them images, pictures, and books, and a knowledge of the elaborate symbolism of the new religion, much of which had been borrowed from pre- existing Indian sources. Lamaism, the Tibetan form of Buddhism, was inti'oduced much later, under the infiu- euce of the Mono-ol dynastv which ruled China in the thirteenth century, and tliis is the cult which is chiefiy affected bv the Manchu Tartars who now occupy the throne at Peking.

Of the Buddhist synd>ols found upon poivelain the most frequent are the eight symbols of good fortime, kuoAvn by the name of Fa CJii-hsiang, pa meaning " eight," cJu'-Jisia/fg, " hai)[)y omens." They were among the auspicious .signs figured on tlie sole of the foot of Buddha; they are constantly used in the aichitectural decoration of temples, and are displayed in ])orcelain, stone, or gilded wood upon the altar of every Buddhist shrine. They are usually drawn round with fillets, and are:

1. The " Wheel " (Chinese Ltnt, Sanskrit Chahv), the sacred wheel of the hi-w, whicli appears whirling in the air enveloped in fiames, as the sign of the advent of a Chakravarff} Baja, a "Wheel King," or universal mon-

112 ORIENTAL CERAMICS ART.

arch (No. 1). This is sometimes replaced by the large hanging Bell (Cliinese Chung^ Sanskrit Ghantci), which is struck with a mallet on its outer rim dui-ing Bud- dhist worship.

2. The " Sliell " (( Jhinese Zo, Sanskrit SahMa), the conch-shell trumpet of victory, which is also blown dur- ing certain religious ceremonies (No. 2).

3. The '' Uml)rella " (Chinese San, Sanskrit CJtaftra), the state umbrella (No. 3) held over the head of person- ages of rank throughout the East, a Avell-known symbol of sovereignty (" Lord of the White Umbrella ").

4. The " Canop}^ " (Chinese ICai, Sanskrit T)hvaja)y hung with streamers and jeweled tassels (No. 4).

5. The "Flower'' (Chinese Ilaa, Sanskrit Pcuhnci), properly the sacred lotus, a rose-colored variety of the Nehmihium speciosum, but often represented in China by a peony or some other flower (No. 5).

6. The "Vase" (Chinese P '///(/, Sanskrit Kalasci), which may have a flower and miniature ju-i scepter placed inside, or perhaps a ti'io of peacock's feathers (No. 6).

1. The "Fish" (Chinese Yil, Sanskrit M<(ts>ja), the golden fish, represented in paii's (No. 7), an emblem of fertility.

8. The" Entrails" (Chinese Chang, Sanskrit /9rk'«^.s«). The "lucky diagi'am," an angular knot (No. 8) formed of a line without beginning or end, an emblem of longevity. It was customary in ancient times to cut open the abdo- men of the sacrificial victim and to augur fi'om the posi- tion of its entrails.

These Pa Ohi-hsiang form the principal motive of dec- oration of the blue and white ritual wine-pot in Fig. 90, the swelling body of which is decorated with the set of eight, encircled by waving fillets, and supported by con- ventional flowers of Indian lotus. The conch-shell, um-

MARKS ON CHINESE PORCELAIN. 113

brella, and canopy are seen in tlie pir-ture. The same symbols are molded in relief so as to project upon the scrolled background of tlie accompanying snuft'-bottle (Fig. 91), and one can distinguish on the side illustrated the umbrella and the Hame-eiicircled wheel, flanked by the flower upon the right and the vase on the left. The large pilgrim bottle shown in Fig. 50 has its circumfer- ence filled with the same Buddhist emblems of good fortune, while the large round medallions display at the front and back of the vase the eight attributes of the Taoist genii, with other symbols of longevity and happi- ness. This vase forms altogether a perfect mine of reli- gious symbolism, with the emblems of diiferent religicms reposing upon it side by side, in a w^ay that does not strike a Chinese mind as unnatural or inconsistent.

The " Seven Gems " (in Chinese 67/'/ Pao, in Sanskrit Sapta Hatiui) are taken fi'om the porcelain service which was made foi- the daughter of the Emperor Tao-laiKDig^ who was ffiven in marriaixe to the Tumed Pi'ince, and which has been already described in the illustration of its Mongol mark of Baragon Turned. They are the attributes of the universal monarch, such as Pi'ince Sid- dharta would have been had he not become a Buddha, and they are often figured in Buddhist temples upon the base of his throne. They comprise :

1. The "Golden Wheel" (No. 1), Chin Luh, the victorious jeweled wheel of a thousand spokes which heralds the advent of a ClidhraiHirtfi Raja^ or " Wheel King."

2. The " Jadelike Girl " (No. 2), Yii Sil the beau- teous consort, who fans her lord to sleep, and attends liim with the constancy of a slave.

3. The " Horse " (No. 3), Ma, which appears to sym- bolize the horse-chariot of the sun, implying a realm where the sun never sets, as well as the celestial steed

114 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

which spriugs Pegasus-like from the clouds to deliver the sovereign from any (hmgei-. It carries on its back the saci'ed ahns-bow 1.

4. The " Elephant " (No. 4), Hsiang, the white ele- phant which was borrowed from Indian Buddhism by the Buddhist kings of Burmah and Siam, and which seems to ])e Indra's elephant Airavata. He carries the sacred jewel of the law.

5. "Divine Guardian of the Treasury" (No. 5), CJiu Ts'ang Shen, the minister who regulates the affairs of the empire.

6. "General in Command of the Army" (No. <j), Cliu Ping GlPeii^ with drawn sword and tiger shield, ^vho conquei's all enemies.

7. " \Vondei'-w(M'king Jewels" (No. 7),-/" / (Im, in Sanskj'it Chiiifa-inani, fulfilling every wish. They are figured here as a bundle of leweled wands Ixtuiid round with a cord.

Tiie Buddhist symbols which occur most frecjueutly as " marks," either in simple outline or bound with fillets, oi- inclosed in panels of different form, are the lotus flower (No. 8), which is usually accompanied by a few ^vaving reeds, the palm leaf (No. 9), on which the scrip- tures were Avritten in ancient times, the pair of fish, the srivatsa^ or endless knot, and the svastiha symbol. This last, which has been already referred to, is a mystic dia- gram of great antiquity and wide distribution, mentioned in the Ramayana and found in the rock temples of India, among all the Buddhistic people of Asia, and even as the end^lem of Thor amono; Teutonic nations. It is one of the sixty-five figures visible on every footj)rint (Sripada) of Buddha. In China it is the symbol of Buddha's heart — i. e., of the esoteric doctrines of Buddhism — and is the special mark of all deities worshiped by the Lotus School. The images of Kuan Yin, the god (or goddess)

MARKS ON OIIINESTi; PORCELAIN. 1 1 5

of mercy, have sometiiiieis a lotus H<n\ei-, sometimes a svd'Stika, figured on the breast.

3. Tamst Symhoh.

The Taoist set of eight symbols are comprised iu the Pa An Ifsmt, the attributes of the eight Taoist genii or immortals. They are :

1. The " Fan " {Shan) carried by Chung-li Ch'iian, with which he is said to revive the souls of the dead.

2. The '^ Sword " (Cliien) of supernatural power, wiehled by Lii Tung- pin.

3. The ''^Pilgrim's (^onv^V {Hu-lu) of Li Tieh-kuai, the source of so many magical appearances.

4. The "Castanets" {Pan) of Ts'ao Kuo-ch^iu, who always has a pair in his hand.

5. The " Basket of Flowers " (Hua Laii)^ borne l)y Lan Ts'ai-ho.

6. The "Bamboo Tube and Kods" ( Ya /t^/O, a kind of miniatui'e drum cari'ied b}^ C^hang Kno.

7. The "Flute" (1):), upon which Han Hsiang Tzti plays.

8. The "Lotus Flower" {Lien Hiui) of the virgin damsel Ho Hsien Ku.

The fan is sometimes replaced l)y the fiy-Avhisk {'jing shua), the pilgrim's gourd is nearly always accompanied by the crooked iron staff {hun) of the lame beggar, and the flower basket by the spade {cluni) of the florist. These Taoist symbols are coiT^tantly met Avith in Chinese ai't as architectural designs, pattei-ns of Avail paper and domestic furniture, etc., as well as in the decoration of jade, Ijronze, and porcelain. They occupy the large central medallion on the two sides of the ClPkn-Jung pilgrim bottle decorated in colors, shown in Fig. 50, being represented there as bound together in |)airs with

116 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

waving fillets, displayed iipou a ground filled with cloud scrolls and sprays of conventional flowers. The palm- leaf fan and the sword are seen tied together, the casta- nets and the drum with its two rods inside, the gourd, crooked staff, and flute, the basket of flowers and the lotus.

The emblems of longevity which so frequently occur as marks are mostly of Taoist origin, or connected with Taoist mythological legends, and they may consequently be referred to here. The greatest desire of a Chinaman is for long life, which is reckoned as the first and chief of the five happinesses, and the Taoist hermits, like the medise- val alcliemists, spend their time in the search after the elixir of immortality.

The most prominent position in the mystical fancies of the Taoists is given to the peach. The most ancient superstitions of the Chinese attributed magic virtues to the twigs of the peach, and the fabulists of the Han dynasty added many extravagant details to the legends already existing. The divine peach-tree which grew near the palace of the goddess Ihl Wang Mu, whose fruit ripened but once in three thousand years, was celebrated by them as conferring the gift of immor- tality. The peach as an emblem of longevity is found as a mark (No. 1) in combination with a bat, the homo- nym of/?/, "happiness."

A still more common emblem of longevity is the sacred fungus (Jlng-chiK), the Polyimrus lucidus of bot- anists, distinguished by the brightly variegated colors which it develops in the ordinary course of its growth. When dried it is very durable, and it is placed upon the altar of Taoist temples and often represented in the hands of their deities. It is occasionally seen held in the mouth of a deer, and one of these animals always accom- panies Sliou Lao, the longevity god. The fungus is

MARKS ON CHINESE PORCELAIN. 117

specially valued when a tuft of grass has grown through its substance, and this is carefully preserved with the dried specimen. The tuft of grass is generally found, too, in the mark, and has been a puzzle to collectors, who have often described the peculiar combination as a cocks- comb or some other flower, under the idea that a fungus could not have leaves. In the mark photographed in Fig. 92, from the foot of one of a pair of blue and white gourd-shaped vases of the JCanf/-]isi period, Fig. 98, the fungus is represented in the middle of five such tufts of grass. In the other mark (No. 1), a more frequent form, it is accompanied by a few blades only.

Three other plants which figure as emblems of longevity are the Sung, Cliu, Mei, the Pine, Bamboo, and the Prunus, the first two because they are evergreen and flourish throughout the winter, the prunus because it throws out flowering twigs from its leafless stalks up to an extreme old age. The accompanying mark (No, 2), reproduced in facsimile from a large bowl with flaring mouth, decorated inside and out with dramatic scenes in the most brilliant blue, of the ICang-lisi period, is composed of two tiny twigs of prunus blossom encircled by the usual double ring.

Amouir the animal emblems of lono;evitv are the deer, the tortoise, and the stork, all of which occur occasionally as marks. The hare (No. 3) is found more frequently than any as a mark. It is the animal sacred to the moon, where the Taoists believe it to live, pounding with pestle and mortar the drugs that form ihid elixir vitic. It is said to live a thousand years, and to become white when it has- reached half its long span of life. The stork, in the form that is usually figured as a mark, is seen inclosed in a small circular medallion in the decoration of the gourd- shaped vase in Fig. 85 ; it is the patriarch of the feathered tribe, attaining a fabulous age, and is the aerial courser of

118 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

the Taoist divinities, often represented bringing from a paradise in the clouds the tablets of human fate which it carries in its beak. The tortoise is also sometimes seen accompanying the longevity god, and the common felici- tous phrase Kuei ho ch>i shoU' means, " May your longevity equal that of the tortoise [^'?/6/] and stork \]io I ! " As a mark, however, it is rare in China, although more commonly used in Japan in the form of a tortoise with a hairy tail composed of strings of confervoid growth.

4. The Hundred Antiques {Po Kii).

The expression Po Ku, which is constantly used in the description of Chinese art, refers to the almost infinite variety of ancient symbols and emblems, derived from all kinds of sources, sacred and profane, which form a common motive in the decoration of porcelain and other art objects. Although the word "hundred" is used vaguely as a noun of multitude, it is not a mere figure of speech, as it would not be a difficult matter to enumerate more than that number of antique symbols appertaining to this category. These antiques sometimes form the sole decoration of vases ; sometimes they are grouped in panels of diverse form, as in the blue and white "haw- thorn " jars in which the floral groiuid is interrupted by medallions ; in other cases they are ari'anged singly within the l)ands of floral brocade or diaper which en- circle the borders of a round dish or other piece.

The tall two-handled blue and white cup illustrated in Plate XIV is decorated, for instance, with groups of these symbols, the intervals of the conventional borders of foliated design being filled with paraphernalia of the scholar and artist — books on tables, brushes in vases, water receptacles, and scroll pictures, enveloped with

MARKS ON CHINESE POKOP:LAIN. 119

waving fillets aud mixed with tasseled wands and double diamonds, symbols of literary success.

The large and beautiful plate (Fig. 94) painted in brilliant enamel coloi's of the K^imj-hxl period, with a broad band of peony sci-olls peneti-ated by archaic dragons around the I'im, succeeded by narrower rings of fret, displays in the intei'ioi" a typical example of the Po Ku style of decoration, artistically carried out. The centei' })iece is a tall, graceful vase with rings hanging upon o[)en scrolled handles, decorated with sprays of lotus, standing upon a tripod pedestal, filled with a bouquet of peonies, floral emblems of literary success leading to wealtli and honor. A low vase "vvitli wide, bulging body, decorated with dragons at the side, holds peacocks' feathers, emblems of high rank. On the other side, a lion-shaped censer upon a four-legged stand is v emitting a cloud of incense shaping above into the foi-ms of a pair of storks, symbols of long life and of conjugal felicity. A second set of incense-burning apparatus, a bundle of scroll pictures tied up in a brocaded wrapper, 'AJii-i ("wish-fulfilling") scepter or wand, a musical stone, and other felicitous symbols, and a sword witli a paper-weight in the foreground, fill in the picture. The background is a scroll picture partially unrolled to show a pine-clad mountain with pavilions and temples, a represen- tation of theTaoist paradise, the immemorial hills {Slioii SJia/i) where their immortal hermits are wont to wander.

The Po Ku symbols, like those of the Buddhist and Taoist cults, are also often arranged in numerical cate- gories. The sets most frequently met ^vith ai-e the Pa Pao or "Eight Precious Things," and the "Four Accom- plishments of the Scholar." These occasionally occur in the ornamental borders of plates and vases, generally bound with fillets, and they are also found singly as marks. The usual set of the Pa Pao comprises :

120 ORIENTAL OEHAMIC ART.

1. A sphere (No. 1), representing a jewel or pearl (^chif), often draw n with effulgent rays issuing from its surface. The dragon is generally depicted in pursuit of such a jewel. It answei's to the Buddhist jewel of the law, the special symbol, also, of a universal monarch.

2. A circle inclosing a square (No. 2). This repre- sents a "cash" (cA'/V/^), the ordinary money of the Chinese, wliich is a round copper coin pierced with a square hole in the center for convenience of stringing. A couple of them may be united by a fillet, or a long line form an ornamental border to a plate. Sometimes the god of riches will be seen emerging from the clouds at night, with a string of such " cash " whirling round his shoulders, in the act of tilling a treasure chest, while the guards are sleeping beside it.

3. An open lozenge (faitf/shenr/) with ribbons en- twined round it (No. 1). This is a symbol of victory or success. A pair of such objects interlaced make a common symbol, a pattern for jewelry, or worn in the front of the caps of boys, conveying the idea T\mg hshi fang sheng, or " Union gives success."

4. A solid lozenge (No. 2), another form of the same symbol (fcmg sheruf). A musical stone of jade or a plaque of bronze may be fashioned in this shape.

5. A cJCiiig^ or musical stone of jade (No. 3). Also cast in sonorous metal. Struck with a hammer, it is a very ancient musical instrument, and minute directions for its manufacture are found in old books. A set of sixteen, of different size and thickness, form the pien ch^iiig^ or " stone chime." It is also a Buddhist musical instrument. On account of the similarity of the sound of its name ^vith that of the word cJiHng, which means "happiness" and "good luck," it is often seen in sym- bolical decorations on the rafters of a house, the side of a winecup, etc.

I

i

MARKS ON C1IINP:SE PORCELAIN. 121

6. A pair of l)ooks (j<hu) strung together l)y a ribVjon (No. 4). This symbol is generally found as one of the four which represent the elegant accomplishments of the Chinese scholar, the t)ther three being r/ii/i,, rltM^ and //w,a, the lyre, the chess-boaixl, and scroll paintings.

7. C/ineJi, a pair of horns (No. 5). The rhinoceros horn used to be considered an object of great value in China, and Avas elaborately carved into winecups, girdle clasps, and many other things. A horn brimming with good things is emblematic of plent}', like the cornucopia of our own classical times.

8. An artemisia leaf (the al yeJt, shown in No. 6). A fragrant plant of good omen, used from ancient times for the " moxa." The Buddhist pi-iest at his ordination places small balls of the dried leaves upon his head and ignites them to burn a number of spots into the skin. At the festival of new moon in the fifth month every householder nails to the posts and windows of his house some leaves of the artemisia and sweet flag, tied together in bundles, to dispel noxious influences.

These objects are sometimes seen borne by a proces- sion of fantastic figures representing tribute bearers from abroad. The set is variable, and any one of the members may be replaced by a branch of coral, a silver ingot, a brush and cake of ink, etc., ov by a svastiha symbol, or by one of the Buddhist emblems of good fortune, such as a lotus flower, conch shell, or pair of fishes. These sym- bols, as the eight aquatic jewels {Sliui pa jx^o), represent the treasures of the sea, and are pictured in combination with winged sea-horses and other monsters floating upon the Avaves of the sea — a common decoration of the in- terior of bowls and dishes.

The " Four Accomplishments " of the Chinese scholar — music, chess, calligraphy, and painting — are known by, tlie collective title of Cliin Ch^l Sliu Hua, and are

122 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

represented by the articles named in the title, viz. : (1) a lyre wrapped in its embroidered case; (2) a chess- or rather f/o-board, with round boxes for the white and black " men *" ; (3) a pair of books placed side by side or tied together' with a fillet ; and (4) a couple of scroll pictures. They are inclosed in panels within a diapered band encircling: the shoulder of the vase illustrated in Fig. 95, and each one of the four occupies a prominent position in the successive panels of the vase shown in Fig. 96, so that it is unnecessary to illustrate them separately. They all occur, besides, as marks. The exercise of the four accomplishments is a common motive of decoration for figure subjects, and some of the finest vases of the K\vng-lm period, both blue and white and brilliantly enameled in colors, exhibit bevies of Ijusy damsels or parties of literati gathered in four grou2:)s^ which are depicted either on the same vase, or on a pair of bowls of the same set, two of the groups being displa3^ed in the latter case on the sides of each of the bowls.

The vase just alluded to (Fig. 96), which is referred to the K^mg-lisi period, is decorated in coral i-ed and pale green with touches of gold, Avith floral brocades and diapered bands of varied pattern, surrounding four large panels with indented corners which are filled with selections of these Po Kn designs. The four sides have been separately photographed, to give an idea of the variety of the devices.

The first picture (Fig. 96) shows the outline and decoration of the vase ; the othei' three give the suc- cessive panels, starting from the first and proceeding round the vase from left to right. The first panel has in the center a three-legged censer of complex form Avith dentated libs, and a cover surmounted by a one-horned grotesque lion ; the corners are occupied by a folding

MARKS OX CHINESE porci:lain. 123

chess-board, with two boxes for the "men," a pair of horn cups bound witli fillets, an open book, and a magic wand (jii-f) ^^ith its fungus-shaped Jeweled head, a cylindrical pot {j^f-t^KHiJ) with a picture scroll, a feather whisk, and two brushes inside, and a water receptacle with tiny ladle near at hand ; two cups and a fluted incense l)OX with ])alm-leaf cover fill in the intervals.

The second ])anel (Fig. 97) contains a vase of "haw- thorn " pattern interrupted by l)ands of ti'iangular fret, mounted upon a stand, with an emblematic spray of blossoming prunus inside ; in the corners a lyre in its brocaded case tied with ribbons, the staff and fan of the mendicant friar, a jar of wine {(•liiu tmoi) ^vith a ladle inside and a \vinecup near at hand, a censer decorated with trigrams, and a covered incense box beside it: in the intervals are a ^vate]■pot {shui cli'eng), a libation cu[), the round " cash " symbol, a lozenge displaying a svastiha symbol, and two interlacing rings, an archaic form of money and of the earliest hieroglyph I'epresenting it.

The third panel (Fig. 98) has as its center-piece a tripod, censer with dentated ribs and upright loop handles; two books, having their volumes inclosed in the usual cloth cases, and a Ju-i wand tied with a fillet, beloiv, a sacred alms-bowl, the holy grail of Buddhism, reposing on a bed of Ficus religiosa leaves, and a pair of casta- nets, ahove; a palette and pair of brushes, the "cash" symbol, a palm leaf, and the interlacing lozenge-symbol (^fang-slieng) filling in the intervals.

The fourth panel (Fig. 99) exhibits a tall vase of graceful form, decorated with an archaic dragon, c<ui- taining a branch of coral and two peacock's feathers, emblems of high rank, with a couple of scroll pictures tied together with a cord half hidden by the vase, a bundle of rolls of silk and a flute, a palm-leaf fan and Buddhist rosary on either side of its neck ; a low table

124 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

with four divisions filled apparently with nuts, having two teacups in their saucers beside it, a waterpot and a foot rule, a third small cup, and the interlacing ring- symbol, complete the emblematic decoration.

This is enough to show the great variety of the PoKn symbols. Two of them, which often occur sej)arately as marks, are the ]p(W ting (No. 1), or precious censer, a bronze antique with either three or four legs, which is often roughly shaped, so that it was mistaken by Jacque- mart for a modeling table ; and fu^ the ornamental symbol (No. 2) which formed one of the designs embroid- ered in olden times upon sacrificial robes.

5. Devwes intended to he read in '^ Rehus'''' fasliion.

The Chinese language being monosyllabic, and having comparatively few vocables to express the myriads of written characters, lends itself readily to puns, and a subclass is necessary for devices of this kind. The idea of Ling Hsien Clmi Slioii — i. e., " The Sacred Genii worshiping the Longevity God " — is involved, for in- stance, in a floral device consisting of interlacing sprays of polyporus fungus, narcissus flowers, bamboo tAvigs, and peach fruit ; * the fungus is called ling cltili, the narcissus, shwi hsien, hua, oi- '' the water fairy," chu, " bamboo," is used as a " I'ebus " for " worship," which has the same sound, and the peach suggests the deity of longevity,, whose special attribute it is. Again, a device which often occurs as a mark on porcelain is composed of a bat, a peach, and a couple of " cash " united by a fillet, and is read Pii Slioii Sliumig CKiian — i. e., '' Happiness and Longevity both complete " ; the bat (/'«) is a homonym ' of (/''/) "happiness"; the peach is the sacred fruit of

* This floral device is carved in the bottom of a magnilicent dish of white jade, the " brusli- washer " (jo<- 7m) of a Chinese writer or artist, now in. the Walters Collection.

MARKS ON CHINESE PORCELAIN. 125

longevity (shou), and c/i'uwi, the ancient term for " cash," means also " perfect." We have had this last character already as a single mark. Dozens of such curious con- ceits might be cited.

Tlie richly decorated vase of the Ch^ien-lung period enameled in colors with gilding, illustrated in Fig. 100, which has flowers of the four seasons in its four lar^ce panels — the magnolia yulan and peonia of sjJrhg, the hydrangea, pinks (dianthus) and flags (iris) of sum7ner, the oak with acorns and russet leaves and the chrysan- themums of autumn, the blossoming plum and early roses of winter — has the two oblong panels on the neck occupied by an emblematical device of this kind, which is composed of a chain of symbols hung M'ith knotted ribbons and jeweled beads. It suggests the felicitous motto, Chi elibing ya yil — i. e., " Good Fortune and Abundance of Riches"; the hanging musical plaque of jade of triangular form {cJu^cli'ing) suggests the homo- phone "good fortune"; and the pair of fishes (////) involves the idea of prosperity and abundance {yi'()j which is read with the same vocable, although ^vritten with a different charactei'.

The accompanying mark (No. 1 ) has already been published in the Franks Oatalogue, so often referred to (Plate VII, 88), taken from a pair of circular trays, which are decorated, in colors with gilding, with ladies engaged in two out of the "four accomplishments," viz., painting and chess. The first exhibits "two ladies, one seated at a table with a brush in her hand, the other (her attendant) standing with a hand-screen behind the former, a stand with vases, etc." ; the second has " three ladies seated on a carpet and playing at a game some- what like chess, in the background a stand with vases, stool with tea things, etc." The mark, which is com- posed of a pencil-brush {pi), a cake of ink (ting), and a

1 26 ORIENTAL CEKAJMIO ART.

magic wand (ju-i) symbolizes the phrase I^i ting jvA — i. e., " May [things] be fixed as you wish ! " The same mark occurs also on blue and white porcelain of good style.

The decoration of the pair of eggshell winecups, of which one is shown in Fig. 78, includes another " rebus " in the shape of two flying bats (/'*?), with triangular plaques of jade {cln-cli'iiir/^ in their mouths, suggesting the felicitous phrase Shuang fa <-lil dt'^ing — i. e,, "Two- fold Happiness and Good Fortune."

The magnificent Yung-Cheng dish, ilhistrated in Fig. 101, would also l)e suggestive to a Chinese mind, and it would imply, from its floral decoration, the felicitous sentence, Yil fang fa huei, or " Jade Halls for the Rich and Noble," the three flowers displayed in the interior of the dish being the magnolia (j/fl-Ian), the double pyrus (Jiai-fang^, and the tree-peony, which is often called the fu-lcuei flo^ver, as the special floi'al emblem of riches and high rank. Many of the titles of Chinese art designs are of this alliterative character, and suggest at once the conventional details which make up the composition.

CHAPTER V.

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN. PRIMITIVE PERIOD.

SUJSra DYNASTY.— JU YAO. KUAN YAO. TING YAO.

LUNG-Ch'VAN YAO. KO YAO. TUNO-Ch'iNG YAO. CUtTN

YAO. THREE FACTORIES AT CHI-CHOU, CHIEN-CHOU, AND

TZ'U-CHOU. UTENSILS OF SUNG PORCELAIN.

IT has already been sbowu in Cliapter I, fi'om tlie evi- dence of contemporary writers, that porcelain must have been known in China at least as early as the T'ong dynasty. But the jadelike resonant wliite ^vare of Hsin- p'ing, the modern Ching-te-cheu, in the province of Kiangsi, and the cups of Ta-yi, in the Ssuclnian province, so often celebrated by the poets of tlie period, together witli the enameled bowls of Yueh-choii and the other colored fabrics described in the early books on tea, have long since disappeared. Even the famous porcelain of the After Chov dynasty, which reigned a. d. 951-960, known at the time as imperial ware, subsequently as Ch'ai Yao, after the name of the reigning emperor, who decreed that it should ])e produced "blue as the sky, clear as a mirror, thin as paper, resonant as jade," is described by modern collectors as almost a phantom, and as being so rare that in the present day fragments are set in gold like je^vels, to be woi'n in the front of the cap.* The author of the ClChig pi tsang, a little book

*Tliis practice of cutting fragments of broken porcelain into oval plaques for mounting into buckles for girdles, or buttons for the tol)acco pouch, is useful for the study of the rarer glazes, and for comparison with any unbroken specimens which we have before us for classification. They show the tiiick- ness of the glaze as well as the texture of the paste, both of which are impor- tant criteria for determining the age of a piece.

127

128 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Oil art piiblislied in 1595, writes: "I have seen a broken piece of Cli'ai Yao made into a ring and worn on the girdle, the sky-blue color and brilliant polish of which corresponded to the description as given above, but it differed in ])eing thick." It seems hardly necessary, therefore, to include these diiferent wares in our classifi- cation, or to occupy our space witli any of tlie other less important productions which are described in the older books, but are not seen in collections of the present day. It is different when we come to the Sung dynasty, which began in 960 and lasted till 1280, when it was overthrown by Kublai Khan, the grandson of the famous Genghis Khan and the founder of the Yuan dynasty, which ruled China till it was in its turn succeeded by the native Mimj dynasty in the year 1368. We have actual specimens of the porcelain of these times in our possession and can compare them with the descriptions of the writers on ceramic subjects. They agree in having a certain primitive aspect, being invested generally with glazes of single colors of uniform or mottled tint, with plain or crackled surface, so that the two dynasties are justly classed together l)y M. Grand id ier,''^ whose classifi- cation of Chinese porcelain I propose to follow here, arranged as it is in chi'onological order after a Chinese model :

1. Primitive period, including the Sunfj dynasty (960- 1279) and the Yuan dynasty (1280-1367).

2. Ming period, comprising the wliole of the Ming dynasty (1368-1643).

3. K\ing-lm period, extending from the fall of the Ming dynast}^ to the close of the reign of K\(ng-liHl (1662-1722).

4. Y'wng-cheng and ChJien-lung period (1723-1795).

* La Cenimique chinoise, avec 42 heliogravures par Dnjardin, par Ernest Grandidier, Paris, 1894.

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINP:kK PORCELAIN. 129

5. Modern period, from the begiiiuing of tlie reign of Chm-ch''mg in 1796 to the present day.

This classification gives five faii-ly well marked ceramic classes, and as a rule it will not be found difficult to decide from the style, from the method of decoration, or from the colors employed, to which of these classes a particular piece should belong.

The first, or Primitive period, is named from the com- paratively simple character of its ceramic pr<^ductions. This must be stated with some qualification, howevei*, as many of the different processes of decoration were intro duced, and it will be seen that there were considerable advances in the ceramic productions, before the end of the period, when they are compared with the really primitive porcelain of the T\in<j dynasty. At first the pieces were eithei' plainly fashioned on the wheel, or molded, and invested with glazes of different color, the brilliance of which constituted the chief charm. After- ward more work was lavished on the paste, which was worked in relief, engraved, or carved in open-work designs. The delicacy of some of the molded decora- tion of this period in the interior of the white bowls and platters of the Ting-chou kilns, with phcenixes flying through floral scrolls, and other elaborate designs, has^ indeed, hardly been surpassed since.

Among the monochrome glazes are found whites of various tones, grays of bluish and purplish tints, greens from pale sea-green celadon to deep olive, browns from light chamois to dark tints approaching black, bright rt'7, and dark purple. Especially notable are the pale purple, often speckled with red spots ; the brilliant grass- greens of the Lung-ch'uan porcelain, called t.suug-lu, or " onion-gi'een," by the Chinese ; the yueh-pai, or dair de tuns, a pale gray blue, and the auhergine, or deep purple {(jK'ieh tzu), of the Chiin-chou ware ; these last kilns were

130 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

also remarkable for the brilliance of their yao-pien, or " trausinutatiou " mottled tints, due to the varied degrees of oxidation of copper silicates.

Painted decoration was more sparingly employed, al- though in the province of Chihli both the Ting-chou and Tz'ti-chou porcelains were painted with brown flowers, as we learn from the Ko hi yao hm, a work published in i\\e fourteenth century. The same book describes the vases produced at Yung-ho-chen, in the department of Lu-ling- hsien, in the province of Kiangsi, as ornamented with painted designs. The potteries here were closed during the wars at the end of the Sung dynasty, and the major- ity of the potters fled to Ching-te-chen, and seem to have initiated the potters there in new methods of decoration. ^ As early as the tenth century cobalt blue, as w^e learn from the official annals of the Sung dynasty (Sung Skill, book 490, f. 12), was brought to China by the Arabs, under the name of wu^mingj^iii It had long been used in western Asia in the decoration of tiles and other arti- cles of faience. It was first employed in China, probably, in the preparation of colored glazes, as we know nothing pf painting in blue before the Yuan dynast}'.

The decoration of porcelain sur hiscuit Avith glazes of different colors, Avliich prevailed in the early part of the Ming dynasty, must also have begun in the Sung, if we are to accept the statement quoted in the T''ao Skuo, that the celebrated image of Kuan-yin* enshrined in the Buddhist temple Pao-kuo-ssti at Peking dates from that dynasty. The bonzes of the temple confidently asse;'t it, claiming also that it is a miraculous likeness, in th'^^ tie goddess herself descended into the furnace while it was being fired and fashioned the ductile clay in her own image ; and they point triumphantly to the laudatory verses composed by the Emperor CJi^ ien-lung, which are

* The Goddess of Mercy.

I

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN. 131

engraved upon the carved blackwood jjedestal of the shrine, which supports and screens the sacred image, made by impei'ial order in the palace Avorkshop of the jVel-iv(f-fu, as sufficient evidence. It is a finely molded figui'e about a foot high, seated upon a lotus pedestal of the same material, colored crimson, with the chin sup- ported by the right hand, the long taper fingers drooping gracefully, and the elbow resting upon the knee, 'i'he face, the right arm, the breast, and the left foot, which is extended in an a\vk\var(l pose to exhibit the sole, are bare, covered with an opacpie white enamel. From the necklet, which is yellow, hangs a square network of yellow beads attached to the inuei' garment gii'dliug the waist, which is colored red-brown of charming mottled hue. The figure is loosely wrapped in flowing drapery of purest and bluest turquoise tint, Avith the wide sleeves of tlie robe bordered with l)lack and turned back in front to show the yellow lining ; the upper part of the cloak is extended up behind over the head in the form of a plaited hood, which is also lined with canary yellow. The brow is encircled by a tiara of gold and crimson, with a tiny image inlaid in the front, and flower designs in relief on either side. The right hand holds a circular min-oi', \vith Sanskrit characters carved in open work, enameled, of dark-brown color, suiTOunded by a halo of golden flames."^*

* I have liad the privilege of paying several visits to the shrine of this god- dess, wlio lias, somehow, an irresistible fascination. The prior of the mon- asterj' assures me that his records show that the imaire has been tliere since the foundation of the temple in the thirteenth century, and I see no reason to doubt his assertion. The colors are of the same type as those of the finest flower-pots and saucers of the Chlin-chou porcelain of the Siiitg dynasty. A Chinese author of the Minr/ period writes that there must have been porcelain decorated in colors during the Sung dynasty, basing his statement on this very image of Kuan-yin. Most people have been led astray by its traditional name of Yao-p'ien— i. e., " Furnace Transmutation " — and imagined, like Dr. Ilirth that it was invested with an ordinary ff a mbe glaze. The colors, the turquoise blue, canary-yellow, brown of "old gold" and "dead leaf '' tones, crimson

132 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

The ordinary decoration of painting in enamel colors upon poicelain pi'eviously lired, and subsequently fired again in the muffle stove to fix the colors, was certainly unknown at this period. We read occasionally, it is true, of butterflies, birds, fish, or fabulous beasts, outlined by some magic transformation on the surface of celadon vases, but these appear to be merely accidental resem- blances of the colored patches so often produced during the firing of these glazes. Such reddish or purple stains occuri'ing on ancient pieces, from partial oxidation of the coloring material, are specially prized by collectors as marks of authenticity, and an artificial patch is usually daubed on in modern imitations to deceive the unwary.

A general idea of the form and coloring of the por- celain may be gathered from the water-color illustrations of the album of the sixteenth century to which I have already briefly referred. It was described in a paper read by me before the Peking Oriental Society in 1886, aud published there in the Journal of the Society, whicli is, however, difficult to procure, so that I may perhaps be forgiven for repeating part of the description. The album, bound in four volumes, between boards of sandal- wood, came from the library of the palace of the hered- itary princes of Yi. It is entitled Li tal uiing fe'y> tou i>''^^ S fti ^ fi BI |§7 Illustrated Description of the Celebrated Porcelain of Different Dynasties. The writer, -S jti V^^ Hsiang Yuan-p'ien, who himself dv^w and colored by hand the eighty-two illusti'ations copied from pieces in his own collection and in the collections of his friends, was a native of Chia-hsing-fu, in the province of

and red-striped purple, are laid on in perfect contrast, and make one almost understand the rhapsodies of some of the older ceramic writers about the bril- liancy of the colors produced at the Chun-chou kilns. The image is con- sidered too sacred to be photographed or even portrayed in colors by a profane artist.

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN. 133

ChekijiDg, a celebrated connoisseur wlio lived in the six- teenth century. The author of the CliHng pi ts^ang, ab"eady referred to, includes his name in the list of col- lectors given by him in book ii, f. 3, and the seal of Hsiang Yuan-p'ien is relied upon by connoisseurs to this day as a guarantee of the authenticity of a picture to which it is attached.

The first leaf contains an introduction by way of pref- ace, which runs : " In ancient times, while Slmn was still living in the midst of the fields, he tilled the ground and made pottery as a means of livelihood ; so that even before the Three Ancient Dynasties the art of molding clay was already in existence. But very many years have elapsed, and his generation is so remote that no examples of his work can have survived. Passing on to the 67/'///, Harij Wei, and Chin dynasties, we come to the earliest men- tion of potters, in the case of the ^vinecups of Chi Shu- yeh and the wine-vessels of Hsii Ching-shan. Successors of these two men in their daily work })roduced an abun- dant quantity, do^vn to the reign of the house of Ch'ai, which was the first to become celebrated for its ceramic ware, so that in the present day men search for mere fragments of this porcelain without being al>le to find any, and declare it to be but a phantom.

" Next to the Ch'ai pottery, we have the porcelains of Ju, Kuan, Ko, and Ting following for inspection, till finally w^e come to oui' own dynasty, and have before us porcelain of the reigns of Yuikj-Io, Hman-te, ClCeng-Jma, and Hiing-cJdli, to compare ^vith the specimens of the Sung, which it even surpasses, excelling both in texture and form as well as in brilliancy of coloring.

" I have acquired a morbid taste for refuse (literally * scabs'), and delight in buying choice specimens of the Sung, Yvan, and Ming, and in exhibiting them in equal rank with the bells, urns, and sacrificial wine-vessels of

134 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

bronze, of the Three Ancient Dynasties, the (Jli'iii^ and the Han.

'^ AVitli tlie aid of two or three intimate friends, who meet constantly both day and night for discussion and research, I have selected a series of pieces out of those that I have seen and that I possess myself and compiled this book. I have painted the specimens in colors and given the source of each one, so that I may preserve them from being lost and forgotten, and be able to show them to my friends. Say not that my hair is scant and sparse and yet I make what is onlv fit for a child's toy!"

" Written by Hsiang Yuan-p'ien, styled Tzu-ching, native of Chiadio."

The signature is accompanied by two seals in antique script, impressed in vermilion, "The Seal of Hsiang Yuan-p'ien," and J/ry //;/ tSJian jett, " A dweller in the hills at Mo-lin." The author is described, in the volu- minous Imperial Cijclopmlia of Celehrated Wi-ifern and A/'f/.sfs, "as a clever calligraphist as well as a skillful painter and collectoi- of objects of art " ; and it also alludes to him as signing his writings with the literary title of Mo-Uu cln'r sJiih^ "Reti]-ed scholar of Mo-lin.''

There are eighty-three illustrations in the album, arranged in oi'der according to the purpose for ^\ hich the objects tigui'ed are intended to be used. They comprise :

Censers for burning incense.

Ink Pallets, Pen Rests, and Water Pots for the library table.

Vases of varied forms for holding flowers.

Jars and Libation Cups for sacrificial wine.

Wine Ewers and little Cups, Teapots and Teacu[)s, Kice Bowls and Dishes for ordinary use.

Rou2;e Pots and Perfume Boxes for the toilet.

Pagoda enshrining a jade image of Buddha, and a jade

CLASSIFICATIOIsr OF CHINESE PORCELAIN. 135

jar containing sacred relics from India, presented by the empress to the Porcelain Tower Temple at Nanking.

Oil Lamps and Pricket Candlesticks of elaborate design.

The pieces figured appear to be choice examples of the different kinds of porcelain appreciated by collectors at the time and to have been selected from the best avail- able sources. The forms and ornamental decoration of most of the objects have been modeled after the ancient bronze vessels, which are dug up in such abundance in China and have been figured in illustrated catalogues by many collectors. A detailed description of each piece is written on the opposite page, giving the size and color, the source of the design, the name of the owner, and often the price he had paid. The pictures are usually of the natural size, one on each leaf ; sometimes, when small, two on the page. The rarity of the specimens is indicated by the high prices recorded to have been paid — a hun- dred ounces of silver, for instance, for a pair of tiny egg- shell winecups, a price confirmed, as we shall see, by printed books of the time.

Of the 83 objects figured, -1:2 areattiibuted to the Svng dynasty, a. d. 960-1279, only 1 to the Yuan (1280- 1367), the remaining 40 to the Ming dynasty, of which five reigns are represented : Yimg-h (1403-1424) by 1 piece; ^§«^^/^^^^ (1426-1435) by 20 pieces; Cli'tng-lma (1465- 1487) by 11 pieces; Hurig-cluh (1488-1505) by 4 pieces; and Cheng-te (1506-1521) by 4 pieces. Two of the pieces of the last reign are teapots of red '' boccaro " stoneware from the i)otteries which were founded then by Kung Ch'un at Yi-hsing, in the province of Kiang-nau ; all the rest of the Ming pieces come from the imperial manufactory at Ching-te-chen, in Kiangsi province. The Yuan dynasty piece marked Shu fu, " imperial palace," comes from the same place. The 42 Sung specimens are selected from several fabrics famous at the time, and

136 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

comprise : 3 pieces of Ju Yao, " Ju-cbou porcelain " ; 10 pieces of Kuan Yao, "Imperial porcelain"; 12 pieces of Ting Yao, "Ting-cliou porcelain," tlie white, purple- brown, and black glazes being all represented ; 1 of Ko Yao, and 1 1 of lAing-c'huan Yao from Lung-ch'lian-hsien ; 1 of Tung-clCing Yao, and 4 of Chun Yao, " Cblin-clioii porcelain."

I liave arranged the objects described according to their source, and have added a brief description of each of the different kinds of porcelain. The description of each specimen is a literal translation of the author's words.

'A % Ju Yao.

The Ju Yao was the porcelain made during the Sung dynasty at Ju-chou, in the province of Honau, the modern Ju-chou-fu. We are told that the porcelain hitherto sent to the capital from Tung-chou was found to be too fragile, and that a supply was therefore oi'dei'ed for the use of the court from Ju-chou. The new porcelain resembled the celebrated Clikii ware of the preceding dynasty, which was made in the same province, and which the emperor ordered should be of the color of the clear sky in the intervals between the clouds after rain. The glaze is described as being so thick as to run down like melted lard, and as often ending in an irregularly curved line before reaching the bottom of the piece.

The surface was either crackled or plain, and the latter was preferred if the color was perfectly pure and uni- form. The color is described by the artist as that of the pale azure-tinted blossoms of the Vitex incisa, the " sky- blue flower " of the Chinese, a flowering shrub which is common upon the hillsides in summer thi-oughout cen- tral and northern China ; it is the yiieli ixii, literally " moon white," of the modern Chinese silk dyer, which

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN. 137

we kno^v iu ceramic parlance as clair de lime, and this is the name o-iven also to the tint of the 'Tv Yu, or " Ju Glaze," of the modern rej^roductions of the ancient color. This is well shown in Plate LI, 2, an illustration of a clair de hine vase of the K\nig-lm period. The tint of the ancient Ju Yao nearly approached that of the Sung cup illustrated in Plate XII, 1, only it was of bi-ighter hue and of purer blue.

Three pieces of Ju Yao of the Sung dynasty are illus- trated in our ancient album, and described by the artist :

" Vase (^w), of slender, upright, hoi-nlike form, with wide, trumpet-shaped mouth, modeled after an ancient bronze design, with four prominent vertical dentated ridges. It is ornamented with grotesque dragons' heads on a rectangular scroll ground upon the body, and with conventional palm leaves filled in with scrolls round the neck. Specimens of Ju-chou porcelain are extremely rare, and when found are usually plates and bowls, so that a perfect unbroken vase like this is almost unique, and it makes, like other sacrificial wine-vessels of the time, a charming receptacle for flowers. Moreover, it excels in material, form, and color both Kuan and Ko porcelain, and is far more valuable than either. I saw it at the capital, in the possession of Huang, General of the Guards, who told me that he had given 150,000 ' cash ' for it." * H. 6i in.

" Vam {Ku), of solid, rounded, beaker-shaped outline, copied from an ancient sacrificial vessel of bronze, with a band of ogre (fao-fieli) faces on the body, invested, like the last, with a plain uncrackled glaze of pure " vitex- blue " color. A choice specimen of this rare fabric, it makes also a perfect receptacle for flowers." H. 4i in.

*The copper " cash " of China has varied in value at different times, but the normal rate of exchange is 1,000 for a tael, or Chinese ounce of silver, which is worth intrinsically about one Mexican dollar and one third.

138 OEIENTAL CERAMIC AET.

" Wine Jar {F'u Tsu/i), fasliioned in the shape of a duck, after an ancient bronze design, the body being hollow to contain the wine, and the beak forming the spout. From the back springs a vaselike neck, with a movable cover, and a loop handle supported upon gro- tesque figures. Ornamented with encircling bands of spiral pattern worked in the paste under the ' starch- blue' {fen eliding) glaze, which is coarsely crackled. The perfect finish of the fabric and the antique character of the coloring and crackled pattern make this a rare S2)ecimen of ancient wine-vessels. The duck floats grace- fully upon the waves, and men of old made wine-jars in its form, as a symbol that one ought to swim lightly on the surface, and not be di'owned in the Avine like the drunkard." H. 5i in., L. 5 in.

g ^, KuAisr lAo.

The Kuan Yao is the " imperial porcelain " of the Sung dynasty, huaii meaning "government" or "im- perial." The manufactory was founded in the capital Pien-chou, the modern K'ai-feng-fu, in the beginning of the twelfth century. A few years later the dynasty was driven southward by the advancing Tartars, and a manu- factory was founded in the new capital, the modern Hang-chou-fu, to supply the palace with porcelain of the same kind, and the productions of the new kilns founded in the city near the Temple of Heaven was also called Kuan Yao. The same name is used, in fact, for por- celain made in the imperial manufactory at Ching-te-chen to-day.

The porcelain produced at the old capital seems to have resembled the celebi'ated Ch'ai ware, which was fabi'icated probably at the same place, as it was the capi- tal of the After Chou dynasty at that time. The glaze

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN. 139

of the Kuan Yao was generally crackled, of various tints, of which yiieh pai (claii' de June) was the most highly esteemed of all, followed hy fen cWing, " pale blue," ta lu, ^' emernld-greeu " (literally tjros vert), and lastly Jiiii se, "gray/' The Hang-chou ware was made of a reddish paste covered with the same glazes, and we read of iron- colored feet and brown mouths, the upper rim being more lightly covered with glaze and showing the color of the paste underneath.

There is a t3q3ical example of this class in the little crackled teacup in this collection figured in Plate XII, 1, and the illustration exhibits very well the tone of color of the crackled o-laze and the characteristic brown rim round the edsie.

The album contains ten illustrations of the imperial porcelain of the Sn/h/ dynasty, of which the pallet figured as No. 8 indicates clearly the red color of the fabric, exposed in the parts which are left unglazed.

" Tn'j^od Cenmr {Ting), fashioned after an old bronze design, with a rounded, three-lobed body composed of three monstrous oo;re-like faces with frio;htful features and protruding eyes projecting from a finely etched scroll ground, three cylindrical feet, and two upright looped ears. The s-laze of lio-ht bluish tint, as clear and lustrous as a precious emerald, is covered throughout with a net- work of icelike crackle, so that it is a most choice ex- ample of the grand imperial porcelain of the time. This piece likewise came from the palace at Peking. I saw it at Nanking, at the palace of the Governor Chu Hung, Grand Tutor of the Emperor." H. 4 in., D. 4 in.

" Censer (Ln), of depressed globular form, with two curved loop handles and three mammillated feet, a shape adapted from the bronze work of the T''/e?i-pao period of the T^ang dynasty, and often reproduced in the celebrated bronze urns of the reign of Hman-te of our own dynasty.

140 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

It is covered Avitli fiu antique glaze of brilliant depth, pale blue in color, fissured with a reticulation of icelike cracks throuc-hout. From the collection of Chance Chui- chang of Su-chou." H. li in,, D. 5 in.

^'■Inh Pallet ( Yem^^ copied from a pallet used by the emperor in the Hsuan-ho Palace. The outline is like that of a vase, with loop handles at the sides for passing a string through for hanghig the pallet upon the wall. A lai'ge oval patch is left unglazed in the middle for rub- bing the cake of ink upon, leaving the red paste exposed. The under surface (which is also illustrated) has the figure of an elephant etched upon it, surmounted by a hexagram, which, taken with the vase shape, make the ' rebus ^ T\ii ■p'i)i<j yu. lisiang, ' An augury of great peace.' Like the upper surface, it is invested with a pale bluish glaze crackled throughout, encircled by a red-brown ring left unglazed." L. 5i in., Br. 4 in.

" Water Pot (Shui Cl^eiig) of ovoid form, with a slightly flaring mouth, and two small loop handles from which movable rings hang suspended. A band of cicada j)attern is engraved round the body, a ring of palmations encircles the foot, and a chain of rectangular scroll, between two lines of dots, surrounds the neck. The glaze of pale bluish tint is uniformly crackled." H. 3 in.

" Pencil Rest ( Yen Slian^, modeled in the form of a miniature range of hills with a high peak in the middle, covered with a glaze of bluish tint as bright as the vitex- tinted azure sky, crackled throughout with icelike lines. The antique color and the luster of the glaze far excel those of the ICo Yao pencil rest figured beside it. It cost me twenty taels of silver at Peking." H. 3 in., L. 4i in.

" Vase {Fang Hii)^ of flattened quadrangular section, with a bulging body and a cover surmounted by four

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE POKCELAIN. 141

spiral projections. Two handles of grotesque heads sup- porting rings are worked in relief on the front and back of the vase. The o-laze of briofht o-reenish-blue is covered with icelike crackle. This vase was in the collection of K\io Ch'ing-lo, who bought it for fifty taels without the cover. The owner, happening to be fishing one day, found in the boat a cover which had been drawn up in the net, and purchased it for ten strings of cash. It proved to be the original cover, and he wrote some verses in commemoration. Since Ch'ing-lo's death I know not what has become of the vase." H. 8 in., D. 4i in.

" Teaeiip {Glib a Pei), of upright form, with wavy out- line and vertically ribbed sides, molded in the sliape of a Buddha's-hand citron. Invested outside with a pale blue glaze, white inside, both surfaces traversed with a coarse network of lines like crackled ice." H. 3 in.

^'' Lihation Cup {Cliueli), of ancient bronze design, with three feet and a wide channeled lip. A double band of rectangular scroll ornament encircles the body, which has a loop handle on one side springing from a dragon's head. The glaze is pale blue with icelike crackle throughout." H. 6 in.

'■'■Libation Cup (^CluieJi), of design somewhat similar to the last, but more elaborately ornamented with projecting dentated ridges and geometrical scroll patterns. The glaze of sky-blue color without a single line of crackle, and the delicate and complicated ornamentation, executed without a blur, make it a remarkable specimen of this imperial fabric." H. 4J in.

^^ Saucer {Tieh T''o), of complex form, modeled after a red lacquer carved saucer of the period, Avith an engraved decoration executed in the formal scroll pattei'us charac- teristic of lacquer work. The glaze is of the light bluish tint of an Qgg, and is marked with no crackled lines." D. 4i in.

142 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

% g, Ting Yao.

Ting Yao is the name applied to the porcelain fabri- cated in the Sung d^^nasty at Ting-cliou, in the province of Chihli. This is well described in the Ko hti yao km, published in 1387, one of the princij^al works on anti- quarian subjects of the Ming dynasty :

" Specimens of ancient Ting-chou porcelain in which the paste is finely levigated and the color white and of rich luster are valuable ; those of coarser fabric and yel- lowish color are inferior. Those with tear-drops outside are genuine. Some of the engraved designs are very beautiful. The plain pieces are also good, but those ornamented with painted decoration are less highly esteemed. The best belong to the periods Hsi'ian-lio (1119-25) and Cheng-lio (1111-17), but it is difficult to find perfect specimens of these reigns. There is a purple Ting-chou porcelain, the color of Avhich is purple, and a black Ching-chou porcelain colored black like lacquer."

The white variety is known as Pai Ting or Fen Ting, fai being " white," and fen, " flour," to distinguish it from the coarser yellow ^vare alluded to above, Avhich is called T'' u Ting, from tu, " earth." The red variety is often referred to by the older poets, and is compared to carved red jade or carnelian. The black kind is exti'emely rare. Our artist observes : " I have seen over a hundred specimens of the white, and some tens of the purple- brown ; but the black is so rare that in my whole life I have met ^vith only one piece, which I figure here."

Pieces of Ting-chou porcelain are probably more com- mon in modern collections than those of any of the other 8ung dynasty factories. The bowls and dishes are often impressed inside with intricate and elaborate designs, composed principally of the modern peony, lily floAvers, and flying phcenixes. The material was very fragile, on

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE POKCELAIN. 143

wliicli accouut it used to be the fasliiou to bind tlie rims of the pieces made for the use of the palace with copper collars to preserve them from iujury. Tlie Ijowls and dishes seem to have l)eeu often placed in the kiln bottom upward, so as to rest upon the rims, which were in such cases left unglazed. The glaze of the best pieces of this Avare is of a dull white, when compared with the soft, velvety gloss of the white porcelain of the province of Fuchien. It is less translucent, and of soft " ivory-white " tone.

Northern Ting-chou porcelain has been more imitated, perhaps, than any other. First comes the Nan Tinr/^ or " Southern Ting," fabricated after the Sung emperors had been driven south by the Mongols in 1127; then the Hsiii Ting, or " New Ting," a name given to the vases of elegant shape with contracted waist made in the Yuan dynast}^ (1280-1367) by P'eng Chiin-pao, a worker in gold. Next, the false Wen Wang censei's of Chou Tan- ch'uan, the clever potter of the reign of Wan-li (1573- 1619), who imposed upon the connoisseurs of his time by his reproductions of the incense burner which forms the first illustration in our album, and of others of the same kind.* He worked at Ching-te-chen, and repro- ductions of the old Ting Yao are still made there.

Twelve examples of the Sung dynasty have been selected for illustration, including six of the ^vhite vari- ety, five of the purple, and one black.

" Censer (^Ting), of quadangular form and oblong sec- tion, with two upright looj) handles, resting on four legs curving upward below. The body, witli eight verti- cal dentated ridges, is covered witli antique designs carved in relief. Copied from a sacrificial vessel dedicated to the ancient sovereio-n Wen Wane/ fio-ured in the J^o hi

*His story is well told by Julien {loc.cit.) iu pp. xxxiii and xxxiv of his Pi-eface du Traducteur.

144 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

foUj an illustrated collection of old bronzes, this censer was made at the imperial factory, and it is perfectly fin- ished with delicate carving fine as bullock's hair or floss silk. It stands square and upright, without leaning a hair's breadth, and is exactly proportioned in every part. The glaze, uniformly lustrous and translucent, is like mutton fat or fine white jade. It is a choice specimen of the fabric of Ting-chou in Chen-ting-fu, worthy to be placed at the head of the incense burners of different factories, and its equal is rarely, alas ! to be seen in the present day. It was shown to me in the palace of the Prince of Chin, standing upon a stand of fragrant lign- aloes, with a cover carved out of the same wood crowned by a lizard dragon of moss-green jade." H. 4i in., Br. 3i in.

" Censer' ( Yi), in the form of a sha^Ded bowl of depressed globular form, rounding in at the neck and slightly exj^and- ing at the mouth, resting upon a low circular foot. The neck is encircled by a band of rectangular scroll pattern, interrupted by two handles fashioned as lions' heads in slight relief. The glaze of pure white without stain resembles mutton fat or fine jade, and it forms a beauti- ful ornament for a scholar's library. It is an old piece which has been j^reserved for generations in our family cabinet, and I now draw it for my friends." H. 2 in., D. 4iin.

'^Miniature Vase (Hsiao P''in(j), of nearly cylindrical form, slightly bulging in the middle, with two pointed open handles projecting upward from the shoulder. Dec- orated with two scroll bands, above and below, engraved under a pure white glaze resembling congealed fat." H. 3 in.

" Saxirificial Jar {Hsiang Tsun), modeled in the form of an elephant, after an ancient bronze vessel made for the ancestral temple. The body is hollowed into a jar

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN. 145

for wine, of wliich the uplifted trunk of the elephant forms the spout, and a narrow canopy arching over the saddle makes the handle, which has attached to it a round cover ornamented with geometrical and spiral scroll borders and surmounted by a knob. The rope girths and ornamental details are engraved under the white glaze. It holds about a pint of wine." H. 4i in., L. 5 in.

" WiUow-hasket Cup {Liu-tou Pei)^ molded in the form of a basket of rounded shape bulging beloAV, with the osier twigs bound with ropes all worked in the paste under the white glaze. This is a novel and cui'ious design for a wine-cup." H. 2i in.

" Plicenix Candlestick {Feiui Tencj)^ of elegant form and design, a branched j)ricket candlestick for three candles. A slender pillar, springing from a square, solid, polished stand, curves at the top to end in a crested phcenix head, from the beak of which hangs a ring chain with a lotus suspended upon it. The stem of the lotus branches below into three flowers to hold the candles, which are shaded by a large overhanging leaf. The natural details are etched in the paste under the white glaze. It is a rare specimen of Ting-chou porcelain, which I use to light my o\vn library." H. 21 in.

" Tripod Censer {Ting), with plain loop handles and feet springing from grotesque heads. Modeled after an ancient bronze with ogre (fao fieli) faces carved upon the body on the upper part, a band of foliated outline below. The artistic chai'acter of the design is executed in the spirit of the Three Ancient Dynasties ; the color of the glaze is a warm purple of translucid depth, of the same tint as that of ripe grapes. Ting-chou porcelain is usually white, the purple {tzii) and black (ono) glazes being much more rare, and such a choice example as this of the pur- ple variety is rare indeed. I bought it for ten taels of

146 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

silver at Peking from the stall of a curio dealer at the Buddhist temple Pao-kuo-ssu." H. 31 in., D. 4 in.

" Water Pot {Shui OKeng), modeled after a tazza- shaped bronze cup of the Han dynasty, of oval form, with foliated rim ; it has a fluted body, with a scroll-like border composed of coiled silkworms, and a ringed hol- low foot. The glaze is pur]:>le, of the color of the fruit of the aubergine plant. It is mounted on a carved rose- wood stand, with a coral spoon inside, for use on the writing table." H. 2 in.

''^ Jar (Hfi), modeled after an ancient sacrificial wine- vessel of bronze, of ovoid form and quadrangular section, with a lobed body decorated with a band of scrolled dragons round the shoulder, a chain of interrupted fret encircling the foot. Two loop handles terminating in horned heads project from the neck with rings suspended upon them. The glaze is deepest amethyst, of the color of very ripe grapes, and beautifully lustrous. I saw it in the palace of the Prince of Chiang-yu, where I painted the picture for my friends." H. 6 in.

" /Small Vase (llsiao P''i)uj), of the kind once used for divining stalks, adapted for flowers upon the writing table. The body, of square section slightly expanding upward, is carved in a formal, zigzag pattern ; it has a round mouth and a lo\v, circular foot. The glaze is purple, of deepest tone and beautiful color." H. 4 in.

" Wine Vessel (CJiia), of a characteristic bronze form, with three pointed feet, a plain loop handle and two studs on the upper rim. It is decorated with bands of gro- tesque dragons' heads carved in relief. The color of the glaze is pur[)le, like the aubergine fruit, and the decora- tion is very finely carved. I got it from a fellow-citizen in exchange for a winecup of jade." 11. 4 in.

" Duck-lieaded Vase {Fu Tmii)^ of black Ting-chou porcelain. A bottle-shaped vase ^vith swelling body and

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN. 147

ringed neck, which curves over to end in a duck's head, the orifice of the vase, defined by a lip, being in the con- vexity of the curved neck.* The black color painted upon the head and neck gradually fades away below into the body of the vase, which is enameled white. The black glaze is of the greatest rarity in Tiug-chou poi'ce- lain. In my whole life I have seen over a hundred specimens of the ^vhite, some tens of purple, but only this one of black." H. 6 in.

hB ^ ^1 LuNG-cn'tTAN Yao.

The Lung-chbiiaii Yao is the porcelain that used to be made atLung-ch'iian-hsien, in the prefecture Ch'u-chou-fu, in the southern part of the province of Chekiang. Dur- ing the early part of the Sting dynasty the factory was at Liu-t'ien, some twenty miles distant from the walled city of Lung-ch'iian, and under its jurisdiction. Two brothers named Chang, who are said to have lived here in the t^velfth century of our era, are celebrated for their productions. The elder, called for that reason Chang Sheng yi, introduced a new glaze, distinguished by its crackled texture, which became known as Ivo Yao^ or the '" Elder Brother's Porcelain." " Chang Secundus," Chang Sheng erh, fabricated his ware on the old lines, only improving the luster and color of the green glaze, so that his productions continued to be called by the old name of Lung-ch'iian Yao.

These potteries furnished the main source of the famous old celadon and crackled poi'celains, Avhich were exported at this time from China to all parts of Asia, as well as to the eastern and northern coasts of Africa. They constitute WieCli'ing Tzn, ^ ^, the "green porcelain/^

* This curious form is still in use in China, as shown in Fig. 117, ■which is a cehidon piece in the collection referred to the A"rt«5'-As2 period.

148 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

IKti' excellence of the Chinese, and are well known to the Japanese, who esteem them very highly by the same name, which they pronounce Sei-ji. During the Sung dynasty there was considerable commercial intercourse by sea between China and the Mohammedan countries, and we read in both Arabian and Chinese books of the time of " green porcelain " as one of the articles of trade. The Chinese describe it as carried as far as Zanzibar, which they call Tsangpa, and are curiously confirmed by the discovery there in some old ruins, during Sir John Kirk's residence as H, B. M, consul-general, of a quantity of celadon vessels, principally in fragments, mixed with Chinese coins of the Sung dynasty.

The Arabs and Pei'sians call this peculiar porcelain "tnartahdni, and value it very highly from its fancied property of detecting poisoned food by changing color. The name comes from Martaban, one of the states of ancient Siam ; and Prof. Karabacek, of Vienna, has lately tried to prove that it is not Chinese, basing his theory mainly upon a passage quoted from the encyclopedist Hadji Khalifa, who died in 1658, that "the precious magnificent celadon dishes and other vessels seen in his time were manufactured and exported at Martaban, in Pegu." But there is no evidence that porcelain was ever made at Maulmain (Martaban), Rangoon, or elsewhere in Burma. Others have attributed it, with as little success, either to Persia or to Egypt, because so much has been discovered there, but neither of these countries produced true porcelain, although they excelled in the decoration of faience. An Arab manuscript in the Bihliotheque Nationale at Paris, treating of the life and exploits of Saladin, mentions that this emir presented in the year 1171 forty pieces of this kind of Chinese porcelain to Nur-ed-din.

Marco Polo, after his travels in China in the thirteenth

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE POKCELALN. 149

century, seems to have ])een tlie first iu Europe to use the name of " porcelaine " to describe this product of the far East. It had probably been applied previously only to shells, and Marco Polo applied the same term to the cowries which he found used as money in Eastern coun- tries. The crusades w^ere apparently the earliest means of introduction of specimens of this w^are to the AVest. Dr. Graesse relates that the most ancient piece in the Dresden Museum was brought by a crusader from Pales- tine. Perhaps it came through Egypt. A present of porcelain vases was sent in 1487 by the Sultan of Egypt to Lorenzo de' Medici, and it is mentioned about the same time in the maritime laws of Barcelona as one of the articles imported into Spain from Egypt.

It is curious that the earliest specimen of porcelain that can be now referred to as brouglit to England before the Reformation, viz., the cup of Archbishop Warham, at New College, Oxford, is of the sea-green or celadon kind.

The glaze of the Lung-ch'iiau porcelain is of a mono- chrome green color, varying from bright grass-gi'een, the tint of the Chinese olive, a species of canarium, through lighter intermediate shades to palest sea-green. The term celadon is well known to collectors as applied to these different shades of color. Celadon was the name of the hero of the popular novel L'Astree, written by Honore d'Urfe in the seventeenth century, \\\\o used to appear on the stage dressed in clothes of a kind of sea- green hue of a gray or bluish tint. This shade became fashionable, and the name was borro^ved to describe a similar shade in the color of Chinese porcelain. This peculiar shade, however, is specially characteristic of the Lung-ch'iian porcelain of the 3Iing period, made in the city of Ch'u-chou-fu, to which place the manufactory was removed early iu the Ming dynasty. It was here that

150 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

the characteristic large dishes >vere made marked under- neath with a ferruginous ring, showing the portion of the paste left unglazed, so as not to adhere to the support in the kihi. The okler pieces attributed to the Sung dynasty are completely covei'ed with glaze under the foot, and are generally of a more decided grass-green color, approaching the emerald-green tint of jadeite, ^vhich seems to have been the effect especially aimed at. The decoration was either worked in relief or engraved in the paste, and its eifect was enhanced by the different shades of color produced by the varying depth of the glaze. The vessels are often fluted or I'ibbed, and with wavy or foliated rims ; some have a peony or a lotus blossom, fish or di'agons, sprays of flowers or geometrical patterns etched in the paste. Others have a pair of fishes worked in relief in the bottom, or a pair of rings attached outside to handles.

The accompanying illustration (Fig. 119) is taken from a little dish of typical Sung celadon in the Walters Col- lection. The glaze is crackled, of a greenish-brown tone approaching that of the olive, shot and flecked with bright grass-green, the tint of onion sprouts. A pair of fish are worked in bold relief in the paste underneath the glaze as if swimming round inside the dish. The rim of the foot, unglazed, shows a reddish buff paste. There is no " ring " underneath.

The other cut (Fig. 120) represents a celadon dish etched inside with a spray of peony, which is attributed to the Ming dynasty. The sides are fluted in the interior and correspondingly ribbed underneath. The glaze is of sea-green shade, varying in tone according to its depth. The under surface of the dish, which is about a foot in diameter, has been photographed, to show the peculiar ferruginous ring with its ragged edges, where the paste, left bare, is flred of a reddish buff color.

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN. 151

Our album contains eleven specimens of Lung-cli'uan porcelain attributed to the Sung dynasty.

" Water Pot {^Shid ChJeng) for the writing table, in the shape of a globular tazza-like bowl, Avith a cylindrical foot slightly spreading at the base, and a round cover with a knob on the top. The cover is etched with a radiating geometrical pattern, the bo^vl decorated with sprays of chrysanthemum flowers alternating with Polyp- oruk fun2:us heads mins:led with o-rass. The flowers stand out in strong relief as if painted in a picture. The glaze is bright green, of the color of fresh moss or of wil- low twigs as they hang down in early springtime." H. 4 in.

'■'■Water Pot {Sliul 67iV;?^^), modeled after a bronze casting of the T\ui(j dynasty, of globular form, with a slightly flaring mouth and three small mammillated feet. The shoulder has two handles worked in relief as lions^ heads with curlino; mane holdinjx rino-s ; above and below them the body is circled ^vitll interrupted chains of rectangular and spiral fret, etched under the glaze, which is translucent and lustrous, of the color of moss- green jade or nephrite." H. 2i in.

'■'■ Vase {Hit), bottle-shaped, with a bulging body, con- tractinoj to a slender neck, \vhich swells ao-ain to a bulbous enlargement to end in a small orifice defined b}" a light lip. The nai'rowest part of the neck is marked by a prominent ring. Vases of this form, copied from an old bronze figured in the Po hu Vou^ are esteemed for holding peonies and orchids of different kinds, because the small mouth prevents the water o-ivinc; out a bad odor. The glaze is bright green, of the color of young onion sprouts, so that the color is as beautiful as the form is distinguished. It always stands on the dining- table in my own house." H. 6 in.

" Floioer Vase {Hua Nang)^ with several mouths, of

152 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

crackled Limg-cb'lian porcelain, of a depressed ovoid form bulging below, it contracts above to an oval mouth wliicli is surrounded by four other smaller tubular mouths springing fi-om the shoulder of the vase. The color of the glaze is as green as parrots' feathers and crackled like broken ice, a rare variety of this ware, adapted for displa3'ing the colors and mingling the fra- grance of different kinds of roses on a small table. It is enshrined in the Clii-hsiang-an Temple of my native city." H. 3 in., Br. -41 in.

'■^ Small Vase {Hsiao P''hig), of hexagonal form, with a low circular foot, and a lip shai'ply drawn into a round mouth, covered with a brilliant glaze of the color of a fresh green cucumber." H. ^\ in.

^^ Miniature Vase {Hsiao P''ing), for a single flo\ver, of semiglobular form, flattened below, with a tubular neck, having two loop handles at the sides strung with slender movable rino-s. Invested with a brio;ht mono- chrome coat of green, it makes a charming receptacle for a small flower like a dwarf orchid, a balsam, or a sprig of jasmine." H. 2 in.

^'' Palm- Leaf Vase {Cliiao Yeli P''t/ig), fashioned in tlie form of a whorl of palm leaves surrounding a hollow stem adapted to hold Avater for flowers. The veining of the leaves is engraved in the paste, and the surfaces are colored s-reen, lisrht or dark, accordino; to their natural shades, sliowing that the ancient workmen spared no pains in the fabrication even of a little work of art like this." H. 6 in.

" Pliinoceros Jar {So Tsuii)^ a sacrificial wine-jar for the ancestral temple, modeled after an ancient bronze vessel figured in the Po hu ton. It is molded in the form of a hornless rhinoceros, with the body hollowed out to hold wine, the j^e^^ked saddle on its back being hinged in front to make the cover of the jar. The con-

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN. 153

voluted folds of the skin and the other natural details are worked in the paste so as to be picked out in darker shades in the bright green glaze of the color of young onion sprouts. In the present day porcelain is much used for sacrificial vessels in place of gold and copper. The altars are not so luxuriously furnished, but the resources of the people are not infringed upon, so that it should not be lightly esteemed. I saw this jar at Nan- king, in the hall of a Taoist temple for the worship of Heaven." H. 4i in., L. -Ai in.

" Gourd-sJiaped Jar {P\io Tsiui), molded as a wine- vessel, in the form of a recumbent gourd of elongated oval shape, curving up at the neck to a round orifice, which is fitted ^vith a ringed cover. A long, curved handle, with a dragon's head at each end, is attached to the gourd by ring chains. The cover and shoulder of the jar are decorated with plain and foliated bands picked out under the glaze, which is of the usual green color." L. 6 in.

" Wine- Vessel ( YiS) of the form of an ancient bronze sacrificial vessel of that name, ^vith the finest details of the metal work carefully finished to a hair's breadth. The body, of fiat quadrangular section, is contracted above to an oval orifice which is fitted Avith a rounded cover. To the two loop handles on the shoulder of the vase are attached rino; chains hangins; down from the ends of a curved rod by Avhich the jar can be suspended. The sides are decorated with foliated panels, the rims with brocaded bands and formal borders, and the out- lines of deer and dragons of antique design fill in the intervals. The glaze is a bright grass-green." H. -4 in.

" Oil Lamp ( Yu Teiuj), copied from a bronze design. The lipped saucerlike receptacle is poised on the tip of a leafy branch which springs from a foliated pedestal, Avhile fiom underneath tlie branch a second support curves

154 OEIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

down, to end below in cliicken's claws. The glaze is of the color of green onion sprouts, the form of antique elegance." H. 4 in.

^ ^, Ko Yao.

Ko Yao, which means " Elder Brother's Ware," was the name referred to already as having been given to the ceramic production of Chang the elder, who was a potter of Liu-t'ien, in Lung-ch'lian-hsien, in the twelfth century of our era. The porcelain which he made was distinguished especially for its crackled glaze, which was described as having the appearance of being " broken into a hundred pieces," or as looking "like the roe of a fish." It had also the iron-gray foot and the red mouth Avhich charac- ized some of the older fabrics of the Hung dynasty, and is said to have almost rivaled the Kuan Yao, " the impe- rial porcelain of the period." The color of the glaze varied from bluish gray or celadon to rice color or stone

This was the original Ko Yao ; the name has since been extended to include almost all kinds of porcelain covered with crackled monochrome glazes, of the differ- ent shades of celadon, gray, and white. So we have Ko Yao of the Yuan dynasty, which was fabricated in large quantities at the same pottery, but ^vas far inferior to the old porcelain l^oth in grain and in color. Specimens of this are brought to our museums in modern times from Bor- neo and other islands of the Eastern Archipelago as far east as Ceram, among other old relics of Chinese porce- lain which the natives prize so highly. Mr. Carl Bock, in his Head- Hunter 8 of Borneo, alludes to these : " Among his [the Dyak's] greatest treasures are a series of gudgi hlanga, a sort of glazed jar imported from China, in green, blue, or brown, ornamented Avith figures of lizards and

I

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN. 155

serpents in relief. These pots are valued at from one liundred to as mucli as tliree thousand florins (£8 to J6240) each, according to size, pattern, and, above all, old aaje, combined, with s^ood condition. Accordins: to the native legend, these j^trecious vases are made of the rem- nants of the same clay from which Mahatara (the Almighty) made first the sun and then the moon. Medici- nal virtues are attributed to these wares, and they are regarded as affording complete protection from evil spirits to the house in which they are stored."

There is also a modern Ko Yao made at Ching-te-chen up to the present day in the pattern of the old ware.

There is only one piece of Ko Yao of the Sung dynasty illustrated in the album, a small pencil-rest covered with a crackled glaze of j^urplish celadon which can hardly be distinguished from that of the Kuan Yao, viz. :

" Brush Rest ( Yen Slimi), made after a bronze model of the Han, dynasty, as a miniature range of hills with four peaks of irregular height, and covered ^vith a glaze of pale bluish celadon crackled like broken ice. Of antique form and lustrous color, it forms an artistic rest for the skilled pen of the writer." H. 1 in., L. 4 in.

We can add three pieces from the AValters Collection which are referred to the Sung dynasty : (1) A minia- ture censer {Hsiang Ln), shown in Fig. 122, covered Avith a thick grayish speckled glaze, traversed by a crackled network of brown lines, with thi-ee feet of dark iron-gray color surrounded at their base with brown lines of stain. (2) A small water pot (Shui Ch'eng), shown in Fig. 123, invested inside and out, as well as under the foot, with a thick, unctuous translucent glaze of dark brownish-gray tone crackled throughout; the mouth tinged copper-red, the foot-rim dark iron-gray. (3) A little vase, wdth mask-handles in relief (Fig. 124) of light gray crackle, covered with a deep I'ich glaze fissured with

156 OEIEISTTAL CERAMIC ART.

a network of dark lines connected hy a iew more super- ficial lines, and with the same glaze under the foot ; the foot-rim shows a pale iron-gray paste.

:^ ^ g, Tung-Ch'ing Yao.

Tfnt(j-('Jt\')i(/ Y((o, which means " Eastei'ii celadon porce- lain," is the name of the porcelain which was fabricated at private factories in the vicinity of K'ai-feng-fu, the Eastern capital, during the Northern Siuig dynasty (a. d. 960-1126). It resembled the imperial porcelain of the time, but was of coarser make and paler color, and it was. never crackled.

The name of Tniuj-cli ukj has sui'vived to the present day as that of the typical celadon glaze, so well illustrated in Plates VII and XXXVIII. The first syllable of the name is, however, generally written with another charac- ter of the same sound meaning " winter," changing the expression to " winter-green " or " ever-green," and this i& the form used in the imperial lists of to-day.

The one piece of the Sung dynasty figui'ed here is. described as follo^vs :

" Water Bowl {II></'), resembling in shape an octagonal iiower-pot, with an eight-lobed body resting on a circular foot, and a foliated rim round the top. It is decorated outside in panels with formal sprays of flowers, including the plum blossom, polyporus fungus and grass, peony and bamboo, etched in the paste under the glaze, which is of the color of plumes of kingfisher feathers 2:)ainted on in several layers, with its surface raised in faint millet-like tubercles. Made for washing the brushes of an artist, it is well adapted for the decoration of a dinner table with an open-work rockery, or for growing flowering bulbs of narcissus." H. 5 in.

CLASSIFICATIOlSr OF CHINESE PORCELAIN. 157

^ g:, Clitm YaO.

Chilli Yao is the name given to the porcelain fabricated at Chiin-choii from the early part of the Sung dynasty, which began in the year a. d. 960. This corresponds to the modern district of Yii-clioii, in the province of Honan. It was not ranked high among the [)otteries of the period, because the material Avas not so finely levigated, and be- cause the forms were generally original, instead of being copied from classical designs. The glazes were, however, remarkable for their l)rilliancy and for their varieties of color, including as they did the Jf a jnhe or transmutation glazes, composed of flashing reds, passing through every intermediate shade of purple to pale blue. This was not much appreciated at the time, being described as a fail- ure in the firing of one of the pure monochi'omes, but its reproduction in the hands of more I'ecent potters is uni- versally regarded as one of the chief triumphs of Chinese ceramic art.

The author of the J^o wu yao Ian, one of the best of the antiquarian works published near the end of the Ming d3aiasty, written by Ku T'ai, in sixteen books, and printed in the reign of T'ien-rh^i (1621-27), says in the fifth book, which is the one devoted to ceramics : " Chiin- chou porcelain includes pieces of vermilion red, of bright onion-green, vulgarly called parrot-green, and of aubergine purple. AVhen these three colors, the first red as mineral rouge, the second green as onion sprouts or kingfisher feathers, and the third purple dark as ink-black, are pure and witliout the least change of color, they comprise the highest class. Underneath the piece one or two numerals are often inscril^ed as marks. The colors of pig's liver, of flaming red, and of blues and greens mingled in blotches like a child's tear-stained face, ai'e due only to

158

OEIENTAL CERAMIC AET.

insufficient firing of the above tliree colors ; tliey are not distinct varieties of glaze. Such vulgar names as ^ nasal mucus ' and ' pig's liver ' only provoke ridicule. The flowerpots and saucers of this porcelain are of great beauty, but the other things, like the barrel-shaped seats, the censers and round pots for incense, the square vases and jars \vith covers, all these have the paste composed of yellow sand, so that they are of coarser fabric. The new pieces made in the present day are all fabricated out of Yi-hsing clay, so that, although the glaze is some- what similar to the old, and the work as well finished, they will not resist wear and tear."

The image of the Buddhist divinity Kuan Yin in the Pao Kuo Ssii at Peking, described already, exhibits a rare and brilliant combination of these different colors in the glazes with which it is invested. The flowerpots and saucers referred to by the author quoted above are the specimens seen in modern Chinese collections that are valued at such very high prices in their ow^n country that few genuine examples are exported. There are two re- m.arkable examples, however, in the Walters Collection •whicli seem from their mountings to have come out of one of the imperial collections at Peking — a pair of bowl-shaped flowerpots. One of them is illustrated in Plate XCIV, showing the stip})led gray-blue glaze spotted with darker tints. The companion flowerpot is enameled with a ground color of darker tone and more thickly flecked with crimson passing into purple. Their pres- ervation is due to the thickness and solidity of the material, and they figure in the cultured interior of a Chinese house to display the flowering bulbs of the narcis- sus or the dwarf shrubs of the blossoming plum, which flower at the new year, the one great national holiday. The marks are the numerals 1 to 9 deeply engraved under- neath in the paste, either singly or repeated ; in the last

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE POKCELAIN. 159

case, for example, the number is carved inside one of the feet, as well as on the base of tlie flowerpot or saucer.

Fig. 125 is a pictui-e of a little water-[)ot, xhui-cU'eng, of the ancient Chiin Yao of tlie Sung dynasty, such as a Chinese writer loves to put on his table, and it is marked underneath, with the character sav, " 3," carved in the paste. An archaic dragon is modeled on one side in bold relief so as to lift up its head above the rim. It is cov- ered with a rich, deep, finely crackled glaze, of yueh-pai or clair-de-lune color, with a patch of deep aubergine tint shaded with lighter purple round the edge. It shows in miniature two of the characteristic colors of the time. It had been shattered into fi'agments, and when first seen was coated with lac dating from the Ming dynasty, which has since been scraped off.

These things were reproduced with some success by T'ang Ying in the reign of Yung-clieng, 1723-35. His pi'oductions may be distinguished b}^ their perfect execu- tion and finish, the texture being finer and the paste whiter than in the originals. A beautiful example of his work is seen in Fig. 126, showing a sLallow bowl mounted upon three foliated feet, modeled in the shape of one of the bowls of Chun Yao made in the Sung dynasty for the cultivation of narcissus bulbs, and enameled ^vith a copper-red glaze of mottled tint exhibiting a pink ground flecked with darker red spots. The bottom, coated with a grayish glaze, is engraved with the character san, "3." The seal of the period Yung-cheng is impressed in the paste in the middle underneath. This seal had been filled in with cement, plastered over and artificially tinted, showing that the bowl had been intended to figure as a relic of the Sung ; and it is really such a perfect reproduction as to be liable to deceive the very elect, had it not been marked with the reign in which

160 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

T'ang YIng flourished, as well as with the numerical mark of the older regime.

Our artist figures four specimens of Chiiii-chou por- celain of tlie Sting dynasty in the manuscript album, all of darkest purple-brown, or mihergiae color.

'■'■Jar (Tsnti), of ovoid form, slightly expanding above the short neck to a circularly rimmed mouth. The two handles whicli })r(>ject from the neck are fashioned in open-work relief as phoenixes, with crested heads and bodies tei'uiinating })elow in spiral curves. The numeral wu, ' 5,' is inscribed under the base as a mark. The glaze is dark purjole-brown. The source of the design can not be traced, although the elegance of the form and the artistic fluish of the work are such as no common potter could have executed. Chiiu-chou used at the time to be ranked at the bottom of the potteries of the Sung dynasty, yet this jar in its perfect form and beautiful color makes a I'eceptacle for flowers equal to any one either of Ju, Kuan., Ko, or Ting porcelain. Its ' mark is an additional proof that it is really a Chiin piece. I am now the fortunate possessor." H. 3i in.

" Miniature Vase {Hsiao P ''ing)^ of oval form, ^vith a bulbous neck sha})ed like a ' head ' of garlic. It is enameled with a glaze of mottled blue and purple {eliding tzii), and is of the colors vulgarly known as ' ass's liver and horse's lung.' It is in my own collection^ and is one of the tiniest of vases, little more than an inch high,flt to hold a single pearl orchid or a jasmine flower."

" Wine-Pot {IIu), of depressed oval form, with a short neck ending above in a circular mouth, a tiny spout at one end, and a minute solid triangular handle at the other. It must originally have had a small round cover, which is now lost. The surface is covered with formal floi'al sprays and spiral scrolls worked in relief under the glaze, which is of aubergine purple color. Specimens of Chiin-

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN. 161

choii porcelain are often, like this piece, of novel original desio-n, as the potters did not usually copy tlie antifpie. Of the colors used in its decoration none excelled the vermilion red {('liu hv)i(/) and the cmhergine purple {chbieli tzii)^ of the latter of which this is a fine example ; the moonlight white (^yueli hsia pai^, or clair <Je /w/6, and the pale green Qfii clPhig) being both inferior glazes, when compared with the others. It holds about a pint of wine." H. 3 in., D. 5 in.

^^ Dragon Lamp (Ohlao Teng), molded in the form of a grotesque hornless dragon, with its coiled scaly body hollowed into a receptacle for the oil, its serpentlike head elevated with protruding tongue and open mouth to receive the wick. The glaze is bluish purple of the color of ripe grapes. It is a lamp of rare design, lifelike and awe-inspiring, and illuminates the whole I'oom when lighted." H. 16 in.

Magnificent pieces of this Chliu-chou fabric are to be seen in Chinese collections, remarkable for the brilliant and variegated coloring of the rich, unctuous, li(piescent glaze, which exhibits all the transmutation tints of the copper silicates in their pi'istine perfection. The ma- terial is generally, however, a reddish stoneware rather than porcelain. I have just seen a large tripod censer with rounded bowl and receding neck thickly imbued with a mottled opalescent glaze of clair-de-lune type, con- trasting with the red color of a pair of archaic dragons worked in bold relief round the hollow of the neck, and partially reserved betw^een two irregularly undulating lines of glaze. The dragons form a frieze, half hidden, as it were, in azure-tinted clouds.

162 OEIENTAL CERAIMIC ART.

Three Other Manufactories.

There were several other iiiaDufactories in different parts of China dui'iug the Sung dynasty, of which three must not be omitted, although their productions are not illustrated in our album. These are (1) Chi-chou, in the province of Kiangsi, celebrated for its crackled por- celain ; (2) Chien-chou, in the province of Fuchien, famous for its black teacups, of ]3riceless value for the tea ceremonial of the time ; and (3) Tz'u-chou, in the province of Chihli, where a peculiar kiud of stoneware, enameled white and painted in brown, is fabricated down to the present day.

(1) The CJd-chou Yao, "§ j'W ^, was made at Yung- ho-chen, in Chi-chou, which corresponds to the modern Lu-liug-hsieu in the prefecture Chi-an-fu, in the province of Kiangsi.* The Ko hu yao lun says that the colors of the porcelain were white and purple-brown, like that of Ting-chou, but that it was thick and comparatively coarse in fabric, and not ^vorth so much money ; and that in the Sung dynasty there "were five manufactories, of which that of the Shu family was the most celebrated. Some of the smaller pieces were decorated with painting, and one of the daughters of the family, called Shu Chiao, or " The Fair Shu," was a skillful artist. The Sui CK'i, ^ ^, or crackled vases, ^vere, however, the most famous productions of this factory, and rivaled the similar vases of Ko Yao, which they resembled in color and in being reticulated with lines like fissured ice. Tradition says that during the troubles at the close of the Sung dynasty, when the famous minister AVen T'ien- hsiang (1236-82) came to this place, the porcelain Avas

* Julien, in the preface of his work {J,oc. cit.), places this factory correctly in Kiangsi province, but refers it on page 16 of the text to Kuangsi, in the south- east of Cliina, and on page 76 to Shensi, in the far northwest.

CLASSIFICATION OF (iniNESE PORCELAIN. 163

transformed in the kilns to jade, and that the potters iied in boats down the river to Ching-te-chen, where they settled, and continued for generations to make this crackled ware.

(2) The Cliien Yao, ^ ^, was the original porcelain produced at the ancient Chien-chou, in the province of Fuchien. This corresponds to the modern prefecture Chien-ning-fu. The manufactory, ^vhich was established at Chien-an at the beginning of the Siing dynasty, was moved afterward to Chien-yang. In the Yua/t dynasty, which succeeded the Sung, this last place became still more famous for its ceramic production. During the Sung the shallow bowls and cups with everted rims, enameled with a black glaze speckled with white, which sometimes ran down in brown drops, were appreciated above all others at the tea ceremonies. They were called " hare's fur cups " or " partridge cups," from their resemblance in color to the skin of the common hare and to the plumage of the Perdrix cinerea. They were thick and heavy and kept hot a long time — another cpiality for which they were highly prized by the old " tea-tasters."

The practice of the competitors at these tea parties \vas to grind the tea leaves to fine dust and put a little of the powder into each of the cups, to fill the cup Avith boiling ^vater, and stir up the mixture with a bamboo whisk. After the powder had subsided the tea was drunk, and the cup was again filled with water, the process being ]'epeated as long as any trace of tea-dust remained visible at the bottom of the cup. The more " waters " the tea would bear the better it Avas considered ; and the dark- colored cups of Chien-an were valued, for one reason, because they showed the slightest trace of pale yellow dust as long as any of the tea lasted.

The Chinese ceremonial was afterward adopted in Japan at their tea clubs, which have been so often described.

164 OKIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

The Japanese also showed an imiiieDse appreciation for the " hare-skin " glaze of the teacups of Chien-an, which they imported for their own use and valued at such fab- ulous prices. Three cups with silver rims, attributed to the twelfth century a. d., from the collection of the Japanese archaeologist, Ninagawa Noritane, are described in one of Captain F. Brinkley's catalogues * as being about five inches in diameter and two and a half inches deep, and as having a lustrous black glaze covered with yellowish metallic-looking lines.

These potteries have long been extinct. The porcelain fabricated in the province of Fuchien in the present day, and still known as Olden Yao, or Chien Tz'it, is the well- known blanc-de- Chine variety, with a soft-looking, velvety glaze, which comes from Te-hua, of which the libation- cup shown in Fig. 57 is a typical specimen.

(3) The Tz^u Yao, ^ ^, was the ware produced at Tz'u-chou, which was formerl}^ under the Jurisdiction of the prefecture Chang-te-fu, of Honan province, but is now under Kuang-p'ing-fu, in the province of Chihli. The ceramic ware is made out of a peculiar kind of white clay found here, and is really an opaque white stoneware rather than porcelain, covered with a dull, white glaze, and decollated with floral and other designs painted in dark l)rown or dull blue. The forms of the pieces and the style of decoration in the present day are of archaic character, and are often wrongly classed as Korean. They include figures of deities, of Taoist and Buddhist saints, as well as vases and jars, and all kinds of common uten- sils. At the present day these potteries supply the coarser articles used by the common people' of Peking and throughout northern China. There is a general reseml)lance in the ware to the old Ting Yao, which was

* Collection of Japanese, Chinese, and Korean Porcelain, Pottery, and . Faience, p. 96.

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN. 165

made in the vicinity, Ting-clioii being witliin the bounds of the same prefecture of Kuang-p'ing-fu.

The Ko hu yao Ivn^ referring to the production of the Sung dynasty, says that good specimens of Tz'u-chou ware resembled the products of Ting-chou, onl}- tlieir glazes exhibited no traces of tears. They comprised Ijoth engraved and painted decorations, and the plain pieces fetched as high prices as those of Ting-chou. He adds, however, that the production of his own times (fourteenth century) was not worthy of description.

Three modern pieces of this ware are reproduced in Fig. 104 to show its archaic character and peculiar style of decoration: (^a) A Wine Flask, Chiu P'^ing^ painted in two shades of brown, with a floral spray. (V) A gourd-shaped vase, Hu-lii P'ing, painted in dark brown, with the character AiT ("happiness") above and a spray of flowers belo^v. (r) Twin Figures of Two Merry Genii, Ho Ho Hrli Hiking, with a tube, intended to hold a stick of incense when placed upon a Taoist altar, projecting from the shoulder of one of the figures ; the details of the costume being picked out in lighter and darker brown.

Some Utensils of Sung Porcelain.

The short account of 2:>orcelaiu of the Sung dynasty given above may be supplemented by a list, condensed from the fifth book of the Too Shuo, of some of the other articles fabricated at the time that have not been already alluded to. The books from which the author usually quotes are those describing the artistic furniture and paraphernalia of the scholar's library, so that uten- sils for the use and ornament of the writino-.table occur on every page of his book, in the same way as such things fill the greater pai-t of our manuscript album.

166 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

" A Vase (/*'/y///), of white Ting-cliou porcelain, which the author of the JVi hu In bought at Hsiu-chou, with four liaiidles, fired with the inscription Jen ho huaiiy ' Hotel of Benevolence and Harmony,' written obliquely across, in the handwriting apparently of one of the Mi family, father or son." The author refers here, no doubt, to Mi Fei, a famous calligraphist of the eleventh cen- tury A. D.

" Vases {P''itig), of Kuan, Ko, and Ting porcelain, the finest of which are the slender beakers with trumpet- shaped mouths, with a brilliant blue glaze sinking into the ' bone,' speckled with vermilion spots rising in relief ; the others, to be chosen for the scholar's library, should be the h^w and graceful vases shaped like paper beaters, those with goose necks, like aubergine fruit, like flower jars or flower bags, the receptacles for divining stalks, or the bulrush-shaped vases. Vases qs^Wq^ p' ing were used in ancient times both for drawing water and for holding wine ; the Buddhist used them for ceremonial cleansing ; it was not till the Sung djaiasty that they were used for flowers. Flower vases of bronze, which are not liable to breakage by frost, should l)e used in the winter and spring, of porcelain in the summer and autumn. Large vases are preferred for the hall and reception room, small ones for the library. Copper and porcelain are esteemed above gold and silver, to cultivate simplicity ; rings and pairs should be avoided, and rarity be the quality sj)e- cially aimed at. The mouth should be small, the foot thick, so that the vase may stand firmly and not emit vapor. If the mouth be large, a tube of tin should be fitted inside, to hold the flowers upright."

'^ Inh Pallet {Yeii)^ of Ko Yao, belonging to Ku Lin, engraved with a rhyming verse of four lines : ' Neither the fine clay pallets of the Ts'ung Tower nor the ancient tiles of the Palace of Yeh, Are equal to those of Ko por-

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN. 167

celain iu its antique elegance. These are green as the waves of spring, and liold water most perfectly : So that even pallets of the Unest stone must be ranked below them.' "

" A Pencil Rest (PI Ko), of white Ting-chou porcelain^ molded iu the form of a boy lying upon a flower."

" Waterpots {Sliiii OKeng) for the writing-table from any of the different potteries, shaped like a fish-bowl, like a Buddhist patra or alms-bowl, with ribbed sides, in the form of a chrysanthemum flower with hollow center," etc.

" Water Pourers (Slnd Ohii), little vessels with spouts, in the form of an upright or recumbent gourd, of a pair of peaches, of two lotus capsules, a herd-boy lying upon a cow, or a toad."

''^Larger Waterpots {Hii)^ with handle and spout, fashioned like a gourd with the leafy stem trailing round, like an aubergine plant with the stem and leaves attached to the fruit, like a camel, this last adapted to serve also as a pencil rest," etc.

^^Dlshes for wasliing Brushes (Pi Hsi^^ of imperial (Kuaii) and Ko porcelain, are of many kinds, being round and saucer-shaped, of the form of an althaea flower, with a rim of the foliated outline of a Buddhist stone gong, a lotus leaf with tilted margin, a joint of sugar- cane with everted mouth," etc.

"Those of Lung-ch'iian celadon porcelain comprise round dishes with a pair of fishes inside molded in relief under the glaze, chrysanthemum flowers, Buddhist alms- bowls, plaited and fluted platters."

"Among Ting-chou white pieces are barrels bound round with three hoops, vessels molded in the shape of a plum-blossom, a girdle ring, or a woven basket of osier; others have a cup in the middle to dip the brush in, en- circled by a saucerlike rim to rub it on ; and any one of

168 ORIENTAL CERA3nC ART. ^

the numerous small round dishes of this ware may be selected for use as a pencil washer."

^'- Paper Weights {Chen ChiJi), molded in the form of coiled dragons, of lions and drums, of playing boys and grotesque monsters."

" Seals ( Yin), with handles of varied design, copied from ancient seals of jade, gold, and copj)er."

^^ Seal- Color Boxes {Yin-Se CWili), for holding ver- milion, include square, octagonal, and plaited boxes of Kuan and Ko porcelain, and the beautiful square caskets of Ting-chou fabrication with floral designs molded over the exterior."

" Censers (^Lii), of varied form and design, are generally modeled after ancient sacrificial vessels of bronze. In- cense was introduced into China by the Buddhists, who used the censers of elaborate design called Po-shan Iai. The Chinese, however, used these outside the temple, but made their censers for private use after indigenous de- signs of bronze. The porcelain censers of the Sung dynasty in turn furnished models for the bronze censers of the reign of Hsuan-te (\4:2Q-2>^), which are well known in collections. The incense-burning apparatus in ordinary use consists of three pieces, comprising a box with cover to hold the incense, and a vase to hold the miniature poker, tongs, and shovel, which are made of metal, in addition to the censer. The Vases (Chu P''huj) selected for this purpose must be low and solid, so as to stand firmly without being overbalanced. The Incense Boxes {Hsiang Ho) of white Ting-chou porcelain and the pro- ductions of Ching-te-chen are preferred, those from Chiin- chou being usually of comparatively coarser fabric. Sometimes they are nested, the outer box inclosing one or more smaller ones."

" Paste Pots (Hu Tou) include tall jars of Chien-chou porcelain, black outside, white within ; jars of Ting-

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN. 169

chou porcelain of oval form, fashioned in the shape of a bulb of garlic or of a bulrush head ; and square vessels of Ko Yao, like a corn measure, with a horizontal bar stretched across the top as a handle."

^' Of Reading Laitips (Shu Teruj) the best are the oil lamps with three nozzles of white Ting-chou porcelain."

Porcelain Pillows (Tz'u Chen?) were much used in summer during the Sung dynasty, being supposed to be good for preserving the eyesight. The palace of the Emperor Ning Tsung (1195-1224) is described as having been full of them. Pillows of smaller size were made for supporting the head of the dead body in the coffin, and these are often discovered in old tombs. For this reason the author of the K''ao p'an yil shih prescribes that only those pillows of ancient porcelain that are two and a half feet Ions; and over six inches broad should be used, and he insists firmly on the injunction that the ^' corpse pillows," which were generally only one foot in length, even if made of the finest Ting-chou ware, and most elaborately decorated with molded designs, must be ruthlessly discarded. One of these pillows, dug up from an ancient tomb, is described as having had the well- known verse of the poet Tu inscribed upon it in four stanzas, beginning " Wearing a girdle studded with a hundred jewels."

^^ Watering Pot (Hua Chiao), of imperial porcelain {Kuan Yao), with the inscription upon it : ' Ked oh ! as dawn-hued drops scattered by fishes' tails : Rich oh ! as early rain sprinkling the pear blossoms.' These similes might refer either to the fabric, of rich red paste, or to the glaze, the most highly appreciated tone of which was a pale purple flecked with red spots."

Mottled Hare-Fur Teacups (T n-mao-hiia CKa-ou'), of Ting-chou porcelain, are often referred to in books on tea of the Sung dynasty as specially suitable for use at the

170 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

competitive tea-tasting parties ; they were covered with an iron-gray glaze. In an_oft-quoted line in his ode on boiling tea in the examination-hall, the poet Su Timg-p'o^ who wrote in the eleventh century, alludes to teacups from the same factory enameled red : " In flowered por- celain of Ting-chou, like carved red jade."

The Hare-Fhir Cups {T"' u-mao (Jlicui)^ of Chien-an, in Fuchien province, were first described by Ts'ai Hsiang, a native of that province, in his account of the tea-plant, entitled CKa Lv, which was written in the elev^enth cen- tury. He says : " Tea being of a pale whitish tint, black is the most suitable color for cups. Those made at Chien-an are of a soft black color, spotted like the fur of a hare. These cups are rather thick and retain the heat, so that they cool very slowly when once warmed. For these reasons they are highly prized, and there is nothing produced at any of the other potteries to rival them."

"A F'ace Chip^ {Jm-tnien Pei)^ a wine-cup molded in the form of a man's face, of imj)erial porcelain of the Sung dynasty, is alluded to by the author of the Ni leu lu as being in the collection of Hsiang Yuan-tu." This collector seems to have been the brother of Hsiang Yuan- p'ien, the author of our manuscript Album. The JVi hit hi, a book on objects of art, was written by Ch'en Chi-ju in the sixteenth centur}^, so that the author and our artist must have been contemporaries,

" A Doxhle Wedding Cup {Ho-CVeng Pel) of Ko Yao " is also described in the work just quoted, as molded in the form of twin peaches, standing in a saucer of the same material hollowed out in the center for their recep- tion. The peaches were detached for use as winecups. At the marriage ceremony in China the bride and bride-

* A cup of this peculiar form, of pale blue, uncrackled Ju-cliou porcelain of the Sung dynasty, is mentioned among the things sent from the palace at Peking by the Emperor Tung-cheng as a model for T'ang Ying to reproduce at Ching-t6-chgn.

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN, 171

groom must eacli drink in succession three cups of wine. The vessels are mentioned in the ancient ritual books, which prescribe that a wine-jar (tsmt) filled with wane should be placed upon the altar on the east side of the door, with a basket tray upon its south holding four siuo-le cups (chilo) of the shape of the old libation cups, and one double cup (]w-ch'e)i<f) which was a split gourd. In ancient times these cups were carved out of shell, as well as split from gourds ; in modern times they are made of porcelain, gold, silver, and copper, or of hard stone. Some of the jade cups are beautifully carved and orna- mented outside with appropriate symbols in open-w^ork relief ; a composite cup, for example, fashioned in the form of two interlacing lozenges, or a pair of linked hol- low rings, emblems of union and success, overlaid with peaches and bats, symbols of longevity and happiness, and with the shuang hs% or " double joy " hieroglyphs, special attributes of wedded bliss, displayed upon their ^^ surface. j-p

" A Stem Cup {PaPei)^ of octagonal shape, of Ko Yao, in the collection of Hsiang Yuan-tu." The name of im pei (literally " handled cup ") is applied in China to the tazza-shaped cups used for tea or wine, just as the pa tvan j are the tazza-shaped rice-bowls, with high cylindrical / stems. Cups w^ith handles at the sides like our teacups are rarely seen in China even now ; they were quite unknown in earl}^ times.

^^ BovjJs decorated in Blue {Hua CKing Waii), of Jao- chou porcelain." The Ko hu yao Inn describes these bowls produced in the imperial potteries of Jao-chou in the Sung dynasty as being of thin texture and translucent material, painted in blue on a white ground, and as but slightly inferior to the Ting-chou porcelain of the period. This refers to the earliest porcelain of Jao-chou, which became so famous in after times.

172 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Wen Chen-lieng, the author of the CJiuang wu cJiik quoted in the Ching-te-chm Tkio-hi, book ix, gives the following short account of Sung porcelain : " The Ch'ai porcelain (of the preceding dynasty) is the most valuable of all, but not a single piece remains ; it is said to have been blue as the sky, clear as a mirror, thin as paper, ringing like a musical stone. Of the porcelains called Kuan, Ko, and Ju, the best is of pale blue (or green) color, the whitish glaze comes next, the ash-gray last ; that crackled with lines like fissured ice of the color of eel's blood is ranked highest, a black reticulation in the pattern of the petals of plum-blossom next, minute broken lines lowest. In Chiin-chou porcelain rouge-red color is the best ; the green, like fresh onion sj)routs or emerald jade, and the inky purple, come next ; the mixed coloi's are not so much appreciated." Again, the " Kuan Yao has the glaze crackled like claws of crabs, the Ko Yao like roe of fish. The Lung-ch'iian porcelain is very thick and of comparatively coarse workmanship."

" For Flower Vases good specimens of Kuan, Ko, and Ting porcelain should be selected ; an ancient vase of gall-bladder shape, or one molded like a branch of a tree, a small divining-rod receptacle, or a paper-beater vase ; as to the others, like those with decoration engi'aved under the glaze, the painted blue and white, the aubergine and gourd-shaped vases, the medicine jars with small mouths, flattened bodies, and contracted feet, and the new Chien- chou vases, none of these are so suitable for the study of a simple scholar ; the goose-neck bottles and the hanging wall-vases also are not all of good style."

" Among flower-vases of Lung-ch'iian and Chlin-chou porcelain there are some very large ones, measuring two or three feet in height, which are well adapted to display old branches of the blossoming plum at New-Year's time."

CLASSIFICATIOlSr OF CHINESE POKCELAIN. 173

" In wliite Ting-cliou ware we have Pencil Rests {Pi K6) of three hills, of five hills, and of children reclining on flowers ; among the Brush Pots {Pi Tung) of ancient manufacture, a joint of bamboo is the most valued form, but it is difficult to find one large enough. Those of old celadon, with fine decoration worked under the glaze, may also be chosen. More elaborate forms, like that of a drum pierced at the top with holes for the brushes and the cake of ink, although ancient, are in bad style. Brush Washers {Pi Hsf) of Kuan and Ko porcelain include althaea-blossom dishes, dishes with rims foliated like the outline of a hanging gong, lotus-leaves with the margin tilted up all round, and sugar-canes with expanded mouth ; those of Ting-chou comprise three-hooped tubs, plum-blossoms, and sr[uare saucer-shaped receptacles. Brush Washers of Lung-ch'uan porcelain include round dishes with a pair of fish, chrysanthemum flowers, and vessels with hundred-fluted sides. Among Water Drop- pers {Shiii Clm), for the pallet, of the Kuan, Ko, and Ting-chou wares, there are square and round upright gourds, recumbent gourds, twin peaches, lotus capsules, and aubergine pots with leaves trailing round. For Seal-color Boxes ( Yin Cli'iJt), the square-shaped, of Kuan and Ko fabrication, are the best ; those of Ting- chou, the octagonal and many-lobed shapes, come next ; those painted in blue on a ^vhite ground, and the oval boxes with covers, are not so much valued."

^^Waterpots {Sliui Cliung-CKemf), for the writing- table, are often made of copper, but copper becomes cor- roded and infects the water, so that it injures the brush, for which reason porcelain is considered to be a preferable material. Among such receptacles of Kuan and Ko fabrics there are miniature fish-bowls, Buddhist alms- bowls, and round cups drawn in at the mouth. For Ink Pallets {Pi Yeti), the small, round, shallow dishes, either

174 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

of Ting-chou or of Lung-ch'lian ware, serve excellently. There are Paste-Pots (Hu-Toit), of TiDg-chou fabrication, of the shape of garlic bulbs, and oral jars with covers ; and of Ko ware in the form of a square corn-measure with a rodlike handle across the mouth."

This account shows how much porcelain was coming into general use before the close of the Sung dynasty. One of the principal causes was the growing scarcity of copper and consequent monetary difficulties, which pro- voked the passage of sumptuary laws, making the posses- sion of bronze articles a penal offense, after every avail- able object had been collected for the mint and melted down into " cash." Most of the objects of art had pre- viously been modeled in copper or other metals, and the corresponding things when first made of porcelain were generally fashioned, as we have seen, after the older bronze designs. An early vase of Ting-chou porcelain, for example, will be found to be molded in the same shape, with grotesque mask-handles in relief, and chiseled with rings and borders of similar ornamental frets as were employed previously in the decoration of bronze woi'k.

Some of the larger pieces produced at these last kilns are remarkably fine examples of the potter's art, excelling in the graceful curves of their classical outline and in the perfect finish of the ornamental details, which are worked in flowing relief or graved with the point under the soft- looking glaze of ivory-white tint. This glaze has usually a finely crackled surface, and being of a soft, absorbent nature it is often mottled and stained with age. The reproduction of these Fen -Ting vases at Ching-te-chen taxed all the energies of the celebrated T'ang Ying in the first half of the eighteenth century, and his handi- work is valued at its weight in gold by collectors of the present day, more highly even than the original models,

CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE POKCELAIN. 175

which are not so often seen out of China. The Koreans worked in the same lines, and the earliest Satsuma ware produced under their influence in Japan, with its finely crackled ivory-white texture, offers a surprising resem- blance to the old Chinese Fen-Ting porcelain.

The specimens of Sung porcelain were generally sent down from the collections in the palace at Peking as models of monochrome coloring, and it would be very interesting to have a complete catalogue of the ancient relics preserved there. There are manuscript lists in existence comj)iled by the Chamberlain's department, of which I have seen two or three, detailing the articles of furniture and art objects contained in the halls of the sev^eral palaces. I have had the opportunity of consult- ing one of these in the library of Mr. H. R. Bishop, of New York. It is the official list of the contents of the Shu Ch'ing Yuan, one of the palaces in the Western Park at Peking, dated the thirteenth year of Clda-chJing (1808). The objects of art catalogued are of bronze, cloisonne enamel, carved red lac, jade, and porcelain, and offer, no doubt, a fair representation of the collections in the other parts of the palace.

There are eighty-four pieces of porcelain on exhibition, of which seventeen are attril)uted to the Svng dynasty, being referred to six of the different potteries referred to above, and confirming in their character the accounts quoted from the books.

1. (Tu Yao.

Pencil Mest {Pi SJian), in the form of a miniature range of hills.

Brush Washer (Pi Hsi), a fluted dish modeled in the shape of a rose-mallow flower.

176 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

2. Kuan Yao.

Fluted Dish (^P^an), of rose-mallow design. Vase (jP''lng^, witli a girdle in open-work carving.

3. Ting Yao.

Dish for holding quinces {Mu-hiia P''an), mounted with a copper rim.

Beaker-shaped Vase {Hua Ku), of Fen-Ting, with a piece broken out, and cracked.

Shallow Bowl (Iisi\ of Fen- Ting, with copper- mounted rim, upon two rosewood stands.

Olive-shaped Vase (So-laii P^iiuf), with a copper band round tlie rim.

Jar, tvith Cover {Kai Wan).

Round Dish (P''a)i), with a copper rim.

4. Dung- YcKilan Yao. Jar, with Cover {Kai Kuaii).

5. 1^0 Yao.

Two round, fluted Dishes {P\iii), of rose-mallow design.

Shallow Boivl {Hsi^ for washing brushes. Round, fluted Dish (Fkui^, of chrysanthemum design. Waterpot {Shui CKeng), with a coral spoon inside.

6. Chiln Yao. Douhle Gourd Vase {Hu-lu P''ing).

CHAPTER Vl.

YUAN DYNASTY.

IN the thirteenth century a. d. China was overrun by the Mongols and was gradually conquered by them, the Sung dynasty being driven into the sea. A new dynasty with the title of Yuan was founded in 1280 by Kublai Khan, the grandson of the famous Mongol Genghis. In 1368 the Yuan dynasty was overthrown, the Mongols expelled to the north of the Great Wall, and a native dynasty once more ruled, under the title of Ming. The Mongols consequently reigned with their capital at Khanbalik, or Cambalu, " City of the Khan," the modern Peking, for less than a century altogether.

After the Mongol conquest the principal provincial posts were given to Tartars, who seem to have cared only for the money they could Avring out of such native industries as remained after the war, without caring to support them in any way. Many of the old potteries disappeared about this time, and Ching-te-chen began to occupy the prominent position in the ceramic field which it has held ever since. In 1296, the second year of the reign of the second emperor, ping shen of the sexagenary cycle, Fou-liang-hsien was promoted to the rank of a chou city, a Mongol being appointed governoi- (darvgha) of Fou-liang-chou, as it was now called. Ching-te-chen was made a customs station, and the superintendent of potteries was appointed commissioner, with the title of fi-ling. In the period Tai-ting (1324-27) the gov- ernor of the province of Kiang-si was appointed supei'in- tendent of the potteries (Chien t'ao), and ordered to go

177

178 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

there whenever an imperial requisition was issued, and to close the imperial manufactory after the work was fin- ished, pending the issue of a new decree.

The first edition of tlie Annals of Fou-llang-hsien had been issued during the Sung dynasty in the cyclical year Tceng lou (1270), of the Hsien-shwi period. Before this its events had been recorded in the An7ials of Po-yang, which were published in the year 1215. In the Yuan dynasty a new edition of tlie Annals of Fou-liang was compiled by the native scholar Ts'ang T'ing-feng and published officially in the period Chih-cliih, the cyclical year jen-lisit (1322). This edition included a special memoir on the porcelain manufacture, Fao old li'io, by CJhiang Cli'i, which is found reprinted in every subse- quent edition of the Annals, as well as in the Statistical Descriptions of the prefectui-e of Jao-chou-ju, and of the province of Kiang-si. This is the earliest account in any detail of the ceramic industry which we have, and I will translate it here, omitting only some of the less interest- ing passages, such as the author's diatribes upon the excessive taxation levied upon the industry in his time :

"The potteries at Ching-te-chen contained formerly more than three hundred manufactories. The porcelain produced in its workshops was of pure white color and without stain, so that the merchants who carried it for sale to all parts used to call their ware ' Jao-chou Jade.' It was compared with the j'ed porcelain of Chen-ting-fu, and with the emerald-green ware of Lung-ch'iian-hsien, and found to surpass them both in beauty.* """^ '

" The furnaces are carefully measured by the officials, and their length in feet and the number of workmen em- ployed in each one are recorded upon the registers, to fix

* The red porcelain of Ting-chou, iu the prefecture of ChSn-ting-fu, used to be compared to carved carnelian by the poets of the T\wg dynasty. The other ware alluded to is the old celadon porcelain of Lung-ch'iian, which was often of bright grass-green tint during the Sung dynasty.

YUAN DYNASTY. 179

the proportion of the tax to be levied ; neither the size of the fire, nor the number of channels, chimneys, and vent- holes being reckoned or put on the register.

" The potters are given land to cultivate for their livings and not paid regular wages ; they are settled round the masters of the factories, and called together by their orders when necessary, which is called ' opening the works.' When they have cased the ware in the seggars (Jisia), these are placed carefully in different parts of the furnace so that the contents may be properly fired, which is called 'firing the kilns.' At the time of lighting the fire the amount of silver fixed on the register, including the tax for the workmen passing in and out, according ta the kiln table, must be paid ; this is called ' reporting the fire.' After the fire has been kept up one day and two nights it is stopped, and when the furnace is opened the merchants throng to buy and select the best pieces ; this is called ' choosing the porcelain.' For settling the accounts of the sale an accountant is employed in each factory, and dealers are licensed by the ofiicials, who examine the accounts; this is. called the ' shop license. '^ For carrying the porcelain to the river licensed porters are employed, who are provided with papers to enter the quantity carried and the number of Journeys for Avhich the merchants have to pay ; these are called ' porter- age tickets.' Such are the general regulations of the manufactories.

"Throughout the province of Che (Chekiang), both east and west, they prefer the yellowish-black or brown ware, which is produced in the potteries of Hu-t'ien ; in the provinces of Chiang (Kianguan), Hu (Hukuang)^ Ch'uan (Ssuch'uan), and Kuang (Kuangtung), the_green- Jsh-white or celadon ware which comes from the kilns of Ching-te-Chen proper.

" The bowls (wan) engraved with fish and waves and

y

180 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

those of tazza shape with high feet, aud the dishes (tieh) with the glaze shaded in different tones and those orna- mented with ' sea eyes ' and ' snow-white flowers,' are the kinds which sell profitably in Ch'uan (Ssu-ch'uan), Kuang (Kuangtung), Ching and Hsiang (Hunan and Hupei). The large dishes (p^an) of horseshoe shape and of 'betel- nut ' glaze, the lai'ge bowls^ (j/^f) of lotus-blossom design, and the square forms with indented corners, the rice- bowls (wmi) and the platters (tieJi), ^vith painted decora- tion, with silvery designs, with fluted sides, and with encircling strings, these are sold readily in Kiangnan, Chekiang, and Fuchien provinces. The different kinds have all to be selected to please the fancy of the con- sumer of each district.

" There are many different forms of censers (lu) made for burning incense, in the form of fabulous lions (w/), of the ancient bronze sacrificial vessels tln^/ (three-footed and four-footed) and yi (bowl-shaped), -pf the ancient caldrons with three hollow legs calletW/^of the ritual form used for the worship of heaven (chao-tHen), with elephants as feet (Jisiang fui), like square scent-caskets (lisicmg lieii), or round tubs (fung-tzi'i). The various kinds of vases {j^^ing), for flowers and ornament, include trumpet-mouthed beakers (hti)^ bladder-shaped vases (tan), bottle-shaped vases with handles and spouts (Jiii), vessels of Buddhistic form for ceremonial ablution (ching), vases shaped like gardenia flowers (chih tzii) or like lotus leaves (lio yeli), double gourds (hu lu), musical pipes (lu Tcuan), vases with animal mask-handles (shou huan) and glass forms (liu-li) ; and there are many other empty names and fine distinctions difficult to define, which are really of value to nobody but the dealer.

" Speaking generally, the porcelain consumed in the two Huai provinces (Kiangsu and Anhui) consists of the inferior pieces rejected by the provinces of Kiang

YUAlSr DYNASTY. 181

(Kiangsi aud Kiangnau), Kiiaog (Kiiangtung), Min (Fiichien), and Che (Cbekiaiig) ; the native dealers sell such to them under the name of Iniang tiao, or ' yellow stuff,' because the color of the glaze is inferior, and the ware is only fit to be thrown away. The above is a short resume of the kinds of porcelain articles made.

" In winter the paste freezes, and porcelain can not be fired. When the pieces are newly shaped they are very soft, and must be carried ^vith care into the fire-chamber. As to the firing the pro23er time can not be exactly fixed, so that it is necessary to look through the aperture of the kiln to see whether the porcelain is properly baked, judg- ing by the white heat of the fire. s^ '^ f)

'^ The porcelain earth prepared from Chin-k'eng stone is used in the fabrication of the finest porcelain, the I'ocks i produced at Hu-k'eng, Ling-pei, and Chieh-t'ien being of the second class. The different earths brouo-ht from

o

Jen-k'eng, Kao-shan, Ma-an-shau, and Tzu-shih-t'ang are red in color and are used only in the fabrication of the seggars and molds. If these be mixed with the other kinds in the preparation of the paste, it is of inferior quality, aud the porcelain is not worth buying. It is in the hills of Yu-shan that the mountain brushwood is col- lected to make the ashes used in the preparation of the glaze. The method folloAved is to pile the lime burned from the stone in alternate layers with this brushwood mixed with persimmon (Dwspy?'os) wood, and to burn the two together to ashes. These ashes must be com- bined with the ' glaze earth ' brought from Ling-pei before they can be used. The pieces after they have been glazed are fired either upright or bottom upward. There are several distinct branches of work divided between the potters, the seggar-makers, and the preparers of the earth ; the pieces before they are fired are fashioned by the different processes of throwing the

182 OEIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

paste ou the wheel, finishing it with the knife on the polishing wheel, and finally by glazing it ; the decoration is executed by molding, by painting, or by carving the ornamental designs. The different steps in the ceramic manufacture are kept distinct, and all provided with technical names.

" The kilns are inscribed on the I'egister according to their measurement, and heavy fines are inflicted if they are lighted without authority. The glaze must be stamped in three gj'ades of color according to its quality, and severe punishment follows the use of the wrong gi-ade. The official inspectors must be bribed at every step, and if the slightest rule be infringed even the shop- dealers and the pointers are made jointly responsible and punished. The penal regulations are both numei'ous and minute ; yet, where formerly the revenue was most rich and abundant, there is now nothing but complaint of its insufficiency. Still the total amount of taxes has been increased by a large percentage. There are contributions levied for the governor of the province, who is superine tendent, and for his deputies, for the monthly expenses of the officials of Jao-chou, and for the police of Ching-te- chen, besides an allowance for the widows and orphans of the potters, the total mounting up to a monthly sum of over 3,000 strings of ' cash.' Then there are levies in spring and autumn for the soldiers, taxes for sacred holi- days and the worship of heaven and earth, presents and money for the periodical repair of the examination halls, making one hundred and fifty strings more, all exacted by the officials on pain of instant punishment. I can give j)ersonal testimony, as I have seen for several tens of years past how the successive superintendents of this place have constantly, when transferred to other posts, left in debt to citizens of the chou.

" Inquiring for the cause of this failure of revenue^

YUAN DYNASTY. 183

there are five reasons : 1. The opening of the factories for work depends u^^ou the abundance or scantiness of the harvest. 2. The porcelain manufactures in Lin- ch'uan, Chien-yang, and Nau-feng have diverted much of the profit. 3. If the payment of the taxes be delayed a day, the police runners come knocking at the gate and devour everything like caterpillars. 4. The prisons are without jailers, and the pi'oper officials have deserted their posts, so that dishonest men have nothing to fear. 5. The permanent local officials are banded together, and if an honest official should by chance be sent, he is immediately accused by them and the place made too hot for him. The times are bad, and it is useless to look for the honest officers of olden days," etc.

The potteries of Hu-t'ien referred to in this memoir were at Fou-liang-hsien, in the vicinity of Ching-te-chen, from which they were separated by a small liver. They were closed during the Ming dynasty, and are now rep- resented only by ruins in a small hamlet w^ith a pagoda on the southern bank of the river.

The other three potteries alluded to in tlie last para- graph of the memoir were situated at dift'erent stages on the overland route from Ching-te-chen to Ch'iian-chou, the chief city of the province of Fuchien at that time, and the principal port for foreign trade, as we are told by Marco Polo and by Arab writers of the time.

Lin-ch'lian-hsien was in the prefecture of Fu-chou-fu, Nau-feng-hsien in the prefecture of Chien-chang-fu, both in the province of Kiangsi. The porcelain of tlie former place is described as having been of finely levigated clay, thin, and generally of white color with a tinge of yellow, and to have been sometimes decorated with rough paint- ing. That of Nan-feng, made of similar material, was slightly thicker ; the pieces were often decorated with painting in blue, while others are said to have resembled

184 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

the coarser yellowish variety of Ting-choii ware. Chien- yang-lisien was in the province of Fuchien, nearer to Ch'iian-choii ; it was already in existence in the Sung dynasty, and we have seen above that it was celebrated then for the production of the black tea-bowls which were so highly appreciated at the competitive tea clubs of the time under the name of " hare-fur cups."

Chien-yang must surely have been the factory referred to by Marco Polo as situated in the province of Fuchien, and as being the seat of the production of the porcelain exported to all parts of the world from Ch'iian-chou, which was known to him by its Persian name of Zayton. The name of the factory given by him may be a local rendering of Chien-chou, the old name of the department. The only other factory that Ave know of in the province was that of Te-hua, ^vhich was not founded till later, in the Ming dynasty.

He says (Yule's Marco Polo, Book II, chap. Ixxxii) : " Let me tell you also that in this province there is a town called Tyunju, where they make vessels of porcelain of all sizes, the finest that can be imagined. . . . Here it is abundant and very cheap, insomuch that for a Venice groat 3^ou can buy three dishes so fine that you could not imagine better."

Soon after Marco Polo, Ibn Batuta, an Arab, came to this port, of which he Avrites ( Voyages cflbn JBatmitali, traduits par Defremery et Sanguinetti, t. iv, p. 256) : " On ne fabrique pas en Chine la porcelaine, si ce n'est dans les villes de Zeitoun (Ch'liau-chou) et Sincalan (Canton). Elle est faite au moyen d'une terre tiree des montagues qui se trouvent dans ces districts; laquelle terre prend feu comme du charbon. . . . Les potiers y ajoutent une certaine pierre qui se trouve dans le pays ; ils la font briiler pendant trois jours, puis vei'sent I'eau par-dessus, et le tout devient une poussiere, ou une terre

YUAN DYISTASTY. 18^

qu'ils font fermenter. Celle doiit la fermentation a dure un mois entier, mais non plus, donne la meilleure porce- laine ; celle qui n'a fermente que pendant dix jours, en donne une de qualite inferieure k la precedente. La porcelaine en Chine vaut le meme prix que la poteiie cbez nous, ou encore moins. On I'exporte dans I'lnde et dans les autres contrees, jusqu'^ ce qu'elle arrive dans la notre, le Maghreb (Morocco). C'est I'espece la plus belle de toutes les poteries."

Another manufactory which acquired some renown under the Yuan dynasty was that of Ho-chou, in the province of Kiangnan, where a goldsmith named P'eng Chiin-pao produced imitations of the white porcelain of Ting-chou, of good color but very fragile, which were called at the time "New Ting-chou Porcelain," and the best of which, it was said, could hardly be distinguished from the genuine old ware.

The porcelain produced at the imperial manufactory at Ching-te-chen is briefly described in the Ko hu yao hin, which says, under the heading of " Ancient Jao-chou Porcelain ": " The porcelain made at the imperial factory was thin, translucent in texture, and very flne. It included plain bowls drawn in at the waist, and bowls with unglazed rims, which, although thick, were of pure white color and |:)erfectly translucent. These were as good as the Ting-chou bowls, although not so high in price. ' The white bowls made in the Yiian dynasty, with small feet and molded decoration, which have inscribed inside the mouth, /SMiJ'u, or ' imperial palace,' are also very flne^lj There was, besides, green porcelain ^d~decoration in manj colors, but these are considered to be more common. Another variety of porcelain was \ of greenish-black color, penciled with designs in gold ; this consisted chiefly of wine-pots, (chiu hii) and ^vine- cups (^chiu chaii), which are extremely beautiful." The

-7

186 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

author, speaking of these wiiie-pots, adds : " Such things were unknown in China before the Yuan dynasty, when so many novel forms were introduced. In former times the wide shallow bowls called p'ieli were preferred for drinking tea because they were so easily dried and did not retain the dregs. Vases were used for the hot water; ewers and pots with spouts were new things for tea and wine ; so ^vere the tall upright teacups {cli^a clivng) with saucers, and the stem Aviue-cups (^j'rt pei) with tray. Neither these nor the bowls (yu) with lips were known in tlie wares of the Sung dynasty, either in imperial or in Ting-chou porcelain."

There is one specimen of this dynasty in our illustrated album which is described as follows :

" Small Vase (^Hskio P''ing) of imperial porcelain {Shufu Yao) of the Ytian dynasty, bottle-shaped, with a globular body receding to a slender neck, which ends in a bulging garlic-shaped enlargement surrounding the cir- cularly rimmed mouth. It is decorated with dragons with two-horned bearded heads and serpentine bodies with three-clawed legs, coiling through spiral scrolls of clouds, all etched in the paste under the white glaze. The pure white porcelain of our own dynasty of the reigns of Yung-Jo and Hsilan-te, with the decoration faintly engraved under the glaze, was all made after the style of this imperial porcelain. The Shufti porcelain itself was modeled after the fabrication of Ting-chou under the northern Sung dynasty, and this vase has its form and glaze, as well as its style of decoration, all designed like a Ting-chou piece. The vase has underneath the mark Shu fu, ' imperial palace,' engraved in the paste under the glaze. Its form and size adapt it for ornamenting the middle of a small dinner-table, with a spray of nar- cissus, begonia, golden lily, or dwarf chrysanthemum put inside. It is now in my own library." H. 4 in.

YUAN DYNASTY. 187

We have but few authenticated pieces of the Yuan dynasty in modern collections, so that this specimen is of special interest, as belonging to a transition period, and connecting the molded and etched dishes of the Swng dynasty, which are often seen with rims bound round ^vith copper collars, with the eggshell cups and bowls of the reign of Yung-lo at the beginning of the fifteenth century. The other kinds of porcelain, such as the cela- dons and the crackled wares, show similar transition characters ; and the massive stoneware cups and bowls, known commonly as Yuan porcelain ( Yuan Tz'u), found throughout northern China, can hardly be distin- guished from ceramic productions of the Sung. They are characterized by a thick glaze of unctuous aspect, finely crackled throughout, usually of pale lavender tint speckled with red, which often onl}^ partially covers the surface, so as to leave the lower part of the bowl bare. Another glaze is of a light sky-blue color, sparsely crackled or uncrackled, which often exhibits a ferrugi- nous crimson stain at some point, of accidental origin, but much appreciated by Chinese collectors of the present day. The vase illustrated in Plate XII, 2, is a typical example of the period, with its finely crackled dalr-de- lune glaze stained with a red ferruginous blotch.

One of the massive bowls (H. 3 in., D. 6i in.) of the Yuan dynasty is shown in Fig. 141. It is composed of a reddish-gray ware of intense hardness, invested with a crackled glaze of pale purple tint, mottled with darker spots, and becoming brown at the edges, which runs down in a thick mass underneath, covering only two thirds of the surface, and ending in an irregularly undulating line. The smaller bowl (H. H in., D. 4i in.), exhibited in Fig. 3 («), is an example of the crackled ware of the period of hard, gray, dense texture, covered with a thick, lustrous glaze of ivory-white tone, minutely

188 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

crackled with a reticulation of dark lines ; the lower third and the foot underneath are left unglazed.

The Mongols conquered nearly the whole of Asia and a large part of eastern Europe ; they sent fleets for the conquest of Japan as well as to Java ; and Chinese junks sailed every year from the port of Ch'iian-chou to the Persian Gulf, carrying among other cargo, we are told, greenish-white or celadon porcelain. Many of the crackled vessels treasured by the natives of Borneo and other islands of the Pacific are to be referred, doubtless, to this time.

Some of these last-mentioned relics seem, however, to have come from the potteries of the province of Kuang- tung, being made of a dark-brown stoneware covered with mottled glazes, often brilliantly colored. This is the Kuang Yao, which is still made and exported from Canton at the present day. Some of this ware was crackled, like the vase shown in Fig. 142, which is a specimen of Kuang Yao attributed to the Yuan dynasty.

CHAPTER VII.

MING DYNASTY. REIGNS OF HUNG-WU, YUNG-LO, HStTAN-T:fc,

CH':fcNG-HUA, HUNG-CHIH, CH^JNG-Tife, CHIA-CHING, LUNG- Ch'iNG, WAN-LI, t'iEN-CH'i, CH'UNG-CHifcN.

THE Ming dynasty reigned in Cliina from 1368 to 1643, when it was overthrown by the Manchus, who still occupy the throne at Peking. The emperors of tlie Ming dynasty patronized the ceramic art, and the manufacture of porcelain made considerable advances down to the reign of Wan-li, during which such large sums were lavished that the censors vigorously protested against the expenditure of so much money on mere articles of luxury. The manufactui-e became gradually concentrated at Ching-te-chen, where the potters collected from all parts and established themselves round the imperial manufactory. From this time forward artistic work in porcelain became a monopoly of this place, and the productions of other potteries are noticed only by way of parenthesis, as they generally confined them- selves to the fabrication of coarser ware for everyday consumption, while Ching-te-chen produced the more decorative kinds, which were distributed from its kilns throughout China and sent from the most accessible seaports to all parts of the world.

The mass of native ceramic literature is now so Qvent as to be rather embarrassing, and we will depend chiefly on the ofiicial annals of Fou-liang-hsien and on the T'cM /Shuo, the author of which devotes his third book to a general account of the porcelain of the Ming dynasty, and his sixth book to a description of particular speci-

189

190 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

mens of the ceramic art, arranged clironologically under the reigns to whicli they l)eh)ng.

?^ &, HuN(4-AVij (1368-98).

The founder of tlie dynasty established his capital at Nanking, and, according to the official records, in the second year of his reign (1369) the imperial manufactory was built at Ching-te-chen, on the south side of the Jewel Hill, which was inclosed within the wall sur- rounding the manufactory, and formed its " protecting hill," according to Chinese geomantic science. Offices were also built on the eastern side for the Tao-t'ai of Chiu- cliiang (Kiukiang), who was stationed here to superin- tend the fabrication of porcelain for the use of the palace, and to forward it annually to the capital.

^ ^, YuNG-Lo (1403-24).

Hung-iou was succeeded by his grandson, who was soon, however, deposed by his uncle, the powerful viceroy of the northern provinces, who declared himself emperor in 1403, under the title of Yung-lo, and made Peking, the famous Cambalu, or city of the Mongol khans, once moi-e the capital of the Chinese Empire, as it remains to the present day. The Yii ClCi dicing, or " Imperial Por- celain Manufactory," at Ching-te-chen, continued, as before, to furnish imperial ware for the use of the court, which was sent all the way to Peking by water, the boats traveling from the potteries down the Chang River to Jao-chou-fu, across the Poyang Lake, down the great river Yangtsu to Chinkiang, and thence by the Grand Canal to Tientsin, and by the river Paiho to their final destination.

The imperial porcelain of this reign was distinguished

MESTG DYNASTY. 191

for its white enamel, which is described as having been often pitted on the surface, or perforated by " palm-eye " spots. It was engraved with ornamental designs etched in the j^aste underneath, or decorated both in cobalt blue and in colors. It is generally ranked by native connoisseurs below that of the reigns of Hsuari'te and Ch^eng-hua, but above that of Chia-ching and later i-eigns.

The blue and white variety is described in the Po wu yao Ian, which says: "The cups (^'pei) of form adapted to be grasped by the hand, with an upright rim, a waist drawn in, and a glazed foot encircled by an unglazed ring, which were ornamented in the interior with a pair of lions playing with brocaded balls, and had inscribed inside, at the bottom, the seal mark, either in six char- acters, Ta Ming Yimg lo nien cJiiJi, ' Made in the reign of Yung-lo of the great Ming dynasty,' or in four characters (the name of the dynasty being omitted) no larger than so many grains of rice. These were of the iirst class. The cups decorated with mandarin ducks in the interior were ranked next. Those with flowers in the interior came after the last. The cups were painted out- side in blue of a deep brilliant color, in designs of artistic beauty. They have been handed down from dis- tant times and their value is correspondingl}^ high. The imitations of modern times are not worth looking at."

The Avhite porcelain of this period, alluded to above, is still better known. It is often of eggshell thinness, and has supplied models for some of the most perfect productions of T'ang Ying in the eighteenth century. There is a fine large bowl in the AValters Collection (Fig. 70), the fellow of one thus described in the Franks Catalogue (Joe. cit, page 2) : " Bo^^'l. One of a pair. Thin ivory-white Chinese porcelain. Very small base and wide rim, in which are six indentations. Inside are two five-clawed dragons, very faintly engraved in the paste

192 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

and glazed over. In the center an inscription, also engraved under the glaze, in an ancient seal character, being the mark of the i^eriod Yung-lo, 1404-1424. H. 21 in., D. 8i in."

A small white cup of different form, with low upright sides springing from a circular rimmed foot, is illustrated in our album, and described as follows :

" Cup i^Pei) of Yung-lo eggshell porcelain (to-fai tz'u\ with dragons and phoenixes engraved under the glaze. The foi'm and design of these cups are very beautiful, and they can be used either for tea or for wine ; they are very thin, not thicker than paper, and are for this reason called t() fai, or ' bodiless.' This is a most delicate specimen of the kind, and it has dragons and phoenixes upon a scrolled ground very finely etched upon its surface. It is marked underneath with the six characters Ta Ming Yung lo nien chih, ' Made in the reign of Yung-lo of the great Ming dynasty,' cleverly engraved under the glaze. There are several of these cups preserved, although they are rare even in choice collections. I have figured this one in order to give a general idea of their character, so that collectors of taste may be able to recognize a genu- ine specimen and not grudge a liberal sum to acquire it. For my successors who may not be so fortunate as to find one even, the picture may be of some value. I copied it in Peking from a cup in the possession of a prince of the imperial blood." H. li in., D. 3 in.

t±>

m, §, HstJAN-T^ (1426-35).

The reign of Hsuan-te is celebrated for its ceramic pro- ductions as well as for its artistic work in bronze, and it is generally considered by Chinese authorities as sharing with that of Cli'eng-hua a pre-eminent position among the reigns of the Ming dynasty ; Hsuan-te being unrivaled

MING DYNASTY. 193

in the brilliance of its painting in blue and in the purity of its red decoration ; CWeng-hua in the artistic treatment of its combinations of different colors. The " five colors '^ in the decorated pieces of the Hsikin-te period were laid on too thickly, so as to stand out in prominent relief when the piece had been fired, while those of Ch^eng-hua were applied with less lavish profusion, so that the result resembled a good painting in water-colors. The colored decoration in both reigns seems to have been effected by the use of glazes of different colors, laid upon a white unglazed or " biscuit " ground. The process of decora- tion of porcelain previously glazed and fired with enamel colors, which were afterward fixed in the muffle stove^ was not discovered or introduced till much later in the Ming dynasty. This is specially known by the distinctive name of Wan-U Wtc ts'ai, literally " five- colored [porcelain] of the Wan-ll period."

The brilliancy of the blue which distinguished this reign is said to have been due to the importation from the West of a foreign product known as blue of Su-ni-p'o. In other books of the period it is called Su-mcirli or Su-ma-ni blue, which are evidently varia- tions of the same name, but whether this be the name of the color, or of the country from which it came, still remains to be proved. The supply is reported to have failed before the reign of CKeng-lma, \vhich depended solely on native cobaltiferous ores. Hsiang Yuan-p'ien^ in his descriptions, generally uses the term of Hui-liui ChHng, " Mohammedan blue," which is applied by other ceramic authors of the time more especially to the cobalt blue imported in the later reign of Chki-ching by the eunuch viceroy of the province of Yunnan.

The yet more famous red glaze of the period was derived from copper. It was applied in several wa3^s — either as a monochrome glaze upon " biscuit " porcelain^

194 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

sometimes left plain, sometimes cliiseled with ornamental designs ; or in combination with the white glaze ; or painted on in decorative designs, in a similar way to the cobalt blue, and subsequently covered Avitli tlie wliite glaze. Tlie red designs are described as shining through the glaze so as to dazzle the eyes. Some Chinese writers assert that it was prepared by powdering rubies obtained from the West, and amethystine quartz seems really to have been introduced into the glaze to give it greater transparency ; the color could not, however, have been due to this, because rubies and amethysts would become colorless in the intense heat of the furnace ; its application under the glaze shows that it must have been a copper silicate.

The white porcelain resembled that of the reign of Yimg-Io, which it even excelled in texture and finish. The white "altar cups" of this reign are described in the Po wib yao Ian as finely made, richly glazed, and of per- fect form, with the character fan, " altar," inscribed in the bottom inside ; and the white " tea-cups," eJfa clian, as hardly inferior to the " altar cups," being of rounded form with a convexity in the middle underneath encircled by a thread-like rim, brilliant and translucent as fine jade, decorated inside with dragons and phoenixes deli- cately chiseled, and with the mark Ta Ming Hsilan te nien cliili, " Made in the reign of Hsuan-te of the Great Ming^'' also etched under the white glaze, which exhibited a faintly tuberculated surface like the peel of an orange.

The same book describes stem cups decorated with red fish, and others painted in blue with dragonlike pines and flowering plum-trees, stemmed wine-cups painted in blue with historical scenes and sea monsters, bowls on high bamboo jointed feet, and teacups painted with illustrations of classical poetry. The large rice-

MING DYNASTY. 195

bowls of moDoclirome vermilion are characterized as being red as the sun, with rims of white color — like the sang-de-hceuf bowls of more recent times. Flower vases (Jiua tsmi) of low, beaker-shaped form with trumpet mouths ; barrel-shaped garden seats (tso tuii) of deep green ground, some with brocaded designs carved in openwork filled in with colors, others of solid form, overlaid with many-colored designs; barrel seats of dark blue overlaid with colored decoration like carved lapis Inzuli, as it were, inlaid with ilo^vers, others painted with blue flowers in a white ground, and othei's crackled like fissured ice — all those are comprised in this book and described as novelties unknown in former times. Flat jars (^pien htiari) and cylindrical jars (thing hiian) for honey preserves, oil-lamps of varied forms, receptacles for birds' food (cliiao sliih pHng) to hold seed and water, and bowls for fighting crickets (Jisi lisiiai p'^eii) occur in the same list. The bowls of pure white " biscuit " orna- mented with desisfns in Avorked o-old are alluded to in the poetry of the time as of exceeding beauty. There were two families named Lu and Tsou, at Su-chou-fu, famed for their cricket bowls, which were elaborately finished with delicately chiseled and embossed work, and the names of Ta PIsiu and Hsiao Hsiu, elder and youngej" daughters of the craftsman Tsou, have been handed down as having executed the finest work of all. The game of fighting crickets was then a favorite pas- time; thousands were staked on the event, and no expense was spared on the decoration of the materials.

These barrel-shaped seats are still to be seen occasion- ally in Chinese gardens side by side with seats of similar form from the earlier Chlin-chou potteries of the Sung dynasty. Such large pieces are usually of stoneware rather than j)orcelain, the technique resembling that of the image of Kuan-yin, enshrined in the Buddhist

196 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Temple Pao-kuo-ssu at Peking, wliich has already been described. I Lave seen other Buddhist figures of antique design with the details filled in with colored glaze of the early Ming period, notably in the Dana collection at New York, together with some of the large, wide, solid jars of the time, with Taoist figui-es inclosed in the carved openwork casing, picked out in turquoise, purj^le, green, and yellow. The colors differ from the ordinary colored enamels of later times in being composed of a lead flux.

To M. du Sartel is due the credit of first calling atten- tion to these jars and of referring them correctly to early Ml}ig times. He figures three in Plate II of his work La Povcelaine de Chine, already cited, with the follow- ing description (page 155) :

"No. 2. Jarre a mettre le vin, en porcelaine grise et epaisse. Le decor, de st}'le archaique, colore en emaux de demi-grand feu sur biscuit, se compose de bordures k faux godrons, celle du haut souteuant des lambrequins ornes de fleurs et relies entre eux par des cordons de perles avec pendeloques. Le corps du vase est occupe par un paysage courant, presentant sur deux faces opposees un personnage symbolique. Ce decor, dessine par des filets en relief, est en partie reste en biscuit avec quelques teintes jaunatres et en partie bleu turquoise, sur fond bleu fonce. Hauteur 0"" 42. Coll. O. du Sartel.

" No. 3. Potiche analogue au vase precedent, decoree de nelumbos en fleur. Hauteur 0°^ 35, Coll. Leon Fould, k Paris.

" No. 4. Autre potiche de meme espece, mais dont le decor, sur fond bleu turquoise, presente quelques parties emaillees violet clair. La pause est occupee par un pay- sage courant, avec sujet hieratique montrant Cheou Lao entoure des emblemes de la longevite, et recevant la

MING DYNASTY. 197

visite mysterieuse des saiuts personnages, ses disciples, les Pa-Chen. Hauteur O'" 35. Coll. O. du S."

Our album is rich in specimens of this reign, and a description of these will give a better idea of the ceramic art of the time than any number of quotations from Chinese books which might be extended indefinitely. There are no less than twenty illustrations giv^en, includ- ing seven of blue and white pieces, and thirteen decorated in colored glazes, among which the red pre- dominates, two of these being wholly invested with red as a monochrome glaze.

" Antique Censer ( Yi Lu), with fish handles, decorated with deep red, in the guise of ruddy dawn clouds dis- appearing in bright sunshine. The form of this censer is modeled after an ancient bronze sacrificial vessel figured in a collection published in the period SJiao-lising, 1131- 62. The upper two-thirds of the surface is enameled with a deep red glaze of the ^varmest tint of ruddy dawn clouds ; the lower part is white, pure as driven snow", and the red and white melt into each other in wavy lines, dazzling the eyes. It stands pre-eminent among the celebrated porcelains of diiferent dynasties ; the whole surface is strewn with faint, milletlike tubercles, and it is truly a precious Jewel of rare value. I saw it at Nanking, in the collection of Chu Hsi-hsiao, the governor of the city, who told me that it originally came from the imperial palace, given to one of the princes as part of his monthly allowance, and that he purchased it afterward from the prince for three hundred taels of silver. Even for a thousand taels it could not be l)ought now." H. 3 in., D. 3i in.

" Water- Dropper (Shid Chu), for the ink pallet, decorated with colored glazes. Taken from an old bronze design, the vessel is molded in the form of twin persimmons (^Diqspyros shitze fruit) hanging upon a

198 OEIENTAL CERA.AIIC ART.

leafy branch, the stem of whicli is hollowed to make the spout. The color of the fruit is as red as fresh blood, with slightly raised millet marks ; the leaves are greeu ; the sepals and stalk are brown ; exactly like a picture from Nature, by the artist Hsli. Tsung-ssu. It is a rare jewel for the ornament of a scholar's library, whicli I bought, with two ink pallets of porcelain, also figured, from Hsii, a high official of Wu-men." H. 2i in., D. 3iin.

^^ Wine-Pot (^Chiu Hit), with an open scrolled handle and a spout molded in the shape of a phwnix head, covered with a monochrome glaze of deep red color. It was copied from a carved jade wine-pot used by the emperor. The body, of slender, vaselike foi-m, swelling above and curving gracefully inward toward the foot, is chiseled with cloud scrolls and ornamental bands of geometrical and spiral pattern ; it is surmounted by a conical cover encircled by rings of foliated design. The spout is the feathered neck of a phoenix, projecting as it were fi-om the cloudy background, and terminating in a crested head with open beak. Among the different kinds of porcelain of the reign of Hsilan-te the deep red was the most highly valued of all. In the preparation of the glaze, red precious stones from the West were pulverized, and after it had been fired, flashes of ruby-red color shone out from the depths of the rich glaze so as to dazzle the eyes. There is no other porcelain to rival this. The piece figured is in the collection of Huang, General of the Guards at Peking, who told me that he bought it for two hundred ingots of silver in paper notes [nominally about six hundred pounds sterling, although the Government paper currency was then at a considerable discount], from one of the chief eunuchs of the palace." H. 62 in.

" Ronge-Pot {Lu Hit) molded in the shape and size of a persimmon fruit (^Diospyros sldtze) and decorated with

MING DYNASTY. 199

colored glazes. The lobed fruit, of deep red color, has a short, wide spout of the same tint projecting at one end, a branch joining the handle at the other, colored brown, with a green t^vig winding round in openwork relief so as to display the green leaves Avorked upon the red skin of the fruit. The cover is the calyx of four segments, A\'ith the stalk curving upward to form its handle. The red is of rich color, like fresh blood ; the brown and green are true to life. It came out of the palace, where it had been used by one of the imperial princesses to hold ver- milion for painting her lips and face. It was priced very high, over one hundred taels, by a curio seller at the temple Pao-kuo-ssu,* at whose stall I saw it when at the capital." H. 2i in., D. 3i in.

" Tazza-shaped Oup {^Pa Pei), decorated with three red fishes on a white o-round. The foi'ni is taken from wine- jcups of jade of the Han dynast}-. The glaze, of the aspect of congealed fat, is ^vhite as driven snow, and the three fishes of deep red color, vigorously outlined, are crimson as fresh blood with flashes of ruby tint of daz- zling brilliance. It is truly a rare gem of this highly prized class. At the foot of the cylindrical stem, which expands toward the base, there is faintly engraved under the paste the six-character mark Ta Ming Hsikm te nieit chill, ' Made in the reign of Hsuan-te of the Great Ming.'' I bought this cup for twenty-four taels from a collector at Shao-hsiug-fu." H. 3 in., D. 3 in.

" Tazza-shaped Cup {Pa Pei), of the same shape and size as the above, decorated with three pairs of red peaches on a white ground. The shaded red, of the tint of red cherries or of precious garnets, flames out from the depth

* This is the Buddhist temple already alluded to as containing the ancient porcelain image of Kwan Yin. It is situated in the southern or Chinese city of Peking, and is one of those thrown open at stated days every month for a kind of fair, when its courts are thronged with peddlers and curio dealers, who spread their stalls on both sides of the way to attract visitors.

200 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

of the glaze, very different from the modern imitations of these wine-cups, Avhich are made by painting the red color over the glaze, and which remind one only of dull, ferruginous clay.* These cups are very rare, only three or four beino: known to exist within the four seas."

" Conical Wme-Oup {Ton lAPei), with a handle boldly fashioned in openwork relief in the form of an archaic dragon {ch''ih-l'ung), decorated in colors. The ground inside and out is engraved with cloud scrolls under the white glaze ; the band of scrolled ornament which encircles the rim is picked out in blue, while the dragon, which is coiled half round the cup, with its teeth and fore-claws fixed in the rim and its bifid tail opposite, is glazed deep red. The dragon stands out conspicuously in blood-red relief from the mutton-fat tinted ground ; only one or two of these beautiful little cups are known, and a hundred taels is not considered too much to pay for a specimen. I figure this one from the collection of the Lieutenant-Governor of Nanking." H. 2 in., D. 3 in.

^^ Small Wine-Oiq) (^Hsiao Chaii), oi rounded shallow form with circularly rimmed foot, decorated outside with three fishes of deep red color on a snow-white ground. The fish are no bigger than flies, yet the several scales and spines are chiseled under the sang-de-hoei(f glaze. It holds one hu — i. e., less than t^vo ounces." H. | in., D. 3 in.

^^ Palace Rice-Bowl {Kung Wan), of gracefully mod- elled shape, springing from a small circularly rimmed foot, decorated outside with three fishes of sang-de-hosuf color upon a snow-white ground, rising in milletlike granules. It is figured from the collection of Liang, one

* We know from other sources that the art of painting porcelain in the red prepared from copper silicate failed toward the end of the 3ring dynasty, so that in the reign of Chia-ching (1522-66) even the imperial potters petitioned to be allowed to decorate it instead with the iron-red produced by the incinera- tion of iron- sulphate.

MING DYNASTY. 201

of the cliief eunuchs at Peking, who obtained it himself from the palace of the emperor." H. 2^ in., D. 7 in.

" Dish (Hsi), for washing brushes in, of circular form with a flat bottom and upright sides, decorated with red fishes swimming in undulating waves, penciled in deep red on a snow-white ground. One pair of fishes, instinct with life and movement, is painted on the bottom of the dish inside, and three smaller fishes are swimming round outside." H. 1 in., D. 5 in.

" Palace Dish {Kuiig Tieh), saucer-shaped, springing from a circular foot, covered outside with a monochrome glaze of deep red color, over five-clawed dragons, and clouds delicately chiseled in the paste. Marked under- neath with the six-character seal Ta Ming Hsilan te nien chih, ' Made in the reign of Hsuan-te of the Great MingJ engraved under the glaze." D. 7 in.

" Perforated Box {Clruan Hsin Ho), painted in deep red on a white ground. A small round box, with a lid of the same shape, fashioned in the likeness of a ' cash ' of the period, having a square hole passing through the middle for tying it on the corner of a handkerchief, when used as a casket for scent. It is decorated- outside with encircling bands of spiral fret, and has the inscrip- tion on the cover, written also in red, Hsilan te fungpao, ■'Current money of Hsilan te,'' a reproduction of the ordinary legend of the coins of this reign." H. I in., D. 1 in.

^'- Relic Pagoda {She-li T^i), of white 'biscuit' porce- lain decorated in colors (wuts^ai). This is a relic shrine in the form of a pagoda, one foot and a half high, of seven stories. Each story is six-sided, surrounded by a carved open-work railing, and hollow inside. In the first story there is an altar with a little vase of white jade standing upon it containing three grains of sacred relics (she-li = Sanskrit ^arlra) of Buddha. The seven

202 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

stories are mU Lung around the eaves with tiny gold bells only half an inch long. Within the chamber of the fifth story there is a little sacred image of Buddha, of jade, about eight-tenths of an inch higli, with fine features and venerable figure, seated upon a lotus throne, exactly like the large Buddha enthroned for worship in ordinary religious temples. This image of Buddha, tlie temple bonze assures me, was brought as tribute to China from a foreign country. The body of the pagoda shows the intrinsic color of the porcelain, and the dif- ferent colors are cleverly painted on in turns, the tiles emerald-green, the railings red, the walls white, and the windows yellow. The I'elics emit every day at noon and midnight a radiance of coloi'ed light. I myself saw the rays emitted on both occasions, and was convinced thereby of the deep mysteries of the doctrine of Buddha. The stand is inscribed Avith the mark wiitteu in blue in a horizontal line, Ta Ming Hman te nien chili, ' Made in the reign of Hman-te of the Great Ming.'' I saw this shrine at Nanking at Pao-en-ssii (the famous Porcelain Pagoda Temple destroyed by the Taiping rebels) in the house of the prior of the monastery, who told me that it had been sent from the palace at Peking in the reign of the Emperor Jjiing-cJi'ing, by special order of the empress-dowager, who bestowed it upon the temple, to be preserved and reverently worshiped there."

The remaining seven pieces of this reign illustrated in the album are painted in blue on a white ground. The decoration is minutely finished, with borders of fret and encircling bands of rectangular and spiral chains, exe- cuted with fine strokes of the brush, so as to remind one of the delicate finish of the chiseled bronze and carved cinnabar-lac work of the period.

'^Irik Pallet ( Yen), of oval form, with dragons and clouds etched round the sides, painted in blue, with a

MFNG DYTSTASTY. 203

band of triangular fret round the upper bordei', and a double oval ring underneath. The form, an oval slab, with a crescentic depression at one end, is copied from a jade pallet used by one of the emperors of the Sung dynasty. The color of the glaze is white as driven snow, rising into faint milletlike elevations ; the blue, penciled in finest strokes, is brilliant and deep as congealed ink, so that it is really a beautiful specimen. There are two five-clawed imperial dragons delicately chiseled in the paste under the glaze, surrounded by cloud scrolls into which they are plunging their heads. The mark written underneath in blue, in a vertical line, in the middle of the oval ring, is Ta Ming Hsilan te nleri ehih, 'Made in the reign of Hman-te of the Great Ming: " L. 3i in.

" Small Vase (^Hsiao P''iiig^)^ in the shape of a three- jointed cylinder of bamboo, with the joints and margins picked out in blue, and the extremities ornamented with lines of little rings painted in blue. The blue is the ^ Mohammedan_gTgg_j^gj^/ the Hui-liui tn, r)^tn^^^^jyf~tYnr period, brilliant and dazzling to the eyes. The upper ring of circles is interrupted by a line of six characters not much larger than mosquito claws, but perfectly clear, written in l^lue, Ta Ming Hsilan te nien cliili, the mark of the reign. I have had this piece in my possession since I was a boy ; it has been in my cabinet over fifty years, and is growing old with me." H. 2* in.

" Jar {Hu), modeled in the form of a goose, and painted in blue. The goose is always refei'red to in the classics as a domestic l)ird of watchful nature, a terror to robbers, and the form was originally chosen for a wine-vessel as a warning against nightly intoxication. The feathers and other natural details are outlined in blue of brilliant color ; the glaze is sprinkled with millet- like elevations, and it is altogether a fine specimen of

204 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

the reign of Hsuan-te. It liolds about one pint of wine." L. G in.

" Elephant Jar {ffsianr/ Isirn), painted in blue, of rounded ovoid form with bulging body, springing from a low foot, with a receding shoulder and a slightly flaring mouth, surmounted by a round cover. The cover has standing upon it the figure of an elephant, molded in full open-work relief, of plain white. The two ring handles upon the shoulder of the jar hanging from grotesque heads are outlined in blue, and the jar, as well as the cover, is surrounded by several plain bands of blue. It is of ancient bronze design, and holds nearly two pints." H. 6i in.

" Teacup {Clthi Pel), decorated in blue with a dragon pine. Of upright form, rounded below, and slightly hollowed at the sides, it is modeled, probably, in the form of a jade wine-cup of the Han dynasty. The glaze is as translucently white as mutton fat or fine jade, rising in millet tubercles, and the blue is deep and clear, painted in the Mohammedan gros hleu of the time. The fir-tree is designed with a gnarled trunk like a huge coiled dragon, and lifelike orchids and fungus spring naturally from the ground beneath, evidently drawn by the pencil of a celebrated landscape-painter. I bought a set of four of these tea-cups from a high official at Wu- hsing." Diani. 2i in.

'•^Sacrificial Vessel (^Yi)^ painted in blue on a white ground, of ancient bronze design, with an oval body, having a broad lip at one end, supported upon four straight cylindrical feet, and a prominent cover with a horned dragon's head molded in relief projecting over the lip. The ground is whiter than snow, the blue of deep tint is painted in the first-class Mohammedan color, and both blue and white are marked alike with millet- like elevations. Decorated with blue bands of rectan-

MING DYNASTY. 205

gular and spiral fret round the neck of the vessel, and with blue lines outlining the rim and relief details of the cover. An important specimen of the reign of Hsitan-te, which I got from a collector of AV^u-men, in exchange for two manuscript volumes of verse written by a calligraphist of the Yuan dynasty." H. 5 in.

" Four-humev Lamp (^Ssa T'al Teng), with blue dec- oration on a white ground. A lamp of complex form, with an oval receptacle, which has four curved spouts projecting from it, one on each side, to hold the wicks, springing from a rimmed foot, and surmounted by a conical cover of four-lobed outline. A flat dish with an upright rim stands underneath. The shoulder is looped for chains to suspend the lamp to a horizontal bar, which is also looped in the middle to support the cover, and perforated for a cord to hang the whole apparatus from the ceiling. It is painted in brilliant blue with encir- cling bands and chains of spiral fret, and wdth medallions and foliations of formal pattei'n. On the foot is inscribed in blue, in a horizontal line, the mark Ta Ming Hs'uan te nien cliili, ' Made in the reign of Hman-te of the Great Ming' " H. 5 in., D. 4i in.

There are thirteen specimens of this reign in the Sliu Ch'iug Yuan palace at Peking, according to the official list quoted above, of which seven are painted in blue on a white ground, viz.:

1. Receptacle for Flowers, Hua Nang, in the form of a square corn-measure with a bar-handle stretching across the top.

2. Ink-Jar, Mo Kuan.

3. Double Cylinder Vase, Shuang Kuan PHng.

4. Vase with swelling shoulder and small neck, used for a spray of plum-blossom, and hence caW^di Mei P'ing.

5. Pair of upright Teacups, Cli'a Chung.

206 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

6. Water-Pot, Shni Ch^eng, for the writing-table.

7. E,ice-Bo^v'l, Wan. The next is a large round Dish, P^an, of monochrome, copper-red, Chi hung, followed by a Plum-blossom Vase, Mei P^ing, with painted decora- tion in red on a white ground, the remaining four being round fluted Dishes, P'^aji, of rose-mallow design, enam- eled celadon {tung-eh^ing^.

^ ^^^, CH':feNG-HUA (1465-87).

There is an interval of thirty years bet^veen the close of the last reign and the beginning of that styled Ch^eng- hua. The emperor who reigned under the title of Hsuan-te was succeeded by his son, who reigned under the title of Cheng-fung from 1436 to 1449, when he was captured by the Mongols and kept prisoner in Mongolia for seven years, during which his brother ruled with the title of Olilng-fai from 1450 to 1456. The emperor returned then to the throne and reigned till his death, under the new title of T'^ien-shuti, the only instance of a change of nien-hao during the Ming dynasty ; his reign lasted till 1464, when he died, and was succeeded by his son, who reigned as Ch''eng-hua, from 1465 to 1487. In the reign of Hsilan-te the imperial porcelain manufactory at Ching-te-chen had been placed under the charge of a director specially appointed by the emperor to super- intend the \vork. In the first year of Cheng-Dung this a[)pointmeut ^vas abolished, as we learn from the official annals, which state that so many of the people were enlisted for military service that the imperial works had to be closed. In the fifth year of ChiJig-fai (1454) it is recorded in the Yii-cliang Ta shih chi, another descrip- tive work on the province of Kiangsi, of which Yli-chang is an ancient name, that the annual amount of porcelain

MING DYNASTY. 207

requisitioned from Jao-clioii-fu was reduced to oue third, so that, in addition to the abolition of the office of director, the supply since drawn from private sources was also diminished. In the following twenty years there is no official mention of porcelain, excepting the fact that in the year ting-ch^ou of the cycle (1457) when the emperor recovered the throne, a eunuch w^is again sent from the palace to Ching-te-chen as director, and the imperial manufactory was re-established as before, al- though we know nothing whatever of the ceramic pro- duction of this reign.

The porcelain of CKeng-liua, on the contrary, is con- stantly referred to, and it disputes ^vith that of Hsilan-te the supremacy of the Ming period, according to the opinion of different connoisseurs. The general verdict upon their relative merit is that Hsuan-te stands first in the brilliancy of its red derived from copper, and in the purity and depth of its blue imported from abroad, while it is excelled by CJCeng-hua in artistic decora- tion in colors. The exotic supply of blue had failed before this reign, and only native ores of cobalt were available.

The author of the Po lou yao Ian sa3^s : "In the highest class porcelain of the reign of Cli'eng-Titia tliere is nothing to excel the stemmed wine-cups with shallow bowls and swellins^ rims decorated in live colors with grapes ; these are more beautiful even than any of the cups of Hsilan-te. Next to these come the wedding-cups decorated in colors with flowers and insects, or with a hen and chicken, the wine-cups of the shape of a lotus- nut painted with figure scenes, the shallow cups dec- orated \vitli the five sacrificial utensils, the tiny cups with flowering plants and butterflies, and the blue and white wine-cups that are as thin as paper. There are also small saucer-shaped plates for chopsticks painted in

208 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

colors, rouud boxes for incense, and little jars of varied shapes fitted with covers, all of artistic beauty and worthy of admiration."*

With reference to the celebrated " Chicken Cups '^ Chi Kang, there is an ode composed upon them in the works of Kao T'an-jen, a writer of the seventeenth century, also known as Kao of Chiang-ts'un, with the fol- lowing note attached f : " The wine-cups of Cli eng-lvmi porcelain are of many different kinds, all artistically designed and perfectly finished, with the colors laid on in dark and light shades, the fabric strong and of trans- lucent texture. The ' chicken cups ' are decorated Avith Moutan peonies and with a hen and chicken under the flowers, instinct with life and movement." ;|; Among other decorative subjects painted upon these wine-cups given by the same writer is a beautiful damsel holding up a candle to look at luii-fa/ng (cydonia) flowers, called "Kosy beauty lit up by a flaring silver flame." Then there are " Brocaded Cups," with medallions of flower sprays and fruit painted on the four sides ; " Swing Cups," with a party of young girls swinging ; the

* The official list of the art objects in the Shu Ch'ing Yuan palace at Peking, referred to above, includes four little saucer-shaped plates, lisiao tieh, of this reign, decorated in colors, inclosed in a rosewood box, and a perfume sprin- kler, chiiio, also painted in " five colors."

f M. Julien, in his preface {loc. cit., p. xxx), translates this note from the Too Shuo, but strangely misconceives the heading, as he translates Ch'6ng, the contracted form of Cli'eng-h'iut, into " fabriquait," and transforms ko-chu, " ode-note," into a proper name. Thus he provides two names for this reign in his list of celebrated potters. Here is what he says : " Dans la periode Tch'ing- 7iOff, figure avec honneur, un artiste que le Traite sur la porcelaine \^T' ao-c?ioue\ appele Kao-than-jin. II fabriquait des jarres ornees de poules. Un autre ouvrier, nomme Ko-tchou, faisait de jolies tasses pour le vin." Many of the " marks " in Julien's work are of a like fictitious origin, so that the book, useful as it is, must be used with caution.

:]: We have seen in the chapter on Marks how these "chicken cups" were copied in the reign of Ch'ien-lung, who sent one of the originals from the palace as a model, together with a poem of his own composition, to be inscribed on the reverse side of the cup. These copies are now valued by the Ciiinese connoisseurs at many times their weight in gold.

MING DYNASTY. 209

" Dragon-Boat Cups," with boats raciug in the great dragon festival ; " Famous-Scholar Cups," which have Chou Mao-shou on one side admiring his beloved lotus, and T'ao Yuan-ming on the other with his favorite chrys- anthemum flowers beside him; "Wa-wa Cups," with five little boys playing together ; and " Grape-Trellis Cups," with a grapevine growing upon a frame. Others are decorated with fragrant flowers, with flsh and water- weeds, ^vith o;ourds and aubero:ine fruit, with the eio-ht Buddhist emblems of good fortune, with the flowers of the utpala, a dark variety of lotus, and w^ith conventional sprays of the sacred lotus of India, etc. All of these cups are described as artistically painted, translucent in color, and of strong texture.

The price of these little cups was already very high even before the end of the Ming dynasty. The Emperor Wan-li is said to have always had a pair of them placed on his dinner-table which were valued at 100,000 cash, equivalent to 100 taels of silver. The JP'^ii sliu fing chi, "Memoirs of the Book-Sunning Pavilion," written by Chu Yi-tsun in the beginning of the present dynasty, relates how the author " on the days of new moon and full moon often went, while staying at Peking, to the fair at the Buddhist tem})le Tz'ii-en-ssu, where rich men thronged to look at the old porcelain bowls exhibited on the stalls there. Plain ^^hite cups of Wan-Ji porcelain were several taels of silver each, those with the mark of Hsila/n-te or of Cli'eng-liua ranged from twice as nuich and more, up to the chicken cups, which could not be bought for less than five twenty-tael ingots of pure silver, yet those who had the money did not grudge it, estimating the pottery of this period as more valuable than the finest Jade."

The eleven specimens figured in our album to illustrate the porcelain of this reign are all decorated in colors,

210 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

neither the blue and white nor the monochrome "copper red " of the period being rej^resented.

^^Melon-shaped Wine-Pot {T''ien-K'ua Hu), decorated in colors. The body, of oval form and indented outline, molded in the natural form of the lobed fruit, is colored yellow, and passes above into a rounded cover, the handle of which, colored brown and green, is designed as the stalk of the fruit. The spout and handle of the wine-pot are formed of convoluted branches, with the chiseled details colored brown, round which tendrils wind in open-work relief, and from which spread leafy twigs, to decorate the surface of the wine-pot with leaves, tendrils, and miniature fjourds, contrastinof in their tones of shaded green ^vith the surrounding bright yellow ground. In the porcelain of the reign of CK eng-hua^ that painted in different colors is the most highly valued, because at this time the designs were executed in the palace by the most celebrated artists, and the colors were laid on in their different shades with finished skill. This wine-pot, of the natural size of a melon, with the skin and branchlets of tlie color of the original, and the two surfaces of the leaves appropriately shaded, is a conspicuous example. It holds nearly H pints of wine." H, 5 in., D. 3 in,

" Wine-Cup (^Chiu Pei), fashioned in the form of a purple 1/1(1 an flower (^Magnolia consjyiciui). The bowl, with indented rim, is formed of the petals of a bursting blossom, enameled in bright colors, white inside, purple outside, springing from the green calyx ; the foot, carved in open-work relief, is a branching twig, enameled brown, ending in small leaves of shaded green." H. 2 in., D. 2i- in.

" Tazza-shaped Wine- Cup {Pa Pei), decorated in colors with grapes. Of delicate form and fabric, with a round shallow bowl slightly everted at the lip, mounted uj)on a high cylindrical stem spreading at the base. The bowl

MING DYNASTY. 211

is encircled outside with a festoon of grapes with trail- ing tendrils, 23ainted in colors upon a white ground of slightly grayish tone. The leaves are bright emerald- green; the grapes hang down like bunches of purple amethysts, drawn with the utmost delicacy. The glaze rises into faint milletlike elevations, and the decoration is in perfect taste and antique coloring, making this a choice S23ecimen of the rare productions of a famous reign, and it is of correspondingly high value. It is figured from the collection of Wang Sun-chi of Chin-sha, who says that he pui'chased it for sixty taels from the sub-prefect of Hslian-ch'eng. It is marked underneath in blue with the inscription, written in a horizontal line,. Ta Ming OK'eng liua nien chili, ^ Made in the reign of CKmg-hua of the great Mingy H. 2i in., D. 2i in.

^^ Two Small Wiyie-Ciips (Hsiao J^ei), decorated in colors with flowers and insects. Of rounded form, with slightly swelling lips, and low, circular feet, they are so thin and delicate that each cup weighs less than one- third of an ounce. They ai-e decorated outside ^vith miniature garden scenes, with the cockscomb, narcissus, aster, and grass sprouting from the green, dotted ground, the flowers, minute as flies' heads or mosquitoes' claws^ filled in with crimson, green, and yellow, and with flying dragon-flies and crawling mantis insects as minutely finished after life. The amount of work lavished upon each little cup is surprising, and they are choice speci- mens of the art work of this celebrated reign, which are well worth one hundred taels a pair. Now, indeed, it is far easier to get the money than to find such cups. I saw them at Peking at the house of Huang, General of the Imperial Guards." H. li in., D. 2 in.

" Ttvo Wine- Cups {Kang Pei), decorated in colors, one with a pair of geese swimming, the other with fighting- cocks in a garden. The cups, which are extremely thin

212 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

and delicate, with flat bottoms and slightly swelling sides, are modeled in the shape of the large porcelain bowls used for goldfisli, from wliich they take their name of lumg. The ground is a pure white, on a material as translucent as the diaphanous wing of a cicada, and they ai'e most minutely painted in colors after Nature. The geese are playing in the waves with wings erect, and water-plants occupy the intervals. The cocks are standing on each side of a tall crimson cocks- comb sprouting from a brown, grassy rockery, and small, yellow butterflies are flying in the air above. These two little cups, which are very rare and precious, have been in our family for many years." H. li in., D. 2 in.

" Miniature Oup {Hsiao Pei), molded in the form of a chrysanthemum-flower, painted in colors. The bowl, ^vhite inside, has two concentric rings of petals outside, colored yellow, which make the rim dentated; the handle is the projecting bi'own stalk of the flower, carved in open-work with a green leaf attaclied, and another shaded green leaf in the opposite side of the cup makes its lip." D. II in.

" Miniattire Cup {Hsiao Pei\ fashioned in the shape of a knotted tree-stump, painted in colors. The surface of irregularly knotted outline, terminating above in a convoluted rim, is colored brown, the interior being white ; a loo^^ projects at one end, strung with a ring, which forms the handle of the cup. This cup, like the chrysanthemum cup described above, holds only a single sif) of wine ; both are in the possession of my respected friend, Chang Yuan-lung." H. 1 in., D. 2 in.

'"'' Hong e- Box {Pen-chiJi Ho), painted in colors. A small circular box, with a cover of the same form, decorated with spiral scrolls in green, contrasting charm- ingly with the bright yellow ground. It came out of the imperial palace, where it had been used by one of

MING DYNASTY. 213

the ladies of the court to hold cosmetics for the lips and cheeks. The decoration is artistic and clearly defined, and it might be used as a casket for incense, for ground tea, for betel-nuts, or for prepared perfumes. It has been for a long time past in my own cabinet." H. | in., D. 1 in.

^'' Lotiis-Floioer Lamp (^Lien-Hua Teng)^ of elaborate form, decorated in colors. The design is that of a lotus plant, the green, cup-shaped center of the flower forming the recej)tacle for the oil, being mounted upon its stalk in the midst of the peltate leaves. Another broad folded leaf with a convoluted margin is spread out as a support at the base, and from the top of this spring two other leaves, the larger one, elevated upon a long curved stem to overhang the lamp, being balanced by a small leaf on the other side of the floral receptacle. The leaves are shaded in green tints with the veining indicated on the two surfaces ; the petals of the lotus are painted pale pink, darkening at the tips. This lamp, of an antique style far excelling the rough work of the present day, is in the possession of Chu Tz'u-pu, a physician living at Wu-sung." H. 7 in.

S tp, HuNCx-CHiH (1488-1505).

The emperor Cli^eng-hua was succeeded by his son, who reigned for eighteen years under the title of Hung- chih.

This reign is distinguished especially for its mono- chrome glaze of yellow color, which is of two shades, the one compared by the Chinese with the tint of a boiled chestnut, the other with the soft yellow of a freshly opened hibiscus-flower. Bowls and saucer-shaped dishes of this pale yellow color, w4th the mark of Hnng-ehih underneath, are not uncommon. There is a bowl of thin

214 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

fabric, 7i inches in diameter, covered inside and out with a pale yellow glaze, with a mark of this period, No. 39 of the Franks Collection, and the only specimen of this nien-lmo in Jacquemart's List is a " soucoupe emaillee jaiine jonquille " {loc. cit., p. 174).

Three pieces of monochrome yellow are figured in our album, together with one other specimen of the reign, a wine-pot decorated in green and l)i'own on a similar yellow ground, a rare example, which, as the artist sug- gests, could hardly be distinguished from a production of the preceding reign of the CTCmg-liua period.

" Small Incense- Burner (^Hsiao Ting)^ modeled in the shape of one of the sacrificial vessels used in ancient times for offering corn on the altar, made of ancient bronze. The body of oblong form, with rounded corners, is horizontally ribbed, and decorated with a band of interrupted fret engraved round the rim ; it is molded on four legs swelling at the top, and has two upright loop handles. The cover, of vaulted form, with triangular projections upon the four corners, is chiseled with a bor- der of similar fret. It is enameled with a yellow glaze of the color of a boiled chestnut. The form, known by the name of ' oak basket,' is of antique artistic beauty^ and specially suitable for burning incense upon the altar. I obtained it at Wu-men from the cell of the bonze Hu-ch'iu." H. 2 in., D. 3 in.

" Gourd-shaped Wine-Pot {Hu-lu Hu), of pale yellow ground, decorated in colors. The porcelain of the reign of Hung-cMli is celebrated for its pale yellow, but it also included some pieces decorated in colors, fit to be com- pared w^ith those of the CKeng-lma period, like this beautiful wine-pot. It is modeled in the shape of a slender gourd with a contracted waist, the brown stalk of the gourd curving upward as the handle of the small ' round cover ; a branch winds downward to form an open

MING DYNASTY. 215

convoluted handle for the wine-pot, round which ^vind tendrils in open-work relief, and from which spring branchlets and tendrils to ornament the surface with smaller gourds, green leaves, and tendrils, all worked in relief and shaded in green to contrast with the yellow ground ; a small hollow gourd of the same form and yellow tint projects upward as the spout of the ewer. It holds over a pint of wine. I acquired it from my fellow-citizen, Chu, a doctor of literature." H. 5 in.

" Teacup {CKa Pel), one of a pair, molded in the shape of a hibiscus-blossom. The l)owl of graceful floral form, \vith flaring indented rim and vertically ribbed sides, springing from a circular foot ; it is white inside, and enameled outside with a glaze of a delicate yellow tint resembling that of the petals of the bursting hibiscus flower. I have seen many specimens of Hung-cliili por- celain, but nothing to surpass these two little cups in beaut}^ of form and color. I got them from a friend in exchange for a copy of the Thousand Character Classic, written in running hand by Wen Wei-chung," H. 2| in.

" Dragon Wine- Vessel (^Fan ChHu Yu), modeled in the form of an ancient sacrificial vessel of bronze. The body of rounded form is enveloped, as it were, in the wings of two dragons, worked upon it in relief ; the two heads of the monsters are worked in salient i-elief upon the cover, and four dragons' legs form the feet of the vessel. The whole is covered with a bright monochrome glaze of a pale yellow tint, like that of the petals of the hibiscus flower, without spot or flaw, making it a choice example of the period. I saw it in the collection of the histori- ographer Chou, of the province of Shansi." II. 4 in.

216 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

iE @, ClltNG-T^ (1506-21).

The mark of this emperoi", son of the preceding, who reigned under the title of Chmg-te, is not so very rare in collections, although the porcelain of the period is hardly distinguished for any special excellence in either material or decoration. In the beo-innino; of the reign one of the eunuchs of the palace was dispatched to Ching-te-chen to superintend the fabrication of porcelain for the court, and he is recorded to have rebuilt the imperial manufactory called Yii-ch'i-ch'ang, which has continued to furnish the annual supplies, with occasional brief intermissions, ever since. The work remained in the hands of the eunuchs during the whole of this reign, in spite of constant com- plaints of their cupidity and oppression both from the officials and from the potters, and it was not till the first year of the next reign that this regime was abolished.

The supply of cobalt-blue from Avestern Asia had failed since the reign of Hsuan-te^ when it had been brought by Chinese ships which went as far west as the coast of Africa; in the reign of Clieng-te, as Ave learn from the Sliili tvu ha7i cTiii, it came again by a new route, under the name of Hui cli'ina. or " Mohammedan blue," which " a high eunuch, while acting as governor of the province of Yunnan, obtained from foreign coun- tries; it was melted with stone to make imitation sap- phires, which were valued at twice their weight in gold ; and when it was found that it could be fired, it was used in the decoration of poi'celain, the color of which sur- passed the old." Such intei'course is confirmed by an interesting case in the Oriental department of the British Museum, filled with Chinese bronzes with Arabic scrolls collected by the learned curator, most of them inscribed with marks of this reign, mixed with several specimens

MrNG DYNASTY. 21 7

of blue and white porcelain with similar Arabic inscrip- tions, which must have been painted in China at the same time. I will quote the description of one of these pieces, which is numbered No. 147a in the Franks Catalogue :

"■Ink Apparatus. Chinese porcelain, painted in blue. It consists of an oblong slab for rubbing Indian ink, with a hole at one end for water ; over this fits a loose cover, the top of which is decorated with one square and two circular compartments, containing Arabic inscrip- tions to the following purport: ^Strive for excellence in penmanship, for it is one of the keys of livelihood,' and the Persian word ' Writing-case.' The spaces are filled with foiTnal scrolls. Mark of the period, Ching-tih, 1506-1522. L. 91 in., AV. 5^ in. It was recently obtained in Peking, and was therefoi'e probably originally made for a Chinese Mohammedan, not for exportation."

In addition to blue and white, we have monochrome pieces of this reign enameled yellow, and others decorated in colors, applied sometimes over the white glaze, but usually sur biscuit. When over the glaze, they may be used in combination with cobalt-blue and €opper-red applied previously under the glaze. A favorite decoration of the time is that of the five-clawed imperial dragon, with the details engraved in the paste and filled in with green, in the midst of scrolled clouds or imbricated waves. The green dragons are sometimes relieved by a yellow ground, as in the vase marked Cheng te nien chih^ " Made in the reign of Clieng-te^'' described by Jacquemart {loc. cit, p. 175) in these words :

"Vase de forme basse k fond jaune sur biscuit, avec le dragon imperial grave et rechampi en vert. Coll. de Mrae. Malinet."

The Vase shown in Fig. 162 is decorated in this style.

218 OKLENTAL CEKAMIC AKT.

and marked also with the seal-mark Cheng te nien chihy incised underneath in archaic characters under the glaze, but it appears to be a production of the beginning of the eighteenth century. It is decorated on the front and back with flowers and butterflies engraved in the paste, and inlaid with green and white enamels, relieved by a purplish-brown ground with brilliant iridescent tints.

This is the most recent reign represented in our Chinese manuscript album, and it is illustrated by two pieces, both of them invested with a monochrome yellow glaze of orange tint.

^^ Lihation Cup {Glimli)^ modeled in the form of an ancient sacrificial wine-cup of bronze, with a plain rounded bowl, encircled by a band of three rings in slight relief passing round within the loop of the strap handle, mounted upon three pointed feet, and with two knobs projecting upward at the base of the wide lip. It is enameled \vith a rich yellow glaze of the tint of a boiled chestnut, rising in faint elevations like the skin of a plucked fowl. It is a choice example of the porcelain of Cheng-te on account of the antique beauty of its form and the artistic simplicity of its coloi'ing." H, 5i in.

"■ Pltmiiix and Tortoise-supj^orted Lamp (^Feng Kuei Teng), modeled after an ancient bronze design. The receptacle for the oil, a round pan witji fluted sides and a projecting handle, is poised upon a ball supported on the crested head of a phceuix, which stands upright, with ^vings outspread, on the back of a tortoise. The ornamental details are engraved in the paste, and cov- ered with a monochrome glaze of the rich yellow tint of a boiled chestnut."

The other pieces attributed to this reign are two teapots of colored stoneware, or teiTa cotta, from the potteries of Yi-hsing-hsien, in the prefecture of Chang- chou, in the province of Kiangsu. These are situated

MING DYNASTY. 219

not far from Shanghai, a few miles up the river, near the western shores of the T'ai-wu Lake, and are well known in the present day for their production of the red "boccaro" ware, which is preferred to porcelain by the Chinese for the infusion of tea. The teapots figured in the album are both unglazed, of the natural color of the fired paste, one being fawn-colored, the other brick-red, and both of them are endowed with the curious property of changing to green when they have tea inside.

They are included here as instances of yao-pien^ or ^' furnace transmutation." The Chinese have a taste for the marvelous, and describe several kinds of yao-pien^ produced by the creative power of the fire. One of the old poets relates how music once 23i"oceeded spontane- ously from a pair of vases during a banquet ; a modern collector boasts that a bowl of Sung ]3orcelain of his would keep meat or water fresh for an indefinite time. An ofiH.cial, again, gravely reports to the emperor how a whole firing of porcelain slabs for which he was respon- sible had been transformed in the kiln into beds and boats with all the furniture complete, and how the potters in their fright had destroyed them. Sometimes a vase would appear with a stain on its surface of differ- ent color from that of the ground, and this Avould take the outline of a dragon, a bird, or a butterfly. The above transmutations are all ascribed to miraculous ao"encv. The last kind of '' furnace transmutation" ascribed, on the other hand, to human ingenuity, is where the materials of the glaze have been purposely combined to produce the wonderful play of brilliant colors peculiar to the well-known flamhe glaze, with its flashing streaks of crimson and blue, mingling into every intermediate shade of purple. Here is the description of the artist :

^''Teapot {CKa Hii), of Ming dynasty, Yi-hsing yao-

220 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

pien or ' furnace-transmutation ' ware, made by Kung Ch'un. The potteries of Yi-hsing date from our own sacred dynasty in the reign of Clieng-te, when a cele- brated potter lived there named Kung Ch'un, a native of Yi-hsino", who made utensils of earthen^val•e for drinkinp- tea, which were often fortuitously transmuted in the kiln like this teapot. Its original color, a grayish brown like that of felt, changes to a bright green when tea is put in, and graduall}^ returns to its proper color, line by line, as the tea is poured out. This is only a curious accidental peculiarity, and yet modern virtuosos prize it most highly. Both this and the following brick-red teapot were made l>y Kung. I saw them both in the capital, in the palace of one of the princes, who had bought them from Chang, a high official of Nanking, for 500 taels. This one is a plain teapot of hexagonal section, with an angular spout and a broad, overarching handle, about 4i inches high."

" Teapot (^Clihi Hii), of Ming dynasty, Yi-hsing yax)- pien ware, made by Kung Ch'un. Of slender oval form, with a foliated handle and a curved spout. The color of the paste, a vermilion red, changes to bright green like the preceding, so as to show the height of the tea inside. This is a wonderful example of the miraculous power of heaven and earth, a lusus naturce that I could not have credited had I not seen it with my own eyes." H. 5 in.

^ ]8^, Chia-ching (1522-66).

The last emperor was succeeded by his cousin, another grandson of the Emperor ClCeng-liua, and his reign is almost as celebrated for its porcelain as that of his grandfather. He reigned for forty -five years under the title of Chia-cliing. In the beginning of his reign the

MING DYNASTY. 221

appointment of eunuchs as superintendents was abol- ished, and the assistant prefects of the circuit were ordered to officiate in annual rotation as directors of the imperial manufactory, and to provide the funds for the work. This last was no mean task, as it is recorded that in the twenty-fifth year (1546) 120,000 taels of silver were levied from the province as a yearly subsidy, in addition to the provisions for the workmen ; and that in 1554 this sum was increased by 20,000 taels, in addition to which the -private potters were required to undertake the supply of the largest fish-bowls, and were heavily taxed besides. In 1565 one of the subprefects of Jao- chou-fu was ordered to reside permanently at Ching-te- chen as director; but this change did not succeed, and early in the next reign the old plan of annual rotation was reverted to.

The supply of Mohammedan blue ^vhich was imported by the Yunnan route in the preceding reign continued to arrive, and this I'eign is especially celebrated for the brilliance of its blue decoration ; ij: was preferredtobe very dark in color, in which it differs from the porcelain of Jdsiian-te, the other reign famous for its blue and white, the blue of which is usually pale in tone. The best blue of the period was prepared by mixing one pai't of calcined sliih-tzii ch^ing, or " stone blue," the native cobaltiferous ore of manganese, with ten parts of imported blue, as the latter had a tendency to " run " if used alone. A mixture in the same proportions was also employed, suspended in water, to produce the beautiful mottled blue gi'ound for which this reign is also remark- able; the thin puree of blue, Inui-slnii cJi'lng, as it was called, being spread with a brush on the paste, so as to fill in the interstices of the penciled decoration, which was either reserved in white, or subsequently filled in with canary yellow or coral red. Sometimes the decora-

222 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

tioii was penciled over tlie mottled blue ground with strokes of stronger blue.

Decoration in otber colors also occurs, but not to the same extent as in tlie subsequent i-eign of Wan-li. The colored glazes in the reign of Chia-cliing were used either as monochromes, including a turquoise-blue derived from copper, in addition to the dark and sky- blue grounds derived from cobalt, the yellow, the brown, and the red ; or to form colored grounds to relieve the blue decoration. The monochromes are either plain, or sj^read over designs previously incised in the paste. The blue paintings are relieved either by red, brown, or yellow ; occasionally ornamental designs reserved in the blue mottled ground were colored red or yellow, form- ing an attractive variety. The ai't of decoration in copper-red seems to have altogether declined, owing to the substitution of a coral-red glaze derived from iron, prepared by tlie roasting of ciystals of iron sulphate, which was much less expensive and more easily fired. The officials memorialized the emperor to be allowed to use this even for the sacrificial vessels required for the altar of tte Temple of Heaven.

The white " altar cups " made for the emperor to use on Taoist altars, and inscribed Avith the name of the offerings they were filled ^vith, were called by the same name, fan clian, as the exquisite " altar cups " of the older reign of Hsuan-te, but they were slightly yellowish in tinge and less delicate in finish, because the suj)ply of the best porcelain earth from the Ma-ts'ang Hills was already beginning to fail. These white cups are described in the Po wu yao Ian as resembling jade in appearance, and as having the characters clfa, " tea," chhi, " wine," ts^ao fang, "jujube decoction," and cJiiang fang, "ginger decoction," etched inside under the glaze. The same book refers to the decoration of all kinds of porcelain

MING DYNASTY. 223

objects ill blue and in colors of this reign, and selects as gems tlie shallow wiue-ciips ^vith foliated rims, loaf -shaped bottoms, and circularly rimmed feet decorated outside in colors with three fishes, and the tiny round rouge-boxes DO larger than " cash " delicately painted in blue.

Some of the pieces of porcelain produced in this reign are remarkable for their large size. A vender of sweet- meats has for years plied his trade in the eastern gate- way of the imperial palace at Peking with his honey preserves piled up iu t\vo immense round dishes over three feet in diameter. They are decorated with five- clawed imperial dragons disporting in clouds, boldly painted in dark underglaze blue, displayed upon an enameled ground of mottled canary yellow, and are " marked " near the upper I'im, Ta Ming Chia ching liu nien cliih, "Made in the sixth year (1527) of the reign of Chia-ching of the great Mingy He regards them as an heirloom on ^vhicli his luck depends, and has refused the most tempting offers, declaring that nothing shall induce him to part with them.

The designs used in the decoration of the imperial porcelain are found in a long list in the Fou-liang-lmen Cliili, which gives all the annual indents from the eighth year, the previous records having, according to these official annals, been burned. The list is interesting, but too long for insertion here, and we will only extract the indents of the two years referred to above, which cor- respond to 1546 and 1554 a. d.

1. Foe the Twenty-fifth Year of Chia-ching (a. d. 1546).

Large Fish-JBowls {Kang^^ 300, decorated with a pair of dragons enveloped in clouds, painted in blue on a white ground, or reserved in white upon blue.

224 OEIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Jars fitted with Covers {Kuan yu Kai), 1,000, of blue ground with sprays of couveritioual paradise flowers {^pa^o hsiang hua^ and arabesque designs (Jiui-hui liud).

Bowls ( Wan), 22,000, blue inside and out, decorated witli dragons coiling through flowers.

Banquet Boiols {Sliaii Wan), 11,500, of larger size, of blue ground, decorated inside \vith scepter-framed medal- lions inclosing phoenixes in pairs ; outside, with phoenixes flying through flowers.

Hound Dishes (B^an), 31,000, painted inside in blue on a white ground, with sea-waves and dragons in the midst of clouds, and outside with nine dragons.

Saucer Blates (Tleh), 16,000, painted inside and outside in blue on a white ground, with a pair of di'agons in the midst of clouds.

Teacups {CliJa Chung), 3,000, painted in blue and white, decorated outside with dragon medallions and water caltrops {Tntpa hicornis) ; inside with dragons and clouds reserved on a blue ground.

Wme-Cups (Chill Chart), 18,400, painted in blue and white, decorated outside with a pair of di'agons in clouds ; inside, with dragons and clouds reserved on a blue ground.

2. For the Thirty-third Year of Chia-ching (a. d. 1554).

Bowls ( Wan^, 26,350, with a blue ground, decorated with a pair of dragons in clouds.

Blates {Tielb), 30,500, of the same design.

Wine-Cups {Chan), 6,900, white inside, blue outside, with the typical flowers of the four seasons.

Large Fish Bowls ( Yii Kang), 680, decorated with blue flowers on a white ground.

MING DYNASTY. 225

Teacups {Oti)^ 9,000, with foliated rims, of greenish white (cTi'mg pai) or celadon porcelain.

Bowls ( lVa?i), 10,200, decoi-ated outside with lotus flowers, fish, and water plants, painted in blue on a white ground ; inside, upon a blue ground, with dragons and phoenixes passing through flowers, and with a band of drao-ons and flowers round the rim.

Teaciqjs {Oti), 19,800, of the same pattern.

Libation Gups (^Clmeli), 600, with hill-shaped saucers {shan-p'ari) to support the three feet, of blue color, decorated with sea-^vaves and a pair of dragons in clouds. Wine Pots or Ewers (Hii), 6,000, of white porcelain.

The list of Chi Cli'i or " sacrificial vessels " enumerated in the same book on one of the other occasions compi'ises ten Mao Hsileh P''an^ " Dishes for the hair and blood " of sacrificial victims ; forty Tieh, " Platters " ; four Tai Keng Wan, " Bowds for plain broth " ; ten Ho Kerig Wan, " Bowls for savory broth " ; one hundred Chiu Chung, "Wine-Cups"; twenty-three Chileh, "Libation cups of tripod form " ; eighty Pien Tou P''an, " Tazza- shaped Bowls and Dishes " for offerings of bread, fruit,, etc. ; six T''ai Tsiin, " Large Wine-Jars " with swelling body and two mask handles of monsters' heads; six Hsi Tsun, " Rhinoceros Jars," modeled in the form of a rhinoceros carrying on its back a vase w ith cover ; two Ohu Tsun, like tall cylindrical cups; and ionv Shan Leiy " Hill and Thunder " cups, so called from the scrolled designs engraved upon them. These ritual forms, which are still in use at the present day, are all figured in book XXV of the Plustrations of the Institutes of the Peign- ing Dynasty (^Ta dicing Ilui Tien T^ou). They are enameled of different colors, according to the temple for which they are made : Blue for the Altar of Heaven and for the Temple of the Land and Gi-ain ; yellow for the Altar of Earth, for the worship of the god of agriculture

226 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

and of tlie goddess of silk ; red for the Altar of the Sun ; aud ivJiite for the Altar of Jupiter, the '^ year star " of the Chinese.

In the year 1544 we find the enormous order of 1,340 sets of table services, cho cWi^ each consisting of twenty- seven pieces, comprising five huo tieh, " fruit dishes," five ts'ai tieh, "food dishes," five wan, " bowls," five yuii tieh, " vegetable dishes," three ch^a chung, " tea-cups," one chiu ohan, " wine-cup," one chiu tieh, " wine-saucer," one cha ton, " sloj) receptacle," and one ts\i chui, " vinegar cruse or ewer." Of these services, 380 sets were painted in blue, with a pair of dragons surrounded by clouds; 160 were enameled white, with dragons engraved in the paste underneath ; 160 were of monochrome brown of thu fonct-laque or "dead-leaf" tint (tzii chin)', 160 of monochrome turquoise-blue {t^m cliUng se) ; 160 of coral or iron-red (fan hung), " instead of bright copper-red (hsien hung) ''"' ; and 160 were enameled brilliant green (ts'ui la).

The designs of the decorated porcelain of this time are said to have been principally derived from ancient embroidery and brocaded silks. They are conveniently described in the Ta'o Shuo, in a list which we extract, under the following six headings :

1. Painted in Blue on a White Ground.

2. Blue Porcelain.

3. White Inside, Blue Outside.

4. White Porcelain.

5. Brown Porcelain.

6. Mixed Colors.

MING DYNASTY. 227

1. Painted in Blue on a White Ground.

Bowls ( Wan), decorated with dragons pursuing jewels, and outside with weighing-scales and playing children.

Bowls with the ground, inside and out, filled with graceful beauties.*

Boids with medallions framed by bamboo leaves and the sacred funociis, containing drao;ons in clouds and dragons and phcenixes passing through flowers.

Bowls decorated outside with dragons emerging from sea- waves, holding up the eight mystical trigrams; inside, with the three alchemists (i. e., Confucius, Lao- Tzii, and Buddha) compounding the elixir vitm.

Bowls decorated outside ^vith dragons and with phcenixes and other birds ; inside with dragons in the midst of clouds.

Bowls decorated outside with four fish — the mackerel, carp, marbled perch, and another; inside, with birds fly- ing in the midst of clouds.

Wine-Cups {Clian), decorated outside with celestial flowers supporting the characters Shou shan fu lial, " Old as the hills, rich as the sea ! " inside, with two Taoist genii.

Wine-Cups {Cliiu Cliari), \s\\X\ a pair of dragons among clouds outside, and dragons and clouds upon a blue ground inside.

Wine-Cups with dragons among clouds outside, and soaring dragons inside.

Wine-Cups with dragons of archaic design outside, and storks flying through clouds inside.

* Referring, perhaps, to the slender, graceful flgures of Chinese damsels called Lange Lysen by the old Dutch collectors, corrupted to "Long Elizas" in the auction catalogues of to-day.

228 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Wine-Gups with a pair of dragous painted outside, a pair of pluenixes inside.

Teacups (Ou), decorated outside with playing boys and the typical flowers of the four seasons ; * inside, with dragons emerging from water into the clouds, and with flowering plants.

leaeups (^Ou)^ decorated outside with dragons emerg- ing from water ; inside, with lions.

Teacups {()n)^ with emblems of tbe six cardinal points of the universe outside ; soaring dragons inside.

Gups (^Gliung)^ decorated with flowers and with the inscription Fn sliou Fang ning, " Happiness, long life, health, and peace ! "

Teacups {^GJCa Ghung), decorated inside and out with the myriad-flowering wistaria ; and outside also with dragons gras^^ing jewels in their claws.

Gup)s {Ghung), with playing boys outside ; dragons among clouds inside.

Teamips {GKa Ghung), decoi-ated outside with dragon medallions and water caltrops ; inside, with dragons and clouds reserved on a blue ground.

Gups (^Gliung), with clouds and dragons outside, floi-al medallions inside.

Wine Vases (Ghiu T^un), beaker-shaped, decorated with the flr, bamboo, and plum.

Saiicei'-sliaped Dishes {TieJi), filled inside and out with bevies of graceful beauties.

Dislies (^Tieli), with cranes, inside and out, flying through clouds.

Dishes {Tieli)^ decorated outside with dragons envel- oped in Indian lotus flowers ; inside, with phoenixes flying through floAvers.

* The tree peony of spring, the lotus of summer, the chrysanthemum of autumn, and the plum of winter.

MING DYNASTY. 229

Dishes {Tieli)^ decorated outside with fruit-bearing lotus j)lants ; inside, witli medallions of flowers.

Dishes {TieJi)^ with the same decoration outside; dragons and phoenixes inside.

Dishes {Tieli), with phoenixes flying through flowers outside; sporting dragons, both ascending and descend- ing, inside.

Jars {Kuaii)^ with covers, decorated with a set of eight precious symbols supported upon branching scrolls of the sacred funo-us.

Jars {KiLWii)^ ^\dth the eight Taoist immortals cross- ing the sea.

Jars (Kuaii), decorated with Pao-lao Revels — Pro- cessions of children in masquerade costume at the new year.

Jars (^Ki(aii)^ decorated with peacocks and moutan peonies.

Jars (Ktiaii), decorated Avith lions sporting with embroidered balls.

Jars (Kuari), ^vith a set of eight precious symbols supported upon interlacing sprays of conventional flowers of paradise.

Jars (ICuan), decorated with graceful beauties, and with difll:'erent kinds of fish feeding upon water-weeds.

Jars (^Kuaii), decorated with the eight famous hoi'ses — the chai'iot team of the ancient sovereign Mil- Wang of the Chou dynasty.

Jars (Kuan), decorated with mountain landscapes of the province of Ssti-ch'uan, "with waterfalls and flying lions.

Jars (Kuari), with the eight mystic trigrams sup- ported by waves and flames of fire.

Octagonal Jars (^Pa-pien Kuaii), with a picture of the sea and flying dragons on each of the eight sides.

Yases {P'^incj), bottle-shaped, decorated with hoary lions and dra2:ons.

230 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Vases (PHng), decorated with scrolls of the sacred fungus and the floral emblems of the four seasons.

Large Round Dishes {P''an), decorated outside with floral emblems of the four seasons ; inside, with a land- scape containing three rams {San ya/ng Vai tai), types of the revivifying power of spring.

Dishes {P''aTi), decorated outside with nine dragons and flowers; inside, with dragons mounting from the sea into the clouds.

Dishes {P''a7i), decorated Avith ocean views containing flying lions and with dragons upholding the two char- acters fu shou, " hap})iness and long life."

Dishes (P\m\ decorated outside with four Taoist divinities ; inside, with cranes flying through clouds.

Dishes {P''a')i), painted outside with clouds and dragons; inside, with the band of eight Taoist im- mortals worshiping Shoti Lao, the god of longevity.

JPrwit Boxes {Kuo Ho), of circular form ^vith rounded covers, decorated with dragons and cranes in the midst of clouds.

Boxes decorated with hoary lions and dragons on a blue ground.

Boxes (LIo), painted with dragons and phoenixes and a group of Taoist immortals displaying longevity characters.

Large Bowls {Kang), for keeping goldfish, decorated with a pair of dragons enveloped in clouds.

Fish-Bowls {Kang), painted inside with di'agons and clouds.

Tall Jars {TUiii), for wine, of ovoid form, with a slender base swelling upward to a rounded shoulder, and a rim cover fitting over the small mouth, decorated with the eight precious symbols (^'pa pao) and the eight Buddhist emblems of good augury (^pa chi-hsiang), sup- ported by interlacing sjDrays of lotus, with a pair of scales and playing children.

MING DYNASTY. 231

Tall Whu-Jcvrs {T\iii), decorated with the hundred different forms of the character sliou^ "■ longevity," sup- ported by interlacing sprays of lotus.

Double Gourds (JIu lu), painted with different designs. Ten thousands vases of this characteristic shape, with contracted waist, are recorded to have been decorated in the year 1547.

Bitual Bricks {Pa Cliuan). These were inlaid in the floor of the audience hall or of a temple, to mark the proper place for the worshiper to prostrate himself.

Wine Seas (OJiiu Hai),^ decorated with different designs.

2. Blue Porcelain.

Boiols ( Wart), enameled dark blue. Bowls of sky- blue color and Bowls of turquoise blue.

Dinner Boicls (^Shan Wan^, decorated outside with a pair of phoenixes flying through flowers ; inside, upon a blue ground, with scepter-framed medallions inclosing phcenixes in pairs.

Wine-Cups (^Ohiu Chan), enameled dark blue.

Tazza Cups {Pa Chung), enameled dark blue.

Teacitps {On), decorated outside Avith lotus flowers, fishes, and water-weeds ; inside, upon a blue ground, with dragons aud phcenixes enveloped in flowers, and with a floral band interrupted by dragons round the rim.

Teacups {CKa Chimg), enameled dark blue.

Saucer Plates {Tieli), enameled dark blue. Plates of sky-blue and Plates of turquoise blue.

Plates {Tieh), with phcenixes aud cranes engraved in the paste under the blue glaze.

(Tars {Kuaii), decorated with interlacing sprays of flowers of paradise {pao-lisiang hua) aud with arabesques {Hui-hd hua).

* The form of these is uuknown ; perhaps they were like our punch-bowls.

232 ORIENTAL CEKAMIC ART.

Jars (JKiMii)^ with clragous engraved in the paste under the blue glaze.

Large Dishes (P'a/i), blue inside and out, with the interior decorated with sea-waves and dragons, the ex- terior with a ground of cloud scrolls, displaying either three gilded lions or three gilded dragons. One hundred of these were painted in the year 1552, together \vith one hundred and eighty .of the tripod libation-cups (chueJi), with saucers, all decorated in the, same ornate style.

Fish-JBowIs {Kang), with a blue ground decoi'ated with a pair of dragons, and clouds.

Fish Bowls decorated outside with a pair of dragons in clouds and scrolls of fairy flowers upon a blue ground.

Fish Bowls of plain dark-blue monochrome glaze pre- pared from first-class cobalt.

Tall Jars {Fan), of ovoid form, for wine, decorated with a pair of dragons in the midst of clouds, enveloped in flowers.

Bricks (Cliuaii), of dark-blue porcelain.

3. White Inside, Blue Outside.

Bowls ( Wan), decorated outside with a pair of dragons in the midst of clouds.

Wine-Giq)s (^Chari), with a pair of dragons in clouds and with birds flying.

Wine-Oups {Cha/ri), decorated with the floral emblems of the four seasons.

4. White Porcelain.

Boivls ( Wan), with crested sea- waves engraved under the white glaze.

Wine- Cups {Chiu Chart) and Libation- Cups {ChiXeh

MING DYNASTY. 233

Ohaii), witli phoenixes and cranes engraved under the

the glaze.

. Teacups {ClCa Ou), with oval foliated rims.

Teacups {Cli\i CJnmg^, with dragons engraved under the white glaze.

Wme-Cu])s {Chin Chvng), enhnieled pure white (fmi pal).

Wine- Elvers (Ch/'u Hu), Vases (P^ing), Jars (J^uan), and Dishes {Pkin) of pure white.

Tall Ovoid Jars (T''a7i) Avith crested sea- waves in- •cised under the ^vhite glaze.

5. Browx Porcelain.

Bowls ( Waii)^ enameled of " brown gold " (tzu chin) color, with dragons engraved in the paste.

Bowls ( Wan)^ enameled of golden 3^ellow (chin huang) color, with dragons engraved in the paste.

Saucer-shaped Plates {Tieh), of "Ijrown gold" color, with incised dragons under the glaze.

Plates {Tieli)^ of golden yellow color, with dragons incised under the glaze.

6. Mixed Colors.

Boivls ( Wan) and Plates (^Tieh), enameled coral red with iron oxide (fan hung) ; substituted for the bright red (hsien hung) derived from copper.

Bowls ( Wan) and Plates {Tieli)^ enameled of emerald- green color its' ui III se).

Bowls ( Wan), decorated in yellow with phoenixes fly- ing through fairy flowers displayed upon a blue ground.

Teacups (Ou), painted in blue with dragons and clouds, inclosed in a yellow ground.

Wine-Cups (Chan) and Bibation-Ciq^s (Chiieh), dec-

234 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

orated in yellow \\ith phoenixes flying through fairy flowers, displayed upon a blue ground.

Boxes (^Hd), enameled yellow with dragons and phoe- nixes engraved under the glaze.

Large Dishes {P\m) and Saucer-shaped Plates {Tieli)^ painted in yellow with a pair of dragons and clouds reserved in a ground enameled of " brown gold " color {tzH-eldii).

Jars {Kiiaii) of crackled ware {s\d di'i), of which there is only one entry, in 1542, when three hundred were made. - -^

Teacups (Ou), with foliated-oiims of greenish-white or celadon porcelain (ch''ing pai tz^u), of which nine thou- sand were provided in the year 1554.

Large Fish-Boivls ( Yil Juing), enameled pea-green (tou cli'ing^.

Glohnlar Bowls {Bo) of the shape of the Buddhist patra, or alms-bowl, with embossed designs under the plain glaze.

PS iR> LujsrG-cii'iisrG, 1567-72.

The son of the last emperor, who succeeded him, reigned under the title of Lung-ch''ing, and died after a short reign of six years. The porcelain made at Ching- te-chen during this period is usually described, together with that of the next reign of Wan-li, under the com- bined heading of " Porcelain of Limg and Wan^ It resembled, on the other hand, the ceramic productions of Chia-ching, especially in the dark color of its cobalt- blue decoration. The emperor was devoted to the pleas- ures of the seraglio, and his libertine temperament is reflected in the decoration of the porcelain, which is notorious for its erotic character, while the government of

MIXG DYNASTY. 235

the country gradually fell into the hands of the eunuchs of the palace.

In the fifth year of this reign (1571) Hsii Shih, the President of the Censorate, presented a memorial to the emperor, remonstrating with him upon the enormous amount required by the eunuch in charge of the imperial household, who had stated that the supply of the dift'er- ent kinds of porcelain had run short, and required no less than 105,770 table serv^ices, pairs, and single pieces, to be furnished within eight months, including bowls, wine- cups, and teacups enameled inside and out of brilliant <3opper-red, as well as a quantity of the largest fish-bowls and square boxes. The memorialist stated that the art of firing the expensive copper-red had been lost ; that large fish-bowls, with such broad bottoms and bulging sides as were drawn in the patterns, could hardly be fired unbroken ; that the designs of those to be decorated in the " five colors " were too elaborate to be successfully produced ; and that the square boxes in three tiers were a novelty of most difficult fabrication. He prayed, there- fore, that fail hung or "iron red " might be used instead of the liskn hung or " copper red," and that the rest of the things referred to might be reduced to one or two tenths of the amount required by the eunuchs. More- over, that because of the devastation of the potteries by fiood and fire, and the flight of hundreds of the workmen, he recommended that instead of such a large total install- ment of fifteen thousand pieces being required at monthly intervals, the word " monthly " should be altered to ^' yearly," or even that the quantity should be required at intervals of two years.

The lists of the things supplied in this reign, accord- insj to the official statistics in the annals of the citv of Fou-liang-hsien (Fou-Iiang-hsien CJu'h), include:

Table Services {Clio Clii), decorated in blue on a

236 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

white gi'onnd ^vitll a pair of dragous among clouds, \\ith phoenixes flying through vermilion flowers, with a Joy- ous meeting (symbolized by magpies), with pheasants of different kinds, with sprays of chrysanthemum blossoms, with interlacing scrolls of [)aradise flowers, with the sacred fungus, and with grapes.

Boioh ( IVan), painted outside in blue, with dragons and phcenixes upon a floral ground ; in the " Ave colors,'^ with a bevy of beauties and with sprays of cut flowers ; inside in blue, with medallions of dragons and phoenixes, with the pine, bamboo, and [)ium, with iris flo^vers or flags.

Hound Dishes (P''an), decorated in blue and white outside, with pairs of dragons and phoenixes surrounded by clouds, with nine dragons and sea-waves, with inter- lacing scrolls of paradise flowers; inside with dramatic scenes, with groups of the sacred fungus, with the emblematic flowers of the four seasons.

Saucer-sliafped Plates {Tieli)^ decorated in blue and Avhite outside, with pairs of dragons and phoenixes in clouds, with bamboo shrubs and the sacred fungus, with dragons and clouds amid sprays of flowers, with the pine,, bamboo, and plum ; inside with medallions inclosing dragons, and with the emblematic flowers of the four seasons.

Wine-Cups (^Ohung), decorated in blue and white out- side, with a pair of dragons in clouds, with fu-jung (^Hibiscus mutahilis) flowers, with magpies typical of a joyous meeting, with interlacing bands of exotic pome- granates and arabesques ; inside with pheasants flying through flowers, with blue pied ducks and lotus flowers^ with dramatic scenes, with lions, with historical subjects, with a pair of weighing scales ; and others enameled monochrome yellow, with dragons etched in the paste under the glaze.

MINa DYNASTY. 237

Teacups iOii)^ decorated in blue and white ; outside, with dragons and phoenixes surrounded by flowers, with the eight Buddhist emblems of happy augury, M'ith five dragons and lightly penciled sea-waves, with the typical flowers of the four seasons emblazoned with the four characters ClCien Vuii cIlUiuj fal — i. e. " May heaven and earth be fair and fruitful ! " — ^vith the eight Taoist immortals worshiping the god of longevity, with the sacred lotus of India ; inside, with flying fishes, with nine dragons, painted red, in the midst of blue sea-waves and fishes, with the pine, bamboo, and plum, with di-ag- ons and phrenixes in the midst of a floral ground.

'Tars with Covers {Knan)^ decorated in blue and white, with a pair of dragons coiling through clouds, with phoenixes flying through flowers, with lions sporting with embroidered balls, with interlacing scrolls of raoutan peonies ; decorated, on a blue ground, with flowers and fruit and with birds of various kinds reserved in white ; painted in " five colors " with dragons in the midst of clouds, with fairy flowers of paradise, with flowering plants and butterflies or other insects.

Vases {P'iiKj), decorated in blue and white, with dragons and phoenixes enveloped in flowers, with playing boys carrying branches of flowers in their hands,"*" with jasmine flowers, with ai'abesques and fairy flowers of paradise.

Wine-Cups {Chan), decorated outside in blue and white, with soaring dragons and with the sacred fungus, in "five colors," with curved waves and plum flowers;

* This is the decoration penciled in blue upon the melon-shaped body of the wine-pot with the Elizabethan silver mounting bearing the hall-mark of 1585, which was referred to in my introductory chapter as being in the South Ken- sington Museum. Four pieces of Chinese blue and white porcelain in silver- gilt mounts are described in the Catalogue of the Burlington Fine Arts Club, referred to above, from the Burghley House Collection, said to have been in the possession of the Cecil family since the days of Queen Elizabeth.

238 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

inside, with dragons in tlie midst of clouds, with althaea flowers, with the pine, bamboo, and plum; and others enameled white, with dragons and clouds etched in the paste under the glaze.

£asins (i^'e/z), decorated outside in blue and white, with dragons and clouds, in " five colors," with bevies of beauties, with familiar or with dramatic scenes, with his- torical subjects, with lotus flowers and dragons ; inside with dragons and clouds, with scrolled waves and plum blossoms.

Censers {Hsiang Lu), for burning incense, decorated, in blue and white, with a pair of dragons in clouds, with arabesques of flowers and fruit, with birds of various kinds, with nine dragons and lightly penciled sea-waves, with lotus flowers ; decorated in red and white, with a pair of dragons and clouds, with interlacing sprays of fairy flowers of paradise.

Incense Boxes {Hsiang Ho), decorated, in blue and white, Avith a pair of dragons soaring into the clouds, with the pine, bamboo, and plum, \\\\\\ separate sprays of chrysanthemum flowers.

Slop Receptacles {Cha Tou),oi square form, decorated, in blue and white, with a pair of dragons in clouds, with phoenixes and flowers, wdth sea-Avaves and sea-monsters, with lions sporting with embroidered ])alls, with joyous magpies on a floral ground, with pheasants.

Vinegar Eivers (Ts^u T^i), decorated, in blue and Avhite, with pairs of dragons and phwuixes in the midst of clouds, with flowering plants and quadrupeds, with pheasants flying thi'ough flowers, with lions playing with embroidered balls, with single sprays of the typical flowers of the four seasons.

Tall Wine-Jars {T''an), of ovoid form, decorated, in blue and white, with pairs of dragons and phoenixes in the midst of clouds, with outdoor scenes containing wild

MING DYNASTY. 239

animals, witli flying fishes, with the typical flowers of the four seasons, with the eight Buddhist emblems of happy augury ; Jars with gilded decorations of peacocks and tree-peonies. All these have covers with the figure of a lion molded upon them.

H S Wan-li (1573-1619).

The emperor who reigned for forty-seven years under the title of Wan-li was the sou of the last. The manu- facture of porcelain increased to a remarkable extent dur- ing his long reign, and the Chinese declare that thei'e was nothiuo; that could not be made of it. It was stimulated by the large orders for export to foreign countries, which came from Eui"ope as well as fi'om western Asia. The Emperor Wan-li is said to have sent a present of large blue and white vases to Jeliangir^ the Mogul Emperor of India, which were kept in the palace at Agra until it was sacked by the Mahrattas in 1771. Blue and white porcelain of this reign has been discovered recently in large quantities in Ceylon, as well as in Persia, and a col- lection of the famous "dragon vases," which Augustus the Strong, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, obtained, it is said, from Frederick the Great of Prussia, in exchange for a regiment of tall grenadiers, may be seen in the Johanneum at Dresden.

In the preceding reigns the decoration \^'as mainly in blue and white, with the addition occasionally of colored glazes to relieve the blue designs, or to make, on the other hand, a decoration penciled in a single color dis- played ujDon a surrounding ground of mottled blue. The rare pieces decorated in colors were inlaid, as it were, with the same colored o-lazes. It is in the rei2;n of Wan-li that we find a new process of decoration in enamel colors introduced, the colors being composed of

240 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

a vitreous blue combined witli a small proportion of dif- ferent metallic oxides, of the same composition as those emplo3^ed in enameling upon copper. These enamel colors were painted upon porcelain which had been pre- viously glazed and fired, and fixed by a second firing in the mufile stove. Tliis foi-nis tlie typical Wan-li wu tiai or " Wan-li decoration in colors." The enamel colors were often used in combination with underglaze cobalt- blue in which the outlines and part of the decoration 'had been penciled before the first firing. The application of cobalt as an overglaze color was not employed appar- ently till the reign of K\ing-lisi, as described by Pere d'Entrecolles in his valuable lettei's, and this point sup- plies a means of distinguishing the productions of the two reigns. It may be inferred confidently that any piece in \vhicli the blue has been fired as a silicate like the other enamel colors, so that it stands out in relief above the surface of the white glaze, is subsequent to the

Wan-li period. The principal objection to this mode of applying the cobalt-blue is that the color has a tendency to scale off, and this is the reason that the old method of painting it on under the glaze, even when combined with enamel colors, remains in vogue to the present day.

. The wholesale production of the reign of Wan-li is shown l:)y the abundance of porcelain of this time in the present day at Peking, where a garden of any pretension must have a large bowl or cistern for goldfish, and street hawkers may be seen with sweetmeats piled up on dishes a yard in diameter, or ladling sirup out of large bowls ; and there is hardly a butcher's shop Avithout a cracked

Wan-li jar standing on the counter to hold scraps of meat. This is the Ming T£u^ the porcelain of the Ming dynasty, par excellence^ of the Chinese, with its perfectly vitrified glaze and brilliant style of coloring, charac- teristic of the period, but of coarse paste and often

MING DYKASTY. 241

clumsy ill form, the bottom of tlie vase generally im- glazed, and the mark inscribed outside near the rim. It is very different from the porcelain which so frequently figures as Ming in European collections, and which is usually to be referred to the reign of K^ing-hsi, although often bearing a fictitious mark of the Ming dynasty.

AVe find Wang Chingmin, one of the Supervising Censors, remonstrating, in the year 1583, ^vith the em- peror upon the extravagance of the orders for the palace. He protests against the expense of the pricket candle- sticks {cku fed), the large slabs for screens {p'ing feng), and the brush-handles (^pi huan). There must of course, he says, be a suflicient provision of bowls, plates, and cups of different form for the table service of the sover- eign, and no deficiency should be permitted in the vases and dishes required for sacrificial worship ; but with regard to the other things, the apparatus for chess, with boards and jars for holding the black and white pieces, this is a mere pastime ; and even the screens and brush- handles, the ornamental vases and jars, the boxes for incense and the censers, are not of such urgent necessity. The numbers are, he declares, much too large — 20,000 boxes Qio) of different pattei'u, 4,000 vases (p^ing), and 5,000 jars (Jcvcui) with covers, of diverse shape and dec- oration, mounting up with the bowls and other things to a total of over 96,000. He, moreover, prays that the dragons, phoenixes, and other decorative designs should be all painted in plain blue, without the addition of other colors, because enameling in colors (^wu tscfi^ and openwork carving (ling-lung) were both of difficult execution and too meretricious in style. He quotes in his memorial the ancient Emperor SJiun, whose vessels are said to have been unvarnished, and the great Yic, who refused to have his sacrificial bowls of wood chis- eled, as models to be imitated. The result of this appeal

242 OKIENTAL CEEAJIIC ART.

was the lessening by one half of the number of pricket candlesticks, go-hoards, screens, and brush-handles.

The following list, taken from the same official source as that of the last reign, will give some idea of the dec- orative designs used in the imperial potteries.

1. Painted in Blue on a White Ground.

Bowls ( Wail), decorated outside witli pairs of dragons and phoenixes in the midst of clouds and lotus flowers, with interlacing sprays of Indian lotus, with fairy flowers of paradise ; inside, with a medallion of dragons in clouds and a border of dragons interrupted by the eight Bud- dhist emblems of happy augury, with crested sea-waves, and a border of propitious clouds, with fragrant plants, and with scrolled waves and plum-blossoms.

Boivls ( Wan), decorated outside with dragons in the midst of clouds, with flshes and lotus flowers, with play- ing boys, with the seal characters Fu shou Fang ning — i. e., " Happiness, longevity, wealth, and peace ! " — with ara))esques of flowers, with sea monsters, with lions sport- ing with embroidered balls ; inside, with storks flying in the clouds, with a bunch of lotus fruit, with lilies, with propitious scrolls of clouds ; and with the inscribed mark Ta Ming Wan U nien chili, " Made in the reign of Wan-li of the great Ming [dynasty]."

Bowls ( Wa)i), decorated outside with medallions of dragons in clouds, with a pair of phoenixes, with bro- caded designs and sea- waves, with Fu, Lu, and Shou, the gods of happiness, rank, and longevity, with branches of sacred fungus ; inside, with a pair of dragons holding longevity characters in their claws, with Jasmine flowers, and painted in enamel coloi's inside, ^vith phoenixes flying through the typical flowers of the four seasons.

Bowls ( Wan), decorated outside with longevity

MING DYNASTY. 243

subjects, with harvest fruits, with emblems of the mid- summer holiday — sprigs of acorns and artemisia, hung up in China on the fifth day of the fifth moon — with lotus flowers, and fishes feeding upon water-weeds ; inside, with a full-faced dragon coiled in clouds upon a blue ground at the bottom, and the pine, bamboo, and plum round the rim.

Bowls (^Wan\ decorated outside with a pair of drag- ons in the midst of clouds, with the eight Taoist im- mortals crossing the ocean, with boxes of the typical flowers of the four seasons ; inside, with a full-faced dragon with archaic longevity characters, with ju-i scepters, with hibiscus flowers, and with bamboo sprays and branches of fungus round the rim.

Dishes (P^m), decorated outside with dragons in clouds and phcenixes, in pairs, enveloped in flowers, with interlacing sprays of fairy flowers, with the pine, bam- boo, and iA\xm ; inside, with branches of the typical flowers of the four seasons, with arabesque scrolls of fruit, with ju-i scepters, with the pine, bamboo, and plum, and with bamboo sprays and branching fungus round the rim.

Dishes (D^m), decorated outside with dragons and lotus flowers, ^vith dragons and phcenixes enveloped in flowers, with the pine, bamboo, and plum, with illustra- tions of poetry, with familiar scenes, with historical sub- jects, with j)laying boys ; inside, with sci'olls of clouds, with sprays of fragrant bamboo and sacred fungus round the rim, and with dragons, clouds, and conventional flowers incised under the o-laze.

Dishes (Dkm), decorated outside Avitli medallions of archaic lizardlike dragons, with branches of sacred fun- gus, with ji(-l scepters and fairy flowers, with exotic pomegranates and fragrant flowers ; inside, with a dragon in the center holding the four chanictevs Yk ng jx(0 iv mi

244 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

shou — i. e., " Ever protecting for myriads of ages ! " ; round the border, with phoenixes and fairy flowers, the inscription Yung ])ao Itung fu clCi fien — i. e., " Ever insuring abundant happiness reaching to the heavens ! " — and with playing boys.

DisJies (P''a)i), decorated outside with interlacing sprays of lotus, with dragons and phoenixes supporting a set of <d\ght precious symbols, with flowers and fruit, with the pine, bamboo, and plum, with Sanskrit dharani or invoca- tions, with branches of the typical flowers of the four seasons ; inside, with a dragon surrounded by flowers, in the middle, and round the borders with scattered branches of the flowers of the four seasons, with familiar scenes, with historical subjects, with bamboo sprays and the sacred fungus, with longevity pictures, and with moutan peonies.

Plates {Tielh)^ decorated outside with phoenixes flying through flowers, with flowers, fruit, and birds, with floral emblems of long life, with a bevy of beauties, with wild animals among trees, with dragons and lotus leaves ; inside, with a set of eight precious symbols and antique dragons, with Sanskrit invocations supported upon fairy- flower scrolls, with dragons and phoenixes, with familiar scenes, and with historical subjects.

Plates (Tielh)^ decorated outside with interlacing branches of the tree-peony supporting eight precious symbols, with crested sea-waves, with the Indian lotus in enameled colors, with fabulous monsters, and with a group of beauties ; inside, with a pair of dragons among clouds, with dragons and j^jhoenixes worked in the paste under the glaze, with flowers of paradise, with lions sporting with embroidered balls, with the eight Buddhist emblems of happy augury, with propitiously scrolled clouds and branches of sacred fungus, with flowers and fruit.

MING DYNASTY. 245

Plates (Tieh), decorated outside witli the jasmine and interlacing s^^rays of fairy flo^\'ers, with archaic lizardlike draojons brino-ino; branches of sacred funofus ; inside, with dragons and phoenixes painted in enamel colors, encircled round the rim with the inscription JFhiju tung hai — i. e., "Rich as the eastern ocean !" — with the eight Buddhist emblems upon a brocaded ground, encircled round the border with a set of eight precious symbols borne upon scrolls of fairy flowers.

Plates (^Tieli), decorated outside with chains of bamboo s^^rays and sacred fungus, with flowers and fruit, with a set of eiglit precious symbols, with pairs of di-agons in clouds and phoenixes ; inside, with dragons in the midst of the typical flowers of the four seasons, with longevity scenes enameled in colors, with pictures of family life, with sacred peach trees ; round the rim, with grapes.

Wine-Ckips (^Chtmg), decorated outside with a pair of dragons among clouds, ^vith interlacing bands of exotic pomegranates, ^vitli lions sporting with embroidered balls ; inside, ^vith dragons among clonds sui'rounded by flowers, with propitious scrolls of clouds and a border of fragrant plants, with nine dragons painted in red in the midst of blue sea-waves, with water birds and lotus flowers enam- eled in colors, and with Buddhist invocations in Sanski-it round the sides.

Wi7ie-0ups (Chung), decorated outside with wreaths of peaches having archaic longevity characters inscribed upon the fruit, with interlacing sprays of the flowers of the four seasons, with Sanskrit Buddhist invocations ; inside, wdth storks flying in clouds, M'ith jewels emitting effulgent rays, pursued by a pair of dragons among clouds worked in the paste under the glaze, with lotus flowers and fishes, with sea- waves penciled upon a blue ground.

Teacups {Ou), decorated outside with dragons and

246 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

phoenixes in the midst of flowers, with the eight Taoist immortals worshiping the god of longevity, with ara- besque scrolls of conventional fairy flowers ; inside, with dragons and clouds in a medallion, with fishes and lotus flowers, with a river scene and reeds, with Sanskrit invo- cations supported by flowers.

Teacups (Ou), decorated outside with medallions of dragons and scrolled clouds, with bamboo sprays and sacred fungus, with fishes and water- weeds painted in enamel colors; inside, with longevity characters in seal script, with ju-i scepters, with moutan peony flowers, and wit\\Ju-i wands enameled in colors.

Wine-Ciips (Chan), decorated outside with dragons among clouds, with jasmine flowers, with birds, with graceful ladies, with playing boys, with the eight Bud- dhist emblems of happy augury supported upon scrolls of sacred fungus ; inside, with grapes, with sprays of the flowers of the four seasons, with Buddhist dha7'ani in Sanskrit script, with garlands of the floral emblems of longevity.

Wine- Cups iChan)^ decorated outside with a pair of dragons among clouds in the midst of flowers, with famil- iar scenes, with historical subjects, with nine monsters in blue surrounded by red sea- waves; inside, with ^V^Avands and fragrant flowers, with plum flowers upon scrolled waves, with pheasants flying through flowers, with red sea- waves rising into white crests.

Wine-Cups (^Chmi), decorated outside Avith pairs of dragons and phoenixes surrounded by clouds ; inside, with yellow hibiscus flowers, with twining scrolls of sacred fungus, with chrysanthemum flowers enameled in colors.

Boxes {Jio), decorated with dragons in propitious scrolls of clouds, with dragons and phoenixes in the midst of flowers, with the inscription T'eng fiao yit sliiin, T''ien lisia tai pHng — i. e., " AVith favorable winds and

MING DYjS^ASTY. 247

seasonable mius, may peace prevail tlironghout the world ! " with a symbolical head having the hair dressed in four puffs bearing the characters Yung pao cWang chJuii — i. e., " Evei' preserving lasting spring ! " — with the eight mystic trigrams and the monad yin-yang sym- bol, with Taoist divinities holding the characters ClCien ISun clCing tai — i. e., " May heaven and earth be fair and fruitful ! "

Boxes {Ho), decorated with fabulous monsters paying court to the celestial dragon, with brocades of scroll pat- tern, with a group of beautiful forms, with diapered grounds, -with hibiscus flow^ers, with interlacing lozenges {fang-sheng), with flowers, fruit, and birds, with flower- ing plants and insects.

Boxes {Ho), inscribed Wan hu eliding eWiui, Ssu liai lai cKao — i. e., "Through myriads of ages everlasting spring, and tribute coming from the four seas " — dec- orated on the covers with dragons, with the typical flowers of the four seasons, with familiar scenes, and Avith historical subjects.

Boxes {Ho), inscribed TUeii hsia fai p'tng, Ssu fang hsiarig tiao — i. e., " Peace prevailing throughout the world, and aromatic plants from, the four quarters " — decorated with Jw-/ scepters, and on the covers with ara- besques, with figure scenes, and with lozenge symbols enameled in colors.

Boxes {Ho), decorated with familiar scenes and with historical subjects ; and on the covers with dragons and clouds, with playing boys, with the typical flowers of the four seasons ; and enameled in colors with dragons and clouds, with flowers, fruit, and birds, with longevity seal characters supported upon scrolls of sacred fungus.

Cups {Pel), decorated outside Avith winged lions flying over sea-waves, with interlacing sprays of the typical flowers of the four seasons, with antique dragons carry-

248 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

ing jasmine flowers, witli branches of sacred fungus, with pomegranates ; inside, with hibiscus flowers, with tree peonies, with scrolled sea-waves, with fairy flowers.

Cups {Pei) and Saucers {J^^ari), decorated outside with moutan peonies ; in gold, with chrysanthemums, with hibiscus flowers, with the typical flowers of the four seasons; in enamel colors, with a set of eight precious symbols, with grapes, with bees hovering round a blossoming plum ; inside, with hibiscus flowers, with moutan peonies, with seal longevity characters ; in enamel colors, with lotus flowers, wdth figures of ancient coins.

Cliopstick Saucers (Chti I^\in), decorated outside Avith dragons in the clouds and sea-waves ; inside, with the center worked in relief, encircled by clouds and dragons.

Wine Seas {Cliiu Hai), decorated with scrolls of gilded lotus flowers supporting longevity characters in antique seal script.

Censers {Hsiang Lu), decorated with the eight m3^sti- cal trigrams and the monad yin-yang symbol, with branches of sacred fungus, with landscapes, with dragons and clouds.

Censers {Hsiang Lit), decorated outside with lotus flowers, with fragrant plants and ju-i wands, with dragons and clouds worked in relief, with arabesques and fragrant floAvers, with dragons surrounded by clouds, with branches of sacred fungus, with conventional fairy flowers, with branches of sacred fungus carved in open- work, with figures of ancient " cash."

Yases {P''ing), decorated wdth dragons and phoenixes envelo^^ed in flowers, with pictures of animal life, with the ginseng plant and sacred fungus, with argus pheas- ants and tree-peonies, with storks flying through clouds, Avith the eight trigram symbols, with the hemp-leaved lotus of India.

MING DYNASTY. 249

Bealcer-sliaped Vases (Ha FHng), decorated with medallions of dragons surrounded by the typical flowers of the four seasons, with religious inscriptions in Sanskrit script supported upon scrolls of Indian lotus, with phce- nixes flying through flowers of the four seasons, with grapes and slices of watermelon, with dragons holding up the characters slieng shou — i. e., " Wisdom and long life" — with leafy sprays of apricot, with gilded fishes swimming among water-weeds enameled in colors.

Floiver Vases {Hna PUng), modeled in the shape of one of the halves of a double gourd (Jm-Iff), split longi- tudinally, so as to hang against the ^vall, decorated with dragons among clouds, with wild geese in reeds, with the pine, bamboo, and plum.

Flower Vases (Hua F''ing), decorated ^vith flowers and fruit, with pictures of birds, ^vith flowering plants and butterflies, with familiar scenes, with historical subjects.

Flxytjoer Vases {Una P ''ing'), decorated with ph(ieuixes flying through the typical flowers of the four seasons, with groups of beautiful figures ; and, in enamel colors, with dragons enveloped by the flowers of the four seasons, with a set of eight precious symbols supported upon scrolls of sacred fungus, with strings of jewels and fragrant plants.

'Jars (Kuan), decorated with landscapes, with fl}iug lions, with dragons and clouds, with peacocks and moutan peonies, with the eight Taoist immortals crossing the ocean, with the four " lights " worshiping the star of longevity, and six cranes symbolizing the cardinal points of the universe ; and Fars enameled in colors with familiar scenes and historical subjects.

Slop Feceptacles (QKa Toil), decorated with a pair of dragons in the midst of clouds, and with a string of mag- pies flying through flowers.

250 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

8lo2J Receptacles {GKa Tmi^^ decorated with dragons and clouds, with arabesqii;^- of fragrant plants, with familiar scenes, with historical subjects, with flowers and fruit, ^vith branches of sacred fungus.

Vinegar Ewers {Ts^u Ti), decorated ^vith a pair of dragons among clouds, witli interlacing scrolls of fairy flowers.

Chess-Board (^CNi F\(n), decorated with dragons surrounded by clouds.

Hanging Oil-Lamps {Citing T\ii^, decorated with drao;ons niountiuo- from sea- waves into clouds, with the typical flowers of the four seasons, with gilded chrysan- themums and hibiscus flowers.

PricTcet Candlesticks {Cliu T\ii), decorated with six stoi'ks flying to the six cardinal points of the universe, with the sacred fungus supporting a set of eight precious symbols and fairy flowers, with jn-i scepters and dragons in clouds.

PricTcet Candlesticlcs {Chu T\(i), decorated with jewel mountains in the midst of the sea and with dragons in clouds, with medallions containing boys seated, with twigs of Oleafragrans in their hands, with water-plants, lotus-leaf borders, and flowers.

Jars for Candle- Snuff {Cliien Chu ^^/<:m), decorated with dragons and phoenixes among clouds enveloped in typical flowers of the four seasons.

Screens {P^ing), decorated round the border ^vith brocaded bands inclosing flowers, fruit, and birds, in the center with a pair of dragons grasping jewels in their claws.

Pencil-Brush Handles {Pi Ktiati), decorated with brocaded designs, with conventional fairy flowers and sacred fungus surrounded by clouds, with the river pictures and writings discovered in ancient times.

Brush-Pots {Pi Ch'ung), of cylindrical form, deco-

MING DYISTASTY. 251

rated with dragon medallions and a set of eight precious symbols.

Perfume- Boxes {Hsiang Lieii), decorated with kilin {cKi-lin) and ornamental medallions, with winding scrolls of conventional fairy flowers, with spiral bands inclosing fl.owers and fruit, \vith the eight Buddhist emblems of happy augury, with branches of the sacred fungus, with plum blossoms and sea-waves.

Fan Cases (^Shan Hsia), decorated with dragons in clouds and borders of spiral fret.

Pencil Pests {Pi Chia), decorated with borders of sea- waves surrounding three dragons in the midst worked in high relief with openwork carving, and with landscape pictures.

Pallet Water-Pots ( Yen Shui Ti), decorated with couchant dragons, with elephants carrying vases of jewels, Avith familiar scenes.

Betel-nut Boxes {Pin-lang Lit), decorated with familiar scenes, with historical subjects, with fragrant plants and lotus petals.

Hat Boxes {Kuan Lii)^ decorated with brocaded grounds interrupted by round medallions, and with dragons coiling through branches of the typical flowers of the four seasons.

Handkerchief Boxes {Chin Bu), decorated outside with round medallions upon a brocaded ground, with a pair of dragons grasping the eight characters, Yung pao cWang shou, ssil hai lai cJi^ao, meaning " EAer preserving long life, Homage coming from the four seas ! " \\\i\\ familiar scenes, with historical subjects, with the typical flowers of the four seasons; inside, with branches of the sacred fungus, with the pine, bamboo, and plum, with blossoming orchids.

Garden Seats {Liang Tun), barrel-shaped, carved in pierced openwork with designs of a pair of dragons

252 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

grasping jewels in their claws, with flying dragons, with lions, with sea-horses.

Wi7ie-Jars {T''a)i), of tall ovoid form, decorated with propitious scrolls of clouds, with a hundred dragons^ w^ith a hundred storks ; otliers enameled in colors with a hundred deer and inscribed Yung jpcio chHen h^un — i. e.^ " Ever protecting Leaven and earth ! "

Garden Boioh {Kang), for fish or flowers, decorated with fishes and water-weeds, with a set of eight precious symbols and fragrant plants, with lotus flowers, with groups of graceful forms, with sea-waves and plum- blossoms.

There are two typical examples in the collection of the blue and white porcelain of this period which have been illustrated to show the general style of decoration. The first, Fig. 153, is a jar with a procession of the eight Taoist genii crossing the sea holding up their several emblems, Pa Hsien huo hai, which is inscribed under- neath with the '^ six-character mark " of the reign inclosed within a double ring. The second, Fig. 81, is a tall ewer with long spout and flowing handle, decorated with phcenixes and storks flying among scrolled clouds, subse- ,quently mounted with metal of Oriental workmanship and studded all over with precious stones.

2. Painted in Enamel Colors.

Chess Boards (^ChH P\iri), decorated with dragons among clouds.

Brush Handles {Pi Kuan), decorated with sea-waves and clouds and ascending and descending dragons.

Brush Cylinders (PI Ch'^ung), decorated with dragons and sea-waves, and with the typical flowers of the four seasons in circular medallions.

Floioer Vases {Hua Tswi), with trumpet-shaped

MING DYNASTY. 253

mouths, decorated with waving fillets and ju-i wands, with landscape pictures, with groups of sacred fungus.

Pricket Candlesticks {Chu T\U), decorated with jewel mountains in the midst of the sea, with dragons and clouds, with familiar scenes, with historical subjects, with sprays of fragrant plants and rings of lotus petals.

Candle- Snuff Jars (^Chien Chu Kuan), decorated with dragons envelo^^ed in clouds, and with jihcenixes flying through the typical flowers of the four seasons.

Pish- Bowls {Kang)^ decorated with flowers interrupted by medallions containing landscapes, with dragons ascending and descending through blue clouds, Avith phoenixes in couples.

Perfume- Boxes (Hsiang Lien), decorated with fragrant plants, with fir-leaf pattern brocades pierced in open- work, with the typical flowers of the four seasons.

Jars {Kuan), decorated with circular medallions on a brocaded ground, with the typical flowers of the four sea- sons, with fruit and birds, with the eight precious symbols.

Pan Cases (Shan Hsia^, decorated with dragons and clouds and borders of spiral fret.

Pencil Pests (Pi Chia), decorated with mountain land- scapes and carved in pierced open-work.

Handkerchief Boxes (Chin Lit), decorated with the typical flowers of the four seasons.

Sloj) Receptacles (Chhi Toil), decorated with dragons in clouds and arabesque scrolls, with the typical flowers of the four seasons.

Fisli-Boiols (Kang), decorated with dragons ascending and descending through clouds, with arabesques and sprays of fragrant flowers.

254 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

3. Painted in Mixed Colors.

Teacu])B (^Oii), plain white inside, decorated outside with waving fillets and exotic pomegranates, penciled in reserve upon a blue ground,

Fisli-Bowh {Kang)^ white inside, and with a blue ground outside, decorated ^vith pairs of dragons in the midst of clouds, with lions playing with endjroidered balls, with interlacing scrolls of gilded lotus flowers, with conventional fairy fl.owers.

Brush Cylinders (jPi CKung)^ decollated with white flowers reserved upon a blue ground, and with white dragons enveloped in the typical flowers of the four sea- sons in the same style of decoration.

Wine-Jars {T''aii)^ of tall ovoid form, with a blue ground, decorated with a pair of dragons in clouds grasp- ing antique shoii (" longevity ") characters, with winged threadlike dragons flying through a field of sacred fun- gus, with woods and wild animals, with familiar scenes, with historical subjects, and with the picture of the hun- dred boys.

Barrel-Seats {Liang Tuii)^ decorated in enamel colors with lotus flowers and dragons encircled by clouds ; and others enameled with a monochrome yellow ground, in- closing lotus flowers penciled in brown.

Teacups {Cli^a Chung), enameled yellow inside and out, with dragons in the midst of clouds and conventional flowers engraved in the paste under the glaze.

Censers {Hsiang Lu), enameled white inside, and deco- rated outside with designs painted in enamel colors sur- rounded by a yellow ground, with archaic lizardlike dragons carrying branches of sacred fungus, with the typical flowers of the four seasons, with fragrant plants and arabesque scrolls.

MING DYNASTY. 255

Vases (PHng), of plain white porcelain, with phoenixes in couples and conventional fairy flowers engraved in the paste under the glaze.

Banquet Dishes (Shan P\ui), enameled white inside, decorated outside with dragons in the midst of clouds, penciled in red, green, yellow, or brown.

It is a long list, but useful in supplying authentic materials as an aid to the proper classification of porcelain. It has been compiled from the series of lists of porcelain sent to Ching-te-chen from the palace, so that each head- ing of bowls, for example, may comprise 10,000 or more, of different size and style of decoration. It is useful, too, in a negative way, as \ve may infer that any impor- tant decoration or peculiar color not included in the list was of subsequent invention.

The decorative designs wei'e for the most part taken from the patterns of ancient brocades and embroidered .silks in which China is so rich. The author of the T''ao Shuo traces back to the third century a. d. official notices of presents from the emperor of robes of brocaded silks, woven Avith designs of intertwining dragons on a crimson ground ; and he quotes a decree of the Emperor Jen Tsung of the Sung dynasty, issued in the period Ching- yu (1034-37), ordering that his " ceremonial hat should be made of dark blue gauze worked with medallions of dragons and kilins, having the interspaces filled in with dragons and scrolled clouds in gold," and he compares these designs with those used subsequently in the decora- tion of porcelains. He cites as well-known names of ancient brocade patterns : " Coiling Dragons," " Phoenixes in Clouds," " Kilin," " Lions," " Mandarin Ducks," " The Myriad Gems," " Dragon Medallions," '' Ph^^^enixes in Couples," "Peacocks," "Sacred Storks," "The Fungus Plant," " Large Lions in their Lair," " Wild Geese nesting in the Clouds," " Phoenixes enveloped in Cloud Scrolls,"

256 OEIEISTTAL CEEAMIC ART.

" The Lily as an Emblem of Fertility," " The Hundred Flowers," '^ Phcenixes hidden in Flowers," " Group of Eight Taoist Immortals," " Dragons pursuing Jewels," " Lions sporting with Embroidered Balls," " Fish swim- ming among Water- Weeds "; and all of these were repro- duced by the artists on imperial porcelain. The addition of colored monochrome grounds was also suggested, he thinks, by brocades, accounting thus for the mottled blue, the plain yellow, and the brown or "burnished gold " grounds given in the list. He estimates that about two-thirds of the designs in the Ming dynasty were imitated from brocades, the remaining third being either taken from Nature or copied from antiques ; while of modern Chinese porcelain forty per cent are enameled in foreign style, in thirty per cent the designs are taken from Nature, twenty per cent have antique designs, and only ten j)er cent brocade patterns.

The decoration of Chinese porcelain during the Ming dynasty was, however, certainly not free from foreign influence. The brilliance of the blue which dis- tinguishes the reign of Chia-ching was confessedly due to the cobalt ore called Hui-lmi cWing, or " Moham- r medan blue," which was imported from abroad, to be used in the imperial manufactory, and we occasionally meet in the descriptions of the designs with the ex|)res- sion Hui-hui Wen, or "Mohammedan scrolls," which I have translated " arabesques." There was frequent intercourse with Persia after the conquest of that country by the Mongols, at which time Hulugu (1253— 64), the grandson of Genghis Khan, brought over a thousand Chinese artificers to his new country; and, later. Shah Abbas (1585-1627) is said to have settled a colony of Chinese potters at Ispahan. Previously to this, as we have seen before, in the account of the pro- duction of the reign of Cherig-te, porcelain had been

MING DYNASTY. 257

painted in blue, with Arabic inscriptions, at Ching-te- chen, after designs probably sent for the purpose from Persia.

Among the vases in the collection attributed to the reign of Wan-li is Fig. 167, decorated with floral ara- besques in underglaze blue, and in emerald-green and vermilion-red enamels, with metal mounts of Persian work; and Fig. 164, a vase of the same cylindi'ical form^ with birds, fruit, and flowers on a diapered ground, penciled in black filled in with brilliant enamels.

Fig. 173 shows a unicorn monster in blue and dark green over a crackled ground; Fig. 174 a vase of tur- quoise crackle in bold open-work relief ; and Fig. 38 {}>) a little wine-pot enameled in turquoise blue and auber- gine purple.

The three pieces of Lung-ch'iian celadon now to be mentioned date from an earlier time in the Ming: Fig. 159 shows a large solid vase, decorated in relief with bands of peony and chrysanthemum scrolls ; Fig. 44 a large fluted dish, with foliated rim nearly two feet across, engraved under the glaze with fruit and flowers ; and Fig. 175 a beaker-shaped vase of crackled celadon, with foliated rim and ribbed body, and an etched decoration under the green lustrous glaze.

The last specimen of the dynasty illustrated here is a T\t Ting vase of the yellowish-gray ware peculiar to the Ting-chou potteries in the province of Chihli, Fig. 177, with a molded and carved decoration under the soft-looking glaze of ivory-white tone. It is of archaic aspect and design, with a dragon coiled around the neck pursuing the Jewel of omnipotence among the clouds, and swells at the rim in the form of a bulb of gai-lic.

258 ORIENTAL CEEAJVIIC ART.

^ f^, T'ien-ch'i (1621-27) and ^ f|, ChVng-Ch^n

(1628-43).

The last two emperors of the Ming dynasty reigned under the titles of THen-cKi and Cli'ung-chen, but they Avere too busily engaged in repelling the invasion of the Manchii Tartars in the north to pay much attention to the patronage of the ceramic art. It is consequently remarkable only for its gradual decline, which is shown by the few dated pieces of these two periods that exist in collections, and which differ from other porcelain of the dynasty only in their imperfect finish and -compara- tively coarse decoration.

The only exception that I know of is in the case of certain small water-Jars of globular shape marked under- neath with a single character T^ien^ " heaven," which the Chinese call T'ien Tzii Kuan., or " Heaven-Character Jars." They say that the inscription is only a con- traction of the Qiien-hao, T 'ien-ch'i ; and the style of coloring, resembling that of the j^i'^ceding reign of Wan-li, confirms this supposition. I have seen speci- mens painted in blue and white as well as brilliantly decorated in vivid enamel colors.

To sum up in a few words the decorated porcelain in the Ming dynasty :

1. The favorite color was blue, which was painted on the piece before it was glazed or fired. Usually this formed the sole " blue and white " decoration ; occasion- ally it was relieved by a monochrome ground, or, on the other hand, it formed a mottled cobalt ground surround- ing designs penciled in some other single color.

2. The earliest decoration in different colors was in •colored glazes, combined with either a feldspathic or a

JIESTG DYNASTY.

259

lead flux, which were applied sur biscuit and fired in the ordinary furnace.

3. The art of decorating porcelain in vitreous colors, such as had been used previously in painted and cloisonne enameling upon metal, and which were painted on over the ordinary white glaze and subsequently fired a second time in the muffle stove, was of later intro- duction, and flourished especially in the Wan-Ii period.

4. The Ijlue that was generally used in combination with the enamel colors was always laid on under the glaze. It was not till the seventeenth century, in the reign of K^ang-hsi, that a cobalt blue of vitreous char- acter was invented, to be applied over the glaze like the other colors, and fired like them in the muffle stove.

CHAPTER YIIL

TECHIS^IQUE DURING THE MING PERIOD. — COLORS. EMBOSS- ING. CHISELING. OPENWORK CARVING. GILDED DEC- ORATION.— DECORATIONS IN ENAMELS. FIRING.

THERE is au abundance of material iu the official records of the Ming period for au account of the technique of the manufacture of porcelain, but here we hav^e space for only a short abstract.

The best porcelain-eai-th {t^ao fit), also called huan fu, or " government earth," was obtained from the Ma-ts'ang Mountains, near Hsin-cheng-tu, within the limits of the district of Fou-liang-hsien, where it was mined in four different places, the names of Avhich are given. This earth is described as of rich plastic structure, with sparkling silv^ery spots of crystalline mica disseminated throughout, which indicates its kaolinic character dei'ived from the decomposition of granite. It was brought down the river, the Chang Ho, to Ching-te-chen in boats, four days being spent on the journey in winter and autumn, when the river was low ; less tlian two days in the time of spring floods. The price paid for this eai'th at the imperial manufactory was seven taehcents of silver for each picul of one hun- dred catties.'^ In the eleventh year of the i-eign of Wan-li (1583) Chang Hua-mei, director of the manu- factory, reported in a memorial to the emperor that the hillsides had been mined and countermined iu every direction, and that so much extra labor was required to

* The tael. or Chinese ounce of silver, is equivalent to about $1.40 (Mexican); the catty to 1^ pounds, so that a picul would weigh 133J^ pounds.

260

TECHNIQUE DURING THE MING PERIOD. 261

extract the earth that it was necessary to increase the price to ten tael-cents a picul. In spite of tliis, the supply of kaolin from these hills soon became exhausted, and it had to be brought from Wu-meu-t'o, where a new source of a similar earth had been discovered ; this place was twice as far away, although wdthin the bounds of the district of Fou-liang-hsien, and as no more money was paid, it was difhcult to get it in sufficient quantity. Several other kinds of porcelain-earth were brought to Ching-te-chen from Po-yang-hsien and other neighboring districts, but these were not considered good enough for the imperial manufactory.

The supply of petuntse, the felds^^athic mineral employed in combination w^ith the above " porcelain- earth " in the preparation of the paste, was obtained from Yii-kan-hsien, in the south, and from Wu-yuan- hsieu, in the east. The petuntse obtained from Yii-kan was valued at twenty tael-cents for eighty catties, that from Wu-yuan at eighty tael-cents for ninety catties, which were reduced to seventy-two catties after a second washing and levigation. The feldspathic rock was pounded on the hillside where it was found, in mills worked by the mountain torrents, and after it had been washed and purified by levigation it was cut into briquettes or little cubes, hence the name of pai-fim-tzu, or " white briquettes."

The several kinds of rocks which were o-round to form the material for the different glazes are also described in order, and the places of production given. The best were covered w^ith " arbor-vita^-leaf " marks, the Chinese term for the dendrites which were due to manganese oxide. This w^as combined with the hen hui, |^ J/^^ C)r " purified ashes " made by burning alternate layers of lime and ferns on the mountains called Chang-shan, and washing the residue.

262 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

All these different materials were worked and brought to the potteries by private enterprise, tunnels being excavated for miles at vast expense and with a loss of many lives, although each man's load produced only a few cents. Yet, in the thirty-second year of Wan-li, the governor of the city, Cliou Ch'i-yuan, attempted to make the working of kaolin a government monopoly, till the people rebelled and forced him to withdraw his procla- mations. It appears that the potters were always ready to resist oppression, as in the twent3"-fifth year of the same reign they had burned the gate-house of the imperial manufactory during a riot, in consequence of which the officials responsible for the affair were recalled to Peking and thrown into prison, where they died.

Colors.

Blue occupies a paramount position among the colors of the 3fi/i(/ dynasty. We have referred to the blue material brought from abroad by sea during the reign of Hsilan-te and to the " Mohammedan blue," to which the blue and white of Clila-clung owes its brilliant tint. There is a long account of this last Imd cKing in the records of Fou-lianQ;-hsien. The best was described as exhibiting vermilion spots when crushed with a hammer, while the ordinary kind was sprinkled with silvery stars. Sixteen ounces of the imported material yielded three ounces of "true blue," otherwise called "crushed blue." The residue was pounded in a mortar with water, filtered through a stratum of broken porcelain, and by this means an additional quantity of about half an ounce was obtained after decantation. This was mixed with native blue in different proportions to be employed for the undei'glaze decoration of porcelain, a combination of ten parts to one forming the " first-class

TECHNIQUE DURHSTG THE MING PERIOD. 268

coloiy' while tlie "ordinary blue" was composed of six parts of the Mussulman Ijlue mixed with four parts of indigenous ore.

The native material, called "^ 4^ ^, ClCing Inia liao, or '' blue decoration color," is the ^vell-know"n cobaltiferous ore of manganese, found in many different parts of China, which has been analyzed by M. Ebel- men,* from a specimen obtained from the province of Yunnan. During the Ming dynasty the supply for the imperial works was first obtained from Po-t'ang, in the district of Lo-p'ing-hsien, near Jao-chou-fu, in the province of Kiaugsi, where it occurred in irregular concretionary masses of peculiar shape. This produced a very dark color, and it is sometimes called by the name of " Buddha's-head Blue," or Fo-fou cKing^ the traditional tint of the hair of Sakyamuni being that of la^isjazulh This source was exhausted in the reign of Chia-ching, w^hen the mines were closed in consequence of disturb- ances, and a new supply was afterward brought fi'ora several places in tlie prefecture of Jui-choii-fu, in the same province, under the name of Sliih tzit cltHng — i. e., " stone or mineral blue."

After desci'ibing the different kinds of blue, the official records give a list of the materials used in the composition of the colored glazes used in the Ming dynasty from the reign of Chia-cliing onward. This is

* The Scientific Works of J. J. Ebelmen, who was Superintendent of the Imperial Porcelain Manufactory at Sevres for many years, and wlio died in 1852, have been published in three volumes under the title Recuiil des travaux scientijiqtie de M. Ebelmen, revu et corrige par M. S<dvetat, Paris, 1861. They include three memoirs of original research on the composition of the materials employed in China in the fabrication and for tlie decoration of porcelain, pre- pared in association with M. Salvetat (tome i, pp. 347-455). The materials were sent from Ching-tS-cliSn by P^re J. Ly, " pretre Chiuois de la congrega- tion de Saint-Lazare," and by M. Itier from Canton, who obtained the colors himself from the palette of a Chinese artist actually engaged in the decoration of porcelain. These memoirs, read before the Academy, are indispensable for the student of modern Chinese ceramic art.

1

264 ORIENTAL CERA>[IC ART.

most iiiiportaut and iuteresting, and the miueral compo- nents can be generally identified, as most of them are ^till in use under the same names.

They include ^ j^, cKien fen, ''lead carbonate," priced at foui- tael-cents the catty ; X§ z^"^, yen-lisiao, " niter crystals," priced at two tael-cents the catty ; ^ ^, clCing fan, " iron sulphate," priced at three "cash" the catty; J^ 1^<^ ^, tai die shili, "antimony ore," the price of which is not recorded ; -^ ^, liei dt^ien, " lead," priced at two tael-cents and eight " cash " the catty ; /^ ^, sung I/siang, " turpentine," priced at five " cash " the catty ; Q ^, jxu' fan, " white charcoal," priced at five tael-cents the catty ; ;^ :^§, chin 2^0, " gold leaf," ])riced at twenty-five tael-cents the hundred sheets ; and "^ ^^, hu fimg, " old coppei'," priced at six tael- cents the catty.

The list of materials is followed by a series of prescrip- tions for the preparation of the colored glazes, ten in number altogether.

1. Celadon Glaze, S W ift» Tou-diing Yu, composed of 'J^ 7K5 V'^^ shui, 1^1 J/>c» ^^<?^^ ^^'^^h ^^^ HC i.j Imang fu, mixed together. The first two materials are feld- spathic mineral, or petrosilex ground with water, and ashes prepared by burning lime with ferns, the ingredi- ents of the ordinary white glaze, and huang fu, literally " yellow earth," is a ferruginous clay. The peculiar grayish-green tint known to us as " celadon," passing into shades of brown if the iron be in excess, was called ])y the Chinese at this time tou-cliHng, or " pea-green " ; we have seen in the official indents that large fish-bowls were ordered to be furnished of this color in the reign of Cliia-cliing. The peculiar tint is supposed to be due to the silicates of lime and ii'on developing a greenish shade under the influence of a reducing atmosphere in the fur- nace, maintaining the iron at a minimum of oxidation.

TECHNIQUE DURING THE MING PERIOD. 265

2. Brown Glaze, ^ ;^ ^, Tziv-cliin Yii, composed of prepared lime ground with water, mixed witli fzii-chin and pul\^erized quartz suspended in water. Tliis is the

fond laque of French ceramists, passing from the darkest bronze or coffee-color to " dead leaf " and " old gold " according to the proportion of the tzu-chin mineral, which is rich in iron. The Chinese name means " Ijui'nislied gold," which is an appropriate rendering of some of the clearer shades. The composition of this glaze is given in full detail by Pere d'Entrecolles in his second letter, although he gives it wrongly as a new invention of his time. It is mixed with the ordinary white glaze and applied upon the unbui'ued Avai'e.

3. lurquoise Glaze, ^ '^ J^, Ts^ui se Yu, composed of a mixture of lien clCeng hu fung shtii, a pulverized preparation of copper suspended in water, niter (Jtsiao), and quartz {sJiih). It is uncertain whether laminge of metallic copper, or an oxide like verdigi'is, was employed in this mixture. Whichever it was, .the result would be a silicate of copper, producing the beautiful finely crackled, glaze of turquoise tint known to the Chinese as ts^ui, from its resemblance to the color of the plumes of the king- fisher, which they use in jewelry. Bowls and saucer- shaped plates enameled with this monochrome glaze, with the mark of the reign of Cliia-cliing underneath, are not rare.

4. B rigid Yellow Glaze, ;^ ^ y^, Cliin luiang Yv, composed by mixing sixteen ounces of pulverized lead (Jiei chHen mo) with one and one-fifth ounces of antimony ore {che shili), and grinding them together in a mortar. Hei che slu'h, also called Tal che sJiih, liei and tal both meaning " black," is a mineral containing iron and anti- mony. It was analyzed by Brongniart under the name oifer oligistique terreux. The antimony is the source of the yellow, which becomes more or less orange on account

266 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

of the presence of iron in the ore. It is the " imperial yellow " of collectors, and often occurs as a monochrome glaze, with the marks of all the reigns of this dynasty from Himg-chik downward, either plain or enameled over iive-clawed dragons and other designs incised in the paste.

5. B rigid Green Glaze, ^ |^ vfi, Cltin lii Yu, com- posed by mixing together sixteen ounces of pulverized lead, one and two-fifths ounces of pulverized copper (hu fung 7no), and six ounces of pounded quartz (sJtih mo). The copper is the source of the green, forming a silicate, which is dissolved in the vitrified glaze charged with oxide of lead. The last three glazes in this list — viz., the turquoise, yellow, and green — are often classed,, by French writers, with the purple glaze which follows afterward under No. 8, as couleurs de demi-graud feu. They differ from the rest in having either a lead or an alkaline flux.

6. Bright Blue Glaze, ^ W Jfi' Chin diUng !J^;/, com- posed by mixing sixteen ounces of ^, fe'wi, finely pow- dered, with one ounce of !^ -^ ^, sliili tzu eliding. The dark blue glaze used by enamelers on metal, colored with silicate of cobalt, is called tshd, and the shih tzu cJiHng i& the native cobaltiferous ore of manganese found, as we saw above, at Ju-chou-fu, in Kiang-si province. The combination would produce the bi'illiant sapphire-blue of pui'jjlish tint, like the hleu df( roi of Sevres, which is occasionally seen in a collection of CMa-cliing cups. It is distinguished from the ordinary purple glaze of the period by being a cotdetir du grand feti.

7. Coral-Med, or Iron-Red, ^ ^X» Fan Hung, com- posed of one ounce of calcined sulphate of iron {cJiHng faii^ and five ounces of carbonate of lead {chbien feri)

mixed together with Canton ox-glue {Kuang cliiao). This is the well-known " coral red " of the mufile stove,

TECHNIQUE DURING THE MING PERIOD. 267

which came into vogue in the reign of Chia-ching, aud seems, from its cheapness and facility of firing, to have completely supplanted the more brilliant co[)per-red du grand feu, which made the reign of Hman-tt so illustrious, and which reappears in the reign of K'^ang-lisi in the sang-de-hcBuf glaze of the Lang Yao. AVith the -exception of gold it is the only muffle color in the list, and it is a curious fact that even in the present day the workshops of the decorators in enamel colors at Chiug- te-chen are called hung tien, or "red shops," another independent evidence of the early appearance of this glaze.

8. Furjde Glaze, ^ '^ 'J^, Tzu se Yu, composed of sixteen ounces of pulverized lead (Jiei cJi'ien mo), one ounce of cobaltiferous ore of manganese (shili tzu cWing), and six ounces of pounded quartz (sJiih mo). This is the manganese purple formed by the solution of a slightly cobaltiferous oxide of manganese in a lead flux, Avhich is so often found in association with the turquoise glaze, and, like this last, it is generally minutely crackled throuo-hout.

9. Pale Blue Glaze, '^ ^ 'J^, Chiao citing Yu, com- posed of yu shui and lien Itui, the ingredients of the ordinary white glaze, combined with sliili tzu dicing, the indigenous ore of cobalt. Chiao cWing means literally *' watered blue." This is the ordinary blue of the grand feu, as M. Salvetat remai'ks, proved by the presence of lime and petrosilex. The intensity of the blue would depend on the amount of cobalt in the crude material, but it would always have a grayish hue when compai'ed with the bright blue glaze of No. 6.

10. PureWhite Glaze, ^ Q \^,Ch'un 2X(iYu, com- posed of pounded feldspathic mineral or petrosilex ground with water (gu sJiui) and incinerated lime (lien hul). This is the ordinary white glaze of Chinese por-

268 OEIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

celaiii, which was often called at the time THen pa% fieiv lueaniDg also " piii-e/'

Among the other decorative processes described in the records of the imperial manufactory during the reign of Wan-lj are :

1. Embossing.

2. Chiseling.

8. Openwork Carving.

4. (xilded Decoration.

5. Decoration in Enamel Colors.

1. Embossed F ieces, ^ ^, Tul Cli'i, were made by applying to the surface, before firing, cuttings of the same paste of which they were formed, and working these with a moist brush into the shape of dragons, phce- nixes, flowers, or other ornamental designs. The por- celain thus decorated in relief was afterward invested with' glaze and finally fired in the kiln.

2. Engraved Pieces^'^ ^, Clivi ChH, were incised in the paste, as soon as it had been sufficiently dried, with dragons and other designs, chiseled with an iron style,. and were subsequently glazed and fired. The work was sometimes so delicately executed tliat the pattern could be seen only by holding the porcelain up to the light,, like the water-mark in paper, and the mai'k was penciled under the glaze in a similar fashion, which had the spe- cial name of Hg ^, an hna — i. e., " hidden or veiled deco- ration." These processes were not invented at this time,, however, as we often find specimens of Ting-chou por- celain of the Sung dynasty with embossed and chiseled ornament.

3. Openivorh Carving, ^ 3^1, Ling-lung, of porcelains with ornaniental designs in pierced work, is described as having been executed by the potters at this period^ although protested against by the censors as too elab- orate and costly even for the emperor's palace.

TECHNIQUE DURING THE MING PERIOD. 269

I will pause here a \vliile to describe an openwork vase of the time decoi'ated in colors which is in my col- lection at Peking. It is bottle-sha})ed, eighteen inches high, with an ovoid body, gradually tapering into a broad, cvlindrical neck, ^vliich swells af^ain toward the mouth. The mouth is surrounded by a broad upright lip, which is carved with an open band of ornamental scrolls, and the body is perforated thi'oughout in the interstices of the design, so as to allow an inner solid casing to be visible through an irregular open network, which is carved to represent two pairs of phoenixes dis- played flying through clouds. The entii'e surface of the vase is richly brocaded in coloi's. The broad outlines of the decoration having been first limned in cobalt-blue of pale shade and penciled ^vith lines of darker blue, the remaining parts are painted in enamel colors, including a rich vermilion red, a green of camellia-leaf tint, and a yellow of palish tone. The yellow parts are outlined in red, the other colors penciled with darker lines of red and green respectively, the last becoming almost black. The two rings of palmations which spread upward and downward to decorate the upjier part of the neck exhibit all the four colors, the leaves being painted in regular series — blue, red, green, and yellow. The lower half of the neck is covei'ed with a broad band of peony scrolls, interrupted by two projecting mask-handles, carved in openwork relief, perforated for rings, and enameled to represent lions' heads. The shoulder of the vase is encir- cled by a floral diaper of lozenge pattern, penciled in red, displaying a ring of the eight Buddhist emblems • with Avaving flllets painted in underglaze cobalt-blue, and a lightly sketched border of conventional foliations surrounds the base, which is perforated at regular inter- vals with four large holes, through which sti'aps could be passed.

270 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

The vase is a specimen of the cLass which fiirnished models for the " old Japau " Imari pieces, which Jacque- mart comprised in his famille clirysanthemo-'peonie'nne^ although the Japanese copies are of rough crude work. It is interesting, on the other hand, to compare the per- fectly finished technique of the CKien-lung period, of which Fig. 185 exhibits a most excellent example. The waist of the gourd is fitted with a revolving belt, and the inner vase is painted witli bats flying among clouds, seen through the rifts of the ornamental trellis bands of the outer casing. The delicate profusion of ornamental design is well indicated in the picture ; it is executed in fine enamel colors, with touches of gilding. It offers a complete contrast to the bold execution and strong color- ing of the old Ming vase, which is still not without its charm.

4. Decoration in GolJ, ^ ;^, Miao Cliin^ was applied to porcelain that had been [)reviously fired. The gold leaf, combined with a tenth part l)y weight of cai'bonate of lead, was mixed with gum and spread on with the brush, and the porcelain was fired again in the stove that was employed to fire the coral-red. A second coat was sometimes applied afterward, and the piece was again fired in the mufHe stove. It was used solelv as a o-ilded monochrome, as well as in combination with other colors. The lists already mentioned give instances of the use of gilding in combination with blue and white, directing chrysanthemum flowers and yellow hibiscus blossoms to be penciled in gold.

5. Decoration in Enamel Colors, 51 ^> ^^u ts'ai, lit- erally " in five colors," was only occasionally employed in the inq^erial manufactor}^ although it was much used in the private potteries at Cliing-te-chen in the reign of

Wan-li, when the art of painting in blue declined, from the want of proper materials. The colors employed were

TECHNIQUE DURING THE MING PERIOD. 271

vitreous fluxes, containing only a small percentage of metallic oxides, the same that liad previously been em- ployed in enameling upon metal. They were painted upon white porcelain that had been fired in the furnace, and then baked a second time in a muflle stove to fix the colors. Some j)arts of the decoration had often been previously penciled in underglaze cobalt-blue, and the outlines of the designs were usually sketched in the same color.

Firing.

Several kinds of furnaces are mentioned in the recoi'ds. The imperial manufactory in the l^eginning of the reign of Chia-ching contained fifty-two furnaces, of which thir- ty-t\vo were hang yao^ in which the large fish-bowls were fired, the remainder being either cli'ing yao^ for baking the ordinary blue and white, or se yao, for firing the col- ored ware. Later in the reign, when more blue and white was required, it is related that sixteen of the I'ang yao wei'e converted into cli'ing yao. Besides these there were the lisia yao kilns for baking the clay cases or seg- gars, in which the porcelain was placed inside the fur- nace to shield it from the blast of the fire.

The hang yao are described as measuring six feet broad in front, six and a half feet broad at the back, and six feet in depth, with rounded top. Only one fish-bowl of the largest size or of the second size could be fired at a time, or two of the third size, placed one above the other. A gentle fire was kept up for seven days and nights, so as gradually to dry the materials, then a fierce fire was raised and maintained for two days, till the seg- gars were seen to be red all over and emitting rays of white heat. The fire was then stopped, all the orifices sealed up, and the contents were left undisturbed for ten

272 ORIENTAL cera:mic art.

days more before tlie kiln was opened. The fuel was pine billets, of which one hundred and twenty loads, of one hundi'ed catties, each valued at four tael-cents of silver, were consumed for each firing, ten more being allowed in rainy weather. The largest bowls were valued at fifty-eight taels each, those of the second size at fifty taels, although only twenty and eighteen, afterward raised to twenty-three and twenty taels, used to be paid by the ofiicials for those fabricated at private kihis. The ofiicial " squeeze " was tight in China, even four centuries a^-o.

The cKiiig yao, or ''blue kilns," were of similar shape to the above, but of smaller size, the corresponding dimensions in Chinese feet being five, five and a half, and four and a half. The charge consisted of about two hun- dred of the ordinary round dishes and saucer plates ; or of one hundred and fifty to one hundred and sixty of those of larger diameter. It would hold twenty-four of the largest bowls, or thirty bowls one foot in diameter, only sixteen or seventeen of the ovoid jars with bulging shoulder called thi))^ but five hundred to six hundred little wine-cups. The gentle fire lasted two days, the fierce fire twenty-four hours, the period being Judged by the state of the seggars as before, after which the furnace was sealed np. From first to last the firing of the blue kilns took five days, and about sixty loads of fuel were consumed, ten raoi-e if the charge consisted of large bowls, tall jars, or temple bricks, or if the weather were wet.

The private kilns for firing blue and white were of larger size and held several times the quantity, the charge consisting of over one thousand of the smaller pieces, yet they are said to have used only about the same amount of fuel. The seggars were piled in tiers and ranged in seven rows ; the first two rows next the

I

TECHNIQUE DURING THE 3IING PERIOD. 273

entrance were filled with coarse pieces, the third row contained a few good pieces, the middle three I'ows all the best porcelain, and the last three rows next the chimney coarser ware again. In the imperial furnace, where all the porcelain was of the highest class, empty cases stood at the front and back, to screen those in the middle from the blast.

There is no particular account in the official recoi'ds of the se yao^ or furnaces for the colored ware, but in the THen Icung THai ton, a small manual of the industrial arts published toward the end of the Ming dynasty, there is an illustration showing the form of the open and closed stoves used at the time to fire the poi'celain decorated wnth enamel colors. This picture is i-eproduced among the woodcuts illustrating the article " Porcelain " in the large Chinese encyclopaedia, T''ou sliu clii clCeng^ in 10,000 books, a copy of which is in the British Museum.

Some of the private potters acquired renown for their ceramic pi'oductions in the reign of Wan-li, and at this time we begin to hear of copies of antiques, a branch of art so much developed afterward. In the province of Kiang-nan at the " boccaro " potteries of Yi-hsing-hsien, to which reference has already been made, a man named Ou became celebrated for his productions, which ^\ere called after him Ou Yao. He succeeded in reproducing the crackled glaze of the ancient Ko Yao, and the different colors of the imperial ware and Chun-chou porcelain of the Sur^g dynasty, upon the characteristic brown stone- ware of the place. T^vo of his glazes were afterward copied in turn by T'ang Ying, as we shall see j)resently.

The imitations of Ting-chou white porcelain made at Ching-te-chen were still more successful. The I^o wn yao Ian says of these : " The new censers modeled in the form of the four-legged sacrificial ting of the ancient sovereign Wen Wang, and of the bronzed bowl-shaped

274 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

yi with luask-bandles of mousters' heads aud halberd- shaped '■ ears,' are in no way inferior to the original pro- ductions of the Ting-chou [)otters, and they may even be mistaken for genuine old specimens, if the gloss of the furnace has been removed by friction. The best are those made by Chou Tan-ch'uan." Many stories are told of the marvelous ingenuity of this artist, who seems to have been on friendly terms with some of the foremost scholars of the time, of Avhich I may quote one : " One day, as Chou Tan-ch'uan \vas traveling along the river in a merchant boat to the province of Kiang-uan, he landed at Pi-ling to visit his friend T'aug, President of the Imperial Sacrificial Court, and asked to be allowed to look at an ancient Ting-chou censer, the dimensions of which he measured with his fingers, while he took impres- sions of the chiseled decoration upon paper, which he put in his sleeve and carried with him Ijack to Ching-te-chen. Six months later he returned, and when he saw T'ang again he drew from his sleeve a censer, exclaiming : 'Your Excellency has a white Ting-chou censer; I have got its fellow ! ' T'aug Avas greatly surprised. He com- pared it with the ancient censer in his own collection, and there was not a hair's-breadth difference. He tried the cover and the stand of his own, and they fitted exactly. He asked him where he had got it. Chou replied: 'I made it as a copy. I ^vill not deceive you.' The presi- dent, delighted, purchased it for forty taels of silver, and put it in his cabinet, beside the original censer, as if they were a pair. Some years later, at the end of the reign of Wan-Ji, Tu Chiu-ju, of Huai-an, after he had seen in a dream a vision of T 'ang's ancient censer, succeeded in obtaining from Chun-yii, a grandson of the president, the imitation made by Chou for one thousand taels."

A still more famous potter was the famous Hao Shih- chiu, who adopted the sobriquet of " Hermit hidden in

TECHNIQUE DURING THE MING PERIOD. 275

the teapot," and lived in a but with a broken potsherd for a window, where he capped the verses of his literary friends, and fabricated the delicate wine-cups which people thronged from all parts of the empire to buy. The most beautiful of these tiny cups were the ^ |^ ^, Uu hsia clian^ or " cups of liquid dawn," invested ^\ ith undulations of brightest vermilion tint, and the ^ ^ ^, luan mu pel, or " eggshell cups," of pure translucent white, so thin that they were said to float upon water, and so light that they weighed only half a cliu — that is, less than a gramme each. He also excelled in the manu- facture of teapots, some of which were of pale celadon color, like the old "ware of the Sung dynasty, but uncrackled ; others enameled in reddish shades of brown {tzii chin) or "dead leaf," made after the " boccaro" tea- pots of that color fabricated at Yi-hsing-hsien by the Ch'en family of potters, all of which he inscribed under- neath with his own " hermit mark."

An eggshell wine-cup of this reign is shown in Fig. 18, one of a pair fit to be compared with the translucent cups of the hermit Hao Shih-chiu, Avhich have the mark of the reififn of Wan-U inscribed underneath. Pressed upon a mold before glazing, the decoration appears inside in o-entle relief, becomius; more visible when the delicate cup is held up to the light filled with yellow Shao-hsing wine. The lineaments of one of the dragons are but dimly visible in the picture.

CHAPTER IX.

CHING-T]&-CHtN. THE IMPERIAL PORCELAIN" MANUFACTORY.

BEFORE proceeding to tlie consideration of the ceramic productions of the present dynasty it is necessary to give a short description of Ching-te-chen, which, as we have already shown, has long been the chief seat of the porcelain industry in China, where it occupies a more prominent position than does Sevres, in France, or Meissen, in Germany. It has, indeed, become the exclusive source of artistic porcelain, and supplies the demands of the whole empire, not oul}^ for ohjeU de luxe, but also for the better class of household porcelain ware, such as dinner services, teapots, and the like. The factories in the other provinces, established where there happened to be available deposits of white plastic clay, furnish only coarse ware for local consumption. The exce[)tion is that of Te-hua, in the province of Fuchien (Fukien), where a kind of white porcelain is produced covered with a soft, velvety glaze of creamy tint, com- prising ornamental vases, wine-ewers and wine-cups, tea- pots, horn-shaped cups of archaic design, etc., and which is especially celebrated for its statuettes of divinities and fantastic figures. This will be referred to more fully in Chapter XXII.

The manufacture of porcelain at Ching-te-chen, accord- ing to local tradition, as it is stated in the official de- scription of the province, dates from the Han dynasty (b. c. 206 — A. D. 220), but the annalist adds that nothing is known with certainty about the productions of these remote times.

276

CHnfG-T:fc-CH:feN. 277

The earliest record of the place iu tLe general annals of the empire is iu a. d. 583, the first year of the reign of the last sovereign of the short-lived Cli'en dynasty, who ordered a supply of porcelain plinths {fao cJihi) to be made there, to serve as pedestals for the support of the Avooden pillars of the large palaces which he was build- ing at his capital, Chien-k'ang (the modern Nanking). They w^re sent, elaborately molded in ornamental designs, in the style of the ordinary plinths carved out of solid stone, but were rejected as not sufficiently solid. A second supply was furnished in due course, but still they were not strong enough for the purpose required, and the imperial decree had to be withdi-awu. The plinths of the inunense columns which support the roofs of such large buildings are usually made of carved marble or of some other hard stone, and molded white porcelain seems to be the most unsuitable of materials. It is, however, employed with success in Chinese architecture where less strain is required, as in the famous porcelain tower of Nanking, which was rebuilt in the reign of the Emperor Yung-lo (1404-24), and formed one of the chief ornaments of the ancient capital till the pagoda was destro3'ed by the Taiping rebels during their occu})ancy of the city (March 19, 1853, to July 19, 1864). Most museums possess a specimen of the Avhite L-shaped bricks of Avhicli it was built, coated with a lustrous white glaze, which were made at Ching-te-chen. The porcelain of the sixth and seventh centuries must have been of much the same character as these bricks, being always compared by 'writers of the time to pure white jade.

It was under the name of imitation jade (chia i/fl) that the potters of Hsin-p'ing (the modern Fou-liang) presented their ceramic ware to the founder of the celebrated T^ang dynasty iu the year 621, when they carried it to the distant capital of Ch\ang-au, iu the

278 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

j)roviiice of Shensi, and it is said to have rivaled this stone, so precious to the Chinese, in its whiteness, trans- lucency, and musical ring. The new porcelain soon became more widely known, and ^ve find in the official biography of Chu Sui a notice of an imperial decree received by him, when he was Governor of Hsin-p'ing, in the year 707, ordering the production of a set of sacrificial vases for the funeral temple of the Emperor Chung-Tsung, the fourth of the T\ing dynasty, who had just died. The manufacture seems to have degenerated afterward, and the pale blue ware of other potteries came into wider vogue, the new color being preferred from its enhancing the tints of wine and tea, so that the com- paratively coarse fabric of the cups made at these places was overlooked.

It was not until the aS'i^?^^ dynasty that regular officials were appointed to superintend the manufacture of porcelain and to send supplies to the capital for the use of the imperial court. The name of Ching-te-chen dates from this time, and it is derived from that of the period Cliing-te (1004-1007), in the first year of which a decree was issued ordering the official in charge of the manu- factory to inscribe underneath the pieces the mark Ching te nien chili, " Made in the pei'iod Ching-Ur The place had been previously known as Ch'ang-nan-chen, from its position on the southern bank of the Ch'ang River, the term cheii, which may be translated " mart," being applied in China to a few populous centers of trade which are not fortified with regular walls.

Ching-te-chen is in the province of Kiangsi, on the south of the great Yangtze River, in latitude 29^ 16' north, and longitude 0° 48' west of the meridian of Peking-, accordino; to the observations of the French missionaries of the eighteenth century. The river Ch'ang, which rises in the mountains which separate

CHmG-T:&-CH]fcN. 279

the proviuces of Kiangsi and Anbui, after a course of about one hundred miles in a soutliwest direction runs into the Poyang Lake. On its nortliei'u bank, about the middle of its course, is the small district town of Fou- liang-hsien, and near its mouth the prefectural city of Jao-chou-fu, which has jurisdiction over this and six other walled towns. Ching-te-chen is situated about four miles below Fou-liang, on the opposite side of the river, and is under its jurisdiction, although the mandarin in immediate charge is appointed from Jao-chou, with the rank of T'ung-chih, or sub-prefect. There is another official in charge of the imperial manufactory, who is usually deputed from the imperial household (Nei Wu Fu) at Pekins;, and who is at the same time commissioner of the important customs station at Kiukiang, established near the point where the Poyang Lake communicates with the Yangtze. The funds for the porcelain works are directed to be taken from the customs-chest. The commissioner forwards the porcelain by boats to Peking, which go down the Yangtze River to Chinkiang, and thence up the Grand Canal to Tien-tsiu. At the junction of the Grand Canal with the Yellow River there is another large customs barriei', with an imperial commissioner, stationed at Huai-an-fu, who used formerly to be ex-officio superintendent of the porcelain works and privileged to find the funds, T'ang Ying succeeded Nien-si-yao as commissioner of customs at Huai-an-fu in 1736, with the control of the customs of the three provinces of Kiangsi, Kiangsu, and Anhui, and he held the post till he was transferred to Kiukiang, where he remained till 1749, when his successor, Ch'in Yung-chiin, was appointed. The annual sum allowed from the Huai-an transit dues had been eight thousand taels. Tang Ying says in his preface to the Fou-liang-Jisiencliih, dated 17-40: " Li the sixth year of the reign of Yung-clieng (1728) I was

280 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

appointed to take charge of the imperial potteries. In the first year of GhHen-lung (1736) I was appointed commissioner of customs at Huai-an, remaining also in superintendence of the potteries, but during my time there, on account of the great distance, I was only once able to visit Ching-te-cheu, when I found everything going on satisfactorily. Last year (1739)* I was trans- ferred to Kiukiang. During my regime over ten thousand taels have been devoted yearly to the Avork, and several hundreds of thousands of articles of porcelain have been provided for the use of the emperor."

To the south of the Poyang Lake, twenty miles distant by river, is the large city of Nan-ch'ang-fu, the capital of the province of Kiaugsi, which is full of porcelain shops, its principal staple being the porcelain of Ching-te-chen, wdiich it distributes to all parts of the south of China. The trade route to Canton passes this city, and large quantities are conveyed thither, consisting partly of finished pieces, partly of plain white porcelain, which has to be decorated in enamel colors by the Cantonese artist before it is finally exported. The journey is made by water with the exception of a day's portage across the Mei-ling pass. This is shown in a series of water-color pictures from Canton, intended to illustrate the porce- lain manufacture of China, which hang framed in the British Museum, and which conclude with pictures of the land journey to Canton and of the final packing of the things in boxes for shipment to Western countries.

* It was in this year, accordiug to the history of the province of Kiangsi, that the chief commissionership of customs was transferred to Kiukiang, T'ang Ying remaining in charge and retaining also the directorship of the potteries. Tliis city is much nearer to Cliing-te-chen, and the director resided there part of every year to superintend the work in person. Directors were appointed from the imperial household in rotation up to the forty-third year of Ch'ien- lung (1778), after which the control was left to the provincial authorities. In the present day the Tao-t'ai of Kiukiang, who is the native commissioner of cus- toms, is also ex-officio superintendent of the imperial potteries at Ching-te-chen.

CHING-T:fc-CH:fcN. 281

Fou-liaug is situated in a liilly country surrounded by mountains of graphitic granite, from the gradual decom- position of which the kaolinic deposits have been formed. The natives, as the annalist quaintly I'emarks, partake of the rude and ruo:«:ed nature of their surrounding's. The river runs down a rocky gorge till it reaches Ching-te- <jhen, where there is a tract of open country about two miles in length and breadth, bounded on the north and west by the river, which makes a wide curve, on the south by a smaller stream flowing from the west to Join tlie river, and on the east by the Ma-an Shan or '^ Saddle- back Mountains." These hills supply the red clay for the seggars and for the reproduction of antiques with •colored bodies. Across the south river is the hamlet of Hu-t'ien-shih, with a pagoda and the ruins of ancient potteries of the S^ing dynasty. A quantity of potsherds of ancient porcelain wei'e collected from these ruins in the eio-hteenth century and used as models for mono- chrome glazes, as will presently be seen. The river strand at Ching-te-chen is thirteen // long, reckoning from the temple of the goddess of Mercy, where it emerges from the hills, to the southwest, where it enters the hills again, re-enforced by the southern stream, and it derives from this its common name of " The Thirteen Li Mart." Within the angle of junction of the two rivers there is an open space of waste ground known as Hsi- kua Chou, or " Watermelon Island," which forms a mar- ket-place where the porcelain peddlers display their stalls. The rest of the space is densely packed \\\i\\ streets of shops, temples, and guild-houses, the intervals being filled with the kilns and workshops.

There is a good general map of the place given in the Ching-te-chen T'^ao lu, as well as a bird's-eye view of the Yli ch'i ch'ang, the imperial manufactory. I have seen it also penciled in blue upon one of the porcelain slabs of a

I

282 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

large screen, with the impeiial porcelain manufactory in the middle, encircled by a number of scattered kilns vomiting flames and smoke from their wide chimneys.

Pere d'Entrecolles writes in his first letter,* dated Jao-chou, September 1, 1712 : " The sojourn that I make from time to time at King-te-tching, for the spiritual needs of my converts, has afforded me an opportunity of learning the way they make there that beautiful porce- lain which is so highly esteemed, and which is exported to all parts of the world. Besides what I have myself seen, I have gathered many particidars from the Chris- tians, among whom there are several who work in porce- lain, and from others engaged in its commerce on a large scale. I have assured myself of the truth of their replies- by a constant reference to Chinese books treating upon the subject, more especially the annals of Feou-leam^ the fourth volume of which contains an article on porcelain,

" King-te-tching, which is a dependency of Feou-leam^ is hardly more than a good league distant from it, and this last city is under the jurisdiction of Jao-tcheou. The annals do not tell us who was the inventor of porce- lain, nor refer to ^vhat experiments or to what happy chance the invention is due. They only say that in ancient times the porcelain was exquisitely white and free from any fault, and that the articles that were made of it and transported to other kingdoms were called 'precious jewels of Jao-tcheou.' Lower down they add r ' The beautiful porcelain of a vivid brilliant white and of a fine sky-blue is all produced at King-te-tching ; that made in other places differs widely both in color and quality.^

" In fact, without speaking of the works of pottery which are made everywhere throughout China, and which ai'e never called porcelain, there are some prov- inces like Fou-kien and Canton where they work in

* Lettres edifiuntes ct curieuses, xviii, p. 224.

CHING-T:fc-CH]fcN. 283

poi'celain, but straugers can not be deceived with tliese products ; that of Fou-kien is of a snow white ^vllicb has no brilliancy, and which is not decorated with other colors. Workmen from King-te-tching carried there for- mei'ly all their materials, in the hope that they would reap a rich harvest from the Europeans who drive a large trade with Emouy (Amoy), but it Avas all in vain ; they never succeeded there. The reigning emperor (K^iug- hsi), who will io-nore nothino- also brouo-ht workmen in porcelain to Peking, with everything employed by them in the work ; they neglected nothing, in order to succeed under his supervision, yet all their labor was wasted. It is possible that interested motives may have contributed to their want of success ; however that may be, it is Kino;-te-tchino; alone which has the honor of furnishino; porcelain for all parts of the Avorld. Even Japan comes to buy it in China.

" King-te-tching only needs to be suiTounded by walls to be called a city, and even to be compared with the largest and most populous cities of China. The places called telling {clieii), which are few in number, but dis- tinguished by a large traffic and trade, are not usually walled — perhaps in order that they may grow without hindrance, perhaps to facilitate embarking and disem- barkinoj merchandise. Kinof-te-tchins; is estimated to contain eighteen thousand households, but some of the large merchants have premises of vast extent, lodging a prodigious multitude of workmen, so that the population is said to number over a million souls, who consume daily over ten thousand loads of rice and more than a thousand hosrs. It extends for more than a leao'ue alons: the bank of a fine river. It is not, as you might imagine, an indiscriminate mass of houses ; the streets are straight as a line and cross at reoular intervals ; everv inch of ground is occupied, so that the houses are too crowded

284 ORIENTAL CERAjVIIC AET.

and the streets far too narrow ; when passing along you seem to be in the midst of a fair, and hear nothing but the cries of the street porters trying to force their way through.

" Living is much more expensive at King-te-tching than at Jao-tcheou, because everything consumed there has to be brought from elsewhere, even the wood burned in the furnaces. Nevertheless, it is an asylum for num- berless poor families, who can not subsist in the neigh- boring towns, and employment is found tliere for the vouns: as well as for the less robust ; even the blind and maimed can make a living by grinding colors. In ancient times, according to the history of Feou-leam^ there were only three hundred porcelain furnaces at Kinof-te-tchino: — now there are at least three thousand. Fires are of frequent occurrence, and the god of fire has many temples, one of which has been recently dedicated by the present mandarin. Not long ago eight hundred houses were burned, but the large profits their owners drew from their rental caused their speedy reconstruction.

" The town is situated in a plain surrounded by high mountains. The hill to the 6ast forms a kind of semi- circle in the background, while from the mountains at the sides issue two rivers, which unite afterward r one is but small; the other is very large, and forms a splendid strand more than a league long, spreading into a wide basin and losing much of its velocity. This wide space may be seen sometimes filled with two or three long lines of boats, moored close together. The sight with which one is greeted on entering through one of the 2;oro;es consists of volumes of smoke and flame ris- ing in different places, so as to define all the outlines of the town ; approaching at nightfall, the scene reminds one of a burning city in flames, or of a huge furnace with many vent-holes.

CHING-T:6-CIl]fcN. 285

" It is surprising tliat such a populous place, full of such riches, and Avith an infinite number of boats coming and going every day, and which has no walls that can be closed at night, should, nevertheless, be governed by a single mandarin, without the least dis- order. It must be allowed that the j^olicing is ad- mirable ; each street has one or more chiefs, according to its length, and each chief has ten subordinates, every one of whom is responsible for ten houses. They must keep order, under pain of the bastinado, which is here admin- istered liberally. The streets have barricades, which are closed at night, and opened by the watchman only to those who have the password. The mandarin of the place makes frequent rounds, and he is accompanied occasionally by mandarins from Feou-leam. Sti-angers ai-e hardly permitted to sleep there ; they must either spend the night in their boats or lodge Avith acquaint- ances, who become responsible for their conduct.

" They tell me that a piece of porcelain, when it comes out from the kiln, has passed through the hands of seventy workmen, and I can Avell believe it, from what I myself have seen; as their huge workshops have often been for me a kind of Areopagus, when I have pro- claimed Him who created the first man out of clay, and from whose hands we proceed to become vessels, either of glory or of shame.

" The boats come constantly down the river, laden with petuntse and haollii which have to be purified by decan- tation, leaving an abundant residuum, which gradually accumulates into large heaps. The clay seggars in the three thousand furnaces last only twice or thi-ee times, and very often the whole baking is lost. Some of this debris is utilized to fill in the walls which surround all the houses, or is carried to the swampy ground adjoin- ing the river, to make it fit for a market-place, and

286 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

ultimately for building, for wliicli new ground is always wanted. Besides, in the flood time, the river carries down mucli broken porcelain, so that its bed is, so to speak, entirely packed with it, making a refreshing sight for the eyes.

"The mountains all around are covered with tombs; at the foot of one of these is a very large pit encircled by high walls, in which they throw the bodies of the poor who have no money to buy coffins, which is con- sidered the greatest of misfortunes ; this place is called oiian min hem — that is, ' Pit for the Myriad People '; in the times of plague, which i-avages almost every year, the huge pit ingulfs heaps of corpses, which are covered with quicklime to consume the flesh. The bonzes, at the end of the year, come to carry away the bones to make room for juore, and burn them with a kind of funeral service which they celebrate for the unhappy dead."

The worthy father mentions the Roman Catholic Church, established by the liberality of the Marquis de Broissia, but he does not allude to the imperial porcelain manufactory, which occupies such a prominent place in all the native descriptions and maps. Perhaps it was not in active operation at the time; it was not till four years after the date of his second letter (January 25, 1722) that a new imperial commissioner, Nien Hsi-yao, was appointed superintendent, after a long interval, during which the work was intrusted to the local officials.

The level of the little plain is broken at one point toward the south by a small hill, where, as tradition relates, a general of Ch'iu Shih-huang, the builder of the Great Wall of China, once tethered his horses, and it derived its original name from this ; it was afterward called Tu Shan, ''The Solitary Hill," and Chu Shan,

CHING-T]fc-CH:fcN. 287

^' Jewel Hill," the jewel being guarded, according to geomantic notions, by the dragons of the encircling mountain belt. The Yii Yao Ch'ang, " Imperial Por- celain Manufactory," also called Yii Ch'i Ch'ang, was founded on the south side of this hillock in the reign of Hmig-wii (1368-98), the celebrated founder of the Ming dynasty. The annals say : " Tuan T'ing-kuei, style Pao-ch'i, a native of Ch'ing-ch'iian, who Avas sent by the Empei'or Hvng-iov^ with the rank of Secretary of the Board of AVorks, to superintend the porcelain manu- facture, built the yamen on the south of Jewel Hill, in spite of the vigorous protests of the natives of Ching-te- chen, who objected to being called upon to do any work outside of their own industry." It was afterward burned down, and it was i-ebuilt in the reign of Cheng-te (1506-21) on its present lines. In the be- ginning of the reign of Wan-Ii (1573-1619) it was purposely fired by the potters as a protest against the exactions of the palace eunuchs, who, however, were afterward recalled, and eunuchs have never since been put in charge. During the reigning dynasty it has been twice completely razed to the ground : in the fourteenth year of K^ing-lisi (1675), in connection with the revolt of Wu San-kuei ; and in the year 1855, when Ching-te-chen was taken by the Taiping rebels and almost depopulated. Their disastrous rule lasted till the third year of Tung-cluli (1864), and in 1866 the imperial manufactory was rebuilt by the new superin- tendent, Ts'ai Chin-ch'ing, with its seventy-two build- ings, all raised upon the old foundations.

The outer wall, three li (about an English mile) in circuit, incloses the imperial manufactory as well as the Jewel Hill, which forms the '' Guardian Hill " of the place on the north. The hill is planted with trees and covered with pavilions, of which tlie Yii Shih

288 ORIENTAL CERA3IIC ART.

T'ing, '' Imperial Verse Pavilion," and the Huan Ts'ui T'ing, " Green Encircled Arbor," stand conspicuously on the crest of the hill. Volumes of odes have been indited in these summer-houses, inspired by the ring of furnace fires outside, the dark background of hill and water, and the calm sky overhead, as the vei'sifiers have sat there sipping their wine or tea. There are three temples inside the inclosure : the Yu T'ao Ling Ssu, " Sacred Temple of the Protector of the Potteries," con- taining the shrine of the Feng Huo Hsien, the " Genius of the Fire-Blast," a deified potter, the story of whose vicarious sacrifice will be related presently ; the Kuan-Ti Miao, '' Temple of the (National) God of War " ; and the T'u Ti Ssti, " Temple of the Gods of the Land." The residence of the superintendent and his clianceTlerie are also inside ; that of the sub-prefect of Jao-chou, who is the governor of the place, is built just outside on the right of the main entrance ; and the Kung Kuan, the " Public Offices," are also outside on the opposite side of the gate. Inside this great southern gateway stand the drum-tower and gong-tower, one on either side of the avenue leading to the Ta T'ang, the " Principal Hall," which has wings at the sides. Beyond the great hall one comes to a square courtyard Avith rows of buildings on the right and left for the secretaries, accountants, and attendants, and there is another large hall at the back, behind which are the pleasure-grounds and the Jewel Hill already referred to.

The workshops and stores are on the east and west, out- side the courtyard ; and the modern arrangement, since the place was rebuilt in 1866, is the following: On the eastei'n side are two large buildings, each containing six workshops for the making of the yuan clti, the ordinary "round ware" thrown upon the wheel, including dishes, plates, bowls, cups, and such things ; and beyond these,

CHiNG-T:fe-cn]fc]sr. 289

farther east, seven workshops for decorating the pieces in blue and white (chHng hud). On the western side of the courtyard are three workshops for the artists Avho decorate in colors (ts'ai huct), and another one attached for the carvers of jade and bamboo ; the imperial por- celain store (tz'it Icii), with two separate rooms for the selection of the pieces (Jisiian tz^u) when they are brought from the kilns ; three workshops for the making of vases (cho chJi) fashioned on the wheel, including sacrificial vessels, jars, and ornamental pieces of all kinds ; and five workshoj^s for the various operations of molding, carving, and polishing required in the preparation of the square and pol^^gonal vases, and all the complex forms that can not be worked upon the ordinary wheel. Beyond these, farther west, are six workshops for the decoration of the vases and molded pieces in blue and wdiite — three for the application of the glaze, one for grinding the colors used for the CTiun yu^ the reproduction of the old Chiin-chou porcelain ^vith a soiiffie glaze, which is commonly known outside China as " i-obin's egg." Next come three labora- tories with muffle-kilns (lit) for the second firing of the pieces decorated in enamel colors, which have two kitchens attached for the prepai'ation of the workmen's food ; and, finally, seven workshops for the porcelain decorated over the white glaze in foreign style with enamel colors {yang ts\ii), for the sou-ffie red {cKui hung), the monochrome glaze of the grand feu derived from coj^per, and for the monochrome }^ellow (Chiao huatig) glaze usually known as "imperial yellow." A list of the objects made in these workshops for the imperial palace in the reign of Thing-cliih will be given in a later chapter, and will give a better idea of the Avork than any mere description.

There is no mention of furnaces in the official account, with the exception of muffle stoves for the second firing

290 ORIENTAL CERAJVIIC ART.

of the enameled pieces. In tlie Ming dynasty, as we have seen, the imperial factory contained furnaces for the clay seggars, and sejjarate furnaces for blue and white porcelain, for colored porcelain, and for tlie large fish- bowls. The last of the fish-bowl kilns (hang yao\ \ve are told by T'ang Ying, fell down in the reign of ChHen-lung and was not rebuilt. In the present day everything is carried outside to be baked in private furnaces, and all the imperial ware is taken to the establishments called j96fO cliuing^ because they guarantee the color of each firing, and are mulcted accordingly for any loss or imperfection.

The furnaces employed for firing porcelain vary widely both in size and shape. They maj^ be grouped generally, according to M. Vogt {La Porcelaine, page 178), under the three following types :

1. The cylindrical furnace, with direct flame and verti- cal axis.

2. The cylindrical furnace, with reversed flame and vertical axis.

3. The semi-cylindrical furnace, with direct flame and horizontal axis.

The first type is that of the furnaces of the Ming dynasty in China. They were sometimes built upon a rising slope in a row of five or six communicating cylinders, and this is still the ordinary form in Japan. The second type is a recent European invention for the purpose of economizing fuel and producing a greater regularity in its combustion. The third type is that of the Chinese furnace of the present day ; it was formerly also employed in Europe for porcelain, but is now scarcely used there, except for stoneware. Its irregular- ity fits it all the more for the purpose required. Perfect regularity is essential, according to M. Vogt, for the manufacture of ordinary white porcelain, but not suit-

cHiNG-T:fc-CH]&]sr. 291

able for the production of colors Avbicli require different kinds of flame to bring out the different degrees of oxidation or deoxidation required. The colors that resist the heat of the blast-furnace are divided scientif- ically by French ceramic ^vriters into coideurs du grand feu and eouleurs du demi-grand feu ; but in China both of these two classes are fired together in the same charge, the latter being placed neai* the back of the furnace under the large vent-hole that communicates Avith the chimney, where the heat is less intense than it is in the middle of the furnace. " So the Chinese " (Joe. cit., page 188), "whose porcelain is so diversified, employ a methodically irregular furnace which alloAvs them to execute, in the same firing, all the fantasies inspii'ed by their special genius as accomplished porcelainiers. They are able, in fact, in one operation, thanks to the irregu- larity of their furnace, to fire successfully the crackles, which are of difficult fusibility, the fambe reds and the celadons, which I'equire reducing flames, the blue under the o'laze, the blacks which fuse so readily, as well as the series of turquoise, green, yellow, and violet enamels ; while in Europe, with our furnaces of i-egular type, three or four different firings would be required to obtain the same results."

AVe are indebted for a sketch of one of the large modern fui'naces to M. F. Scherzer, who, when he was French consul at Hankow, spent three weeks at Ching-te-chen in 1883 studying the porcelain manufacture. It must have been no easy task, as he wrote to me at the time that he could hardly venture to look out of his close sedan-chair without being pelted with potsherds by the unruly potters. His plans, with vertical and horizontal sections, are copied in the book just quoted (page 189), and accompanied by a full description. The Chinese furnace contains the three essential parts of such struc-

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tures — viz., the fire, the laboratory, and the cLimney. The fire, however, is not outside the furnace, as is usually the case ; it is actually inside the laboratory, in such a way that combustion is effected in the midst of the objects that are being fired, without any loss of heat. The laboratory, which is rectangular in shape, passes above into a vaulted roof of cylindrical outline. The rectangular portion below is incased in a massive tliick- ness of earth ; the vaulted cylindrical roof is free. Out- side the furnace there are staircases on both sides, by which the firemen go up to the top of the massive earth casing to watch the effect of the fire, looking through apertures in the roof intended for the pui'pose which are covered at other times with movable tiles. The dimensions, according to M. Scherzer, are larger now than they were in the time of Pere d'Entrecolles, the height being as much as five metres, the length twice as much, or ten metres, and the breadth three and a half metres. In 1722 the height was three and a half metres, the length double the lieight, and the breadth equal to the height. Pine-wood in billets is the ordinary fuel used in China. The lai-g^e trunks of the trees are floated down the I'iver as rafts, tlie smaller branches beins; brought down in Ijoats. The bundles, or " loads," so often referred to in Chinese descriptions, are made to weigh one hundred catties, or one hundred and thirty- three pounds, and about two hundred of these "loads" are stated to be required for each firing.

CHAPTER X.

ANEW dynasty of Tartar origiu began to rule China under the title of Ch'ing, or " Pure," in the year 1644, after the last emperor of the Ming or " Illustrious " dynasty had hanged himself upon a tree on Prospect Hill, in the grounds of the palace at Peking. The young emperor, still a minor, was enthroned with the title of Shun-cMlij and his rule was gradually extended over the south of China ; the Chinese general, Wu San- kuei, who had first invited the Manchus into the country to assist in putting down a native rebellion, being made viceroy of the provinces of Yunnan and Kueichou in the far southwest.

The new officials of the province of Kiangsi were all at their posts in the second year, and, according to the annals of the province, the director of the imperial por- celain factory at Ching-te-chen and the other officers there were appointed with the same duties and titles as in the Ming dynasty, and continued to carry on the work in similar lines. The mark of the first reign of the new dynasty is veiy i-are, and the poi'celain that bears it is hardly to be distinguished from that of the later reigns of the Ming d3aiasty. Doubtless, supplies were forwarded to Peking for the use of the palace, but the only notices of the appointment of commissioners are in connection with requisitions which they fail to execute.

The first record is that of an imperial decree in the eleventh year of the reign of Shun-cliih (1654), order-

293

294 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

ing the fabrication of a uiiinber of " dragon bowls " (Jung hang) for the palace gardens, which were to be two and a half feet high, three and a half feet in diame- ter at the mouth, with sides of the thickness of three inches, and bottoms of the thickness of five inches. For four years they worked diligently under the orders of four tao-fai, who were specially appointed in yearly suc- cession from Jao-chou, and under the personal super- vision of the governors of the province Lang T'ing-tso and Chang Chao-lin, 1jut their efforts were in vain, and the last named, who was governor from 1656 to 1664^ had finally to present a memorial begging for the with- drawal of the decree.

Tlie dragon bowls required were the large fish-bowls wliich are usually placed upon stands in the courtyards of Chinese houses, and which are used for the cultiva- tion of the lotus and other water-plants, as well as for goldfish. They were called lung hang, or " dragon bowls," because they were usually decorated with dragons, although other decorations also occur. The author of the Climg-te-clien T\io lu gives among the designs the following :

" Bo\vls painted in blue with a pair of dragons in clouds, surrounded by conventional paradise flowers ; bowls painted in blue with a pair of dragons enveloped in clouds ; some painted in blue with dragons in clouds and with bands of lotus petals ; others painted in blue with four dragons in a ring sporting above a floor of sea- waves ; also bowls of pea-green celadon color." The two which stand in ni}^ own garden, in the British lega» tion at Peking, and which are both marked Ta Ming Wan U nien cliili in underglaze blue, are decorated in bright enamel colors ; one, which is twenty-seven inches high and twenty-five inches in diameter at the rim, has four five-clawed dragons, enveloped in clouds,

295

paiuted ' round the sides, a baud of wav^es beating upon rocks at the base, and scroll borders aljove and below ; the other, of the same diameter, but only one foot high is decorated with mandarin ducks swimming in a lake, with lotus flowers o:ro^viuo• in the water. The larwst dragon bowls were fired in special furnaces, as described in Chapter VIII, one at a time, with an expenditure of over seven tons' weight of fuel, and cost at the time forty-eight taels of silver each.

It was not, by the way, till the early part of the reign of CliHen-lung, under the direction of T'ang Ying, that such large porcelain fish-bowls were successfully fired once more. They were produced by him, according to the provincial statistics, with mouths ranging in diameter from three and a half to four feet, and sides from one and three-fourths to two feet in height, and invested with colored glazes of three kinds : (1) Eel's-skin yellow (shaii-yii liuang), (2) cucumber-green {hua-pH lii), (3) spotted yellow and green {liuang lu tieii). The fish- bowls {ijil Icang) of the K\ing-hsi period, though smaller, are occasionally very richly decorated in colors; they are generally catalogued in Europe as "cisterns."

In the sixteenth year of Sliiui-cluh (1659) another imperial decree was issued, ordering from Ching-te-chen the supply of a quantity of oblong plaques of porcelain for inlaying on the partition walls of o2:)en verandas, which were to be three feet high, two and a half feet broad, and three inches thick. A commission was sent down f]-om the Boai'd of Works, with a high Manchu official named Ka-pa as president, and Wang Jih-tsao as secretarv, who were associated with the provincial tao-fai Chang Ssti-ming, and proceeded to Ching-te-chen to superintend the Avork, but they also failed, and in the following year the Governor of Kiangsi, Chang Chaolin, memorialized the emperor to stop the work.

296 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

The task must really have been more difficult than that of the large fish-bowls, of which Pere d'Entrecolles asserts that over two hundred ^vere fired without a single success, for lie says later in the same letter (loc. cit., \)o.ge 282) : " European merchants demand some- times from the Chinese workmen plaques of porcelain, of which one piece shall make the top of a table or of a stove, as well as frames for pictures : these things are impossible ; the largest and longest plaques made meas- ure only about a foot, and if an attempt is made to pass that, whatever thickness may be given, they become warped. Thickness, in fact, does not facilitate the exe- cution of these works, and this is why, instead of making the plaques thick, they are made with two faces united inside by cross-pieces so as to leave the inter- spaces hollow. Two openings are left in the sides so that they may be mounted in woodwork or inlaid in the backs of chairs, where they show very prettily." The plaques referred to here are, indeed, sometimes very effective, being decorated in the brilliant enamels of the period and enhanced by gilding. They are either rec- tagonal or circular in outline, and are usually decorated with figure-scenes of dramatic or historic interest on one side, and with birds and flowers on the other. Perfect examples, however, are rare, because the Chinese so often saw them in two with the jade-cutter's wheel, and frame the two sides as companion pictures, adapted either for hanging on the wall or for standing on the table, mounted upon coral pedestals in the usual fashion.

The reign of Shun-cJiih may, in fact, be entirely neglected from a ceramic point of view, and we may pass on at once to that of his successor, K''ang-lisi (1662-1722), which is unquestionably the most brilliant epoch in the ceramic art of China, and is distinguished by the purity and brilliancy of its single colors, as well

THE k'ang-hsi period. 297

as for tlie splendid coloriug and perfect technical tinisli of its painted decoration. The special trinni[)hs of the ceramic art which have excited the enthusiastic admira- tion of ardent collectors in the West, as well as in China, are nearly all the productions of this one period. It is sufficient to mention the magnificent sang-de-hoeuf red of the Lang Yao vases, the charming play of colors and perfect technique of the "peach-bloom class," and the soft purity of the claii'-de-lune and celadon glazes — all of which are well represented in the colored illustrations. The decorative effect of co])alt-blue is brou2:ht out of the dejoths of the translucent white glaze of the time in a way that has not been rivaled before or since. The coloring material was blown upon the raw body of the vase, and either left as its sole ornament, as in Plate XCIII, or penciled over the surface with designs of gold, or combined Avith enamel colors, as in Plate XXVI, or it Avas mixed with the glaze, as in the sky-blue bottle illustrated in Plate LXXIV; it was painted on with a brush in the large class of " blue and white," which also has its enthusiastic admirers, appearing as blue upon a white ground, as in the graceful vase shown in Plate LXXIII, or as a blue ground with the decora- tion in white reserve, as in the fascinating " hawthorne " ginger-jars, of which a choice example is reproduced in Plate II. The wonderful variety of the decoration in colors is just as remarkable ; the five colors of the Chinese — blue, green, yellow, red, and black — appearing on the same piece in bi'illiant contrast, sometimes relieved by black, yellow, purple, or green grounds, sometimes enhanced by touches of gold. Green in shaded tones occupies a conspicuous j^lace among the characteristic colors of this period, and the term of famille verte, introduced by Jacquemart, had its origin therein.

298 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

It was in the reign of K\iiig-lisi that Chinese porcelain was first imported on a large scale into Europe. Previ- ous importations had been confined mainly to celadon and blue and white. The Dutch were the chief importers through their East India Company, and we read of cargoes containing many thousands of pieces. These must have been mainly, if not entirely, composed of porcelain made at the time ; the merchants of Canton^ Amoy, and Foochow being in constant communication with Ching-te-chen, as we know from Chinese accounts. So ^ve find most of the early European collections, like that of the museum at Dresden, consisting almost exclu- sively of productions of this time. The great majority of the objects in more recent collections also date from the reign of K\ing-lisi^ partly because they were recruited from Holland and Germany, but principally because of the pre-eminent artistic value of the ceramic ^vork of the time, which causes it still to be sought out from all parts of China.

The " marks " of this period, as was explained in Chap- ter IV, are rarely genuine. It may be held genei'ally, a& Sir Wollaston Franks observes, that little reliance can be placed upon Chinese marks ; the specimens, as he remarks, are at any rate not older than the dates on them, but may be much more modern. A visit to the commonest crockery shop in China will confirm this ; the blue and white pieces will generally be found marked Hsuan-te, and those enameled in colors CKeng-hua, because these two i-eigus of the Ming dynasty had a great reputation for these two branches of decorations; the larger vases and Jars provided for wedding-presents ^vill probably have seals of the reigns of K'^ang-lisi or CWien-lung inscribed underneath ; as the shops are not kept by curio dealers, nobody is taken in ; it is simply a custom of the trade. So it was with the K''ang-lisi

THE k'ang-hsi period. 299

potters, who were woDt to inscribe a Ming mark like that of ChictrcMng on the blue and white vase shown in Plate LXXIII, or of Cli'eng-hua, as on the white vase, with etched dragon of Plate XXXIX ; or to fly at higher game still and suggest the reign of Hsilan-lio of the Sung •dynasty, although the charming effect of their chiseled work under a translucent glaze, as indicated in Plate XC, approached probably that of carved ^vhite jade more nearly than any production of the more remote period tliey inscribed underneath.

Early writers on ceramic subjects in Europe were inclined to accept such marks of date as genuine ; later authorities, with greater plausibility, regard them as indicating copies or reproductions of porcelain actually made at the particular period inscribed. I am not pre- pared to go even so far as that. M. Grandidier, for example, writes (Joe. cit., page 154) : "The epoch Tching- hoa has bequeathed to us a series of grand vases which will always find fi'antic admirers, and Avhich are worthy of their great reputation on account of the boldness of the decoration and the intensity of the colors. Those of the shape called 'lancella' are composed of' a jar sur- mounted by a trumpet-mouthed beaker ; others are quadrangular or ovoid; some have the form of a straight beaker, of a square baluster or of a rounded baluster; the group includes besides some statuettes of divinities. The grounds display three principal shades — yellow, dark green approaching black, and clear, limpid green. The ■decorations comprise rocks in different tones of green, trunks of trees and branches in manganese-violet, plants, flowers, or animals in white, blue, yellow, green, or violet. Figures are more I'are at this epoch, and occupy a sub- ordinate place in the composition. This fabrication did not cease with the fall of the Ming, and many of the pieces attributed to the Ming period came out of the

300

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Chinese workshops of the fiist years of Khang-hi. The Salting collection in London contains such vases, seventy centimetres high, with a ground of blackish green^ yellow, or green, which are ornamented with green rocks, Avith branches of peach-tree laden with white flowers, Avith flowering sprays of peonies, magnolias, water-lilies, sno^vy hydrangeas, etc., which are marked Tching-hoa. Of the similar pieces in my own collection, . . , althoiiiz;!! some were fabricated under Tchinfj-hoa, the majority are only superb re])roductions executed during the flrst years of Khang-hi. Their marks, apocryphal as they are, are yet a precious means of instruction, in that they giv6 us the date of the primitive type." Again (page 166): "The early Khang-hi period is a transition epoch ; the traditions of the old Chinese dynasty are still honored. The ancient principles and the old methods,, preserved with great pains during forty years of civil war, are perpetuated in the ceramic field, and flower for the last time during the first ten or fifteen years of Khang-hi. So the specimens have not yet quitted the livery of the Ming, the brilliant livery of that brilliant dynasty, an'd proclaim proudly, by their beauty, the prog- ress achieved under the earlier reign ; they bear the Ming decorations, whether they be simple copies, or whether they be vei'itable originals, inspired by more ancient works."

For examples of the type referi-ed to in the above quo- tations turn to Plate LV for an illusti'ation of a wine-pot decorated in colors on a white ground, and to Plate IX for that of a quadrangular vase painted in enamel colors relieved by an enameled black ground. There are few collectors, I believe, outside of China, who do not cherish these things as relics of the Ming d^masty ; there is no Chinese connoisseur, on the other hand, who would not attribute them all to the reign of IPang-ltsi. The end

THE k'aNG-IISI PERIOD. 301

of the Mi n^ dyu'dsty was au age of criticism, and we have a host of writers on ceramic subjects, but not one of them refers to such large vases as existing in the reign of Clteng-litia; had they existed at such an early date they could hardly have been overlooked. Kor are there any figured in the illustrated album of the sixteenth century which has been described in Chapter Y, although it gives a wine-pot and several wine-cups of the period decorated in colors. The expert confesses the difficulty of distin- guishing between an original Oli'eng-ltua piece and a K\mg-]isi copy, and I ^vould, with all deference, propose that they shall all he classed as K^ang-Jisi productions until proofs of antiquity any better than those of archaic style and ancient mark be brought forward.

In the beginning of the reign of K^mg-hsi, Lang T'ing-tso w^as still viceroy. In the preceding reign w^e found him mentioned as personall}^ supervising the w^ork of the imperial potters at Ching-te-chen. He was appointed governor (Jisiln-fu) of the province of Kiangsi in 1654, and was promoted to be viceroy (tsung-tii) of Kiangsi and Kiangnan in 1656. In the last year of the reign of Shun-cJiili the viceroyalty was divided : Lang T'ing-tso remained the tsiing-tu of Kiangnan, and Chang Chao-lin was promoted to be tsung-tti of Kiangsi. The provinces were reunited in the fourth year of K\ing-lisi (1665), with Lang T'ing-tso as viceroy, and he retained the post till 1668, when he was succeeded by j\Ia-lo-chi, a Mauchu of the Yellow Banner. I have given these particulars of the career of the celebrated viceroy, w^ho was a Chinese native of the northern boi-der and an early adherent of the invading Manchus, because the name Lang Yao,* applied to the remarkable ceramic

*This name has been derived by some Chinese of less weight from that of Lang Shih-ning, an artist protege of the Jesuits, who also lived in the reign of K'(ing-hsi, and whose pictures are still highly appreciated. A note following

302 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART,

productions of this time, is generally supposed by the most competent Chinese authorities to have been derived from him. Yao in its widest sense means "pottery," as well as " potteries," " porcelain " as well as " kiln," and the ceramic production of this time has retained the name of the viceroy, in the same way as the names of Ts'ang Yiug-hsiian, Nien Hsi-yao, and T'ang Ying, who were in turn superintendents of the imperial potteries, were after- ward given to the Ts^ang Yao, Nien Yao, and Thing Yao, names which the respective productions of their times retain to this day.

The Lang Yao 'par excellence is characterized by a rich, deep glaze of crackled texture imbued with the crimson mottled clouds of blood-red tone, which have earned for it the name of sang-de-hmif, by which it is generally known. The color is not uniform, but flashes in streaks of varied shade produced by the action of the furnace flames on the copper silicate to which the color is due. It is more homogeneous, however, than i\\e famhe reds of later times which, in common parlance, share with it the name of sang-de-hoenf. Sometimes a quite modern piece of cJd hung, or "saci'ificial i-ed," so-called because, like the Lang Yao itself, it was made after the color of the ancient sacriflcial cups of the reign of Hsi'ian-te, will appear accidentally, as it were, clothed in a rich garb rivaling iu intensity that of the finest Lang Yao vase. An intentional imitation, although it may approach

the description of a bottle in the Franks Collection (loc. cit., page 8), " covered with a deep but brilliant red glaze," says: " This specimen is from Mr. A. B. Mitford's collection, and is thus described in the catalogue : ' A bottle : Lang yno-lze, porcelain from the Lang furnace. The Lang family were a family of famous potters who possessed the secret of this peculiar glaze and paste. They became extinct about tlie year 1610; and their pottery is highly esteemed and fetches great prices at Peking.' " The family is apocryphal and the porcelain antedated, but the story is generally accepted by later writers, like M. Grandi- dier, who gives it (page 160) under the reign of Wan-li, without, however, acknowledging the source of his information.

THE k'ang-hsi period. 303

in brilliancy of tone the rich coloring of the original, always fails in some point of technical detail. The color requires perfect fluidity of the enamel to bring it out in perfection — a condition which the modern potter can not attain without the glaze " running," so that it becomes very thin on the upper rim, which often appears nearly w^hite, and runs down to collect in thick drops round the foot, which has to be subsequently gi'ound down on the w^heel. All attempts to reproduce this beautiful color in the AVest have also failed, principally, it is said, because it is so difficult to seize the exact moment, a few seconds more or less in the duration of the firing being sufficient to ruin the beauty of the fugitive tint.

The principal means of distinguishing the veritable Lang Yao consists in the perfect potting of the piece, evidenced by the mathematical regularity of the white line of enamel which often defines the rim and the condi- tion of the foot, as ^vell as in the tone of coloring in the crackled glaze. The condition of the foot is always a special criterion to tlie Chinese connoisseur, who looks especially at the paste when it is left unglazed round the circular rim, to distinguish the pi'oductions of different periods. The bottoms of these vases are described as exhibiting glazes of three kinds, having ping-huo ti, " bases of apple-green (crackle)," 'ini-se ti, " bases of rice- colored (crackle)," or ixn-tz^u ti, " bases of plain \vhite porcelain."

If the piece be entirely green, it is a specimen of Lil Lang Yao, or "Green Lang Yao." This is always crackled ; it is of a unifoi-m apple-green {2^''ing-Jciio cJi^mg) shade, paler than that of the brilliant green monochromes which distinguish the later part of the reign ; the rims are defined by a line of translucent white enamel, and the technique is that of the ordinary Lang Yao ; the rare pieces that I have seen are small in size. The color has

304 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

been called a co})per celadon, but it is better, I think, to restrict the term celadon to the sea-green tint produced by a protoxide of iron.

In addition to the magnificent vases and censers of sang-de-hcei(f, we have a variety of miscellaneous articles^ intended for domestic use, such as saucer-shaped dishes^ basins, bo\vls, tazza-shaped cups, and the like, and occasionally we even find a round box of the type adapted to hold seal-vermilion, or a small snuff-bottle, representing the class. The glaze, always crackled, varies from an intense blood-red, through intermediate shades of paler hue, till it becomes sometimes almost pink ; in other cases it darkens into a dull maroon, or a liver-colored tint. The bowls are of solid make, heavy-footed, expanding at the mouth to a thin, spreading rim, which is defined by a white line. There is a series of bowds of the same shape as the red bowls, which are decorated generally with birds and flowers, painted in the brilliant enamel colors of the early K\mg-hsi period, Avliich are considei'ed by the Chinese to be productions of the same kilns, and which are also classified by them under the heading of Lang Yao. These bowls are characterized by a deeply crackled glaze of pale greenish tone which is traversed by red lines, and on the surface of this crackle the enamel decoration, boldly designed, is laid on with a free brushy so that the colors, especially the cobalt-blue, stand out in prominent relief. These bowls wo\dd be classed under the heading of *' Green Lang Yao," decorated with enamels.

To return to the annals of the province. In the tenth year of ICang-lisi (1671) the governor was ordered to supply the ritual sets of sacrificial vessels required l^y the emperor in the worship of the different temples at Peking. He dispatched officials from Jao-chou and Fou- liang to Ching-te-chen to superintend the work and see that it was executed in accordance ^\ith the imperial

THE r'ang-hsi period. 305

decree. Tlie sacrificial vessels required were all fabri- cated and successfully fired, the uecessary funds beiug provided on a liberal scale, so that neither money nor materials were levied from the people, and the things were sent on in successive batches to the capital, as soon as they were finished, as required by the decree.

But troubles supervened in connection with the rebellion of Wu San-kuei, the viceroy of Yunnan, who threw off his allegiance to the Manchu empei-or in 1674, and headed the last expiring eiforts of the native Chinese against the rule of the Tartars. The imperial factoiy at Ching-te-chen was burned to the ground in the following year. The death of AVu San-kuei, which occurred in 1678, was followed in a few months by a final triumph of the imperial forces, and the [)rovince of Kiangsi was soon afterward pacified. In the ninth month of the nineteenth year (1680) an imperial decree was issued ordering the production of a quantity of imperial por- celain for the use of the palace, and at the same time a board of commissioners w^as selected from the officials of the Nei Wu Fu, or "Imperial Household," and directed to proceed to Ching-te-chen to superintend the work. The first commission was composed of Hsu T'ing-pi, secretary {Lang-cliiUKj) of the Treasury of the Pi'ivy Purse, and Li Yen-li, an assistant secretary. The second commission, appointed two years later, was headed by Ts'ang Ying-hsuan, secretary of the Imperial Parks Department of the Board of Works, who is stated to have arrived at Ching-te-chen in the second month of the twenty-second year (1683), and who at once took over the superintendence of the imperial manufactory. AVe are not told how long he remained in charge. After his time the work was carried on by the provincial officials, as there seems to have been no appointment of another imperial commission till the next reiun.

306 ORIENTAL CERA3IIC ART.

To Ts'ano; Yiiify-lisuan is due the brilliaut renaissance of the ceramic art in China which distinguishes the reign of K^ang-lm. T'ang Ying, who ultimately succeeded to the office, in his Life of the God of tlte Furnace Blast, bears testimony to his genius when he writes : " When Ts'ang was director of the porcelain works the finger of the god was often seen in the midst of the furnace fire, either painting the designs or shielding them from harm, so that the porcelain came out perfect and beautiful." The writer of the Ohing-te-clien T^ao-lu says, in his description of the Ts'ang Yao, that the porcelain made by him was of fine rich material and thin translucent texture, that all the different colors were produced, and that among them the four most beautiful colors were the snake-skin gi'een with iridescent hues, the eel-skin yellow of brownish shade, the turquoise-blue, and the varie- gated yelloAV, although the monochrome yellow, the monochrome purple, and the monochrome green glazes, as well as the sovfjfe I'ed and the sovffie blue, were all remarkably fine. He adds that all these different glazes were copied afterward by T'ang Ying. AVe may add that the peculiar brilliancy of these well-known K\tng- Jisi colors is inimitable.

The porcelain was still called by the old name of Kuan Yao, or " imperial ware," to distinguish it from the productions of the private potters. Among the things sent to the palace, according to the official list, were fish-ljowls (Jcaiuf), flower-pots (^jien^ basins (//^V), round dishes (^2^\t)i), beaker-shaped vases (^fstin), censers (Ju), vases (p^wf), jars with covers (kiian), saucer-plates (tieli), bowls (loari), teacups and wine-cups (chung, clian). The decorative designs used included fabulous dragons enveloped in clouds, birds, and four-footed beasts, fishes swimming in watei' green with moss, and flowering plants of all kinds. The porcelain was either painted in colors,

THE k'aNG-IISI PERIOD. 307

or chiseled in relief, or faintly engraved under the glaze, or carved in open-work : all these different processes are declared to have been cleverly executed in the imperial workshops at this period.

Another famous glaze appeared in this reign which challenges the supreme position genei'ally accorded by lovers of the ceramic art to the Lang Yao sang-de-hoeuf. I refer, of course, to the " peach-bloom " {pemi-de-pecJie) also called sometimes '' crushed strawberry " (^f raise ecrasee), which is another example of the decorative power of the same protean color, being due to a for- tuitous mingling of the silicates of copper. Although not so intense and brilliant as the sang-de-lceuf, it has a special charm of its own in its soft, velvety tones, Avhich remind one of the coloring of the rind of a peach ripening in the sun. The prevailing shade is a pale red, becoming pink in some parts, in others mottled with russet spots, displayed upon a background of light- green celadon tint. The last color occasionally comes out more prominently and deej)ens into clouds of bright apple-green tint. The varied shades of color are well represented in the illustrations, as will be appreciated by reference to Plates III, LI (a), LII, and L. The vases illustrated here are all marked in full, under- neath, with the " six-character mark '' of the reign, beautifully written in a minute script, ^vhich is penciled under the glaze in cobalt-blue.

The Chinese prize the subdued beauty of this glaze above all others for the decoration of their writing-tables, and most of the objects originally adapted for this pur- pose are of comparatively small size. They call it by the special name oi jjing-h^io hung^ or '^ apple-red," and they distinguish also the accessory ping-kuo cliing, or "apple-green" clouds, and the inei l^uei tzu, or "rose- crimson " mottled spots. This comparison with the

308 ORIENTAL CEEAMIC ART.

mingled red and green shades of a rosy-cheeked apple is apt enough, especially as the same idea is often brought out in the form of the object; two favorite designs, for example, of the little water-bottles intended to be used with the writer's pallet are \\\^ iHng-huo tsun, or " apple- jar," which is molded as an exact facsimile in size and shape of the fruit, and its fellow, the sliih-Uu tsun, or " pomegranate-jar " ; I have seen these two shapes only in China. Another native name for this ^' peach -Ijlooni " glaze, which is the one that is commonly used by the Chinese dealer, is cliiang-tou htmg. This might be rendered " haricot-red," the cliiang-tou being a small kidney-shaped bean of variegated pink color with brown spots, largely cultivated at Peking and other parts of China, the DoUchos sinensis of botanists.

Among the other specimens of the peach-bloom class in the collection are (Fig. 188) a small water receptacle for the writing-table modeled in the traditional form of the wine-jar of Li T'ai-po, the famous poet of the eighth century, from which it derives its name of T^ai-'po tsun; and Fig. 198, a circular box for the vermilion used for impressing seals, another indispensable adjunct of the \vriting-table of the Chinese scholar. Fig. 202 shows a vase similar in form to the one illustrated in Plate LII, which has been mounted in Japan. Fig. 201 is a pilgrim bottle \vith a copper- red glaze of " peach-bloom " type, which differs from the rest in being unmarked.

There is one class of these vases in which the base of the neck is encircled by the form of an archaic dragon, modeled in full under-cut relief, which is enameled with a bright apple-green glaze of uniform tint, contrasting vividly, as a complementary color, with the red shades of the vase. Fig. 209 exhibits one of these dragon-encircled bottles which has the usual mark inscribed on the foot underneath.

309

The last piece to be noticed here is a little bowl- shaped wine-cup of egg-shell texture invested, inside and out, with a " peach-bloom " glaze displaying all the typical tints (Fig. 210). The mark underneath is that of the reign of Hman-tt of the Ming dynasty, but tlie perfection of the technique and the character of the glaze indicate the ICang-hsi period, and the mark would perhaps be intended to show that the aim of the potter was the reproduction of one of the celebrated ^'sacrificial red wine-cups" of the older reign, which, we know^ were tinted ^vitli the same coloring material.

The first "peach-bloom" vases that reached the United States seem to have come from Peking, out of the famous collection of the hereditary Princes of Yi,* the source also, by the way, of the sixteenth century album that has been so often referred to. The founder of this line of princes was the thirteenth son of the Emperor JCang-lisi T'ang Ying refers to him {Chiang Jisi thing cliili, book xciii, folio 10) as having, in the eighth month of the year 1723, personally announced to him by command of his brother, the Emperoi- Yung- climg, his own (T'ang Ying's) appointment to be director of the imperial potteries, and we may gather from this that the prince was interested in the develop- ment of the ceramic art. After his death the hereditary rank of imperial prince (Ch'in AVang) was conferred upon his descendants, a unique honor, as it is the rule in China for each generation to descend one step in the scale of nobility till they become commoners. His descendant in the fifth generation was the notorious Yi Ch'in Wang, to w^hom the empress-regent sent a silken

*In the Catalogue of the Art Collection formed by the late Mrs. Mary J. Morgan, New York, 1886. it is noted that several of the "peach-blow or crushed-strawberry vases" came " from the private collection of I Wang-ye, a Mandarin prince," which must be the one I refer to. Wang Teh is " Prince " in colloquial Pekingese, and Yi is sometimes written /.

310 OEIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

cord in 1861, so tliat lie might expiate by his suicide his misiuanageraeiit of the Anglo-French war. A young scion of his house was chosen at the same time to suc- ceed him, instead of one of his own sous, as an additional punishment, and it is he who is currently reported since he grew up to have taken to dissipated ways, and to have W' asted the valuable collections of his ancestral palace. It may be of some interest to see traced back, in this way, to a son of the Emperor IC'ang-hsi, a collection that was no doubt formed in his reign, the gems of which excited such interest in ceramic circles on their first appearance, and which will always rank as trjiimphs of decorative art.

The vases, though small in size, are generally of fine technique and graceful form. They share these char- acteristics with some others of similar make and shape enameled with diit'erent glazes, which are often marked in the same style, and evidently belong to the same period. Perhaps the most beautiful of the monochrome glazes of this class is the yueli jxci, or clair-de-lune, of uniformly pale sky-blue tint, wdiicli is illustrated in Plate LI (b), but the soft, celadon shades displayed in the illustration (Plate VII), which is modeled in the graceful lines of one of the finest of the " peach- bloom " vases, are almost as charming. Two other vases are given in Plate L, under the heading of Peach- Bloom Transmutations, one of w^hich is a pearl gray of pinkish hue, with traces of mottled red lurking inside the neck, while the other is marbled with variegated splashes of green, passing from emerald to intense olive tones, a striking instance of the kiln transmuted green (yu lie), w^hich we shall meet with presently in Chapter XVIII.

These t\vo glazes, the sang-de-hceuf and the peau-de- peche^ were not employed exclusively as single colors ;

THE k'aNG-IISI PEKIOD. 311

tliey were used also in cuinbiiiutiou with other forms of decoration, and some of the most brilliant blue pieces of the period are occasionally seen with the painted designs relieved by one of these colors in place of the ordinary -white ground. A remarkable example is seen in the vase illustrated in Fig. 207, the ground of which is a typical "Lang Yao " crackled glaze, exhibiting all the different sang-de-bceiif tones, j)assing from paler shades into deep- est crimson. The neck and shoulder of the vase are ribbed, and the decoration is modeled in relief in the paste, and filled in with underglaze cobalt-blue, with touches of copper-red. It consists of a flowering lotus springing from a groundwork of crested waves, and a pair of swalloAVS, one of them perched on a lotus stalk, the other flying. The large, naturally folded lotus leaves, lifted upon rough tuberculated stems, and the birds, are painted in blue ; the flowers and buds are shaded in addition, in wavy lines of maroon tint within the blue outlines. The foot, which is enameled white with a tinge of green, has no mark inscribed.

The rare baluster-shaped vase in Fig. 211, which is engraved in the paste with a lightly etched design of a pair of dragons mounting into the clouds from a line of scrolled sea-waves, and is enameled with a brilliant crackled glaze of bright green passing into olive at the edges, is invested with a thick over-glaze of " peach- bloom " type, collecting in mottled clouds of " crushed- strawberry " tint, laid on so thickly that the forms of the dragons are scarcely visible in the ' interstices of the clouds. The foot, encircled by a broad, uuglazed rim, has concentric lines of grayish-white crackle in the mid- dle, with no mark attached.

The " iron-red,'' prepared l)y the incineration of greeu vitriol (iron sulphate), called also "coral-red" from the tone of color, which is quite distinct from that of the

312 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

" copper-reds " which we have beeu considering, is found among the single colors of this time, although much less frequently than in succeeding reigns. In the reign of J^''ang-hsi this color Avas employed more largely in painted decoration : either alone, as in the egg-shell bowl in Plate LXVII ; or in combination with gold, as in "the club-shaped vase in Plate XXVIII ; or as one of the different colors comprised in the ordinaiy polychrome decoration of the muille oven.

The brilliant blues derived from cobalt were brought out with vivid intensity in this reign, which is unrivaled for its monochrome blues, as well as for the beauty of its blue and white decorated porcelain. The calcined cobaltifer- ous ore of manganese was either mixed with the white glaze to produce the gray-blue illustrated in Plate LXXIV, or it was blown through gauze upon the raw white body of the piece and subsequently glazed over to produce the magnificent effect of po^vder blue, so well represented Vjy the artist in Plate XCIII. This " powder- blue," also called " Mazarin-blue," or sometimes hleu f octette, from its whipped aspect, may be either left as the sole decoration of the vase, or it may be painted over Avith ornamental designs in gold, fixed by a second firing in the muffle stove. The vase in Fig. 206, which is deco- rated in gold with sprays of chiysanthemum and bamboo, is an example of the last style of decoration. In other cases, again, the powder-blue ground is interrupted by medallions of varied form, which are filled with designs, either executed at the same time in blue, or painted after the first firing in enamel colors ; an example of a deco- rated powder-blue vase is illustrated in Plate XVIII. A decorated vase, on the other hand, may have powder- blue panels interrupting the main decoration, as in the interesting vase in Fig. 208, which deserves a word of description. It is painted in brilliant enamel colors with

THE k'ang-hsi period. 313

gilding, the body witli cliiysantlieinuin scrolls traversed by lizard-like dragons, the neck with butterflies and flowers on a pale-green background dotted with black, with flying storks, and phoenix medallions ; the shoulder lias a band of floral brocade with pictures in foliated 2:)anels, and the upright rim of the mouth is encircled by n green border with a black fret ; the twelve panels, fan- shajDed, quatrefoil, oblong, or in the form of a leaf or pomegranate, which interrupt the painted decoration, are tilled in with a powder-blue sonfie gi-ound, outlined in gold, and painted over in gold with landscapes, Taoist temples, flying geese, fighting cocks, sprays of flowers, etc.

Another monochrome glaze invented at this period was the brilliant black called wu eJdn, or " metallic black," by the Chinese, which is sometimes called " mirror black," after Pere d'Entrecolles, who compared it to the color of our burning mirrors. It diffei's from the black of the painted vases, which is of duller aspect, and often of greenish tone, and gives more the impression of being a lacquered surface. It is prepared by mixing some of the calcined cobaltiferous manganese ore Avith the ordinary white glaze and adding a cei'tain proportion of the fer- ruginous clay, which produces the tzu-chin, the fond laque^ or coflt'ee-colored glaze, which will be referred to presently. The mirror-black glaze is usually overlaid with a gilded decoration, although this often becomes almost obliterated in course of time, as in the tall vase shown in Plate LXXX, and in the pair of large, triple, gourd-shaped vases illustrated in Plate LXI and Fig. 212. The charming little vase illustrated in Plate LXII exhib- its the brilliant intense black with iridescent surface, which distinguishes some of the finest decorated pieces of the time.

The brown glaze just referred to,' which is known technically in the French potteries ix^fond laque, may be

314 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

noticed next. It ranges fi-oiii a dark bronze line to tlie color of old gold, and is known to ceramic authors by man}' names, such as '^ chocolate," *•' dead leaf," " cafe mo lait,'''' etc.; the Chinese name of izu-cliin^ which means "burnished gold," is as characteristic as an}', and they distinguish the shade by prefixing /ww^^, "red," OYhuangj " yellow," according to the p'.edominance of either of these two colors in the bro\vn. This glaze Avas rarely used alone ; it was usually interrupted by medallions or other ornamental designs, which were decorated in surface enamel colors, as in the garni tui'e of three Jars and two beaker-shaped vases illustrated in Fig. 213. The last combination is the most common of all ; it w^as imported in huge quantities in Dutch ships of the time, according to old inventories which have been recently published by Jacquemart and others, and the decoration still retains its old trade name of " Batavian." Fio". 214 shows a vase of this class, with the bulging body enameled yellowish brow^i, and the neck decorated in blue, with formal sprays of pinks, bands of fret, and floral diaper, which is marked underneath with a double ring, a favorite mark of the K\mg-li8i period. Fig. 215 presents a vase of similar style, in which the " brown-gold " ground that invests the lower half of the body is succeeded by an encircling band of crackle, and the shoulder, as well as the beaker-shaped neck, is painted in blue with flowers and butterflies ; it has no mark underneath, but evidently belongs to the same period as the last. Another mode of decoration was effected by overlaying the browm glaze wdth designs in white slip ; a bottle-shaped vase of this kind is seen in Fig. 216, displaying in its somewhat crude decoration two vases of flowers and a conventional beaded border executed in slip ; it is an example of a class of vases decorated by the Chinese in Persian style for ex- port to that country ; a similar one, indeed, is erroneously

THE k'ang-iisi period. 315

iigured by Jacqnemart under tlie lieadiug of Persian por- celain. Pere d'Entrecolles tells us that designs were also painted at this time in metallic silver on the surface of this brown glaze, and that tlie combination was pretty and effective. I have never seen a specimen, perhaps on account of the fuo;itive nature of the silver decoration, which is easily tarnished and rubbed off l)y wear.

The " turquoise-blue " and " aubergine-purple " ai-e two colors, dating from previous times, which may be bracketed together, as they offer several analogies, and are, moreover, often used in combination in the decora- tion of the same piece. The glazes are applied 8ur his- <mit, and have a finely crackled or tniite texture. The turquoise glaze called Kiing-cJiuo lu, or ''peacock-green," by the modern Chinese, although it is also known in books as fei-ts\ii, from its resemblance to the blue plumes of the kingfisher, which are used in jewelry, is prepared by combining copper with a nitre flux. The cJiieh p'i tzii, or " aid3ergine-])urple," is derived from the common ore of manganese and cobalt, calcined and mixed like the last with nitre and pulverized quartz. The Walters Collec- tion is very rich in turquoise ci'ackle of different periods, including, as it does, considerably over a hundred pieces, some magnificent specimens of which, with bronze mounts by Gouthiere, and which are attributed to the reign of K''ang-hsi, have already been figured. It is fre- quently seen on Buddhist images, lions, and other mon- stei's, magotSj and grotesques of all kinds, such as those which were so eagerly sought after by collectors of the eighteenth century. Aubergine-purple, as a single color, occurs principally on small vases. The two glazes used together make a very effective combination, as in the large lions mounted upon square pedestals, which rank among the chief ornaments of the Dresden Museum. The colors in these pieces ai'e boldly laid on with a free

316 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

briisli and with no attempt at symmetry ; in. some cases the purple is flecked with a brush in a rain of drops upon the turquoise ground ; in others the paste is worked in relief for. the I'eception of the colors which enhance the outlines previously tooled in the paste. The wine-pot shown in Fig. 217 is an illustration of this last method ^ which dates from very ancient times ; it is composed of grayish paste molded in the shape of a peach, with a hole in the bottom for the introduction of a liquid, and has the spout and handle fashioned in the form of twigs from which leaves proceed to decorate the surface of the pot^ u})on which they are worked in relief and filled in with tur- quoise, contrasting brightly with the surrounding purple enamel. These colors are said to develop better when there is a mixture of common clay with the ordinary hard kaolinic ingredients of the plate, which is seen to be the case in this small wine-pot.

The same manganese mineral was used in the prepara- tion of the purplish brown, which was one of the three single colors used for enameling the bowls, cups, and saucer-dishes of the imperial dinner services, on which it takes a brownish claret tint, due to an excess of lead in the flux and a minimum of alkali. The other two colors w^ere a bright green of camellia-leaf tint, and deep yellow,, the special imperial color, and the services w^ere either plain or etched with dragons under the glaze. The services of similar style, enameled in pure white (fien pai) ovei' five-clawed dragons engraved in the paste, were used only Avhen the coui't was in mourning.

The imperial yellow coloi' is exhibited in Plate V upon a jar wath a " six-character mark " of this reign. The '' eel-skin yellow," or shmi yu liuang^ which is of brownish tint, is seen in Plate LXXXIII upon a vase etched under- neath the glaze w^ith dragons ; and again in Plate XXV upon a tripod censer, a still more typical example, .where

THE k'aNG-IISI PERIOD, 317

it is of less trauslucent aspect, and mottled in character. The variegated yellow glaze {huang tien pmi), which has been alluded to as another of the inventions of Ts'ang Ying-hsiian, seems to refer to the peculiar spotted glaze of piebald aspect dabbed all over with spots of yellow, green, purple, and white, which is anything but attractive to an ordinary eye ; the Chinese call it by the appropriate name of " tiger-skin " (Jiu-pH).

The green glazes, which are specially characteristic of the reign, are displayed in all their variety in the colored illustrations, ranging from the ta lii or gros vert of Plate IV to the pale gray-green celadon tint of Plate XV. Green is almost as prominent among the single colors as it is in the painted decorations in enamel. The same enamels were, of course, used in both the monochrome and the polychrome styles, and comparison often affords a most useful aid to the determination of the age of a doubtful piece. The crackled green glaze called X7/c^^>'/ lit, or "cucumber-green,'' is more characteristic of the ChUen- lung epoch, although the striking vase shown in Plate LXXXI, with its " cucumber-green " glaze streaked with mottled tints of deepest olive, may well be a K\ing-lisi piece. Judging from its exceptional brilliancy. The remarkable vase which is so carefully reproduced in Plate LXXIX, with the iridescent bar reflected in a play of rainbow colors from its ci'ackled emerald-o-reen surface, is also generally attributed to this period. One of the green glazes was known in the imperial factory by the name of sTie-pH lu, because it resembled in its deep luster the beautiful iridescent hue of the skin of a serpent, like the monochrome glaze in Plate LXXXII, ^vhich is spread over the surface of a decorated vase, so as nearly to con- ceal the original decoration in its intense metallic luster. The same green was occasionally used to enhance the eifect of a blue and white piece, touches of green or

^b

318 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

encircling bands being added to the original design, in the same way that bauds of " dead leaf " or " old gold " were sometimes attached at this period ; an example of which may be seen by referring to the chapter on Marks.

The white glaze of the Ching-te-chen porcelain of this period is very pure in tint and perfectly translucent in texture, as is well exhibited in the imperial dinner ser- vices, etched with dragons, that have just been alluded to, and is fairly represented in the beautiful white vase illusti-ated in Plate XC, "which is attributed to the IVang- hsi reign, in spite of its Stoig dynasty mark. It is even surpassed in purity and lustrous depth of glaze by the charmino; little vase shown in Fis^. 218, which is molded in the form of a magnolia blossom, with the details etched under the glaze, the graceful flower being mounted upon a twig worked in open-work relief at the foot, and which bears also a couple of buds, that serve as additional sup- port to the delicate vase. This white is distinct from that of the porcelain of the province of Fuchien, which is either of ivory-white or of creamy tint ; the objects, moreover, of the Fuchien ware are composed of a paste of characteristic quality, and should have a separate corner reserved for them in every collection.

There is another class of plain white porcelain, modeled on the lines of the ancient Ting-chou ware, which is remai"kable for its soft-looking, fragile aspect, in which it reproduces the quality of its prototype, a white faience of fine texture, that can be scratched by a point of sharp steel. The reproductions have only the aspect of soft porcelain, however, although it is the fashion to describe them as such in catalogues ; there is nothing produced at Ching-te-chen that is not composed of hard kaolinic paste. The class I am alluding to is called by the name of Fen-Ting, after that of the finest ware of the Sung dynasty ; the glaze is generally

THE k'ang-iisi peeiod. 319

crackled, although 2)laiD pieces occur, like the delicate little water receptacle in Fig. 219, which is fashioned after an old Tiug-chou design with two looped handles, in the shape of a pair of archaic dragons, mounted upon the rim. Of the reproductions of the crackled Tino- chou porcelain, there are two varieties generally attrib- uted to the reign of Khing-hsi. The first is represented by a series of small, solid, compact vases of graceful outline, of which two specimens are illustrated in Figs. 220 and 221 ; the soft-looking glaze, with which these are invested, is traversed 'by a very close reticulation of fine, brown lines, and mottled with clouds of light buff tint ; the rims of both vases are defined by lines of plain white, and the technique generally is that of the early Khing-hsi period. The second variety, of later develop- ment, is characterized by a more delicate fabric, often becoming of egg-shell thinness, and by a whiter glaze, approaching an ivory-white tone. Two notable exam- ples are shown in the colored illustrations : the first, in the sparsely crackled vase of Plate XCI ; the second, in the typical Fen-Ting gourd, of perfect beauty and finish, which is so well reproduced in Plate LXXXIX. This last, ornamented \\\i\\ floral sprays and bands of fret and conventional scroll, Avorked in slight relief in the paste, underneath the minutely crackled glaze, which is of characteristic ivory-white tint. Fig. 222 displays another graceful egg-shell vase, Avith a molded decoration of a four-clawed dragon pursuing an effulgent jewel, executed under a Avidely crackled ivory-white glaze, with uudula- tory surface. Fig. 223 is that of a small, minutely crackled square vase, with ribbed corners and four central bosses, carved in open-woi-k, with branches of peach fruit, which is modeled in the ritual form of one of the receptacles for " divining straws," used in Taoist temples.

320 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

The fabrication of this peculiar Fen-Ting porcelain was continued at Chiug-te-chen in tlie succeeding reigns of Yung-cheng and OliHen-lung, and it is not always easy to refer a particular piece positively to one of the three reigns. The same paste and glaze were used con- temporaneously in the preparation of the class of blue and ^vhite crackled porcelain, which is called by the same name of Fen-Ting by the Chinese, and which forms the so- called '^ soft paste " blue and white of American collectors.

Tlie "soft paste" blue and white porcelain is called by the Chinese by the names 'of sha-fai, "sand-bodied," or chkmg-fai, " paste-bodied," and when the glaze is crackled it is distinguished by the addition of the term Ic'ai p'ie^i, or "crackled." Its composition will be given from Pere d'Entrecolles' Letters in the next chapter. The paste has a soft, poi'oiis aspect, but it is really of intense hardness, so that it can not be scratched by steel. The glaze is generally crackled ; even when it is not so as it comes from the kiln, it becomes crackled in course of time. The surface of the glaze is undulatory and often pitted, the characteristics of the chii-pH, or " orange- peel " glaze of Chinese ceramic authors. It is conse- quently more porous and absorbent than the ordinary glaze, and often becomes discolored by age. It has been su2:o;ested that " soft o-laze " would be a better name than " soft paste " for this class, but the latter term is sanctioned l^y usage and may be employed with the proviso that it has nothing in common with the "soft porcelain " of Clielsea, or the porcelaine tenclre of early Sevres. One of the chief characteristics of these pieces is their lightness when handled, which is really surpris- ing, as the fabric is not specially thin. The blue is usually of a grayish tone, and the strokes of the brush are very neatly and clearly defined, so that the picture looks, as Pere d'Entrecolles remarks, as if it were

321

painted upon vellum instead of on ordinary papei'. The pieces are rarely marked ; if there be a date inscribed, it will be found to be probably that of the reign of Hsilan-te (1 426-1 -ISS) of the Ming dynasty ; the blue of this latter period is described to have been pale, of much the same tint, in fact, as that of the blue in modern Japanese Hirado porcelain.

There is a small specimen of this crackled blue and white illustrated in Plate LXVIII, a miniature teapot^ which displays very well the peculiar ivory-white color of the glaze ; it is marked yil, ^' jade " — not an infre- quent mark during the I^Cang-hsi period. A typical example of the uncrackled "soft paste" blue and white is exhibited in Fig. 221, which presents a baluster vase (inei 2^''ing), thirteen inches higli, of very light material, which is decorated m soft-toned blue, under the pitted uudulatory " orange-peel " glaze, with three formal upright sprays of lotus, each com^^osed of a folded peltate leaf, a blossom, and a bud, rising on sepai-ate stems. Chains of rectangular fret encircling the base and shoulder complete the simple decoration, which is neatly etched in a soft-toned blue of pure tint. There is no mark underneath.

Fig. 172 shows a choice specimen of the crackled Fen- Ting glaze, with a minutely reticulated undulating- surface of ivory-^vhite tint, over emblematic designs delicately sketched in soft blue. The decoration consists of nine lions, live on the body, four on the neck, disport- ing with brocaded balls tied with waving fillets, sup- ported on banks of scrolled clouds and enveloped in flames. This conveys the felicitous wish, " Cliiu sliih fling cliiV — i. e., "A family of nine (sons) living together," a pun on the word sltilt, which means "family" as well as "lion." In the same way the Ave bats in the cloud scroll encirclino' the recedino- shoulder

322 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

of the vase suggest tlie " five happinesses " {urn fti), aud the band of prunus blossom round the foot a flourishing longevity. The foot has the same crackled glaze spread underneath, with no mark attached.

The beautiful little cup in Fig. 37 is a K^ing-lm pro- duction of the same class. It is modeled in the form and style of the i^swrt/i-fe" period, and is decorated in a similar underglaze blue with a pair of five-clawed dragons pur- suing jewels among clouds and ■ flames, on the sides, and with a second pair of dragons upon the rounded cover, which is surmounted by a mythological animal ; there is no mark underneath.

Passing on to the ordinary blue and white (chHng hvu jpai ti — i. e., "painted in blue on a white ground"), the reign of K''ang-hsi is unquestionably the finest period, when the cobalt comes out in its full inimitable brilliancy from the depths of a rich translucent glaze. The white ground has often a slight bluish tint, but it is not so blue as it was in the Ming dynasty ; in the succeeding reigns it becomes creamy, or is even almost opaque, so as to be chalky in aspect. The blue is not generally so full and strong as in the reign of Cliia-ching of the Ming dynasty, but it is graded, so as to produce a charming modulation, and a palpitating quality of color, which we rarely find in earlier work, hardly ever in more recent times ; it is never flat or dead. As Mr. Cosmo Monkhouse says in his recent introduction to the Burlington Fins Arts Cluh Catalogue^ which has been already cited : " It would take a long time to exhaust the number of changes which the Chinese ring upon the many tints of blue and white — white sometimes white as curds, sometimes grayish, some- times tinged with the faintest blue, like the film inside a bird's Q^^^. But if the white is varied, what of the blue ? Sometimes brilliant and opaque as lapis lazuli, sometimes pure and trembling as a sajDphire, now almost

THE k'an(t-hsi period. 323

black, now wholly gray, sometimes warm as purple, sometimes cold as a ^viiitry sky. Whatever quality is taken is of course used throughout, but even this allows for oreat variation in shade : a dark and lisjht blue are nearly always employed, and three, if not more, distinct tones are often seen on the same j)iece."

Blue and white has always seemed to fascinate the artist, and Mr. Whistler has cleverly illustrated the style of the poi'celain of this period,* and not without catching some of the spirit of the Chinese decorator. It is interesting to compare his work with that of our artist ; the slender- necked, globular bottle illustrated in Plate XLII happens to have been drawn by him in Plate XXIV, No. 255, in the \vork just quoted.

Blue and white may be divided into two classes : blue upon white, and white upon blue, the latter comprising those examples in which the blue predominates to tlie extent of furnishing the ground upon which the un- touched portions of the white porcelain beneath form the design of the decorations. This is seen in the vase Just referred to. Of the sixteen pieces of blue and white selected here for illustration, no less than thirteen are attributed to the reign of K'ang-lisi., although the marks of Hsilan-te, Cli' eng-hua, and Chici'-chmg are inscribed on three of the objects. The reign always occupies this preponderating position in good collections. Plate II dis- plays a magnificent example of the white upon blue class, the sprays of pruuus sliining in white reserve on the Jar, which is covered all over, in the intervals of the floral decoration, with a reticulated ground of pulsating blue.

Before proceeding further with the description of the decorated porcelain, it seems advisable to submit a scheme

* A Catalogue of Blue and WJtite Xaukin Porcelain, forming the collection of Sir Henry Thompson. Illustrated by the autotype process from drawings by James McN. Whistler, Esq., and Sir Henry Thompson : London, 1878.

324 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

of classificatiou under wliicb its many varieties may be conveniently arranged. In its main lines I propose to follow Brongniart, who was the first, in Lis Traite des Arts Ceiximiques, wliich is still the classic of the art, to divide the colors used in tlie decoration of porcelain into three classes :

A. Couleurs de grand feu.

B. Couleurs de demi-grand feu.

C. Couleurs de petit feu ou de moufle.

The colors employed in China which resist the most intense heat of the furnace are the cobalt-blue, the cojd- per-red, and the sea-green celadon and deep-brown glazes, which are both derived from iron. The first two are painted with a brush on the raw white body of the piece (^siir Je cru), and subsequently covered with glaze, so that they ai-e both underglaze colors, and the porcelain re- quires but one firing. The other two are applied as glazes previously pi'epared, in which the coloring material is mixed with a feldspathic flux combined with lime.

The second class of colors (de demi-grand feii) are fired in tlie same furnace as those of the first class {de grand fen^^ but the pieces are placed in the more temperate j^arts of the furnace, near the chimney at the back, and below tlie level of its lower orifice, where they escape the direct blast of the fire. The colors are three in number — turquoise-blue derived from coppei', manganese-purple, and yellow prepared fi'om an ii-on ore containing anti- mony. The glazes, together with the white glaze which accompanies them, are condjined with a nitre or lead flux, and applied sur bis(Mit, the piece having been previously fired, unglazed, in the large furnace. This class com- prises the typical San ts'ai, or " Three-color " decoration of the period.

The third class includes the enamel colors of the mufifle stove, which are the same as those used in painted and

THE k'aNG-IISI PERIOD. 325

cloisonne enameling upon copper. They are previously combined ^vitli a llnx composed of powdered quartz, oxide of lead, and alkalies, into a kind of glass, which retains in solution a small percentage of the metallic oxide dissolved in the vitreous mass in the form of sili- cate. The coloring matters used in China are compara- tively few, being oxide of copper for the greens, gold for crimson and pink, oxide of cobalt for the blues, oxide of antimony for the yellows, arsenious acid for the white and for moderatino; the tint of the other colors. Oxide of iron gives coral-red, and impure oxide of manganese black ; these two colors are generally applied directly, mixed with white-lead and glue, as they will not combine wdth silica. The enamel colors are painted upon white porcelain that has been already glazed and fired, and wdiich has to be baked a second time in the gentle heat of the muffle stove to fix the colors. This is the typical Wit ts'ai, the " Five-colored " or Polychrome Decoration of the Chinese. The enamel painting may be executed, also sur hiscuit or upon a crackled ground, or upon one partially or wholly invested with one of the highly fired, single colors, such as celadon, for example, or in combi- nation with portions of decoration previously painted in one or more of the underHaze colors. The chano-es that may be rung by the different combinations are almost infinite ; some have been already described, others will follow later. Mean^vhile the decorated porcelain of this reign will be grouped according to the scheme :

Table of Decorated Poecelain.

A. Colors of the grand feu.

1. Decorated in underglaze cobalt-blue.

2. Decorated in underglaze copper-red.

3. Decorated in mixed colors.

326 ORIENTAL CEUA.AIIO AllT.

B. Colors of the demi-g rand feu.

4. Decorated in glazes of several colors.

C. Colors of the Mtifie Stove.

5. Decorated in overglaze iron-red.

6. Decorated iu sepia.

7. Decorated in o-olJ and silver.

8. Decorated in mixed enamel colors.

1. Decorated in Underglaze Cohalt-Blue. — This class lias been briefly noticed already. The blue and white, wliich is its normal decoration, is sometimes relieved by one of the monochrome grounds, such as "Nankin" yel- low or coral-red, as it used to be in the preceding dynasty, or it may still continue to be combined with touches of enamel colors, as it was in the Wan-li Wu-ts\ii, the typ- ical polychrome decoration of the reign of Wandi. In the beautiful little vase illustrated in Plate LXII, which is decorated in brilliant mottled blue of this period, the intervals between the panels are filled in with sprays of pruuus, painted in delicate enamels, relieved by an iri- descent black enameled ground.

2. Decorated in Underglaze Copper-Red. — The color- ing material is painted with a brush in the same way as the blue upon the raw^, white body of the porcelain ; the glaze is blown on as soon as the piece is sufficiently dry, and it is afterward fired in the large furnace. The color comes out generally of a dull maroon tint, occasionally it is a l)right ruby-red, or it may develop "peach-bloom" tints. The snuff-bottle illusti'ated in Plate XXXVII (2), which is painted with landscapes in maroon-red, is an example of this decoration. A fine specimen of the K\mg-lisi period is presented in Fig. 225. Another fol- lows in Fi<?. 229.

3. Decorated in Mixed Colors of the grand feu. — This class is illustrated in Fig. 226 by a vase which may be thus described : A tall, ovoid vase, seventeen and a quar-

THE k'ang-hsi period. 327

ter inches bigb, with the decoration of a four-clawed, two-horned dragon rising from the waves of the sea on either side, executed in relief, and painted in three colors — underglaze blue, maroon, and celadon. The bodies of the dragons are brown, the manes are penciled in blue, the effulgent jewels which they are pursuing are of shaded brown. The crested waves at the base, wdiich are painted in blue, have rocks rising out of them, on both sides, of sea-green celadon tint. The mark, written underneath in blue within a double ring, is Ta ClCing K''ang Jisi nien cliih — i. e., "Made in the reign oiK\ing- hsi of the great ClCing [dynasty]." A vase of the same type is shown in Fig. 227, with raised outlines decorated in the same three colors — blue, maroon and celadon — displaying the combat between the tiger, king of land animals, and the dragon, prince of the j)owers of the air.

4. Decorated in Glazes of the demi^g rand fen. — This may be characterized as the typical decoration in three coloi's {San ts\ii). It must be distinguished from the San ts'ai decoration of the muffle stove, Avhere the tur- quoise-blue is replaced by a green of camellia-leaf tint, Avhicli is sometimes penciled with black, while the other two colors remain the same. The latter has a plain sur- face, the former is truitee — i. e,, crackled all over witli a minute reticulation of fine superficial lines. A combi- nation of two of the colors — turcpioise and pur[)le — is found in the little peach-shaped wine-pot shown in Fig. 217.

5. Decorated in Iron-Red. — This color, which is pre- pared from peroxide of iron, produced by the incinera- tion of iron sulphate, being the same as that used for the coral-red monochromes, is penciled upon the surface of the white glaze, and fixed by being fired in the muffle stove. This decoration is the Tsal Hung., or " Painting in Red," of the Chinese. No more beautiful illustration

328 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

of it could be imagined than that of the egg-shell bowl of this period, decorated with dragons, which is presented in Plate LXVII. This decoration in coral-red is often combined with gold, as in the club-shaped vase of the reign of IC\mg-hsi, displayed in Plate XXVIII, in which the effect of the soft red, penciled in two shades, is enhanced by touches of gilding, with the addition of a spot or two of black to define the eyes of the dragons.

6. Decorated in Seiyia. — This decoration, although described as making its appearance late in the reign of K\m,g-lm^ is more charactei'istic of the succeeding reigns, especially of that of CKieTi-lung. It is the Ts'ai Shui Mo, or " Painting in Ink," of the Chinese, and, like the last, it is often thrown out effectively by touches of gold. A striking example of painting in sepia is illustrated in Fig. 230, a ruby-backed plate with a picture of a " dragon barge" towed in procession, which is probably the work of a ChHen-lung artist.

7. Decorated in Oold and Silver. — The metals, finely pulverized, were combined with oxide of lead by means of a little gum penciled upon the glaze and fixed in the muffle stove. Painting in gold (Ts'ai Chin) on a white ground was not so common in this reign, so we must refer to a wine-cup of the next reign, illustrated in Fig. 38 («). In the reign of Khnig-hsi gold was lavished in the rich- est decoration of large vases enameled with the mazarin- blue and mirror-black gi-ounds. Silver ^vas chiefly employed in the ornamentation of the coft'ee-brown or dead-leaf ground. Both colors, especially the silver, resist wear and tear l^adly, so that only indistinct traces of the original designs may perhaps be detected in pieces that have survived to the present day.

8. Decorated in Mixed Enamel Colors. — This class includes the great majority of the decorated pieces of the time. Some of the varieties have been referi'ed to

329

already, and it has been explained bow a brilliant green of shaded tones, usually laid on in thick patches, pre- dominates among the colors, so that pieces of the old famille verte, even if they bear earlier marks of date, are generally to be attributed to this reign. Tlie co]>alt- blue, which during the Ming dynasty had been applied under the glaze, is now generally overlaid in the same way as the other enamel colors and fixed at the same firing. The other colors are red, yellow, and black, completing the " five colors " of the enameler. When blue and red are absent, we have the three-colored (san ts'ai) decoration of the muffte stove. The coloring of this inimitable period has an unmistakable cachet to an accustomed eye, which enables it to be distinguished at a glance from any reproduction, whether native or Euro- pean. The two club-shaped vases illustrated in Plates VI and XVII are picked speciniens of the richest orna- mentation in enamel colors ; the egg-shell lantern in Plate XI and the statuette of the goddess Avalokita in Plate LX are both fine examples of the famille verte. It will be sufficient to add a cursory description of two more pieces as typical examples of the Wu ts'ai and Saii ts\ii enamel decollation.

The first. Fig. 228, is a richly and artistically decorated vase of the Wu ts'ai class, painted in the most brilliant enamel colors of the K''ang-hsi period, ^vith a few touches of gold. It is covered with panel pictures of varied form, displayed upon floral and diapered grounds, and separated by a band of floral diaper encircling the shoulder, interrupted by medallions containing butter- flies. There are eight panels on the body ari-anged in two rows, of which the lower panels, representing lotus- leaves and other foliated designs, contain a grotesque lionlike monster standing upon a rocky shore; a pair of peacocks on a rockery with peonies ; a pair of phcenixes

380 ORIENTAL CEKAMIC AET.

by a spreading dryandra-tree ; a warbler perched upon a prunus-tree with roses underneath. Of the panels in the upper row, two are filled with vases containing symbols of rank and honor, the incense-bnrning apparatus, and books, scroll pictures, lyres, and chess, the emblems of the " four liberal arts." The other two contain a pair of storks on a pine, with a peach floating in the waves below, and a grotesque monster on a rock, with an eagle flying overhead. The interspaces are filled with butter- flies and sprays of peony, chiysanthemum, lotus, begonia^ aster, pink, and other flowers. The two quatrefoil panels on the neck contain rockeries with flowers and butter- flies ; the ground between is a spiral diaper traversed by a pair of lizardlike dragons.

The second (Fig. 82) is a choice example of the San ts'ai, the " Three-colored " decoration of the muflSe stove^ the surface being painted in green, purple, and yellow enamels. It is a wine-pot molded in the shape of the character y?/, "happiness," with a movable lid formed by the first " dot " of the written hieroglyph. The handle and the tip of the spout have been rej^laced in metal. The base, unglazed, is marked with the impression of the stuflp in which the paste was pressed. The rims and bor- ders are enameled pale green. The spout has shou (" longevity ") characters of different style, alternately purple and green, upon a pale yellow ground. The decoration, which is precisely similar on front and back, is composed of scrolled bands of lotus design with green foliations and white and purple blossoms, inclosed in a pale yellow gjrjund outlined with purple. In the mid- dle are two foliated panels framed in green relief, con- taining pictures of various emblems of longevity : on the front a pine overspreading a rock with the saci'ed fungus growing upon it, an axis deer, and a sacred stork ; on the back, a peach-tree with a clump of bamboos, a tiger^

331

and a pair of birds flying, all paiuted in the same soft colors.

There is a class of j)orcelain decorated sur biscuit, with •colored glazes, comprising two or three of the above tints, which is not, properly speaking, painted. The designs, generally of floral character, having been previously worked in the paste and engraved with the point, the piece is fired ; the details are afterward filled in with glazes of different colors, and the piece is fired again in the mufile stove. There are bowls, for example, with the ICang-hsi mark underneath, engraved outside with branches of flowers growing from rocks — colored maroon, green, and white — relieved by a ground of imperial yel- low, enameled plain yellow inside. The saucer-dishes etched in the paste inside with a pair of dragons sur- rounded by scrolled waves, with one of the dragons colored green, the other purple, and the surrounding ground yellow, come under the same class. The Chinese distinguish them by the appropriate name of Huang Lil Hiian — i. e., "Yellow and Green in Panels."

CHAITER XL

LETTERS OF PEKK d'eNTRECOLLES.

THESE letters, wliicli liave been already referred to more than once, were originally published in tlie Lettres edifiantes et curiens ■^, and they brought the first detailed account of the manufacture of Chinese porcelain to Europe. The two lette.s embody the results of the personal observations and researches of the Jesuit mis- sionary, and of the information gathered from such of his Chinese converts as v\e]'e engaged in the industry. They are dated Jao-chou, September 1, 1712, and King- te-chen, January 25, 1722. When the second letter was written the long and brilliant reign of the Emperor Khing-lisi was fast drawing to its close. Two years later — that is to say, in the second year of his successor^ Yung-clieng — the Roman Catholic religion was rigorously proscribed, the foreign missionaries were exiled to Macao,, and their churches throughout the different provinces were either converted into secular schools or destroyed,, so that we get no more letters on the subject. These two Avere written at a most interesting time — at a time too in respect to which there is a complete dearth of Chi- nese information, so that no apology is needed for giving here a precis^ in the form of an abridged translation^ as literal as possible, of the writer's own woi'ds. The second letter, which is mainly supplementary and ex- planatory, has been interwoven with the first to save space, and at the same time to maintain the continuity of the subject. I have slightly modified the orthography of the Chinese words for the sake of uniformity, with the

332

LETTERS OF PERE d'eNTRECOLLES. 333

exception of tliat of the first two words that occur. These have since become classical in Europe, and are to be found in the dictionary of the Academie Frangaise :

" The material of porcelain is composed of two kinds of earth, one called pe-tun-Ue^ the other named hao-lin. Tlie latter is disseminated with corpuscles which are somewhat glittering,* the former is simply white and very fine to the touch. At the same time that a great number of large boats come- up the river from Jao-chou to King-te-chen to be loaded with porcelain, almost as many small ones descend from Ki-men, laden with j^e- tun-tse and hao-lin made into the form of bricks, for King- te-chen itself produces none of the materials. Pe-tun-tse, of which the grain is so fine, is nothing but pulverized pieces of rock extracted from quai'ries, to which this form is given. It is not every stone that is suitable; if so, it would be useless to go for it into the next province.f The good stone, the Chinese say, ought to have a slight tinge of green. The rocks are first broken into pieces with iron hammers, and the fragments are finely pulver- ized in mortars by means of levers which have stone heads mounted with iron. These levers are w^orked incessantly, either by men or by water-power, in the same way as the tilt-hammers in paper-mills. The pow- der is thrown into a large jar full of watei', and stirred strongly with an iron shovel. When it has been left for a few moments to settle, a kind of cream forms at the top four or five fingers thick ; this is taken oft' and poured into another vessel full of watei*. The operation is repeated sevei'al times until only the coarse residuum which sinks to the bottom is left ; this is taken back to be crushed again in the mortar.

* Crystals of mica. (The notes are added bj' the translator.) f Ki-meu-hsien is in the prefecture of Hui-chou-fu, in the province of An-hui, near the source of the Chang River, Avhich flows by Ching-tO-chen.

334 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

" AVitli regard to the second jar, into which has been thrown all that was collected from the first, after waiting until a kind of paste has formed at the bottom, and the supernatant water is perfectly clear, the ^\•ater is decanted without disturbing the sediment. The paste is emptied into a large kind of wooden case, the bottom of which is filled with a bed of bricks, over Avhich is stretched a cloth of the size of the interior of the case ; this cloth is filled with the paste, it is covei-ed with another cloth, and then with a flat layer of bricks, which press out the water. Before it has become quite dry and hard, the paste is divided into little squares, which are sold by the hundred. The name oi lye-tmi-tse \^ derived from the white color and the shape of these hriquettes. There would be nothiuo^ to add to this work if the Chinese were not in the habit of adulterating their merchandise ; but people who roll little grains of paste in pepper-dust to mix with genuine pepper-corns would hardly care to sell pe-tun-tse without mixing it with coarser matters, so that it has to be again purified at King-te-cheu before it is fit for use.

" Kao-lin requires a little less labor than pe-tun-tse ; Nature has done the greater part. It is found in mines in the bosom of certain mountains, Avhich are covered outside w4th a reddish earth. These mines are fairly deep ; it is found there in masses, and is also made into squai-e hriquettes by the same method that I have described above. It is to Icao-Un that fine porcelain owes its strength, and it is only a combination with the soft earth that fortifies the pe-tun-tse^ which is derived from the hardest of rocks. A rich merchant told me that some years ago the English or Dutch had had purchased for them some pe-tun-tse^ that they took to their country to make porcelain with, but that, having taken no liao-lin, their enterprise failed, as they confessed afterward. The

LETTERS OF PEKE d'eNTRECOLLES, ' 335

Chinese merchant said to me, laughing, ' They wanted to have a body with no bones to sustain the flesh.'

" Besides the boats laden with pe-tun-tse and Jcao-liiij w^ith which the river bank at King-te-chen is lined, others are found filled with a whitish and liquid sub- stance. I have long known that this substance was the oil (or glaze) that gives porcelain its whiteness and its luster, but I did not know its composition, ^vhich I have at last learned. This oil is derived from the hardest stone. The same kind of rock which is used in the preparation of the 2)6-tun-fse can also be employed for the extraction of the glaze, but the whitest pieces are picked out from the heap, and those ^vhich have the greenest spots. The history of Fou-liang says that the best stone is that which has spots upon it like the leaves of the arbor vitse,* or reddish marks like sesamum seeds. The rock must first be well ^vashed, and then prepared in the same way as the iK-tun-tse. When there has been col- lected in the second jar the purest part of the matter that has been levigated in the first Jar with all the usual pre- cautions, to every hundred pounds or so of the cream one pound is added of a stone or mineral like alum, named sliih- hcio',^ it must have been first roasted in the fire, and then pounded ; it acts like rennet in giving a certain consist- ence, although the matter is always carefully kept in a liquid state.

" This stone glaze is never used alone ; it is mixed with another material which forms its essence. This is its composition : Large pieces of quicklime are reduced to powder by sprinkling w^ater upon them, and covered with a bed of dried ferns, upon which is spread another layer of quenched lime, and so on in succession, one layer

* Dendrites of manganese oxide.

f Gypsum, or sulphate of lime. The action of this is supposed to be purely mechanical, quickening precipitation.

336 okip:ntal ceramic art.

upon the other; then the ferns are set on fire. After everything is burned, tlie ashes are spread upon new beds of dried ferns ; this is repeated six or seven times in suc- cession, or even oftener for the best glaze. When a suf- ficient quantity of lime and fern ashes has been burned, the ashes are thrown into a Jar full of water. With each hundred pounds it is necessary to dissolve one pound of shih-lcao, to stir the mixture thoroughly, and then to leave it in repose till there appears on the surface a cloud or a crust, which is collected and thrown into a second jar. This operation is repeated several times. When a species of paste has formed at the bottom of the second jar, the water is decanted, and the liquid at the bottom is preserved as the second oil, to be mixed with the preceding.

•' For a proper mixture, the two purees must be of the same thickness, which is tested by dipping in squares of pe-tiui-tse. With regard to the quantit}^ of the ingredi- ents, the best glaze that can be made is a combination of ten measures of the ?iY^t puree of stone with one measure of that made of the lime and fei'n ashes ; the most sparing never put less than three measures to one. The mer- chants that sell the liquid sometimes dilute it with water, and conceal the fraud by adding a proportionate quan- tity of shih'kdo to thicken it.

" Before explaining the method of apj^lying the glaze it is necessary to describe the fabrication of the porcelain. In the less frequented parts of King-te-chen are vast sheds, surrounded by walls, in w^hich one sees ranged, story above story, a great quantity of jars of earth. Inside these walls live and work an infinite number of work- men, each of whom has his allotted task. A piece of porcelain, before it leaves them to be carried to the fur- nace, passes through the hands of more than twenty persons.

LETTERS OF PERE d'eNTRECOLLES. 337

"The first work consists in purifying anew, by the same process of levigation and decantation, both the pe-tim-tse and tlie hcto-lin. After having been purified, the two materials are combined in certain proportions : the finest porcelain is made of equal parts ; for an inferior kind they use four parts of Icao-lin to six paits of pe4un-tse ; the least that can be put is one part of hdo-lin to three of pe-tun-tse.

"When mixed, the material is thrown into a large hollow oi- pit, well paved and cemented throughout, where it is trodden and kneaded to w eld it to a proper consistence ; this is very hard work, and it goes on inces- santly, so that the Christians employed can not even come to church without providing substitutes.

" From the mass thus prepared, lumps are taken and put upon large slates, where they are kneaded, beaten, and rolled in every sense, taking the greatest care that there shall be no hollows left, and no admixture of foreign bodies. A hair, a grain of sand, would ruin all the work. From such elements are produced so many beautiful works of porcelain, some fashioned upon the Mheel, others made simply by molds, and finished afterward with the polishing-knife.

" The plain, round pieces are all made in the first fashion. A cup, when it comes off the wheel, is very impei-fectly shaped, like the top of a hat l)efore it has been put on the shaping mold. The foot is only a piece of clay of the diameter that it is intended to have ulti- mately, and it is not excavated with the knife until all the other operations are finished. The cup, as it comes from the wheel, is first handed to a second workman, who is seated beneath. It is passed by him to a third, who 2^1'^sses it on a mold, and gives it its shape ; this mold is fixed upon a kind of Avheel. A fourth workman polishes the cup with a knife, especially round the rims,

338 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

and makes it thin enough to be transparent ; each time he scrapes it, it must be moistened carefully, or it will break. It is surprising to see the rapidity with which the vases pass through so many different hands, and I am told that a vase that has been fired has gone through the hands of seventy workmen.

" Large objects of poi'celain are made in two pieces : one half is lifted upon the wheel by three or four men, who support it on each side while it is being shaped ; the other half is fitted upon the first when it is suffi- ciently dried, and is cemented to it with porcelain earth, mixed ^vith water (i. e., slip), Avhich serves as mortar or glue. When quite dry, the place of junction is pared with a knife, inside and outside, so that, after glazing, there remains no inequality of surface. Handles, ears, and similar adjuncts are attached by means of slip in the same way. This refers j^rincipally to the porcelain which is made in molds, or by hand^vork, such as fluted pieces, or those of bizarre shape, such as animals, gro- tesques, idols, the busts ordered by Europeans, and such like. These objects, when molded, are made in three or four pieces, \vhich are fitted together, and finished after- ward with instruments adapted for excavating, polishing, and working the various details that have escaped the mold. As for flowers and other ornaments, which are not in I'elief, but, as it were, in intaglio, these are impressed on the porcelain with seals and molds ; reliefs, ready prepared, are also put on, in the same way almost as gold lace is attached to a coat.

"I have lately investigated the subject of these molds. When tlie model of the piece of porcelain to be made is in hand, and it is such as can not be shaped upon the wheel by the potter, they press upon the model some yellow clay, specially prepared for molding ; the clay is impressed in this way, the mold being composed of sev-

LE^rTEKS OF PERE d'eNTRECOLLES. 339

eral pieces of pretty large size, which are left to harden when they have been properly impressed. When they are used, the}^ are put near the fire for some time, and then filled witli porcelain earth to the thickness the piece is to have, and this is pressed into every part with the hands. The mold is held to the fire for a moment, to detach the " squeeze " from the mold. The different pieces which have been separately molded in this way are joined together afterward with a slip (Fig. 231). I have seen animals of massive proportions fabricated by these means ; after the mass has been left to harden, it is worked into the desired form, and finished with the chisel ; and, finally, each of the parts worked separately is adjusted. When the object has been finished oft' with great care, the glaze is put on, and it is then fired ; it is painted afterward, if desired, in dift'erent colors, and the gold is applied, and then it is fired a second time.

" When the time has come to ennoble the porcelain by painting, it is intrusted to the hands of the Ilua-p''i,^ or porcelain painters, who are almost as poor as the other workmen ; not so astonishing a fact, however, as with a few exceptions they would pass in Europe only as apprentices of some months' standing. All the science of these painters, and indeed of Chinese painters gener- ally, is not based on any principles ; it consists only in a certain I'outine, helped by a vein of imagination limited enough. They are ignorant of every beautiful rule of the art. Still, it must be confessed that they paint fiow- ers, animals, and landscapes, which are much admired upon porcelain as well as on fans and on lanterns of the finest gauze. The work of painting is distributed in the same workshop among a great number of workmen.

* Hua-p'i means literally " painter on the raw body " (sur k cm), and, like so many terms of the Chinese atelier, indicates the greater antiquity of deco- rating in cobalt-blue than that of painting in enamel colors.

340 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

One has the sole task of outlininsi: the colored riuo-s that are seen on porcelain near the rims of the pieces, another sketches the ilowers, which a third paints ; this one is for landscapes, that one for birds and for other animals.

" With regard to the coloi's of porcelain they are of all sorts. In Europe hardly anything is seen excepting a bright blue upon a white ground, but I believe that our merchants hav^e also imported other kinds.* There are some pieces with a gi'ound resembling that of our burn- ing-glasses ; others are wholly red, and among these some have the red in the glaze {yu-li-liung)\ others have a sowffie red (cli'ui-hung), and are strewn with little points somewhat like our miniatures. When these last two kinds come out in perfect success — a work of some diffi- culty— they are infinitely esteemed and extremely dear.

" Lastly, there are porcelain vases with pictures of landscape scenes painted in nearly all the different colors, enhanced by the luster of gilding. These are very beau- tiful if no expense is spared ; otherwise the ordinaiy porcelain of this kind is not to be compared with that painted in azure blue alone. The annals say that in ancient times the people used only white porcelain, probably because the ordinary blue had not yet been discovered.

" The azui-e blue is prepared in this way : It is buried in the gravel, which is half a foot thick in the floor of the furnace, and roasted there for twenty-four hours; then it is ground to an impalpable powder, in the same way as the other colors — not on marble, but in a great porcelain mortar, the bottom of which is unglazed, as is

* The two illustrations (Figs. 232 and 234) are specimens of blue and white ■designs painted for Europe about this time. The cylindrical vase is decorated in alternate bands of blue upon white, and blue with white reserves ; and similar vases are often found painted in enamel colors of the period. The ■other is painted in blue with rich panels of floral brocade.

LETTERS OF PERE d'eNTRECOLLES. 341

also tlie head of tlie pestle with which the colors are pounded.

" The red that is made from the green vitriol (tsao-fan) is prepared b}' placing about a [)ound of the iron crystals in a crucible, which is well luted to a second crucible, having in the top a small aperture, covered, however, in such a way that it can be easily uncovered if needful. The whole is surrounded l)y a large charcoal fire in a reverberating brick furnace. As long as the smoke which rises is all black, the material is not yet fit ; but it is as soon as a kind of thin, fine cloud appears. Then they take a little of the material, mix it with water, and try the effect on a piece of pine wood. If it comes out a good red, they take out the brazier in which it is inclosed and partially cover the crucible. When quite cold, a lit- tle cake of this red is found at the bottom of the lower crucible, while the finest red lines the upper crucible. One pound of iron sulphate furnishes four ounces of the red used in painting porcelain. This red is combined with five times its weight of white lead, the two powders are passed through a sieve, and mixed together dry. The mixture is incorporated with water thickened with a little ox-glue when it is painted on, so that it may not run down the side of the vase.

" Although porcelain is naturally white, and the glaze serves, moreover, to augment its whiteness, yet there are certain figures in the production of which a ]ieculiar white is painted upon porcelain decorated in different colors. This is prepared by pulverizing a transparent rock,* wdiich is calcined by inclosing it in a porcelain crucible, and by burying the crucible in the gravel floor of the furnace, in the same way as the azure-blue. It is mixed

* The caillou transparent here spoken of is no doubt arsenions acid, the native arsenical ore, which occurs in large translucid masses. The effect of the decoration in white upon a pale-green celadon ground is seen in Fig. 235.

342 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

with water, without ghie, with twice its weight of white lead, and painted on with a brush. The same white is used for combining with other colors to modify their tints. Added to the ordinary green, for example, in the pi'oportion of two parts of white to one part of green, it makes the pale, clear green, which is often associated with the darker shade.

" With regard to the other colors which are painted on the porcelain for the second firing, the dark green is pre- pared by combining an ounce of ^vhite lead, with a third of an ounce of powdered quartz, and a tenth to a twelfth of an ounce of fung Ituap'ien^ which is nothing else than the scum of copper which rises to the surface wdien the metal is melted. It is necessary to separate carefully the granules of metallic copper which are found mixed with it, as these are bad for the green.

'' The yellow color is prepared by combining an ounce of white lead, with a third of an ounce of puh^erized (piartz, and one fifty-iifth of an ounce of primitive red.* A second workman tells me one fortieth of an ounce of the last ingredient.

"The deep blue with a shade of violet is prepared by mixing one ounce of white lead, with one third of an ounce of pulverized quartz, and one live-hundredth of an ounce of azure-blue. Another workman says four five-hundredths of the ])lue.

" The black is prepared by mixing the azure-blue min- eral with water thickened with ox-glue and a little lime. When this is painted on over the glaze, the black parts- of the design are covered with white glaze, which incor- porates with the black during the second firing, in the same way as the blue is incoi-porated in the ordinary

* The mineral referred to here has been analyzed by Brongniart, and found to be a magnetic iron ore {fer oUgistiqxie terreux) containing antimony.

LETTERS OF PERE d'eNTRECOLLES. 343

glaze, when blue and white porcelain is baked in the furnace.

" There is another color called tslii,^ from Avhich the deep violet is made. It is found in Canton, and it conies also from Peking, the last being much the Ijest. It sells for about two dollars the pound. This material melts, and when it is melted, or softened, jewelers apply it in the form of enamel to silver objects, such as rings or hairpins. Like the other colors just described, this is used only on the porcelain which is re-fired. It is not roasted like the ordinary azure-blue, but pounded and reduced to the finest powder, which is thrown into a ves- sel full of water and shaken a little ; the water removes some impurities, and the ciystal powder, which remains at the bottom, is kept for use. It loses its line color and appears grayish, but recovers its violet tint as soon as it is fired. It can be painted on, mixed with pure water or with a little glue added.

" To gild or to silver porcelain, a tenth part by weight of white lead is mixed with the gold or silver leaf, which has been previously dissolved by the use of gum. The gold after it has been ground is usually spread with water over the bottom of a porcelain saucer till it forms a little ' gold sky ' under the water. This is dried, and, when used, a sufficient quantity is dissolved off by weak glue, mixed with the white lead, and applied in the same way as the enamel colors. Silver comes out with great luster upon the coffee-bi-own or 'dead-leaf (tzu-clihi) glaze. If some pieces are painted in gold and others in silver, the silvered porcelain must not be left so long in the little furnace as the s^ilded ; otherAvise the silver will

* This must be a misprint for ts'ui, which is the name of the cobalt-blue glaze used in China by enamelers on copper and silver. It is of somewhat similar composition to the " deep blue with a shade of violet " described just before, and is a characteristic color of the period.

344 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

disappear before the gold has attained the degree of heat required to give it its proper hister.

" Sometimes porcehain is fired a second time only to conceal some defect, which is painted over with colors. The enameled porcelain, which is very richly colored, is not without attraction for many. When dry it is put into the stove and arranged in tiers and piles, the small pieces within the large, only taking care that the painted parts do not touch. The furnaces may be of iron,"^' if only small ones are required, but ordinai'ily they are made of clay. One which I saw ^vas of the height of a man, and almost as broad as one of our largest wine- casks ; it was made of several pieces of the same material as the clay seggars in which the porcelain is fired, being built of large, rounded pieces, a finger's breadth thick, a foot high, and a foot and a half broad, well cemented together. The bottom of the furnace was elevated about half a foot from the ground, and supported by two or three rows of bricks ; the furnace was encircled by a well-built Avail of bricks, with three or four air-holes at the bottom. There is a space about half a foot broad between this \vall and the furnace, which is left empty for the charcoal fire, except where it is traversed by sup- porting spurs of masonry. When the charge has been introduced, the top of the furnace is closed \vith pieces of pottery, similar to those of the sides of the furnace, which fit inside each other, and are cemented together by mortar or moistened clay. An aperture is left in the middle, to observe when the porcelain is properly baked, A quantity of charcoal is burned at the bottom of the furnace, and also at the same time upon the covei', from

* The furnace used by the cloisonne enamelers at Peking is a small iron cyl- inder with a movable cover. This is imbedded in charcoal, held by a larger outside cylindrical case of iron netting. It is fired in the open courtyard, and the fire is kept up by men standing round wielding large fans.

LETTERS OF PERE d'eNTRECOLLES. 345

which pieces of lighted charcoal are thrown into the space between the brick wall and the furnace. The pot- sherd which has been put u})on the hole in the cover is removed for inspection from time to time, until it appears that all the enamels are thoi-oughly fired.

"There is a kind of colored porcelain here which is sold at a cheaper rate than that ^vhich is painted with the colors of which I have Just spoken. To make ^vork of this kind it is not necessary that the materials used should be so fine ; cups are taken which have already been baked in the large furnace, without having been glazed, and which are consequently quite white and without luster ; they are colored by immersing them in a jar filled with the prepared color, when they are i-equired to be of single color ; if they are wished to be of different €olors, such as the pieces called huanglu livan^ which aie div^ided into a variety of panels, one green, anothei" yel- low, etc., then the colors are applied with a large brush. Tliis is all the decoration given to this porcelain, except- ing that, after it has been fired, a little vermilion is some- times put upon certain parts, as, for example, upon the beaks of birds ; but this last color is not baked, because it would disappear in the furnace, so it lasts Init a very short time. After the colors have been applied, the porcelain is re-fired in the large furnace at the same time as other pieces that have not been baked before; <3are must be taken to place it at the back of the furnace and below the vent, where the fire is not so active, be- cause an intense heat would destroy the colors. The colors adapted for this kind of porcelain are prepared in this way: The green'* is made of f ^ukj Jn/t( piei) (oxide

*The copper oxide combined in this way with a tiux of nitre and silica pro- duces the color we call " turquoise-blue," but which the Chinese call " peacock- green" (kiing-chtio lit). The decoration sur biscuit, described abo%'e, fired la the large furnace, is known technically as that of the colors of the demi-grand fell.

840 ORIENTAL ( ERAMIC ART.

of copper), saltpeter, and jiowdered quartz I'educed sep- arately to an impalpable powder, and mixed together with water. The commonest azure-blue material mixed with saltpeter and pulverized quartz forms the violet. The yellow is made by combining three-tenths of an ounce of iron-red with thive ounces of powdered quartz^ and three ounces of white lead. The white is made by the addition of four-tenths of an ounce of pulveiized quartz to an ounce of ^vhite lead. All these ingredients, are mixed together with wnter. This is all that I have been able to gather about the colors of this sort of porce- lain, not having any of the workmen among my converts. " To return to the single colors. The glaze red called yii-li'hung is made from gianulated red copper, and the powder of a certain stone which has a shade of red,* ground together in a mortar with a boy's urine, and mixed afterward wnth some of the white glaze material, I have not been able to discover the quantities of these ingredients; those who have the secret are very careful not to divulge it. The mixture is applied to porcelain that has not been baked before, and it is not given any other glaze ; only special care must be taken that during^ the firing the red color does not run down to the bottom of the vase. If the red comes out pure and brilliant and without any stain, it is one of the most perfect achieve- ments of the ceramic art. The porcelain does not ring when struck. I have been assured that when this red is about to be applied, the porcelain is not made of pe-tun-tsey but that yellow clay is used in its place to mix Avith the Jcao-lm, pre23ared before it and in the same way with the pe-tiin-tse. The granules of copper which give the red are obtained during the purification of silver ingots, of which there are so many of base alloy in circulation. The refiners, while the melted copper is hardening and

* Probably amethystine quartz.

LETTERS OF PERE d'eNTRECOLLES. 347

couo-eaYiug, dip a small broom iuto water, aud sprinkle some of it over the liquid copper ; the film which then forms on the surface is lifted off with little iron tongs and thrown into cold water, where it forms into granules.

" The souffle red (Gh''ui-hung) is made in this way : Having prepared the red, a bamboo tube is used which has one of its ends covered \\\i\\ a very close gauze ; this is dipped gently into the color so as to cover the ganze, and then, by blowing through the tube, the color is pro- jected upon the porcelain, which will be found strewn all over with little red points. This kind of porcelain is «ven rarer and dearer than the preceding, because the execution is still more difficult.

"There is also a sovjjie blue (cJi'ui-cJi'ing) ^vhich is much easier to apply successfully. The finest azure-blue, prepared by roasting the cobaltiferoiis mineral, is mixed with water to a proper consistence, and blown in the same way upon the surface of the unbaked vase ; it is allowed to dry, and is then covered with the ordinary white glaze, either alone or mixed with the ' crackle glaze ' {sui yit), if the porcelain is to be veined. It is finall}^ fired in the large furnace. The cobalt-bhie mono- chrome glaze, whether it be souffle or aj^plied by immer- sion, may have a decoration traced upon it by artist workmen with the point of a long needle ; the needle removes as many little points of the dry azure color as may be necessary to represent the outline of the design, after which the piece is glazed. After the porcelain has been fired, the figures appear as if painted in miniature.

" The black porcelain called wu chin has also its price and its beauty ; it is a brilliant black, somewhat like that of our burning-glasses, which is very effective in com- bination with the gold decoration with which it is usually associated. The unbaked porcelain is immersed in a fluid

848 ORIENTAL cera:^iic art.

mixture composed of prepared azure-blue ; * it is not nec- essary to use the finest azure, but it must -be rather thick, and mixed with some of the brown mineral (tzi'i- chln^ and the materials of the ordinary white glaze. For example, to ten ounces of azure pounded in the mortar are added one cup of tzu-chin, seven (iu\)^ oi pal yu (prepared from feldspar), and two cujis of the lime and fern-ash mixture. No other glaze is necessary ; when the porce- lain is fired, it must be placed in the middle of the furnace, and not near the roof, where the heat would be too intense. The gold designs are penciled on afterwai'd^ and the piece is fired anew in a particular furnace.

" The glaze referred to just now, called tzu-chin — i. e., 'burnished gold' (or Iru/i/) — I should name rather ' bronze-colored,' ' coffee- colored,' or ' dead-leaf ' (couleur de feuille worte). It is a recent invention ; f for its com- position, common yellow clay is taken, levigated in the same way as the pe-tun-tse, and mixed with water to the same consistence as the ordinary white feldspathic glaze. The tzu-chin puree is first mixed w^ith the feldspathic puree,, and some of the lime and fern-ash puree of the same consistence is afterward added to the mixture. Tlie [)]'oportions of the three ingredients depend upon the tint i-equired ; it may range from that of ' old gold ^ to the darkest chocolate color.

" 1 have been shown this year (1722 ), for the first time, a species of porcelain which is now in fashion (a lamode)'. Its color approaches that of the olive and is given the name of lu7uj<']i''u(in. I have heard it called rli'in/j hiio — the name of a fruit which nearly resembles the olive. |; This

*It should be rather " a puree made of calcined cobaltiferous oxide of man- ganese," the ore which the Chinese used to produce blue, and which, if not covered with glaze, comes out black.

\ The worthy father must be mistaken here, as we extracted a detailed pre- scription in Chapter VIII from the records of the Ming dynasty. The color referred to is the well-known fund laque of French ceramic writers.

:j; The Chinese olive, so called, is the fruit of a species of canarium.

LETTERS OF PEKE D ENTRECOLLES. 849

color is given to porcelain by mixing together seven cups of the tzii-cliin paree^ four cups of fel(]spathicy^?<7*^6^, two cups of lime and fern-ash puree, and one cup of crackle puree. The last, named iiui yu, which is prepai-ed from a kind of rock, causes a quantity of veins to appear on the porce- lain ; when it is applied alone, the porcelain is fragile, and does not I'ing when struck, but, when mixed with other glazes, the porcelain, although reticulated witli veins and rings, is not more fragile than usual. The ordinary variety is marbled all ovei', and cut in every direction ^vith an infinity of veins ; from a distance it might be taken for a broken piece \\itli the fi'agments remaining in place ; it is like a Avork in mosaic. The color is usually grayish.

'' They tried lately to mix gold leaf and powdered quartz with the ordinary glaze, and applied it like the red glaze, but the attempt failed, as it was proved that the tzit-chin o;laze excelled in srrace and luster. At one time bowls were made with the ' golden glaze ' outside and pure white within ; another variation followed, when upon a bowl to which they were going to apply the tzu- cliin glaze, they stuck on, in one or two places, a round or square of moistened paper. The paper was taken away wlien the glaze liad been applied, and the space filled in with a painting in red or in azure blue. Sometimes such medallion spaces were colored ^vith a Idue or a Ijlack ground, and, after having been fired, wei'e penciled in gold and fired anew ; a number of such different com- binations might be imagined.

"Not long ago a new material was discovered that could enter into the composition of porcelain. This is a stone, or species of chalk, called Jiua-slili,^ the same

* Ilun-shih is steatite, -which is widely used in China as a febrifuge. But many other substances have been sent to Europe under tlie same name, so that Salvetat writes that it is sometimes a mixture of steatite and amphibole, at

350 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

wliicli Chinese doctors use to make a draught which they say is detergent, aperient, and refreshing. The potters use it to replace tlie hao-lin. Porcelain fabricated with hua-shih is rare, and much dearer than the other ; it has an extremely fine grain, and with regard to the work of the brush, if it be compared \vith ordinary porcelain, it is like vellum compared with paper. Moi'eover, this porcelain is so light as to surprise one accustomed to handle other kinds of porcelain ; it is also much more frasrile than the common sort, and it is difficult to seize the proper moment of its firing. Some, who do not use the hua-shih to make the body, content themselves with making a kind of glue of it, in which they inmierse the porcelain when it is dry, so that it takes up a layer, on which to receive the colors and the glaze, by whicli means it acquires a certain degree of beauty. The Jnia- shih is washed ^vhen it is taken from the mine and pre- pared like the hao-lin. I am assured that porcelain can be made of it alone without anything else mixed, but one of my converts, who works with it, tells me that he combines eight parts of hua-shih with two parts of pe- tun-tse. It is five times the price of hao-lin. It is also used for painting designs over the glaze in sli[).

" There is one secret that the Chinese lament having lost : they once had the art of painting upon a porcelain bowl fish or other animals, which became visible only when the porcelain was filled with some liquid. This kind of porcelain was called chia-clHing — that is to say, ^ azure put in press,' indicating the position of the color. The porcelain to be painted thus must be very thin ;

others ferruginous clay, or impure hao-lin. Vogt says (Za Porcelaine, page 225), " It is a natural mixture of two thirds of kao-lin and one third of white mica." The peculiar porcelain made of it, as described above, is the sha t'ai of the Chinese, the "soft paste" of collectors, described in the last chapter, distinguished by its light weight, its tendency to crackle, and the fine, neat lines of its decoration when painted in cobalt-blue.

LETTERS OF PERE d'eNTRECOLLES. 351

when it has beeu dried, the color is applied with a strong touch, not outside, as usually, but inside, on the sides of the cup ; the ordinary decoration is fish, the most nat- ural thing, as it were, to appear when the cup is filled with water. As soon as the painting is dry a light layer of slip is spread over it, which confines the color between two coats of earth. When the slip has dried, the glaze is put on inside the cup, which is afterward put u})on tlie polishing wheel and cut away outside as thin as possible without penetrating to the coloi', and lastly the outside is glazed by immersion. When everything is dry it is fired in the ordinary furnace. The work is extremely deli- cate, and demands a skill that the Chinese seem no longer to possess.

" There is another kind of porcelain made here with an outer pierced casing, carved in openwoi'k (ajour^, so as to inclose the cup which holds the liquid. The cup and the pierced casing form one piece. I have seen other charming pieces in which Chinese and Tartar ladies are painted after life, with the costume, the coloring, and the features, all finished in the most recherche style, so that at a distance the work might be taken for an enamel.

" To-day, it may be said, there is a renaissance, and the beautiful azure reappears upon porcelain once more. When it is applied it is of a grayish-black color; when it is dry and it has been coated with glaze it is eclipsed altogether, and the poi'celain appears perfectly white ; the colors are then buried under the glaze, but the fire brings them out in all their beauty, almost like the heat of the sun as it brino-s out from a chrvsalid a gorgeous butterfly in all its brilliant hues.

" The place where the furnaces are presents another scene. In a kind of vestibule which leads to the furnace are seen piles of cases made of clay, the seggars in which the porcelain is incased. The small pieces, like the cups

852 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

intended for tea or chocolate, are put sevei'al in one case ; tlie large pieces have a separate case for each one. The workman copies Nature, which protects fruits within an envelope, so that they may be gradually ripened by the heat of the sun. The cases are placed in columns inside the furnace, the two lowest in each column, imbedded in the gravel floor, l)eing left empty, because the fire has no power so low down. In the middle piles, Avhich are seven feet high, are placed tlie finest porcelains, at the back of the furnace tlie coarser kinds, near the entrance the pieces of strong color which are made of materials containing as much pe-tiui-tse as hao-lin., and the glaze of which is prepared from the rocks with blackish or red spots, because this glaze has more body than the other. The cases are made of different colored clays produced in the neighborhood, kneaded together, and are fashioned upon the wheel.

" Some one hundred and eighty loads of pine fuel (of a hundred and thirty-three pounds weight each) are con- sumed at every firing, and it is surprising that no ashes even are left. It is not surprising that porcelain is so dear in Europe, for, apart from the large gains of the European merchants, and of their Chinese agents, it is rare for a furnace to succeed completely ; often every- thing is lost, and on opening it tlie porcelain and the cases will be found converted into a solid mass as hard as rock. Moi'eover, the ])oi'celain that is exported to Europe is fashioned almost always after new models, often of bizarre character, and difficult to reproduce; for the least fault they are refused, and remain in the hands of the potters, because they are not in the taste of the Chinese and can not be sold to them. Some of the elaborate designs sent are quite impracticable, although they pro- duce for themselves some tilings Avhich astonish strangers, who will not believe in their possibility.

LEITERS OF PERE d'eNTRECOLLES. 358

" I will give some examjiles of these. I have seen hei-e a large porcelain lantern made in one piece, through the sides of which shone a candle, placed inside, so as to light a whole room ; this work was ordered seven or eight years ago by the heir-a[)parent.* The same prince ordered, at the same time, various musical instruments, and among others a kind of little mouth-organ called tseng, which is about a foot high, composed of fourteen pipes, and the melody of which is pleasing enough ; but eveiy attempt at making this failed. They succeeded better with flutes and flageolets, and with another instrument called yun-lo which is composed of a set of little round and slightly concave plaques, each of which has its different note; nine of these are hung in three tiers in a square frame, and played upon with rods, like the tympanum ; a little chime is produced to accompany the sound of other instru- ments, or the voice of singers. It required, they tell me, many trials before they succeeded in finding the proper thickness and density to produce coi-rectly all the notes of the scale, I imagined myself that they had the secret of inserting a little metal in the body of the porcelain, to vary the notes ; but have been undeceived, for metal is so ill adapted to combine with porcelain that if a cop})er ' cash ' happened to be put upon the top of a pile of por- celain in the kiln, the coin as it melted would pierce all the cases and porcelain in the column, so that a hole would be found in the middle of every one. To return to the rarer works, the Chinese succeed best in gro- tesques, and in the representation of animals. The workmen make ducks and tortoises which will swim in water. I have seen a cat painted after life, in the head of which a little lamp had been put to illuminate the

* One of Uiese beautiful eggshell lanterns is illustrated in Plate XI. The heir-apparent was the fourth son of the emperor, the prince who reigned after- ward as Titiig-Cheng. It is interesting to find him mentioned as patronizing the art so early as 1704 or 1705.

354 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

eyes, and was assured tliat in the night the rats were ter- rified by it. They make here too very many statuettes of Kuan-yin,* a goddess celebrated throughout all China, represented holding an infant in her arms, and worshiped by sterile women who wish to have children.

" There is another kind of porcelain, the execution of which is very difficult, and which has consequently become exceeding rare. The body of this porcelain is extremely thin, and its surface very smooth inside and out ; notwithstanding which there can be detected in it, on close inspection, molded designs, such as a ring of flowers, or other like ornaments.f They are executed in this way : When it has been shaped upon the wheel it is pressed upon a mold carved with the designs which are impressed inside, and then it is pared down outside, as finely and thinly as possible, with the knife on the polish- ing wheel, to be ultimately glazed and baked in the ordi- nary furnace.

" European merchants demand sometimes from the Chi- nese woi'kmen porcelain slabs, to form in one piece the top of a table or bench, or frames for pictures. These works are impossible ; the broadest and longest slabs made are only a foot across or thereabouts, and if one goes beyond, whatever may be the thickness, it will be warped in baking. The extra thickness does not facili- tate the work, rather the contrary ; and this is why the native slabs, instead of being made thick, are formed of two faces, with a hollow interior, traversed by a solid cross-piece ; these slabs, used for inlaying carpentry, have two holes pierced at either end, so that they may be inserted in a bed, or in the back of a chair, when they look very effective.

* Refer to Plate LX for a finely decorated figure of the period. Kuan-yin is the Buddhist divinity Avalokita.

f For a striking example of this work, refer to Plate LXVII.

LETTERS OF PERE d'eNTRECOLLES. 355

"The mandarins, who know the genius of Europeans for inventions, often ask me to have brought from Europe novel and curious designs, in order that they may present to the emperor something unique. On the other hand, the Christians press me strongly not to get any such models, for the mandarins are not so easy to be con- vinced as our merchants, when the workmen tell them that a task is impracticable ; and the bastinado is liber- ally administered before the mandarin will abandon a design which may bring him, he hopes, great profit.

" As each profession has its particular idol, and divinity is conferred here as easily as the rank of count or marquis is given in some European countries, it is not surprising that there should be a god of porcelain. The Pou-sa * (the name of this idol) owes its origin to these kinds of designs which it is impossible for the workmen to exe- cute. They say that formerly an emperor decreed posi- tively that some poi'celain should be made after a model which he gave ; it was represented to him several times that the thing was impossible, but all tjjese remonstrances served only to excite more and moi'e his desire. His officers persecuted the Avorkmen incessantly. The poor wretches spent all their money and gave themselves infi- nite pains, but they got nothing but blows in return. At last one of them in a moment of despair threw himself into the burning furnace and was consumed in an instant. The porcelain which was being baked came out, they say, perfectly beautiful, and pleased the emperor, who de- manded nothing more. After his death the unfortunate man Avas regarded as a hero, and he became in coui'se of

* Pou-sa is the Chinese contraction of the Sanskrit Bvdhisatfra, a personage "who lias only one more stage of human existence to pass through before he becomes a Buddha. It is applied secondarily to any idol. The Pou-sa. who has become proverbial in Europe as the god of luxurious indolence, often molded in porcelain, is the representation of Maitr^ya, the coming Buddha or Messiah of the present Kalpa.

356 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

time tlie idol who is now the protector of the workers in porcelain.

" Porcelain having been so highly esteemed through so many centuries, one would wish to know in what respects that of the earlier times differs from that of our own days, and what the Chinese think of it themselves. It must not be doubted that China has its antiquaries, whose predilections are all for ancient "works. The Chinaman, indeed, has an innate respect for antiquity, although one finds defenders of modern art ; but porcelain is not like ancient medals, which reveal the science of distant ages. Ancient porcelain may be ornamented witli Chinese characters, but they mark no point in history, so that the curious could only find something in the style and in the colors ^vhich could lead them to pi'efer it to that of the present day. I believe that I heard it said, ^\hen I was in Europe, that porcelain, to have its full perfection, must have been buried for a long time in the ground ; this is an absurdity which the Chinese ridicule. The history of King-te-chen, speaking of the most beautiful porcelain of earlier times, says that it was so recherche that the furnace was hardly opened before the merchants were disputing for the first choice. There is no question here of having it buried.

"It is true that in dio-o-ino- uii the ruins of old build- ings, and especially in cleaning out old abandoned wells, fine pieces of })orcelain are sometimes discovered, which have been hidden there in times of revolution ; the porce- lain is beautiful, because at such times they would only think of hiding what was pi'ecious, in order to recover it when the troubles were over. It is esteemed not because it has gained from the moist earth some new beauty, but because its ancient beauty has been ])reserved, and that alone has its price in China, where they give large sums for the smallest utensils of the ordinary potteiy that was

LpypTKUs OF PEiiE d'entrecolles. 357

used by the Emperors Yao and Shun, Avho reigned many centuries before the T''ang dynasty, during wliich poi'ce- lain began to be used by the emperors.

" The mandarin of King-te-chen, who honors me \\ ith his friendship, makes to his patrons at the imperial court presents of old porcelain, which he has the talent of mak- ing himself. I mean that he has discovered the art of imitating ancient porcelain, or at least that of a medium antiquity ; he employs at this work a number of artisans. The material of which these false hu-fung — that is, ancient counterfeits — are made is a yellowish clay, which is brought from a place not far from King-te-chen, called Ma-an-shan (Saddle-back Hill). They are very thick ; a plate of tliis kind which the mandarin gave me weighs as much as ten ordinary plates. There is nothing- peculiar in the workmanship of this kind of porcelain, except that it is given a glaze prepared from a yello\v rock, which is mixed with the ordinary glaze, the latter predominating ; this mixture gives to the porcelain a sea- green color. After it has l)een baked it is innnersed in a very strong bouillon made of fowls and other meat ; it is stewed in this a while, and is afterward put into the most filthy sewer that can l)e found, ^vhere it is left a month or more. When it comes out of this sewer it passes for being three or four centuries old, or at least for a speci- men of the preceding dynasty of the Ming, when porce- lain of this color and thickness Avas highly esteemed at court. These false antiques are also similar to the genuine things, in that they do not ring when stiuek, and emit no humming vibrations when held close to the ear.

" They have brought to me from the debris of a large shop a little plate wliich I value much moi-e than tlie finest porcelain of a thousand years ago. There is painted on the bottom of this plate a crucitix between the Holy Virgin and St. John ; thev told me that thev used

358 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

formerly to export such porcelain to Japan, but that they had made none of it since sixteen or seventeen years ago. Apparently the Christians of Japan availed themselves of this industry during the persecutions, to have images of our sacred mysteries ; the porcelain, mixed in the cases w^ith the rest, might escape the search of the enemies of religion ; the pious artifice would have been discovered later and rendered of no avail by a stricter search, and this is why, no doubt, they have left off making things of tbe kind at King-te-chen."

CHAPTER XII.

THE YU]SrG-CH:^NG PERIOD.

riiHE Emperor Yung-cheng, who succeeded his father JL K\mg-lm^ reigned for only thirteen years (1723- 35), a comparatively short interval between the long reign of sixty-one years of his predecessor and the reign of sixty years of his son and successor, the celebrated CfCien-lung^ who resigned the throne after he had reigned a complete cycle, in accordance with a vow that he had made not to outreign his grandfather, if the celestial powers would allow him to reign as long. The ceramic productions of this reign are sometimes grouped Avith those of the reign of CKien-hmg^ and described under the same heading, but, in my opinion, they are of sufficient interest and importance to deserve a chapter to themselves. It is a ti-ansition period in which the strong colors and bold, vigorous decoration of the preceding reign are gradually toned down, until they merge into the half tints and broken colors which mark the more regular and carefully finished designs on the porcelain of the reign of CJiHen-lung. The deep irides- cent greens boldly laid on in thick patches, which characterize the last reign, are only by gradual degrees replaced by a green of less brilliant tone and more even shade, so that an early Yu7ig-cheng piece often retains a touch of the old vig-or. If it want somethiusf of the pristine brilliancy, the new reign is distinguished for the neat precision of its penciling, the soft purity of its color- ing, and the finished technique of its ceramic productions. They are well illustrated in this collection, especially in

359

360 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

the decorated class, as in the magnificent round dishes in Plate XLVIII and Fig. 101, the pilgrim bottle in Plate XLVII, and the Buddhist ecclesiastical vase in Plate XX, all of which are marked in full with the " six-character" mark of the reign. The decorated citron-yellow vase in Plate LXV, the Taoist-Triad vase in Plate XXI, and some of the eggshell plates, although they do not happen to be marked, are, from their style and coloring, attribu- table to the same period. Among the single colors, the gray vase illustrated in Plate LXXXV has the mark of the reign inscribed underneath, and the pea-green celadon (tou-cJi ing) vase in Plate XL, the crackled gray vase in Plate LXXXVI, the etched sea-green celadon (tung- chHng) vase in Plate XXXVIII, and the pink mono- chrome vase of "rose Dubarry " in Plate LIII are to be referred, in all probability, to the same period.

Two of the colors especially characteristic of the JS itn Yao, or " Nien Porcelain," of this epoch ai'e the dair-de- lune, or yueh-2)ai, and the bright souffle copper-red. A specimen of the former is given in Plate LI (b) ; and the coloi' of the new reio-n is the same, althouoh the fabric of the porcelain is generally more delicate and the foi'm more studied. The latter occurs in a rare combination with painted decoration in the charming little vase of baluster shape seen in Fig. 250, which deserves a word of description :

Nien Yao Vase, exhibiting the characteristic mono- chrome glaze of bright ruby-red tint and sti]:>pled surface. The souffle glaze is applied over the whole surface, with the exception of a panel of iri-egular outline reserved on one side of the vase, where it is shaded off so that the red fades gradually into a nearly white ground. Within the panel there is painted, over the glaze, the pictui-e of Tung Fang So, a Taoist divinity, in flowing robes, speed- ing across the clouds with a branch of peaches, the sacred

THE YUNG-CH:feNG PERIOD. 361

fruit of longevity, on his shoulder. This is lightly etched ill sepia and touched with gold, with the addition of a few strokes of pale overglaze cobalt-blue and rouge d^or of the Yung-clieng period. The foot of the vase is encircled by an ornamental scroll, nearly obliterated, painted over the ruby ground in black and gold. There is no mark imderneath.

The Nien just referred to is, as the reader ^vill recall, Nien Hsi-yao, an official of the Nei Wu Fu, or Imperial Household, who was appointed in the beginning of the reign of Yung -die )ig, commissioner of customs at Huai- an-fu, with control over the river dues of the three provinces of Kiangsu, Kiangsi, and Anhui, and the super- intendency of the imperial porcelain manufactory at Ching-te-chen, for which he was also required to provide the necessary funds out of the customs dues. He held the post till the fii'st year of the reign of Cli!ien-lung, when he was promoted, and replaced in the commis- sionership by T'ang Ying. He was consequently director of the porcelain works during the whole of the reign of Yung-cheng, and some of the peculiar produc- tions of the period are still commonly known as Nien Yao, after him. He seems to have made periodical tours of inspection to Chiug-te-chen, during one of which he repaired the temple of the patron god, and erected a stone tablet in the courtyard to commemorate the fact. The inscription on this monument, which still stands there, records his official visit to the place in the fifth year of the reign of Yung-cheng (1727), and his orders that the porcelain made for the use of the emperor ' should })e sent by boat twice every month to be inspected by him at Huai-an-fu, and that he ^vould forward it on to the palace at Peking. We have a long list of the deco- rative designs and colors of the imperial porcelain made under his inspection, which is derived from official

362 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

sources, and \\ Inch is given in full detail in tlie next chapter. It supplies a fund of exact information, and is, on that account, of the greatest interest.

According to the Cliing-te-clien T\io h(, "the vases made at this time included very many of soft eggshell color and well-rounded form, the glaze of which shone with the luster of pure silver. Some were decorated in blue and white, others in colors, and the various j)rocesses- of painting, engraving, modeling under the glaze, and carving in pierced work, were all practiced in turn. The rejiroduction of ancient wares and the invention of novelties were undertaken in the imperial factory under his (Nien's) direction."

The rounded form referred to in this extract is- exhibited in the oval, melon-shaped vase of six-lobed outline in Fig. 251, which is coated with a silvery white glaze, very finely crackled (truiie), with a close reticulation of dark lines, so as to give a general gray effect ; and in the white vase of the period in Fig. 252^ the neck of which is encircled with the form of a coiling dragon modeled in openwork relief and enameled in rouge <Vor of crimson tint, the rest of the surface being pure white, except for an occasional single peach-blossom touched in delicate colors near the foot and on the shoulder of the rippled surface of the vase, which was- once marked underneath, but has had the inscription purposely ground away."^

The good form and perfect technique of the period are well shown in two other illustrations. The first is a large baluster vase {mei-p'ing\ Fig. 253, with gracefully rounded outlines, which is artistically decorated in

*The mark is not infrequently obliterated in China on the lapidary's polish- itig wheel, and some of the finest pieces of Chinese porcelain are found to have been thus defaced. Such pieces have usually been stolen from the imperial palace by some of the eunuchs, or from some Important collection by the servants in charge and treated in this way to avoid detection.

THE YUNG-CHifcNG PERIOD. 863

brilliant enamel colors with fruits and flowers, tlie branches springing from below on one side and spread- ing upward in all directions upon the vase, so as to cover it with large pomegranates and peaches and bunches of yellow dragon's eye (^Neplieliwn longanuiii) fruit, mingled with sprays of scarlet pomegranate-flowers and pink peach-blossom. The mark underneath, penciled in under- glaze blue within a double ring, is Ta CKing Yung <:lieng nien cJiih^ "Made in the reign of Yung-cJieng, of the great OKing [dynasty]." The other vase (Fig. 257), though unmarked, is a typical piece of the period, in form, style of decoration, and coloring. The peculiarly tall, slender form sjjringing from a spreading foot seems to have been introduced at this time. The scene depicted on the vase is the appearance of the Taoist goddess Hsi Wang Mu coming across the sea, borne upon a floating lotus-petal. The base of the vase is surrounded by scrolled and crested green waves, from which green and blue rocks rise in the background, and a temple with veranda and curling eaves — the abode of the divinity — is seen in the midst of the sea, Avith a oicrantic stork perched on the roof. From a rock behind the temjjle springs a sacred peach-tree laden with scarlet and pink fruit, the branches mingled with rosy clouds floating across the shoulder of the vase, illuminated by the ver- milion disk of the sun. A second stork is flying back to the temple, as the aerial messenger of the goddess, carrying in its beak two scrolls tied by a red band. The frail craft, a scai-let lotus-petal, floating on the sea in the foreground, contains two female figures. The goddess is sitting upon a rustic seat in the stern, dressed in con- ventional style in long robes and floating, scarf with a short cloak of lotus-leaves thrown across her shoulders, and holds a branch of sacred fungus Qing-ehih). The standing figure in front is her attendant, clad in a similar

364 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

costume with a deep collai- of fig-leaves, liolding a rosy peach fringed with green leaves, and having a basket by her side full of flowers and Buddha's-hand citrons.

Fig, 56 shows an example of "slip" decoration in partial relief, painted in underglaze cobalt-blue, as well as in the enamel colors, coral-red, yellow, greens of different shade, and black. It has inscribed underneath the usual seal-mark penciled in underglaze blue of the reign of Yung-cheng. It is a brush cylinder (27i-fung), of wide low form with swelling mouth, decorated with an a})propriate motive, Meng P'l Sheng Hiia — i. e., "The Pencil Blossoming in Dreams." On the right a young man in scholarly dress is reclining asleep upon a couch ; his figure, and the I'ocks mid palms which rise in the background, are modeled in salient I'elief. From the top of his head proceeds a scroll which unrolls to show another scene, in which the same figure is seated at a table, with ink upon the pallet and a brush in his hand^ about to dash down upon paper the poem evolved in dreamland, which he had vainly tried to compose during waking hours. The title of the picture, which is given above, is a half stanza from a classical poet. The Chinese artist always presents a dream as an unrolled scroll pro- ceeding from the head of the dreamer in this quaint fashion.

Two little tea-jars are examples of modeling in relief and openwoi'k carving, t\vo distinct processes of Avork which distinguish some of the largest and most im- portant vases of the time. That shown in Fig. 254 has a ring of lotus plants projecting in salient relief round the base, and another lotus encircling the top of the cover. It is painted in enamel colors with gilding, with a temple hung with gold bells rising in the midst of the sea ; with swallows flying in the air,, and with a bordei* of gilded diapers encircling the

THE YUNG-CH:feNG PERIOD. 365

shoulder alternating with wav^y scrolls jiainted in black. The other little jar of similar form (Fig. 255), which has the foot surrounded by a pierced openwork scroll, is decorated with lotus-leaf-shaped panels containing sprays of peonies, displayed upon a spiral black ground, sprin- kled with blue bamboo-leaves and white plum-blossoms.

The saucer-shaped dish in Fig. 249 («) is included here, because it hapjiens to have the mark of the reign penciled underneath in blue, encircled by a double ring, the eggshell plates of the period being usually not marked. It is decorated inside in enamel colors, with a flowering bulb of narcissus, a spray of roses, and two branching stems of Polypoinis lucidus — the variegated fungus of Taoist sacred lore. A favorite symbolical design upon imperial porcelain, which was first intro- duced in this reign, is that shown upon the OhHen-hing saucer-dish in Fig. 249 (h), which is painted with branches of sacred peaches bearing both flowei's and fruit, that wind over the rim of the dish to decorate the interior, and with five flying bats, symbols of the five happinesses. It is a common notion of the Chinese that every decoration for imperial use must have some recon- dite meaning of this kind and not be introduced simjily for ornament, like a landscape or a few sprays of simple flowers that are thought suflicient for the ordinary cups and bowls that are intended for more vulsrar use.

The Emperor Yuiig-climg is considered by the Chi- nese to have been a special patron of the ceramic art, and some of the more elaborate work that distin- guished the latter part of the preceding reign was due directly to the interest he took in it when heir-apparent, as described by Pere d'Entrecolles in his letters. Dur- ing his reign he continued to send down to Ching-te- chen from the imperial collections at Peking a number of antique objects and specimens of ancient glazes to

366 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

be reproduced in the imperial mauiifactory. The repro- ductions are described to have been often more finished and perfect than the originals, and they figure as such in many a private collection, both in China and abroad. Their variety and character will be enumerated in the next chapter, which is taken directly from the oflicial records of the time.

CHAPTER XIII.

official list of the desions and colors produced at the imperial manufactory in the reign of yung- ch:6ng.

THIS list was first j^ublislied in the Cldang-hsi-fung- cMh, the General Description of the Province of Kiangsi, in which Ching-te-chen, with its Imperial Porce- lain Maunfactory, is situated. I am translating it from the latest edition of this voluminous compilation (book xciii, folio 11-13). It is given there under the heading, " An Old List of the Different Colors of the Round and Square Porcelain, and of the Vases ordered to be made for the Emperoi'," The following explanatory note is added by the editors below the title : " AVith resj^ectful reference to the productions of the imperial porcelain manufactory, among the ornamental vases and Jars, the vessels for sacrificial wine and for meat offerings, the dishes, bowls, cups, and platters for ordinary use, ordered to be sent in annual rotation to the palace, there are so many different kind of things, that it would be impos- sible to attempt to enumerate them all. AVe will ex- tract fi-om Hsieh's Description (of the province) a list of fifty-seven kinds given there, in order to give a general idea of the porcelain made at the time."

The first edition of the Chiang -lisi-tung-cliili^ ^nc are told in the introduction, was published in the Mi-ng dynasty, in the reign of Clda-eliing (1522-66). Two revised editions were issued durino- the \<i\sn\ of K\inq- hsi (1662-1722), and another in the reign of Yung- cheng, which was published in the cyclical year jen-tzu

367

368 ORIENTAL cera:mic art.

(1732). This last edition is the one referred to above. It was coni]nled by Hsieh Min, who was governor of the province of Kiangsi from 1729 to 1732. The list, there- fore, can not be later than 1732. It was prepared specially for the official work, and affords an invaluable description of the porcelain made in the reign of Yung- chmg, under the superintendence of the director, Nien Hsi-yao, referred to in the last chapter. This is alto- gether confirmed by the internal evidence of the list itself, as many of the things described are characteristic productions of his time, and are still known to Chinese collectors as yien Yao.

This list, with some minor variations, is given by Julien (JjOr. cit, livre vi, page 192), who quotes it from the annals of the city of Fou-liang, under the some- what misleading title Catalogue des emaux et des vases anciens qWon imite a King-te-tcliin. His translation of the Chinese, too, is very inaccurate, probably because he was not familiar with the objects described. I venture to allude to this because his book is so uni- versally accepted as the text-book on the subject; there is no space to notice all the discrepancies, and I will therefore pass on at once to the list :

*' 1. Glazes of the Ta-hiian period, with iron (-colored) paste.* (ife # :;^ 11 ffB). These are of three diifer- ent colors : (1 ) pale blue, or clair-de-lune {yueli pai) ; (2) pale blue or green {fen clCing^ ; (3) dark green or gros vert (ta li't) — all of which are copied from the colors of the glazes of specimens of the Sung dynasty sent from the imperial palace."

* Julien's rendering the first four examples is Excipient enfer, Excipient en cuivre, and recent writers have twitted the Chinese, on his authority, for not being able to distinguish enameled iron and copper from porcelain. The last paragraph, again, he translates: " Ces trois sortes d'emaux avaient la couleur et le lustre des vases des Song appeles Nei-fa-song-khi, c'est-a-dire vases fournis pour I'usage du palais (dans la periode A7«^-<e, 1004-1007)." There is no allu- sion to this period in the original text.

DESIGNS AND COLORS OF REIGN OF YUNG-CIi:fcNG. 369

The specimens wbich were sent out to be copied must have been examples of the Kuan Yao, the " imperial ware " of the Si(7ig dynasty, which was described in Chapter V as having been made at the capital of the time, the modern K'ai-feng-fu. It was not till long after- ward that it came to be called Ta-hian Yao, after the name of the period Ta-huan (1107-1110), in which it was invented, to distinguish it from the " imperial ware " of more recent times.

" 2. Ko Yao glazes, with iron (-colored) paste. (^

" These are of two kinds — (1) rice-colored, (2) pale blue, or green (celadon), both copied from the colors of the glazes of ancient pieces sent from the imperial palace."

Reproductions of the ancient crackled ware of the Sung dynasty made at Liu-t'ien in Lung-ch'iian-hsien, the invention of Avhich was attributed to the elder Chang, from which it derived its name of Ko Yao — i. e., " Elder Brother's Ware."

" 3. Uncrackled Ju (-chou) glaze, \s'\\\\ cop23er (-col- ored) paste. [U ^ %W< & ffl).

" Copied from the color of the glaze of t^vo pieces of the Sung dynasty — a cat's food-basin {inao shih p'eii), and a mask-shaped dish (^jen mienhsi^y

The traditional tint of the Ju-chou porcelain is sky- blue, and the reproduction of the old glaze forms the yu huo t'ien dicing, "the blue of the sky after rain," of modern times. The peculiar shape of the second piece reminds one of the wine-cup (yjen mien pei)i molded in the form of a man's face, of Sung imperial ware, which was described in Chapter V. Such a cup would make a convenient dish for washing (Jisi) pencil-brushes, for which purpose, from its uneven surface, it would l^e well adapted.

370 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

" 4. Jii (-clioii) glaze with fisli-i-oe crackle of copper (-colored) paste. (M # ^ ^ WC HC «)•

" Copied from the colors of the glaze of a piece of the Sung dynasty sent from the imperial palace."

" 5. White Ting (-chou) glaze. (Q ^ ffl).

" Only one kind is copied, the J^en Ting ; the other variety, the T^i Ting, is not imitated,"

These two varieties of ancient porcelain have been already described and illustrated. The Fen Ting, which is composed of fine white material, is enameled with a soft-looking, ivoiy-white glaze, with a surface either j)lain or crackled, generally the latter, as in the gourd-shaped vase illustrated in Plate LXXXIX. The little vase in Fig. 256, with foliations molded in slight relief covered by a s^iarsely crackled glaze, is a piece attributed to this period, fashioned after an ancient model.

" 6. Chlin (-chou) glazes, (i^ ffB).

" Five different colors have been copied from ancient specimens sent from the imperial palace, viz.:

" (1) Rose crimson {Mei-huei Tzii).

" (2) Pyrus japonica pink {Hai-fang Hung).

" (3) Aubergine pur^^le {Chieli-i9 i Tzii).

" (4) Plum-colored blue {Mei-tzu CKing).

" (5) Mule's liver mingled with horse's limg {Lo han onafei).

" And besides, in addition to these, the four following varieties have been taken from new acquisitions :

" (6) Dark purple {Shen Tzu).

"(7) Rice-colored (J/^'-s^').

"(8) Sky-blue {Tun Lan).

" (9) Furnace-transmutations, or jiamhes ( Yao Pieii)^

This is the most complete list we possess of the colors that were produced at the Chlin-chou potteries during the Sling dynasty, and the whole empire must have

DESIGNS AND COLORS OF REIGN OF YUNG-CHifeNG. 371

been ransacked in order to get together so many treasures to be copied. The colors, it should be noticed, are all those of the grand feu, produced by dift'ei-ent combinations of oxide of copper and cobaltiferous oxide of manganese, transmuted b}^ the flames, oxidizing or reducing according to circumstances, of the large furnace. The skill of the potters in this line at this particular period has never been rivaled, and their work often figures in collections among the genuine antiques, for the form as well as the color of the original seems generally to have been carefully reproduced. A striking example of a shaped bowl of antique form, exhibiting the " Pyrus japonica glaze " — a pink ground flecked with darker red — was illustrated in Fig. 126. This is marked Yiing- cheng underneath, indicating that it was an avowed reproduction of this time. An original j^iece of the Sung dynasty is illustrated in colors in Plate XCIV. The names of the colors are genei'ally sufficiently descriptive of the varied shades, but no two pieces of the time are exactly alike, and some of the most brilliant successes in the originals, as w'ell as in the attempts at reproduction, must have often been due to mere hazard.

" 7. Reproductions of the copper-red of Hsilan-te por- celain. {^ M. ^ 9- ID- Two varieties are in- cluded :

"(1) the clear red (Hsien IRmg).

" (2) The ruby red (Pao-shih Hungy

The bright red of ruby tint derived from copper was used in the reign of Hsikni-te as the color of the sacri- ficial cups which were employed by the emperor in the worship of the sun. Hence the name of chi hung^ which means "sacrificial red,'' when it is properly written. The character used above is a borrowed one of the same sound, which means •" clear sky," and is prop- erly used only for the next glaze. Other unauthor-

372 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

ized characters are sometimes substituted by writers who are ignorant of the derivation of the term, the strangest of which is cJii hung, " chicken-red," on which M. Grandidier seems to base his term sang du poulet. "8. Reproduction of tlie deep blue of Hsiian-te porce-

" The color of this glaze is deep and somewhat reddish; it has an orange-peel texture and palm eyes."

The orange-peel texture refers to its undulatory sur- face; the "palm eyes" are due to the production of tiny bubbles iu the glaze. The color is of purplish tint ; it is generally crackled, and the saucer-dishes on which it often occurs are usually found marked underneath ^vith the seal of Hsilan-te, lightly impressed under the glaze.

" 9. Reproductions of colored glazes of the Imperial Manufactory, (ft M 'g^ ffW-

"These are of three kinds: (1) Eel-yellow {Slian-yil Huang). (2) Snake-skin green (she-pi Lii). (3) Varie- gated yellow {Huang pan tieii)^

These three glazes, which were invented in the pre- ceding reign of K\ing-lisi by Ts'ang Ying-hsiian during his directorship, have been described in Chapter X.

" 10. Lung-chbuan glazes. (g| ^ f[B).

"These are of two shades, pale {cli^ien) and deep {sheifi)^

The Lmig-cKiXan glaze of this time, which derives its name from the place where the old celadons of the Sung dynasty were made, is of a pronounced greenish tone, and it is often called tou-eli'ing, or " pea-green," for that reason. The color was produced by the addition of a little cobalt to the next glaze, which is the celadon proper. The Lung-cliilan glaze is well represented in Plate LXXI, and in the ground color of the fish-bowl illustrated in Plate XXXVI.

"11. Tung OJi'ing glazes. (^ ^ ffl).

DESIGNS AND COLORS OF KEIGN OF YUNG-CHifcNG. 373

" These are of two shades, pale (cli'ieii) and dark {shen)y

This color, the sea-green celadon, takes its name, which means " eastern green," from the fact that its celebrated prototype was made at K'ai-feng-fu, the eastern capital of China in the eai-ly part of the Sung dynasty. Whatever may have been the materials of the old color, the recent reproductions owe their tint to the addition to the ordinary white glaze of a very small pi-oportion of the ferrugijious cla}' (Jiuang-fii), which protluced the "dead- leaf " brown (tz'u-cliin). The typical celadon color is too well kno'svn to need description ; it is, according to Salvetat, " iiu ton pale clair legerement bleiiatre, analogue au ton de certains verres de gobeletterie." The peculiar clear translucency is difficult to i-eproduce on paper, l)ut the shade of color is perfectly represented in Plates VII and XXXVIII ; the last vase is one attributed to the Yinig-cliSng period.

"12. Keproduction of rice-colored glaze of the Sung dynasty. (^ ^ ^ 9k «)•

"This has been taken from fi-agments of broken pottery discovered in the I'uins of an ancient manufactory of the Sung dynasty at a place called Hsiang-hu, situated twenty li to the eastward of Ching-te-chen, both the colored glaze and the foi-m of which have been repro- duced."

" 13. Reproduction of ])ale-blue (or oTeen) o-laze of the Sung dynasty. (^ W fe tI? ?*)•

"The specimens copied here in form and color were obtained at the same time as the rice-colored pieces of the Sung dynasty just referred to."

" 14. Reproduction of the oil-o-reen glaze. (fj^ :J^

H Wi).

" This was copied from an ancient piece of the furnace- transmutation (^yao ])ieii) class sent from the imperial

374 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

palace, the color of which resembled moss-green jade (^2?i i/i't), having a brilliant ground variegated with mottled tints of antique rare beauty."

There is a small vase of the "peach-bloom " type illus- trated in Plate L, which answei'S remarkably well to this description, being invested with a green glaze variegated with streaks and mottled clouds of deepest emeiald^ passing into olive as they run do^vn across the field.

" 15. The Chlin (-chou) glaze of the muffle stove. (|§

infill)-

" The color of this is between that of the Canton pottery ware and that of the enamel of the Yi-hsing ' boccaro ' stoneware,* and it excels these in its markings and in the changing tints of its flowing drops."

This glaze is the " robin's egg " of the American collector, and no better name could be imagined for it. It has greenish-blue dappling and flecking on a reddish ground, the green being subordinate to the blue. The term " muffle " is added to distinguish it from the high- flred Chiin-chou glazes which are described above and under No. 6, but in modern usage this is generally omitted^ now that the other glazes are no longer prepared, so that the " robin's egg " is the " Chim yu " of the present day. The glaze is prepared, according to the CWing-te-chen T\io lu (book iii, folio 12), by combining nitre, rock- crystal, and cobaltiferous manganese with the materials- of the ordinary white glaze.

"16. Ou's glazes, (g^ fftl).

" These have been copied from productions of the ancient potter named Ou. There are two varieties made, one with red markings (Jiung toe/i), the other with blue markings (Ian wen).''''

This potter flourished in the J///^^ dynasty at Yi-hsing-

*Tiie references here are, doubtless, to the glazes of these two potteries described in the next two sections.

DESIGNS AND COLOKS OF REIGN OF YUNG-CHifcNG. 375

hsien, near Shanghai, in the province of Kianguan, where he made a red stoneware, the kind known to us from a Portuguese word as boccaro ware, which is still made there.

" 17. Glaze flecked with blue. (^ |i f[tl).

" Tliis has been copied from the colored glaze of an ancient piece of Kuang Yao sent from the imperial palace."

The " Kuang- Yao " is the brown stoneware made in the province of Kuangtung, at Kiang-yang-hsien, in the prefecture of Chao-ch'ing-fu. An example is illustrated in the statuette of Bodhi-dharma in Plate XLI.

"18. Clalr-de-hme ^Aaze. (^ Q f|B).

" The color resembles very closely that of the Ta-kuan glaze (No. 1), but the paste of the jDorcelain is white. The glaze is not crackled. There are two shades — pale {cJi'ieii) and deep {shen)^

This is the pale sky-blue glaze derived from cobalt which is one of the choicest and most characteristic single colors of the period. It is of the monochrome tint of the vase of the preceding reign, which is illustrated in Plate LI.

" 19. Copies of Hsuan (-te) porcelain decorated in ruby-red. (W ^ U ^/M)-

"There are four varieties: (1) With three fishes, (2) with three fruits, (3) with three ling-chih, (4) with five bats, symbols of the five happinesses."

The designs were painted siw biscuit in copper-red, as described in Chapter VII. The name oi pao-sJiao — i. e., " ruby-fired " — comes from an old tradition that powdered rubies were mixed Avith the glaze ; amethystine quartz is really used in the present day, but this has nothing to do with the red color, which is a copper silicate.

" 20. Copies of the Lung-ch'iian glaze decorated in ruby-red. (^ t| ^ f Hi ^ ^).

376 ORIENTAL CEKAMIC ART.

" This is a new process, introduced during the reigning dynasty. There are also the following four kinds of decoration : (1) With three fishes, (2) with three fruits, (3) with three ling-chili^ (4) with five bats."

The color of the o-round and the effect of the red decoration may be seen from a glance at the fish-bowl illustrated in Plate XXXYI, which is fashioned in the similitude of a lotus-leaf with the details of the plant picked out in copper-red on the ground of greenish celadon. Of the different decorations given above, the three fruits are most frequently seen on the outside of globular jars, for instance, which are ornamented with peaches, pome- granates, and Buddha's-haud citrons in the shape of three medallions. The outlines and leaves are occasionally touched in cobalt-blue, penciled under the glaze at the same time as the copper-red.

The small ovoid vase in Fio'. 258 offers a charmino; example of the decorative effect of these two colors in combination. Tlie irregular splash that covers one-third of its surface is of the deepest and most bi-illiantly scin- tillating ruby color in the middle, and shades off to crimson and pinkish mottled tints, as it gradually fades away into the celadon ground which invests the I'est of the vase.

"21. Turquoise glazes. (|| ^ fjl).

" These are copied from three varieties sent from the imperial palace : (1) Plain turquoise {8U ts'ui), (2) flecked with blue {clCing tieii)^ (3) flecked with gold {eliin tieri)^

The turquoise glaze, pi-oduced by a combination of oxide of copper with a flux containing nitre, and applied sur biscuit, is finely crackled. It is called by the Chinese fei-tshd, from the similai'ity of its tint to that of the azure plumes of the kingfisher which are extensively used by them in je^velry. It is represented in nearly a hundred shapes in the collection, and some of its different shades

DESIGNS AND COLORS OF REIGN OF YUNG-CHlfeNG. 377

may be seen reproduced in Plates XLIV, LXXXIV, XLV, and LXXV. The second variety referred to above, where it is flecked with purple, is not rare, but the third variety, the gold-spotted turquoise glaze, is quite unfamiliar to me.

" 22. The souffle red glaze. (B^ H ffi)." The method of application of this glaze has been described by Pere d'Entrecolles in the last chapter, and a specimen was exhibited there in Fig. 242, of the kind Avith a ruby-red ground derived from copper silicate. There is also a soujjle iron-red of coral tint, produced by sprinkling the prepared oxide upon the ^vhite glaze of porcelain that has been previously fired in the large fur- nace, and fixed by baking the piece a second time in the muffle stove. There is a charming example of this before us in Fig. 259 ; a vase with a four-clawed dragon in pur- suit of the jewel worked in relief in the paste, finished with the graving tool, and I'eserved under the translucent white glaze, while the rest of the surface is covered with Si coral-red of soft tone, shading oif into paler tints as it merges into the irregular edge of the dragon medallion. The stippled texture, displaying an infinity of minute mottled points, indicates its soiiffle application. " 23. The souffle blue glaze. ' (BJC W ffO)-" This was also described in the last chapter. The cli'iii- eliding glaze, often called '^ powder-blue," is one of the chief triumphs of the Chinese potter, and shows at its best, perhaps, when left as a single color, neither penciled over with gold nor contrasted with bright enamel colors, as is often the case. Nothing could be more magnificent than the vase, eighteen inches high, illustrated in Fig. 260, in its brilliant blue coat of intense mazarin tint, the ground flecked witli darker spots, displaying, as it does, every shade of pure color flasliing out from the depths of a translucent medium. The prepared cobalt material is

378 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

blown upon tlie raw body of the piece, wliicli is subse- quently glazed and fired in the large fui'nace, so that it gradually penetrates the glaze, liquefied by the heat of the grand feu. The glaze must not be of a hard nature^ we are told, like that of tlie white porcelain ; it must be liquefied by having a lai-iivr proportion of chalk in its composition, otherwise the color will not penetrate.

" 24. Copies of Yung-lo porcelain, including pieces of eggshell (fo-fai), of plain white (su-pai), and with en- o^raved (cliui) and embossed (hung) designs. {'\)j ^ ^

g: IS te * e il S^ ^ ^ M)."

These varieties are all well known to collectors, but very many of the pieces that figure in collections as genu- ine relics of early Ming date are copies, with the original designs and marks carefully reproduced, that came fi'om the workshops of the period we are discussing. They are too perfect in technical finish, and never show the irregularity of shape and pitting of glaze that so fi-e- quently mark tlie ancient porcelain. The quality, in short, is exactly that of the decorated eggshell plates of the same date, and I have heard it argued from this fact that the latter must really date from the reign of Yung-lOy even if they were painted in subsequent times ; they are really contemporary ; it is only that the white eggshell is ante-dated. For a genuine early specimen of this class^ refer to Fig. 70.

" 25. Copies of porcelain of the reigns of Wan-li, and of CTienq-te, decorated in the five colors. [^ ^ JK IE

The five-colored decoi-ation of the Wan-li period was executed in ovei'glaze enamel colors, with the exception of the cobalt-blue, Avhich was previously painted on the raw body before glazing. It is illustrated in Figs. 167 and 106. That of the reign of Chmg-te, of more archaic style, Avas in colored glazes, which were laid upon the

DESIGNS AND COLORS OF REIGN OF YUNG-CHifcNG. 379

uubaked paste, worked in outline and chiseled, and which were fired in the grand feu. A reproduction of this class with the Cheng-te mark impressed underneath the vase, which may date from the time we are considering, has been given in Fig. 162.

" 26. Copies of porcelain of the reign of CJi'eng-hua, decorated in the five colors. (^ J^ VCk ^ ^ ^ ^ JH)." This has been discussed at suflncient length in Chapter VII.

" 27. Copies of porcelain of the reign of Hsilan-te, with painted designs on a yellow ground, (fj^ ^ ^ ^ tt

This refers probably to pieces painted in colored glazes, with the designs relieved by an enameled yellow ground. I have seen bowls and saucer-dishes of the kind, dec- orated with peonies — the flowers violet and the leaves green — surrounded by a yellow ground, which had the mark of Hsuan-te underneath. The finely modeled vase illustrated in Fig. 261, although it has no mark, is an example of a similar technique, which is to be attributed probably to this reign of Yung-cheng. It is decorated with peonies, chrysanthemums, and daisies, growing from rocks, Avith a butterfly or two flying in the intervals. The details of the decoration are all lightly engraved in the paste. The colors are green and purple, ^vith a few touches of white, displayed upon a background of pure bright yellow, which is minutely crackled throughout. The foot is coated with the same tnnte vellow s'laze underneath, and has no mark attached.

" 28. The cloisonne blue glaze. ('^ ^ f{|).

"The combination of this glaze is founded upon recent experiments. Compared with the pui-plish-blue glaze (described under No. 8), it is deeper and more brilliant, and it has no orange-peel markings or minute bubbles' (palm-spots)."

380 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART,

The character /y/, (the first of the three) is used here as a contraction for fa-lang, " cloisonne enamel." The color referred to is that generally known by the name of pao-sliih lan^ or " sapphire-blue," which was introduced about this time, and which is illustrated in Plate XXIX.

'' 29. Copies of European figures and models after life executed with carving and embossed work, [yj ^ ^

" Sets of the live sacrificial utensils (tvu hung), dishes (pki/i), plates (tieh), vases (p''ing), and boxes {lio), and the like, are also decorated with coloi-ed pictures painted in the European style."

We saw, in the last chapter, in Pere d'Entrecolles's- letters, that porcelain was made at Ching-te-chen for export to Europe, and painted with foreign designs brought there by Cantonese traders ; and he also tells us that the mandarin in charge asked him to procure new designs from Europe, so that he might make more novel- ties for presentation at court. Here we learn that such things were made at the imperial manufactory and sent direct to the emperor at Peking.

On the other hand, many of the sovereigns of Europe sent to China about this time for sei'vices of porcelain, to be decorated for them and painted with their coats of arms. Most collections of Oriental porcelain contain specimens of " armorial china," the majority of it dating from this reign and the succeeding one ; some from the earlier reign of K\mg-}isi. A selection has been pub- lished with the pieces illustrated in colors by W. Griggs, London,* and the date is often fixed by tracing back the piece to its original owner. The mug, for example, in Part IV of his work, decorated in coral-red, gold, and

* IlluMrations of Armorial China. Privately printed. One hundred copies only. 1887.

DESIGNS AND COLORS OF REIGN OF YUNG-CIIifcNG. 381

black, which has the arms, crest, and supporters of Thomas Trevor, created Baron Trevor of Bromham, December 31, 1711, emblazoned upon it, must have been made in this reign, because Lord Trevor died June 19, 1730, the impaled arms being those of his second wife, Anne, daughter of Robert Weldon, Esq.

A teapot of " armorial china," with a ducal coronet upon it, is illustrated in Fig. 262, and a vase painted with cojties of European pictures by a Chinese artist in Fig.^ 263. The vase shown in Fig. 264 is one of the class fashioned in European style, with branches of fruit molded round the pedestal, and a delicate interlacement of wild roses and other flowers filling the hollows of the flowing bandlike handles ; it is decorated in gold with phoenixes and dragons, the latter painted on the outside of the handles, witli their centipede bodies and winged insect heads, and of very un-Chinese aspect.

" 30. Copies of porcelain, painted in monochrome yellow, with chiseled green designs. (^ ^ ^ ^H ^

The porcelain copied here must have belonged to the class decorated in mixed enamel coloi's, wdiich I have described under the reign of I^\uig-]isi, at the end of Chapter X. The designs of flowers, dragons, phoenixes, etc., were chiseled in the paste, and filled in with green enamel, while the I'est of the surface was enameled yellow, the two colors being laid on with a bi'ush snr hiscuit.

"31. Copies of monochrome-yellow porcelain. [^

" Two kinds ai'e made : (1) With plain ground (su ti), (2) with engraved designs {chui hua).'"' '

The word chiao, used here, means literally " watered," but it does not imply the idea of " pale," as it is some- times rendered ; this is proved by the fact that in the modern lists it is replaced by anothei" character of the

382 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

same sound, meaning " bright " or " pretty "; it is used only of single colors. Tbe tint of the " imperial yellow " of the time was orange, due to the presence of iron with the antimony. It is the " prohibited color " of the present day, sacred to the emperor, and is often enameled over imperial five-clawed dragons, disporting in clouds chiseled in the paste under the glaze.

" 32. Copies of monochrome purple-brown porcelain.

" There are two varieties made : (1) With plain ground (su ti), (2) with etched designs (chtd Imci)^

The Chiao Tzu is the purplish-brown single color, pro- duced by the cobaltiferous ore of manganese (cli'ing Had), which shares with the " imperial yellow," and the trans- parent green of camellia-leaf tint, the distinction of being used for the emperor's services of porcelain.

"33. Porcelain with eno;raved designs. (^^ ^ ^

m).

" All the different kinds of glazes may have this decoration."

The engraved designs (chm Jiua) are etched at the point with a graving tool in the paste of the piece before it is quite dry, and it is subsequently glazed by immer- sion, or by sprinkling.

The white vase (Fig. 265) of the "Fen-Ting" class is an example of this work, having on the front and back of its swelling body the figure of a five-clawed dragon, enveloped in clouds, delicately etched in the paste under the ivory-white glaze.

" 34. Porcelain with embossed designs. (^ ^ §

" These may be associated with all the different kinds of glazes."

The embossed designs (ttii hud) are worked in relief upon the paste, the outlines having been previously traced

DESIGNS AND COLORS OF REIGN OF YUNG-CH:feNG. 383

with a graver, and any additional paste required is applied by a brush. Pdte-siir-pdte reliefs are wow executed on porcelain in this way all over the world. The reign of Yuiig-cheng is especially distinguished for this kind of work.

" 35. Coral-red porcelain. (^ H :S M).

" Repi'oduced from old pieces."

The term Mo Hung is applied to the process of paint- ins: the coral-red monochrome derived from iron over the glaze with an ordinary brush. The characteristic tones of color are perfectly exhibited in Plates XXXII and XCII.

" 36. Porcelain decorated in coral-red. (^ ^X S

M)-

" Reproduced from old specimens."

The term Ts'ai Hung means " Painting in red," just as Ts'ai Shui-mo (No. 40) means " Painting in black." It is applied to the art of penciling the decoration in coral-red over the glaze, the piece being fii-ed afterward in the muffle stove. Plate LXVII displays a peerless model.

" 37. Porcelain enameled yellow after the European style. (B^KfeSH)."

The heading leaves it an open question whether it was the form of the pieces, or the enamel color, that was modeled after the European style. In all probability it was the color, and the beautiful lemon-yellow, which makes its appearance now for the first time on Chinese porcelain, would be the new shade indicated. The tint is perfectl}' shown in the ground of the vase which is illus- trated in Plate LXV.

" 38. Porcelain enameled purple after the European

style, mw^^^m-'

"39. Silvered porcelain. (^ |^ ^ M).'' The term 3Io Yin, " Painting with silver," refers to the application of the metal in the form of an enamel as a

884 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

single color. It was not spread upon white porcelain, but ov^er a coat of pale golden tint, liglitly colored with the "dead-leaf" or tzh-chin glaze. The enamel had to be gently fired in the mnffle stove on account of the fugitive nature of tlie silver.

" 40. Porcelain decorated in ink black.* (^ 7]C S

The decoration of porcelain by pictures penciled in black or sepia was a novelty introduced at this time. Pei'e d'Entrecolles describes in the last paragi'aph of his second letter how attempts have been made to paint vases with the finest Chinese ink, but all in vain, as the porcelain always came out white — a result not very sur- prising— as the carbon to which the color of Chinese ink is due would be immediately dissipated in the fur- nace. The ruby-backed eggshell plate shown in Fig, 230 is a fine example of painting in sepia, having the encir- cling bauds of basket-work, diaper, and brocaded patterns,, as well as the picture which forms its main decoration, all penciled in that tint. The picture represents the dragon procession of the great midsummer festival, which is celebrated throughout China on the fifth day of the fiftli moon. The large barge made in the form of a dragon, attended by a smaller boat with a band of music, is being towed along a river, accompanied by two lines of horsemen. The banks ai-e fi'inged with willows, and the crenelated wall of a city is seen in the background, which is filled in with the usual details of a Chinese landscape.

" 41, Reproductions of pieces of pure white porcelain of the reign of Hsilan-te. (t^ ^ g i| Q ^ M).

* In Julien's list, which is extracted from the Fou-liang-hsien Chili, there is an interesting note attached here, wliicli is made, however, into a separate heading. It says that " by the new process the details of landscapes and figure scenes, flowering plants and birds, are all executed with shading, so as to repro- duce the light and dark strokes in the original pen-and-ink drawing."

DESIGNS AND COLORS OF REIGN OF YUNG-CHlfcNG. 385

"These include many different objects, thick and thin^ large and small."

Tiie first word in the compound term fien-pai used here (tire fourth and fifth characters) means " filled in," or " fully," but another word having the signification of " pure " is often substituted for it. Few ceramic terms have, however, given rise to so much misunderstanding, o^ving to a gratuitous assumption that it Avas glazed white in order to be afterwards " filled in " with enamel colors. So Du Sartel creates a class with the heading of "T'ien Pai," to include a variety of objects painted in colors sur biscuit — a class which, as Grandidier justly observes, threatens to remain without a member to represent it. The " [)iire white " porcelain of the time, which was said to rival the finest and most translucent white jade, has. been already sufficiently described in Chapter YII, under the reign of Hsilan-te (1426-35).

"42. Copies of Chia {-citing) Porcelain painted in

blue, mmmm^)"

The blue and white decoration of the Cliia-ching period (1522-66) was distinguished for its deep, strong coloring. It has been fully described already, and is Avell illustrated in Plate XLIX.

" 43. Copies of CJi'mg-huci Blue and White Porcelain with the decorations penciled in pale blue, {^j J§^ \^

Peproductions of this period are much more common in collections than the originals, although genuine pieces occasionally occur. They are small in size, boxes for seal vermilion, miniature vases, wine-cups, or tiny saucei's, and usually have the mark of CVeng-lma (1465-87) delicately penciled underneath in the same gray-toned blue with Avhich the decoration is painted. The tech- nique of the drawing in these pieces is remarkable for its clear penciling and miniature-like finish, and a small

386 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

round box, as well as its cover, \vill often be found aiost elaborately painted both inside and outside.

" 44. Rice-colored glazes (^It '^^ f[ll).

" These differ from the reproduction of the rice-colored glaze of the Sung dynasty (No. 12). They are of two kinds: (1) pale {cKieii)\ (2) deep (shen^.

"45. Porcelain decorated with underglaze red. (fj

"In one class of pieces (1) the decoration is entirely painted in the underglaze red ; another class (2) has green leaves in combination with red flowers."

The term yu-li-hung (the first three of the group of five Chinese characters immediately above this) means literally " red inside the glaze " ; the color, due to coj^per silicate, ranges from a bright " peach-bloom " tint to a dull maroon. It is a color of the grand feu of very ancient orio-in in China.

The two classes given above may be illustrated by two beautiful vases, both dating from the preceding reign of JPang-lm :

1. Heavy solid vase (Fig. 229), of finished form and technique, decorated in maroon copper-red, under a white glaze of harmonious translucent tone, with five horizontal bands of dragons and other grotesque monsters in scrolled sea-waves, separated by narrower bands of diaper and lozenge fret, and with two rings of formal foliations encircling the lip. The " six-character mark " of the reign of K\mg-hsi (1662-1722) is penciled underneath in cobalt-blue in the style of the " peach-bloom " vases.

2. A small vase (Fig. 266), of globular, bowl-like form, a writer's water-pot {shui cli'mg^, with the rim of its mouth strengthened by a silver collar. It is decorated soberly and chastely with two little sprigs of peony, which have the blossoms tinted a warm maroon, and the tiny leaves, outlined and veined with the same under-

DESIGNS AND COLORS OF REIGN OF YUNG-CHifcNG. 387

glaze red, filled in with a bright green overglaze enamel. The mark is precisely similar to that of fig. 229.

" 46. Copies of coffee-brown glazes, ('fj ^ ^ f[tl)-

"Two different shades are produced: (Ij reddish {hung)', (2) yellowish (huang).''

The Tzu-chm, or " burnished gold," glaze is derived from yellow ferruginous clay (liuang-t\i) and varies in shade, in proportion to the concenti'ation of the glaze, fi'om the darkest chocolate-brown to the tint of " old gold." It is of ancient origin, and has been referred to many times already under its various names of " fond- laque," " dead-leaf," " coft'ee-colored," " cafe-au-lait," " or bruni," etc.

" 47. Monochrome yellow poi-celain decorated in the five enamel colors. (^ ^ £ ^ S M).

" This is a novel decoration founded upon recent experiments."

The enameled yellow ground was either plain or etched in the glaze with a close pattern of spiral scrolls. A description of a piece will give an idea of the class. Large bottle-shaped vase with swelling body, twenty-one inches high, richly decorated in enamel colors with gild- ing, with the ground of yellow enamel engraved in scrolls, interspersed with colored flowers, among which stand out, in high embossed relief, vases of flowers, bowls of fruit, incense urns, guitars, chessboard, fans, books, and scroll paintings, the varied apparatus of a Chinese library, mingled with emblems and symbols, all painted in the bi'illiant enamels of the Yung-clieng period.

A charming little vase, decoi-ated in colors upon a yel- low background, which may also be referred to this period, is shown in Fig. 261. It is painted in green and purple, with a few touches of white with peonies, chrys- anthemums, and daisies growing from rocks, and with buttei-flies flying above. The details of the decoration

388 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

are all delicately etched in tlie paste. The yellow ground, of pure tone, is minutely crackled, and the foot is coated underneath with the same trtiite yellow glaze, and has no mark attached.

" 48. Copies of monochrome-green porcelain. \\)j ^

"Two kinds are made: (1) with plain ground (sw ti^ ; (2) with engraved designs (chid Imia)^

The green monochrome (chiao lu) of this period is a bright, attractive color composed of copper silicate in combination witli a lead flux. Bowls and dishes of imperial ware, often etched with dragons under the glaze, are not rare, but vases are less common, and prized accordingly ; they are usually pieces that once belonged to temple altar sets.

" 49. Porcelain painted in colors in European style.

" In the new copies of the Western style of painting on enamels {fa-lang) the landscapes and figure scenes, the flowering plants and birds, are, without exception, of supernatural beauty and finish."

The class of Yang Ts'ai, or "Foreign Coloring," is very extensive and vai-ied, as it includes not only the vases, eggshell plates, and other things painted with foreign designs, but also objects decorated with Chinese scenes in the same class of colors. It represents, more or less, the class that has been called the famille rose, on account of the prevalence of a pink among the enamel colors. In addition to the pink and crimson derived from gold we notice a bright lemon-yellow, a pale green, and a general preponderance of soft tints in mai'ked con- trast to the bold, vigorous coloring of the K''ang-lm epoch. The colors were those previously in use among enamelers in copper, and were first introduced into China from abroad, probably from India. The art of painting

DESIGNS AND COLORS OF KEIGN OF YUNG-CHIING. 389

in enamels ii[)on copper flourished in China at the same time, and it would be easy to collect a series of rose- backed and crimson-backed copper dishes decorated in the same characteristic style, and painted in the same colors, as the eggshell porcelain dishes of the period.

'^50. Porcelain with embossed designs executed in undercut relief, (ft ^ ^ M).

" Tliese are applied in combination with all the differ- ent colored glazes."

The term hung-lma, which means literally " arched designs," is used to convey the idea of more salient relief than that of tui-hua, or " embossed designs," of No. 34, altliough the two terms are occasionally interchanged. The dragon curled round the neck of the celadon vase illustrated in Plate XL is an example of this kind of work ■Avhich may be referred to the reign of Yung-cheng.

" 51. Porcelain enameled Red after the European style. (B -^ ir fe S M)."

The sincrle colors included in this class would be the crimson (yen-chih hung) derived from gold, and the pink (^fen liwuj) obtained l)y an addition of a propor- tion of the white enamel, obtained fi-om arsenic, to the crimson. A beautiful example of the latter monochrome, a rose cVor of the " rose Dubarry " tint, which dates probably from this period, is shown in Plate LIIL

" 52. Copies of the Black Glaze, (ijj ^ ^ f[tl).

"There are two varieties of this made: (1) with the decoration reserved in white upon the black ground ; (2) with the black ground penciled over in gold."

These w ould be reproductions of the so-called " mirror- black " monochrome glaze, which was one of the special triumphs of the potters of the preceding reign of ICavg- hsi, and which is Avell illustrated in Plates IX, LXI, and LXII. The copies have an intense lustrous depth, but without the greenish, iridescent tones of the originals.

390 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

"53, Porcelain enameled Green after the European style. (?S # H fe ^ H)."

This would be the pale-green monochrome, which is occasionally found replacing the pink on the back of eggshell dishes of the time, or applied as a single color on pieces interrupted by painted medallions.

Sometimes it is of palest ecm-de-Nil tint. It is made by tingeing the white enamel of the muffle stov^e with a little of the green enamel derived from copper.

" 54. Porcelain enameled Black after the European

style. mn^±^m.).

" 55. Porcelain enameled in Gold — i. e.. Gilded. (tt ^ S mi)- After the Japanese {Tung Yang).

" 56. Porcelain painted in Gold. (^ ;^ ^ M)* After the Japanese.

"57. Porcelain painted in Silver. (^ ^ ^ M)* After the Japanese."

The Japanese are commonly called Tung Yang Jen, or " Eastern Sea Men," by the Chinese, and Julien is incorrect in translating the term as " I'lndo-Chine," the natives of which would be " southerners," and who, moreover, never had any porcelain to copy. The " old Imari " porcelain of Japan, which was decorated after the pattern of later Ming times, and marked with the same Chinese marks, now comes across to be recopied at Ching-te-chen, Just as old Delft plates, copied from older Chinese blue and white, were reproduced later in the same Chinese factory, as is proved by some curious specimens on the shelves of the British Museum. It is not so easy to distinguish the copies of the old Japanese pieces, Avith a simple decoration of a pair of quails, a straw hedge, and such-like, painted in soft colors, from the originals; they form a subdivision of the class of Yang Ts'ai (No. 49). The Chinese are inveterate copyists, and it is fortunate that they usually register the fact, as in the above three cases.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE Ch'tEN-LUNG PERIOD.

AFTER the deatli of the Emperor Yung-cheng^ in XJl. 1735, he was succeeded by his son, who began his reign with the title of CWlen-lung on the first day of the following year, and reigned till the end of the year 1795, when he resigned the throne after a long reign of sixty years, in accordance with a vow that his reign should not exceed that of his celebrated grandfather K\iiig-lisi.

The reign of this last emperor, as we have seen, ranks as by far the most brilliant period in the history of the ceramic art. The reign of Yiuig-clieng was distinguished, as the official annalist has Just told us, by many new inventions and by a remarkable success in the repro- duction of the colored glazes of olden times, and in the long reign of Ch''ien4ung the new inventions intro- duced in the previous reign were gradually developed, till the porcelain attained a finished technique and a decoration of perfect symmetry, which are among its chief characteristics — so much so, in fact, that one is apt to get tired at last of its conventionality and almost mechanical perfection, and long for the artistic irregu- larity and the bold, vigorous coloring of the older style, which is so varied as never to be monotonous.

The successes of the early years of Cli'ien-lung are due to T'ang Ying, the famous director of the imperial manufactory, who occupies the same position now that Nien Hsi-yao did in the previous reign of Yung-cheng. T'ang Ying received his first appointment in the ceramic field of work from the emperor in 1728, and was ordered

391

392 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

to proceed at once to Chiug-te-chen, to take charge of the imperial works under Nien Hsi-yao, who was ap- pointed in the following year commissioner of customs at Huai-an-fu, still retaining, however, his post of chief director of the imperial ^jorcelain manufactory. In the first year of the new reign (1736) T'ang Ying succeeded him in these two posts, and he remained at Huai-an-fu till 1739, ^vdieu he was transferred to Kiukiang-fu, whei'e he lived for tlie next ten years as Chief Commissioner of Customs of the Provinces of Kiangsi, Kiaug-su, and Anhui, and Director of the Imperial Manufactory. He was a voluminous writer, and his writings have been published in a collected form, including disquisitions on his work, as well as the poems composed by him, as he surveyed the surrounding scene from the top of the Jewel Hill, at Ching-te-chen and on many other occasions. He relates how, for the first three yeai's, he always had his meals with the workmen and slept in the same room with them, so as to gain a fajiiiliar knowl- edge of all the smaller details of their handicraft. A chapter of his autobiography ma}^ be quoted here fi-om the Cliiang hsi thing chih, whicli says that the intimate knowledge that T'ang Ying finally succeeded in acquir- ing of the creative power of the fire in the development of colors had certainly never been equaled :

^' Among the least of crafts, which can yet, however, supply the needs of an emperor as well as afford a means of livelihood for the common people, is the art of the potter in the manufacture of vessels, which, in their hi2:hest uses, fio-ure as sacrificial bowls and dishes, in their lowest as articles of daily service for eating and drinking. Porcelain does not date from to-day, Ke- searches show that it was first made during the Han dynasty, that the industry has been constantly practiced down through succeeding generations, and that among

ji

THE CH'iEN-LUNG PERIOD. 393

all the different localities that of Ch'ang-nan (Ching-te- <jhen) has prevailed and flourished beyond any other. The preceding Ming dynasty built the imperial manufac- tory at the foot of the Jewel Hill, and apj^ointed officials to superintend the work, but their regulations were bad, the public funds and materials were wasted, and the people were oppressed, so that they were imable to gain 3, living by their work. AVho will dare to say that pottery is a mean thing, and that therefore the super- intendents need not be so very careful ?

" I (Ying), a native of Sheng-yang, in the province of Kuantung (Chinese Manchuria), whose family has for generations shared in the imperial favor, since they followed the dragon standard to Peking,* had my name enrolled at my birth in the Nei-wu-fu, the 'Imperial Household.' In my youth I was employed in the palace in the Yang-hsin-tien, and worked there for more than twenty years. In the year that the emperor now reigning came to the throne (1723) I prostrated myself to heaven and earth in acknowledgment of the imperial grace in promoting me to be secretary Qang), and only fear my inability to deserve such honors. Later, in the autumn of the sixth year (1728) of the reign of Yung- cheng, in the eighth month, the late Prince of Yi con- veyed to me, by word of mouth, the celestial (imperial) orders, appointing me (Ying) to superintend the porce- lain manufacture in the province of Kiangsi, and in- structing me to relieve the workmen in cases of disease and trouble, and to encourage the trade among the the merchants. The imperial words were truly grand ; the emperor's grace is all-pervading, and his thoughts

* Many of the Chinese on the northern frontier joined the Mauchus when they marched on Peking in 1643. They were enrolled afterward, on the Manchu plan, under banners, to form the Han Chiin, or " Chinese army," and their descendants are retained to the present day. T'ang Ying was a captain of his banner.

394 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

are imfatbomable. In rev^erent obedience to the order, I (Ying) started at once from the capital, and, in tLe tenth month of the same year, arrived at the manufactory at Chiug-te-chen, and hastened to regulate the work of the potters and the trade of the merchants, in obedi- ence to the decree. With care and trembling, without wasting a 'cash' of the funds intrusted to me, I had the porcelain made according to the indents. A list of the things sent, and a statement of accounts, have been forwarded by me each month to the superintendency of the imperial household (Nei-wu-fu). Up to now, the cyclical year, yi-mao (1735), I have been seven years engaged in the work. Although but 'a broken-down horse,' I put forth all my strength. My ability is poor, •and my faults many, and it is only by the emperor's grace that I have escaped punishment. An annual allowance (in addition to salary) of five hundred taels has been granted me for fuel and water, so my family subsists on the imperial bounty, which a life's poor work could ill requite. The potter's work is a humble one, yet my own life, as well as that of the craftsmen, depend on the favor of the emperor, and I can not but proclaim the imperial grace. The ritual wine-vessels {tsun^ and the sacrificial bowls (huai) are now all made of clay, so as not to waste the national resources, and the daily want& of the people are also supplied by the potter's craft, so that the work must continue to be carried on by our successors. If the rules of the art be preserved, the labor will be halved, and the gain two-fold ; if the rules be forgotten, money will be wasted, and the artisans^ labor lost, so, for the use of after times, I have compiled the present epitome. Although I (Ying) dare not profess a complete knowledge of all the minute details of the ceramic art, yet I have practiced it diligently for a long time, and am familiar with the official lists of the

THE CH'iEN-LUNG PERIOD. 395

articles produced, with the composition of the glazes used in their decoration, with the designs and dimen- sions of the pieces, as well as with the wages and food of the workmen, their rewards for diligence, and their lines for negligence. Although naturally stupid, I have learned one or two of these things, which I have col- lected and written down, and had them cut upon stone tablets, erected on the south side of the Jewel Hill, so that my successors in the directorship may have some materials for further researches, and be encouraged in their careful zeal ; to put on record also the emperor's compassion for the people, and his instructions that the funds should not be wasted nor the workman's labor unrecompensed. What I have carefully written, 1 know personally, and I submit it with deference to the officials that shall succeed me. 'The farmer may learn some- thing from his bondman, and the weaver from the hand- maid who holds the thread for her mistress.' "

This scrap of autobiography, ^vritten in the high- flown language, bristling with classical quotations, affected by the Chinese literati, howevei' feebly rendered in the translation, is sufficient to show the zeal of the worthy T'ang Ying in his work. Although nominally subordinate to Nien Hsi-yao, who was promoted to be commissioner of customs the year after the arrival of T'ang Ying at Ching-te-chen, and ti-ansferred to his dis- tant post at Huai-an-fu, the ^\•ork must have owed much to his personal superintendence. In the ili-st year of the reign of Cli'ien-lung (1736), T'ang Ying became in his turn commissioner of customs for the viceroyalty, and was himself ti-ansferred to Huai-an-fu, where he re- mained three years, retaining, like his predecessor, the post of director of the porcelain manufactory, but only making, he tells us, one official visit of inspection to Ching-te-chen during the period.

396 ORIENTAL ( ERAMIC ART.

In 1739 tlie conimissioiicrship ^vas finally transferred to Kiukiang-fu, and the director was, at his new post^ within easy reach of the scene of his former labors. His family, who were, as we ha\e seen, originally natives of Manchuria, were enrolled l>y the new dynasty under the Han Chiin, or Chinese BaniK^rmen, and T'ang Ying was captain of his banner. A full list of his titles, in the year 1741, is inscribed upon the long mark of dedication which has been taken from an altar candlestick, made by him in that year, and leproduced in facsimile in Chapter IV. In addition to his appointments in con- nection Avith the Imperial Household at Peking, he was then the imperial commissioner in charge of the customs stations of Huai-an-fu, Hai-cliou, and Su-ch'ien*disien, in the dual province of Kiangnnn, and of Kiukiang-fu, in the province of Kiangsi, with the control of all the customs dues of the viceroyalty, made up of these provinces, and was at the same time director of the im[)erial porcelain manufactory. In the year 1743 he visited Peking, and he brought up with him on that occasion, no doubt, the sacrificial set of utensils, which he had made for the Taoist temple near that city. As soon as he arrived at the palace he was handed an imperial decree, dated the eighth day of the fourth month of that year, directing him to write a detailed description of twenty illustrations of the manufacture of porcelain, which had been found in the imperial library, and to send back the album as soon as he had finished. The pictures were returned in the following month to their former seclusion, and have never been, I believe, published. AVith regard to the descrip- tion w^ritten by the accomplished director, and submitted at the same time to the imperial glance, no Chinese book on ceramic art is considered to be complete without it, and I w^ill translate it in the next chapter from the pages of the annals of the province of Kiangsi, so often quoted.

THE CH'iEN-LUNG PERIOD. 397

T'ang Yiug returned to his post at Kiukiang the same year and remained there as director of the porcelain manufactory till 1749.

The writers of the Chlng-te-chen Tcvo lu say, under the heading of "The Porcelain of T'ang of the i-eign of ClCien-lung'^\ "This heading refers to the porcelain made at the imperial manufactory (at Ching-te-chen) under the direction of T'ang Ying, Secretary of the ImiDerial Household. The Honorable T'ang, in the cyclical year lisu-slien (1728) of the reign of Yung-dteng, first came to reside at the imperial manufactory as assist- ant to the director Nien, and he acquired a great reputa- tion for his work. In the first year (1736) of the reign of Ch^ieii-lung he was placed in charge of the customs at Huai-an-fu. In the eighth year* (1743) he was trans- feri'ed to be commissioner of customs at Kiukiang-fu. In both these posts he retained the directorship of the porcelain manufacture. He had a profound knowledge of the properties of the different kinds of earth and of the action of fire upon them, and took every care in the proper selection of the materials, so that his productions were all highly finished and perfectly translucent. In the reproductions which he made of the celebrated porcelains of ancient times every piece was perfectly successful; in his copies of famous glazes there was not one that he could not cleverly imitate. His genius and ability were so great that he succeeded in everything he attempted. He also made porcelain decorated with the various colored glazes newly invented — viz., foreign purple {yang tzu), cloisonne blue (^fa cJCing^ enameled silver (nio yi)i), painted in sepia (ts'ai sliui-md), foreign black (y«??^ w^^-eAi??.), painted in the style of cloisonne

* This must be an error. The official annals of the province of Kiangsi make his appointment date from 1749, and this is conlirmed by the inscription in Chapter IV, which proves that he was commissioner at Kiukiang in 1741.

398 ORIENTAL CERAIVriC ART.

enamels (^fa-lang liua fa), painted witli foreign enamel colors on a black ground {jjang ts'ai ivii-clmi), with white designs reserved on the black ground (hel ti pal Jiud), with the black ground penciled over in gold (^/lei ti niiao chin), the new sky-blue monochrome (fien-lan), and the transmutation glazes {^ao-pieri). The paste of the pieces Avas white, rich, and compact ; the fabric, whether thick or thin, was brilliant and lustrous ; and the imperial porcelain attained at this period its greatest perfection."

" He also, in obedience to an imperial decree, respect- fully described the ' Twenty Illustrations of the Manu- facture of Porcelain,' arranged them in order, and wrote detailed descriptions of the illustrations, which were presented by him to the emperor."

" The learned Li chii-lai of Lin-ch'iian in his preface to the Collected Works of the Honorable T'ang, says : ' As results of his genius alone, flowering and producing fruit in his mind, the ancient manufacture of the large dragon fish-bowls and of the Chlin-chou porcelain, which had long been lost, was re-established ; and turquoise {^fei- tiui) and rose-red (inei-huei) glazes were produced by him of new tints and rare beauty. T'ang was thoroughly devoted to his work, and the brilliancy of his genius is reflected in the beautiful porcelain made by him.' "

When T'ang Ying was appointed to his new post at Huai-an-fu in 1736, he left behind, for the instruction of his successors, a collection of memoranda entitled T''ao chJeng skill yu Ic'ao, "Draughts of Instruction on the Manufacture of Porcelain," which ai'e often quoted in oflicial books. The author writes in his preface to these drafts, which is quoted in the Fou-liang-hsien Annals : "AVhen I was sent by imperial decree in the sixth year of the reign of Yung-climg (1728) to undertake the superintendence of the porcelain manufactory, I was unacquainted with the finer details of the porcelain

I

THE Ch'iEN-LUNG PERIOD, 399

works of tlie province of Cliiaug-yii (Kiangsi), wliere I had never been before. But the materials are the same as those employed in other art-work and are changed in the fire in accordance with the chemical laws of the five elements, and they are combined after old prescriptions, as Avell as by ne\^' experiments. I worked hard with heart and strength, and for three years shared with the workmen their meals and hours of rest, until in the ninth year, Jimi-hai, of the cycle (1731) I had conquered my ignorance of the materials and processes of firing, and, although I dared not claim familiarity with all the laws of transformation, my knowledge was much increased. After five more hot and cold seasons had passed by, during which ' his pottery vessels were not imperfect and the potter had not asked for sick-leave,' the accounts were made uj) to the thirteenth year of Yung-clieng (1735), and it was found that, for an expenditure of several tens of thousands of taels of treasury silver, no less than between 300,000 and 400,000 pieces of porce- lain, comprising all kinds of vases and round ware, had been sent up to the palace at Peking for the use of the emperor. After the sovereign had flown up to heaven on a dragon, in the first year of his successor Cli'ien-hmg (1736), I received the appointment of Commissioner of Customs at Huai-an and had to leave the immediate superintendence of the porcelain works. For this reason I have collected the drafts of the instructions of these years, and as many of the scattered leaflets as have been preserved, and arranged them in order, adding some notes of the progress of the work during the nine years in which I have been director,"

T'ang Ying is the last of the directors of whom we hear anything outside of the pages of the annals, on which the names of a long line of his successors are registered. One other artist is often talked of as having

400 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

flourished iu the early years of the reign of CKien-lung, so that he must have been a eonterapoi'ary. This is the worker in glass named Hu, who adopted the studio name of Ku Yueli Hsilan, " Chamber of the Ancient Moon," by splitting the Chinese character Hu, his surname, into its two component parts, Ki( Yueh, as explained in Chapter IV. He Avas, I am tokl, a worker in glass in tlie palace at Peking, where a manufactory was founded under the superintendence of the Jesuit missionaries, and he is mentioned hei'e only because his productions are said to have been sent down to Chin2:-te-chen to be reproduced in porcelain, which was considered b}^ the emperor to be a more noble material than glass. The glass made by him was of two kinds: a clear glass of greenish tint with an embossed decoration executed in colored glasses, and an opaque white glass, which was either engraved with etched designs or deco- rated in colors. It is the former kind that is most highly valued iu the present day, a tiny snuff -bottle being sold for as much as several hundred taels, or even for a thousand dollai's ; the latter kind was the type that was copied in porcelain. The result was the ware of peculiar vitreous aspect which is technically known as Fang Ku Yueh Hsilan, or " copies of Ku Yueh Hsiian." Mr. Hippisley was one of the first to introduce these wares to the outside world, and he has exhibited sevei'al choice specimens in his collection at the Smithsonian Institution at Washington. He says (^Catalogue, loc. cit., page 423): " Ku Yueh hslian* introduced about the year 1735 the use of an opaque white vitreous ware for the manu- facture of articles of small dimensions, such as snuff- bottles, wine-cups, vessels for washing pencils in, etc.

* Mr. Hippisley seems to take Ku Yueh Hsiian to be the actual name of the man, whom he refers to as being " a subordinate officer, I believe in the directorate of the Ching-tg-chgn factories."

■

PERIOD. 401

Tlie vitreous nature of the body imparts a tone and brilliancy to the colors used in the decoration which is greatly admired, and the best specimens of this ware will well repay minute study. The choice of groundwork is effective, the grouping of the colors soft and harmonious, the introduction of European figures is interesting, and the arrangement of flowers evidence of the highest artistic skill. The earliest pieces were marked, usually in red, Ta ChHng iiien chili, '■ Made during the great Pure (the owing or present) dynasty,' the later pieces had the mark, within a square seal-like border, Cltien lung nien chill, ' Made during the reign of ClCien-lung^ engraved in the foot, and filled with a thick, bright blue enamel glaze. T'ang Ying (in his imitations of this vitreous ware in porcelain) appeared to have employed for his purpose a very pure glaze of a highly vitrifiable nature, and to have thereby effected an enamel brilliancy that no other porcelain shows, and to have also secured to a considerable extent the same soft transparency in the decoi'ative colors Avhich was so much appreciated on the Ku Yueh Hsiian vitreous ware. Specimens of this poi-ce- lain, which is quite rare, are held in very high esteem by the Chinese, alike for the purity of the paste, the brilliance of the glaze, and the beauty of the decoration, and are considered among the finest productions of the period during w^hich the manufacture attained its highest excellence."

The glass ware referred to here is outside our prov- ince. Of the porcelain modeled in the Ku Yueh Hsiian type a beautiful specimen was illustrated in Fig. 68 — a teapot wath the mark of the Yung-cheng period penciled underneath in overglaze blue enamel. Another example is presented here in Fig. 273, which I will briefly describe :

Small bottle-shaped vase, with a globular body and

402 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

gently tapering neck expanding above into a prominent lip, coated witli a lustrous white glaze of vitreous aspect decorated Avitli delicate enamel colors of the Ku Yueh Hsiian type. On the body is a picture suggestive of an autumnal scene, with roses growing by a rockery, trees with autumn-tinted leaves and maro-uerite daisies, in the foreground of which a pair of quails, beautifully painted with a miniature-like finish, stand out prominently. The neck of the vase is decorated with a ring of formal palmate design, the shoulder is encircled by two bands, a pink scroll worked in relief succeeded by a blue fret, and the lip is defined by a line of gilding.

There is a couplet of verse written at the back :

"Years roll by as we sit at the table, painting pictures in colors; Charmed by all the happy notes of Nature, listening to the call- ing quails."

The headpiece is a small oval panel with the seal characters Jen Ho, " Benevolence and Harmony," inside ; at the foot of the stanza are two small oblong panels with the inscription Ssu Fang CKing Yen, " Serenity and calm throughout the empire." The motto is declared to be appropriate to the emperor alone, and it is outlined in red, the color of the sacred '^ vermilion pencil."

The next vase of Ku Yueh Hsiian style, exhibited in Fig. 263, is an example of the class decorated with European pictures. It is a small ovoid vase of broad shape, formed, as it were, of twin coalescing vases, with the line of junction indicated by a vertical groove. The shape is like that of the pair of vases of which one is illustrated in Plate LXXVI, and, like them, it once had a cover, now lost ; the bottom has had a piece chipped out so as to remove the date of the four-character seal, penciled underneath in black, leaving only the tail-end

1

•403

nien chih, but we can not be far wrong in supplying CKien-lung as the missing half. The vase is painted in delicate enamel colors, rouge cf^or predominating. It is decorated with two large oval medallions and two small round panels with scrolled borders, displayed upon a floial ground, and with bands of ornamental design around the neck and foot, all in the ordinary Chinese style of the period. The small round medallions contain landscape sketches with European houses. The large oval panels are filled with copies of Euroj)ean pictures^ cleverly executed, but betraying in the details the touch of the Chinese artist. In one there is a female figure in pink dress and purple robe with two children, copied, apparently, from a sacred picture representing the Virgin Mother with the Infant Jesus and St. James. The other, similarly shaped, and upon the opposite side, contains a picture of a garden scene Avith two girls in European costume, one of whom is carrying a basket of flow^ers.

The enamel colors used in painting these vases are precisely those that had been previously used in the West in enameling upon metal. The working palette of the enamel painter was rich in variety of colors, as metallic oxides readily lend themselves to an infinite number of combinations with glass. The green, blue, red, turquoise, gray, orange, and yellow may be obtained either pure or compound, so as to form shades as gradual as a chromatic scale. The light-red color is called in old English books upon the subject ** the chief and paragon of all." It is said to have been discovered by a gold- smith who studied alchemy, and found it one day at the bottom of his crucible in trying to make gold.

This last is the color wdiich suddenly makes its appearance upon Chinese porcelain in the beginning of the eighteenth century, in common with the other new enamel colors which ai'e known collectively to the

404 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Chinese potter as Yang Ts'ai, or " Foreign Colors." The earliest date-mark found upon the " rose-backed " plates, which are decorated in these colors of the famille rose, is that of the cyclical year hsin-ch^oii (1721), the last year but one of the reign of K\ing-hsL It was this emperor who was probably the means of introducing these colors into China, through the medium of the Koman Catholic missionaries, of whom he was a great patron. He founded a manufactory of colored glass near the palace at Peking, under their superintendence, where, no doubt, many of the materials were manu- factured for the use of the school of enamelers upon copper that was also established at Peking about the same time under their tuition, and produced painted work executed in the style of Battersea enamels. He even tried to introduce the manufacture of porcelain, and had all the materials brought up to Peking for the purpose, as described by Pere d'Entrecolles in his letters, but this project failed, partly on account, it is suggested, of the opposition of the porcelain guild. The enamelers in metal were more successful, and their work was sent to Ching-te-chen to be reproduced in porcelain. The same designs occur on both, and are associated with the same rose-colored grounds and pink diapers. I have a small mirror, for example, mounted in a copper frame, which is enameled at the back with the same sacred picture that is painted upon the vase that has Just been described, and a long series of such identical designs might be collected. European pictures are not an inap- propriate decoration for the enameled work, recalling its original source, but there is no excuse for the unseemly scenes which are occasionally associated with them, and which prove that the missionaries of those days were assailed with the same scandalous stories that are put forth about them in the present day.

THE Ch'iEN-LUNG PERIOD. 405

Actual specimens of old European enamels were also sent at this period to Cliing-te-cLen and copied in porce- lain. This is proved b_y an interesting cup of Chinese porcehiin from the Marquis collection at Paris,* wliich is thus described : " A wide shallow cup with two open flowing handles, of tine and light porcelain, an exact imitation, both in form and decoration, of the piece of Limoges enamel which has served as its model in China, so that it might even be mistaken for the original. It has, outside, ornamental designs reserved in ^vhite upon a black ground, enhanced by gilding ; inside, it is deco- rated in different colors with flowers and fruit, executed with the enamels of i\\Q famille verte. Close to the basket of fruit painted in the bottom of the bowl there is found, faithfully reproduced, the monogram I. L. of the Limoges enameler, Jean Laudin."

One of the most remarkable features indeed of the practice of the ceramic art in China at this period was the way the world ^vas ransacked for new objects to copy. Pere d'Entrecolles describes how his mandarin friends pressed him to get for them new models from Europe for this purpose. In the last chapter we saw how specimens of ancient ware of all kinds were sent down to Ching-te-chen to be copied. Pieces of " old Imari " porcelain came from Japan at the same time to be imitated. The author of the T''ao 81mo declares that the older desio-ns in chiseled frold, in embossed silver, in carved jade and other hard stones, in lacquer ware, in mother-of-pearl inlaid work, in carvings of rhinocei-os hoi-n, band^oo, wood, gourd, and shell, were all, without exception, executed in porcelain, as exact copies of the originals, and that the potters were sup- planting the skilled artificers in all these different

* This cup is now, I liave reason to believe, in the Graudidier collection in the Louvre.

406 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

braucbes of work. The texture of the ivory, shell, or bamboo is carefully indicated in the porcelain, and the surface colors are rej^roduced so as to bring out the tints of the variegated marble and pudding-stone, the mottled jade, the striped carnelian and agate, the veined walnut- Avood, and the carved cinnabar lac, with such exactitude that it is necessary to handle the piece to convince one's self that it is really made of porcelain. The aspect of gold and silver was given by enamels pi-epared from the metals themselves ; the surface tints of copper and bronze, the rust of iron, and the play of colors upon ancient patinated bronze in which the Chinese anti- quarian takes so much delight, were produced by combi- nations of different glazes, applied either with the brush or by sprinkling over the first ground color.

A characteristic example of the iridescent " iron-rust " (f ieh-7isiic) glaze is illustrated in Plate XIX, showing a deep bronze-colored ground, speckled with lustrous metallic spots, and flecked with red clouds. In Fig. 274 is exhibited a specimen of the class of ancient bronze design which is known as kti thmg ts'ai. It is a libation cup (chlleli) of anticpie style, molded in relief and enameled with color to imitate patinated bronze. The handle is fashioned in the form of a dragon, and the bowl of the cup is encircled by a broad sunken band containing archaic designs in relief, with an ogre's face {f ao-f ieli) under the lip, and conventional scrolls starting from dragons' heads round the sides. The surface, enameled olive-brown flecked with " tea-dust," is penciled in gold with scrolls and borders of rectangular fret ; the ground of the sunken band, w^hicli is pitted, is partially filled in with a grayish-blue overglaze of mottled tints passing into green. There is a seal underneath, outlined in gold, CJiHen lung nien cliih : '' Made in the reign of CJiHen- liviigy Some of the larger objects of this class exhibit a

II

PERIOD. 407

remarkable combination of brilliant colors, such as copper alone is capable of producing, and it is wonderful how the same tints are almost instantaneously brought out arti- ficially by the oxidizing power of the furnace flames, that usually require centuries to develop by gi'adual oxidation of the metal buried in moist ground.

The technique of the class just described is similar to that of the transmutation, jlamhe, or [lao-pieii glazes, which derive their most brilliant colors from the same protean metal. These flourished abundantly during the Ch^ien-hing period, to which three of the vases shown in the colored illustrations may be referred. The egg- shaped vase in Plate XVI is a brilliant example of the kind, with its lightly crackled glaze vertically splashed with all the different tints imprinted by the flames as the liquescent glaze was running down in the furnace, passing from tui-quoise through purple and other intermediate shades of red to the richest crimson. The vase in Plate LXXXVIII has the same brilliant jiambe glaze running down over its surface so as to form large tears, only par- tially covering the crackled surface of mottled olive-brown tint due to iron, Avhich is often used on such pieces in combination with the copper that produces the typical colors. The quadrangular vase in Plate XL VI, with open scroll handles at the sides and relief panels in front and at the back, differs from the other two in having a very line, compact, and white paste ; the shape is one often reproduced in copper-red (clu-liung) vases oi jlamhe type in the present day, some of which are of very brilliant color, albeit wanting in depth and too glossy.

With regard to the monochrome porcelain of this reign, the colors which distinguished the Yiing-cheng period con- tinued to be produced under the dii'ectorship of T'ang Ying, who had learned his art in the ateliers of the latter period. The soft red derived from gold, passing from the

408

ORIENTAI CERAMIC ART.

deepest crimson of the rose petals, tliroiigli " rouge red," or yen-chill luing, down to the palest of the pinks called by them fen-hung ; the lemon-yellow, camellia-leaf, and paler tone of green, the bright blue, the brilliant glossy black, and the other colors of the foreign enameler's palette, were still prepared, although in process of time they gi'adually lost something of their pristine purity. The same may be said of the souffle cop})er-red of i-uby tone, and the sky-blue or clctir-de-lune, the two finest shades of the Nien Yao. The coral-red, on the conti-ary, comes into greater prominence, and is gradually improved in tone till it excels that of any of older times,* as in the beautiful monochrome vase selected for illustration in Plate XCII, and in the vase shown in Plate XXVI, where it forms a pure vermilion ground round a dragon pursu- ing the magic jewel, enameled green with touches of other colors. The ordinary green, yellow, and manganese brown or purple are common single colors, either plain or investing an etched decoration engraved with a style in the part underneath the glaze. The fine white porcelain, like that of the preceding reign, is of special pellucid purity and soft, pearly tone ; the egg-shell vase in Fig. 275, Avhich is modeled on the lines of the pink vase illus- trated in Plate LIII, and which is perfectly plain with the exception of faintest rings in the paste defining the rims of the neck and of the foot, is a white vase of this kind, which ma}- be attributed to either of these two reigns. A we\x shade which now appears among the single colors is the intense deep blue known to the Chinese as pao-shih Ian, or " sapphire-blue," which is often seen in combination with imperial dragons faintly engraved in the paste, and usually with a square seal of

* Tlie calcined peroxide of iron was formerly painted on, mixed with a simple flux of white lead ; now it is combined with the ordinary vitreous flux of the enameler, and acquires the brilliant tint known to the Chinese as tsao-'rh Jiung, the " red of the jujube," the fruit of the Zizyi^hus comnnmis.

THE CH'iEN-LUNG PERIOD. 409

the CK'ien-lung period impressed uDderueatli tbe piece, the foot being coated with the same glaze.

This last glaze, however, is usually finely crackled, as is shown in the vase of rich sapphire-blue color illustrated in Plate XXIX. Many of the single colors of the time are, in fact, distinguished by having this finely crackled reticulation in the glaze, the trulte of the French, the yu-tzu wen or "fish-roe" crackle of the Chinese. The colored glazes in these cases were applied, siw hiscuit, on porcelain that had been previously fired in an unglazed state. The manganese-purple and the turquoise-blue of the time are among the finest of these, especially the latter, which excels that of any previous period in its mottled shades of purest cerulean hue, exactly resembling those of the plumes of the kingfishei', from -N^hich it derives its Chinese name of fei-ts\ti, which is contracted sometimes to ts'ui se, se meaning color. The tones of color are perfectly displayed in the t^vo graceful beakers of ancient bronze design in Plates XLIV and XLV, the first of which is modeled Avith archaic details under the glaze, while the second, left plain, has nothing to detract from the symmetry of its outlines or the beauty of its colorius:.

The finely crackled green and yellow monochromes of the same class, which are usually bracketed together, are cliaracteristic colors of the period, the production of which is continued down to the present day. Of the "fish-roe green," or yu4zu lu, a typical specimen is seen illustrated in Plate XXYII ; this is also called by the Chinese huf- 2^1 lu, or " cucumber-green," a name more appropriate to the color of the vase illustrated in Plate LXXYIII ; it is sometimes called "• apple-green " by Western collectors, but this term (p^hig-hfo lu) is always applied by the Chinese to the green which accompanies their ji'ing-liuo hung, or " apple-red," on the " peach-bloom " vases of the

410 ORIENTAL ( ERAMIC ART.

JPang-hsi period. The yellow crackle of the same type^ called yi'i-icu liuang, or "iisli-roe yellow," is illustrated in Plate LXXXVII ; under the name of " mustard-yellowy" which indicates its usual shade, it acquired at one time a celebrity which it hardly desc^'ved.

The ordinary crackle of tlie time, marked by the wider reticulation of lines, which is likened to fissured ice, and hence known by the name of ping lieli teen, is sufficiently illustrated by the vase of arcliaic design shown in Plate LXXVII, which is coated with the grayish-blue glaze called Ju gu, from its resembhmce in color to that of the ancient Ju-chou porcelain, after which it was modeled ; it is marked underneath in blue ^\ ith the date-mark of ChHen- lung. Crackled glazes w^ere among the specialties of the period, and were produced at Avill in any color or com- bination of colors. The variety of soujfie glazes was also very great, and many novel combinations were introduced by the application of a different shade of the same color, or of a ne\v color altogether. The second enamel was sprinkled on in the form of a fine rain by blowing through a bamboo tube with gauze tied over the end, which was lightly dipped in the color, or it was flecked, on in lai'ger or smaller tears with a brush dipped in the moist color ; or, again, it was painted on in larger patches of overglaze enamel ; the effect of each process can be readily distinguished, so that a fuller description is unnecessary.

The decorated porcelain produced during this long reign of sixty years is also of almost infinite variety. If it wants something of the artistic freedom of design and brilliancy of coloring which distinguish the K''ang-hsi period, it evinces a grace and technical finish of its own. Brilliant greens of different shades predominate in the painted porcelain of the latter reign, which is indicated by the selection for it of the name oi famille verte. In

THE Ch'iEN-LUNG PERIOD. 411

the new reign the green is paler in tone and occupies a subordinate position among the colors ; it is supplanted bv reds of crimson and pink shades derived from gold, hence the name oifamille rose which is often applied to the decoration.

The decorated porcelains may be conveniently classi- fied under the headings of the table in Chapter X :

A. Colors of the grand feu.

B. Colors of the demi-grand fev .

C. Colors of the muffle stove.

We shall find that the eight classes which were com- prised in the table under the above three headings are all abundantly represented in the ^productions of the reign of ChHen-lung.

There is nothing special to be noticed in the fii'st two classes which include the pieces painted in cobalt-blue and in copper-red respectively. The blue and white is generally carefully penciled with graceful floral sprays and conventional scrolls, but the blue has lost its pulsat- ing vigor, and the glaze its pellucid depth. The white ground is purer in tint, but it is apt to become almost chalky, and one misses the tinge of blue which seemed to give a note of harmony to the older pictures. Mr. Monk- house in his appreciative introduction to the catalogue of blue and white, already referred to, asks: "Does this tinge come from the pigment with which the vase is painted ? If so, it is, perhaps, one advantage of the Chi- nese practice of baking the paste, the blue and the glaze, at the same firing. The tinge, whether gray or blue, is always in accord with the quality of the blue."

A typical example of blue and white, with the seal of CKien-lung inscribed undei'neath, may be seen in the ritual wine-pot with Buddhist symbols and floral scrolls in Fig. 90. The two pieces now to be mentioned are dec- orated in mixed underglaze colors, and belong, therefore,

412 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART,

to the third class on the table. The pilgrim-bottle (^pax> yueh p'ing) in Fig. 176, outlined in the shape of the full moon, is decorated on each side with a five-clawed impe- I'ial dragon coiling round the magic jewel. The dragons,, the flames proceeding from their bodies, and the effulgent jewels in the middle, are painted in copper-red of maroon tint ; the scrolled clouds which fill in the intervals and the crested sea-waves at the base of the vase are painted in cobalt-blue. The outside of each loop-handle is decorated in blue with a spiral scroll, and the seal of the Cli'ien-liing period underneath is penciled in the same underglaze color. The smaller bottle-shaped vase in Fig. 276 is an example of the so-called " soft-paste " class, decorated in the same two colors as the last piece. The crackled (1^ ai-pieri) glaze, which has a slightly undulatory surface, is traversed throughout with a I'eticulatiou of fine lines. The mon- strous lionlike quadruped, drawn after the unusually grotesque fashion of this time, is standing at the foot of a spreading pine-tree, with a bat flying overhead, all painted in blues of subdued tones : the flames which pro- ceed from the shoulders and hips of the monster are tinged copper-red, and its ej^es are lightly touched with rings of the same underglaze color. There is no mark attached.

A representative piece of the fourth class, " decorated in glazes of several colors," is illustrated in Plate XXXI in the magnificent vase, two feet high, decorated with imperial dragons in the midst of clouds, with the details engraved in the paste and enameled green, displayed upon a monochrome yellow ground.

The remaining four classes, including all the different kinds of decoration in enamel colors fired in the muflle stove, are particularly well filled. In the reign of ChHen- lung, according to Chinese authorities, the highest art was lavished on porcelain-painting in colors, and the dealers-

Ji

THE CH'iEN-LUNG PERIOD. 413

througed round the mouth of the kilu to have the first pick of the things as they were taken out. The " red shops," as the manufactories of colored ware had been commonly called since the introduction of the coral-red derived from iron, one of the earliest of the enamel colors, were now widely patronized, instead of those of the pro- ducers of single colors and the decorators in plain blue and white, who had hitherto monopolized attention. The three beautiful specimens selected for illustration in colors are unrivaled examples of the style and coloring of the time. Tlie first, Plate LXIV, is one of a pair of quadrangular vases, with openwork railings projecting from the corners, which are richly decorated in coloi's with gilding. The large panels are painted with land- scape pictures of the four seasons, bordered by scrolls, penciled in gold on a soft coral-red, by bands of gokVbro- caded blue or embroidered yellow. The study of the colors on a vase of this kind, of which the date is cei*- tainly known, is an invaluable aid to the correct classifi- cation of the enameled single colors which are so often unmarked. The second vase, Plate LXXVI, is a typi- cal member of \X\%famille rose, exhibiting broad bands of crimson rouge cVor etched with scrolls. Like the forego- ing vase the base is enameled pale green undei-neath, a characteristic of the finest decorated porcelain of this reign which is worthy of notice. The mark is written here in bright overglaze blue, in one horizontal line ; iu the former case it is in the form of a seal, penciled in red on a white panel reserved in the middle of the pale- green ground. The third of the CliHen-lung pieces, the hexagonal lantern with pierced openwork sides iu Plate XXII, is another striking evidence in its soft, harmoui- ous tone of coloring, in its graceful decorative designs, and in its finished technique, of the artistic skill of the potters of this period.

414 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

It is possible to admire the fine productions of this time, and yet to prefer the bolder style and stronger coloring of the decorated porcelain, as well as the brilliancy of the monochromes of the older reign of ICang-hsi. M. Grandidier, a practiced connoisseur of Chinese ceramic art, observes : " Some collectors prefer the delicate porcelains of the GVien-lung epoch to any other ; I can find no fault with them ; others remain cold, dull, and indifferent in the presence of the most perfect of these marvels, and are only enthusiastically attracted by the porcelain of the Ming dynasty, so majestic in its barbaric effect ; these last are not wrong, and I oft'er them my approval. Some, again, put in the first rank the productions of the time of K\mg-lisi, and they are right. I exclude none of these three periods ; each has its special qualities of a different order, and I admire them all sincerely without admitting the superiority of any one over the others. Beauty has always the gift of captivat- ing me, and under all its forms ; queen of the world, it reifrns an absolute sovereisfu in the realm of art."

There is no fixed line of demarcation between the decorated porcelain of the Yung-eheng and ChHen-lung periods. T\vo pieces, in form and design as well as in smaller technical details, might pass for productions of the former reign had they not the mark of CWien-Iung inscribed underneath, etched under the glaze in the first case, penciled in cobalt-l^lue in the second. The oval bowl-shaped vase in Fig. 277 in white with scrolls of lotus and peony flowers etclied under the clear glaze; the dragon of archaic design, coiled in openwork relief round the rim, is enameled reddish brown and touched with gold. The saucer-shaped dish in Fig. 249 is painted in the same brilliant enamels as the large dish illustrated in Plate XLVIII, with branches of peaches springing from the circular rim of the foot and passing over the boi-der

THE CH'iEN-LUNG PERIOD. 415

of the dish to decorate its interior, as well as its outer surface. The branches bear pink flowers and buds, as well as large peaches, the fruit of long life, and they aie accompanied by five flying bats, painted in shaded red, emblems of the five happinesses, three being displayed in the field, two on the outer edge of the saucer. In Fig. 278 is exhibited a charming little vase, modeled as a four- sided beaker (tsun), of ancient bronze design, with an archaic scrolled band round the waist, and vertical dentated ridges projecting from the sides and corners ; upon it are seen the lizardlike forms of nine dragons, in undercut relief, painted in delicate CKien-lung colors, of which a large CKih-limg, with four small ones cra'wling over its body, composes the handle, while four others coil round the neck of the vase.

Two other pieces will serve to give an idea of the great variety of flowers depicted in the naturalistic floral decoration of porcelain at this time. The flower-pot of eight-lobed form in Fig. 280 has eight panels of flowers and fruit, with butterflies and dragonflies, all painted in delicate enamel colors. The front panel displays the fir, bamboo, and pranus, so often associated as emblems of longevity ; the next, proceeding from right to left, contains flowering bulbs of narcissus and sprays of roses, follo^ved in order by pomegranates and chrysanthemums ; a group of begonias; of hibiscus (i?6>s« sw^6/^5^s) branches ; sprays of Dielytra sj)ectahilis and azure-tipped marguerite dai- sies; of yellow jasmine and scarlet ling-cliih {PoJi/porns lucidus)', of red-leaved amaranthus and orchids (Q/mhi- dium ensifoliiivi). The large double gourd-shaped vase (Jiit-lu p'ing)^ nearly two feet high, in Fig. 279, displays in its rich floral ground the " hundred flowers " of the Chinese, painted in natural coloi's, so that each species may be recognized at a glance by one familiar with the garden flora of China. Among them may be distinguished

•116 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

peonies of several kinds, lotus, cbiysauthemum, magnolia, roses, hibiscus (both pink and yellow), orchids, iris, lilies (scarlet and white), asters, hydrangea, wistaria, dielytra, pomegranate, begonia, nai'cissus, convolvulus, syringa (white and lilac), Pyrus japonica (hcd-fang) and double peach, Olea fragraiis, cockscomb, etc. The foot is encircled by a band of formal foliations in shaded blue and green upon a pink monochrome ground, between heavily gilded rims. The base enameled, like the inside of the mouth, pale green, has a reserved panel in the middle in which is penciled in red the seal Ta cliHng ClCien lung nien cliili — i. e., " Made in the reign of ChHeii-htng, of the great ChHng [dynasty]." *

The varied processes of decoration in white slip over colored glazes ; of embossing in plain, and in undercut relief ; of pierced designs, intended either to be left in openwork or to be subsequently filled in with glaze ; and of making composite vases, composed either of articulated pieces or furnished with movable appendages — all these branches of the ceramic art were executed Avith success at this time, and some examples have been already illus- trated in these pages. The vase in Fig. 282 displays the iioi-al embossed work which was so exactly copied at Meissen in eai'ly Dresden porcelain that it is, at first sight, diflicult to distinguish the copies from the originals, as they are now placed side by side for comparison within the glass cases of the museum at Dresden. It is an

o

* A magnificent jar (kuan) forty-five centimetres high, of broad, massive form, illustrated by M. Grandidier {loc. cit., Plate XXXVI, 109), is covered -with the same floral decoration. The author describes it as " composed of an interlacement, of floral sprays in juxtaposition presenting an infinite variety of types and of colors ; the Cliinese flora is represented upon it with an incredible luxury. It produces the effect of an immense sheaf of flowers — of a colossal bouquet. (From tlie Summer Palace)." The cover is apparenUy wanting. Its fellow, which is in the Dana Collection in New York, is, if I remember rightly, complete with the original cover decorated with the same floral ground crowned witli a gilded knob.

THE CH'iEN-LUNG PERIOD. 417

ovoid vase of fine eggshell texture, overlaid with a close- set floral decoration composed of chrysanthemums, hai- t'ang {P yrvs japonica), and daisies, painted in red, green, and gold. AVithin this floral ground are reserved two oval panels, painted in delicate enamels with familiar scenes of domestic life, an interior with ladies drinking wine out of tiny gilded cups, and a garden with another group of ladies looking at fighting cocks; scrolled bands penciled in gold round the rims of the vase complete the decoration. The vase in Fig. 283 exhibits a floral decora- tion in full undercut relief projecting from a background of '' tea-dust," or clCa-yeh mo. The " tea-dust " is one of the characteristic sourffle glazes of the time, an olive-gi'een monochrome ground thickly flecked with tiny spots of lighter green. The vase, grooved with three vertical lines, has an indented foot and a three-lobed lip. The branches of fruit in white relief are pomegranates, wind- ing round the vase and leaving a small interval on the shoulder, which is filled by a branded stem of sacred fungus {Polyporii8 lucidus) which is also enameled white. The foot, coated underneath with the same " tea-dust '^ glaze, has the seal, stamped in the paste, Ta CliHng Oli'ien lung nien cliili — i. e., "Made in the reign of ChHen-lung^ of the great ClCing [dynasty]."

No better examples of pierced work could be found than the lantern wdth openwork panels, which is illusti'ated in Plate XXII, and the magnificent vase with pierced trellis-work in the outer casing that is shoAvn iu Fig. 185. This last is also provided with a movable appendage in the form of a revolving belt attached to the waist of the double gourd ; it is marked underneath with a gold " seal " of the Cliieii-lung period. An articulated specimen is presented in Fig. 284, which represents a celadon vase of bronze form and design, cut across into two parts by a wavy, dovetailed line of four-

418 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

lobed foliated outline. The designs, worked in relief in the paste, in a broad band encircling the body of the vase, consist of four monstrous ogre (fao-fieJi) faces, conventionalized into ornamental scrolls. The varying depth of the investing glaze produces corresponding shades in soft tones of pea-green. The seal of Ta dicing Clbien lung nien chilly " Made in the reign of Cli'ien-luiig, of the great CliHug [dynasty]," is penciled on the foot in cobalt-blue underneath a coat of the same celadon glaze. The last technical process of decoration to be noticed here is that in which the pierced designs cut in the por- celain are filled in with glaze, producing a charming effect when the piece is looked at as a transparency. This is sometimes known as " rice-grain " decoration. It may either form the sole ornamentation of a piece or be employed in combination either with blue and white or with colored enamels, a few leaves or petals in the latter case, for example, being treated in this way so as to appear transparent when held up to the light. The most usual form is that of bands of diaper or star pattern. The delicate bowls of this reign which display an intri- cate conventional pattern, like that of lacework, contrast- ing in its greenish transparency with the pure white ground, are amono; the most o^raceful and charminsi; of ceramic triumphs ; they are called " lace-bowls " by col- lectors, and have a tiny seal mark of the reign penciled underneath in blue. Still rarer are vases of which we have one for illustration in Fig. 285, the sides of which are pierced throughout with a lacework pattern of con- ventional peouy-fiowers in the midst of leafy scrolls, and which has the pierced floral pattern filled in with glaze. The structure of the vase is of eggshell thinness and undulatory surface, and the decoration imparts a marvel- ous lio-htness of effect. The borders of the vase are encircled by rings of conventional ornament molded in

THE Ch'iEN-LUNG PERIOD. 419

slight relief, so as to be picked out in white on a ground of palest celadon tint. There is no mark inscribed, but it could hardly belong to any other epoch, and its peculiar delicacy and beauty make it a fitting type to close this brief sketch of the ceramic art of the reign of CKien- lung, the chief charm of which lies in these two qualities.

CHAPTER XV.

THE TWENTY ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN DESCRIBED BY t'aNG YING.

T'ANG YING, the celebrated director of the imperial porcelain manufactory at Ching-te-cheu, to whom we have already so often referred, came up to Peking in the eighth year of the reign of the Emperor CWen-lung (1743). He had been absent for fifteen yeai's, engaged in superintending the ceramic works, and was sent for now by the emperor, who was anxious for personal infor- mation about the details of the industry from a professor of the art. On the twenty-second day of the fourth inter- calary month he w^as summoned to the Office of the Board of Works in the Yano;-hsin-tien, one of the laro;e halls of the imperial palace, to take part as a member of a commission which had been especially appointed for the purpose of revising some of the classical works on technical subjects. When he arrived there a sei'ies of twenty illustrations of the manufacture of porcelain, which had been found in the imperial library, were handed to him, together with an imperial rescri})t, dated the eighth day of the preceding month, ordering him (T'ang Ying) " to arrange the illustrations in their proper order, and to describe carefully the different processes illustrated in the water-color pictures, specifying the hills from which the porcelain earth was obtained, as well as the sources of the other materials ; and finally to return the pictures, with the descriptions which he had written attached, to the imperial library."

The task was completed in twelve days, and the result

420

ILLUSTRATIONS OF MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN. 421

was " reverentially submitted to the imperial glance for correction " in a memorial by T'ang Ying, who subscribes himself as " Junior Secretary of the Impei'ial Household (Nei Wu Fu), Tao-t'ai in charge of the Customs at Kiukiang, and ex-ojjicio Director of the Imperial Porcelain Manufactory." The pictures have remained in seclusion ever since, and have never, so far as I know, been pub- lished. Their description by T'ang Ying, on the contrary, is to be found either in its complete form or in abstract in every Chinese book of any pretensions on ceramics. The most complete form, including copies of the original imperial decree and of T'ang Ying's memorial announcing the completion of his task, is contained in the chapter on porcelain in the Wen fang ssu ^'V^6>, " Kesearches on the apparatus of the library," by T'ang Ping-chiin, a book published in the reign of ChHen-lung. The most authen- tic version is to be found in the official annals of the province of Kiangsi {Chiang lisi Thing cJiiJi, book xciii, folio 19-23), wheie it is published as an appendix to the article on porcelain.

There is, unfortunately, no word of the date of the pictures themselves; it is only stated that they were painted by order of the emperor, but of which jjarticular emperoi- we are not informed. We know that the Emperor IVang-lm had two series of pictui-es painted to illustrate the different processes of rice-cultivation and silk-weaving, which were published, with imperial odes attached, in the thirty-fifth year of his reign (1696), under the title of Yu cldh Keng cliih Ton. Each series consists of twenty-three pictures, ending with the worship of the patron deities, and the form resembles that of the Tao Yeh Tou, the 'illustrations of the Manufacture of Porcelain," which would seem to have been designed after their model. Ordinary albums of pictures of the different processes in the preparation of

422 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

tea, silk, and porcelain are common enough, but tLese^ which have generally l^een painted at Canton for foreign- ers, come under a different category.

There is a beautiful eggshell vase in the collection^ shown in Fig. 287, decorated in the delicate enamel colors with gilding of the C li' ien-lung j)eriod, which dis- plays in detail the various processes of the cultivation of silk in China. The different steps are exhibited in a suc- cession of scenes with groups of busy women and children represented as gathered either in the interior of houses of elaborate design or in courtyards filled with flowering trees and palms ; from the hatching of the tiny eggs, the feeding of the worms in every stage of their growth, in the open baskets ranged on curtained bamboo shelves^ with mulberry-leaves, to the winding of the silk from the chrysalides, and the weaving of the spun material in looms of complicated structure. In the first scene a boy is bringing baskets of mulberry-leaves slung from a pole on his shoulder ; in the last scene a second is seated at the large hand-loom. A wreath of red and pink roses underneath the ujDper rim, which is gilded, completes the decorations of the vase.

AVith regard to the series of twenty illustrations of the manufacture of porcelain, T'ang Ying in his memorial observes that they are not enough to give a complete picture of all the different technical processes, and that still less must an exhaustive account of the ceramic indus- try be expected in his notes, which are intended only to be descriptive of the illustrations. As far as they go, however, they form a sketch of the art from the hand of a master, which is translated in this chapter as literally as possible, with the addition of a few explanatory notes at the end of each section.

ILLUSTRATIONS OF MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN. 423

Ilhistratlou No. 1 : " Mining for the Stone and Preparation of the Paste."

" III tlio jnaimfacture of porcelain the body is formed of molded earth. This earth is prepared from stone which must be mined and purified for the purpose. The stone is found in the province of Kiangnan, within the prefecture Hui-chou Fu, at Cii'i-men-hsien, which is two hundred li distant from the porcelain manufactory. Tlie two mountains called P'ing-li and K'u-k'ou, in this district, both produce tlie white stone. It is obtained by mining, and when broken exhibits black veins branching like the deer's-horu seaweed. The natives take advantage of the mountain torrents to erect wheels provided with crusliers. Having been finely pulverized, it is then purified by washing and levigation, and made up in the form of bricks, which are called 2:)ai-tuii or ' white bricks ' (petuntse). When the color is uniform, and the texture perfectl}^ fine, it is used for the making of the round pieces and vases of eggshell and of pure white porcelain, and of similar objects decorated in blue.

" Besides this there are several other kinds of earth called Kao- ling, Yii-hung, and Cli'ien-t'an, after their different places of pro- duction, which are all situated in the province of Kiangsi, within the bounds of the prefecture Jao-chou Fu. They are dug out and prepared in the same way as the petujifse, and can onl}' be used for mixing with this last, or in the making of coarser and thicker ware.

" The picture shows the different processes of mining, of pound- ing, and of washing, which are comprised in the heading, ' Mining for the stone and preparation of the paste,' and it is not necessary to describe them more fully."

Porcelain consists essentially of two elements — viz., tlie white clay, or kccoUn, the unctuous and infusible element, which gives plasticity to the paste, and the feldspathic stone, or jjtetuntse, which is fusible at a high temperature, and gives transparency to the porcelain. The feldspathic stone from Ch'i-men-hsien, alluded to above, has been chemically analyzed by Ebelmen, who describes it as a white rock of slightl}^ grayish tinge, occurring in large

424 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

fragments, covered with oxide of manganese in dendrites, and having some crystals of quartz imbedded in the mass. It fused completely into a white enamel under the blow- pipe. Applied by immersion upon a piece of Sevres porcelain, and fired in the large furnace, it produced a very line glaze.

With regard to the other materials used in the prepara- tion of the paste of Chinese porcelain, which varies very widely in composition, their name is legion. Nearer sources of the feldspathic rock have been discovered in Yii-kan-hsien, and at a place called Hsiao-li, not far south of Fou-liang-hsien, specimens of which have also been analyzed. Another kind of compact tough rock, which is pounded in larger mills, yields a yellow material called huang-ttm., which is used for coarser wai'e, but is said to be required for the proper development of the colors of certain glazes.

Illustration No. 2 : " Washing and Purification of

THE Paste."

"In porcelain-making the first requisite is tliat of washing and purifying the mateiials of the paste, so as to make it of fine homo- geneous texture. Tiie presence of stars (i. e., crystals of mica) or of fragments of stone would cause flaws in the porcelain, foreign bodies or loose paste would lead to cracks.

"The method of purifying the paste is to mix the materials with water in large earthenware jars, and to stir the mixture with wooden prongs, so that it remains suspended in the water while the impurities sink to the bottom. Tlie paste is then passed through a fine horse-hair sieve, and next strained through a bag made of a double layer of silk. It is then poured into a series of earthen- ware jars, from which the water is run off, and the paste is left to become solidified. A wooden box with no bottom having been placed upon a pile composed of several tiers of new bricks, a large cloth of fine cotton is spread inside, and the solidified paste is poured in, wrapped round with the cloth and pressed with more

ILLUSTRATIONS OF MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN. 425

bricks, wliicli absorb all the water. The prepared paste, freed from the superfluous water, is then thrown on to large stone slabs and worked with iron spades until it has become perfectly compact and ductile, and fit for the manufacture of porcelain.

" All the different kinds of paste are prepared in the same way, the various materials having been mixed in definite proportions according to their different properties. The picture contains in detail the various utensils and the different processes of work com- prised in this department of pre])aration of the paste."

Pere d'Eiitrecolles in his letters gives a more detailed account of the washing of the materials of the paste and the proportions of the ingredients. He says that the finest poi'celain is made of equal parts of kaolin and petuntse ; that the usual proportion is four parts of kaolin to six of petuntse ; and that the least amount of kaolin that can be used is one part to three parts of petuntse. The larger proportion of kaolin gives a greater plasticity to the paste, and enables it to be more readily fashioned on the wheel ; it also gives strength to the material when fired, so that it will withstand a higher temperature with- out softening. For this reason the Chinese call it " the bone," while the feldspar, the more fusible ingredient, which gives trauslucency to the porcelain, is " the flesh." The hard porcelain of Sevres and of Germany contain a greater proportion of kaolin, and are consequently more aluminous than any Chinese ware. It is found at Sevres, however, that it was too hard for the proper development, from a decorative point of view, of the colors, and in 1880 MM. Lauth and Voo^t besran to make a more siliceous porcelain with a calcareous glaze, attempting to imitate as closely as possible Oriental porcelain. This porce- lain, which bears the name at Sevres of i)oi'ceJaine nou- velle, can be ornamented, like that of China, with glazes of single colors, with flamhes^ Avith decorations^ under the glaze in colors of the grand feti, as well as in the muffle

426

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

stove with bright and limpid enamels fixed in relief on the surface of the pieces."^

This new porcelain is composed of :

Kaolin

Feldspar

Quartz

38 parts. 38 " 24 "

It is fired at a temperature of about 1,350° C; the older hard porcelain at Sevres is fired at 1,550°; and that of China, according to the recent researches of M. Vogt,. at 1,475°.

The following table gives the composition of different kinds of porcelain :

			1					>>
Source.	<		o				<
		•< 3	Q ><		< o	H S	1 <	o n H •a
	<	m	O	Ph	oc	.3	a	<
Meissen	35.43	60.0		2.26	1.55	0.57		Muller.
Sevres .	34.5	58.0		3.0		4.5		Salvetat.
Vienna (old) .	34.2	59.6	().8	2.0			1.7	1.4	Laurent.
SSvres, 1880 .	32.0	60.75	0.8	3.0			4.5		Vogt.
Vienna	31.6	61.5	0.8	2.2			1.8	1.04	Laurent.
Bayeux	30.0	61.6	1.56	3.26			3.56		Salvetat.
Berlin .	38.0	66.6	0.7	3.4			0.3	6.6	A. Laurent.
FoScy (Berry)	28.0	66.2	0.7	5.1					Salvetat.
Limoges .	24.0	70.2	0.7	4.3			6.7	6.1	Salvetat.
Sevres, pate nou-
telle .	23.6	70.83		2.82	2.09	1.1	0.46	Vogt.
Paris .	22.0	71.2	6.8	4.5		0.8		Laurent.
China .	22.2	70.0	1.3	3.6	2.7	0.8		Salvetat.
Bohemia .	21.3	74.78		2.48	0.58	0.64		Muller.
Japan .	20.55	70.77		3.99	3.16	0.83	6.18	Vogt
China .	20.7	70.5	6.8		3.9	0.5	0.1	Salvetat.
China . . .	19.3	73.3	2.0	2.5	2.3	0.6		Salvetat.
Nymphenburg	18.4	72.8	2.5	0.65	1.84	3.3	6.3	Vielguth.

* La Porcelairie, par Georges Vogt.

li

ILLUSTRATIONS OF MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN. 427

Illustration No, 3 : "■ Burning the Ashes and

PREPARING THE GlAZE."

" All kinds of porcelain require glaze, and the composition used for glazing can not be prepared without aslies. The ashes for the glaze come from Lo-p'ing-hsien, which is one hundred and forty li to the south of Ching-te-chen. They are made by burning a gray- colored limestone with ferns piled in alternate layers; the residue, after it has been washed thoroughly with water, forms the ashes for the glaze. Tlie finest kind of petuntse made into a paste with water is added to the liquid glaze ashes, and mixed to form a kind of puree^ the proportions being varied according to the class of porcelain. Within the large jar, in which the mixture is made, is placed a little iron pot, through the two handles of which a curved stick is passed, to make a ladle for measuring the ingredients. This is called a ^'e?i. For example, ten measures of petutitse paste and one measure of ashes form the glaze for the higliest class of porce- lain. Seven or eight ladles of paste and two or tliree ladles of ashes form the glaze for the middle class. If the paste and ashes are mixed in equal proportions, or if the ashes are more than the paste, the glaze is only fit for coarse ware.

" In the picture the little iron pot whicli is seen floating inside the large jar is the /?'ey/, or ' measure.' "

Specimens of rock from Lo-p'ing-lisieu were sent to France by Pere Ly, the Chinese Lazarist priest, and examined by M. Salv^etat, who describes it as a compact limestone lightly colored by pyrites disseminated through- out the mass. The ashes left after repeated combustion of this rock with ferns are composed mainly of lime, the action of whicli is to increase the fusibility of the petuntse, the vitrifiable feldspathic rock which gives its peculiar properties to the glaze. This rock is the same that is used in the composition of the porcelain body ; only the best pieces are picked out for the glaze, those of uniform greenish tone, which are covered with dendrites in the form of arbor-vitoe leaves. The Chinese call this Yu-l-uo,

428

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

"glaze fruit" — i. e., essence of the glaze. A specimen analyzed by Salvetat had tlie following composition :

Water					2.3
Silica					75.9
Alumina					14.2
Oxide of iron					0.8
Lime					0.5
Oxide of manganese					0.3
Magnesia					a trace
Potash					2.8
Soda					3.2

The analysis of two actual glazes chipped off from pieces of Chinese porcelain l)y the same authority gave:

Silica	68.0
Alumina	12.0
Oxide of iron	a trace
Lime	14.0
Potash and soda	6.0

64.1

10.2

a trace

21.0

5.1

The glaze of Chinese porcelain is always rich in lime. It is the lime that gives the characteristic tinge of green or blue, but at the same time produces a brilliancy of surface and translucent depth never found in the harder glazes which contain no lime. The glaze of the iwuveUe porcdaine of Sevres is prepared with thirty-three per cent of chalk.

Illustration JVo. 4- ■' " Manufacture of the Cases OR Seggars."

" The porcelain while being fired in the furnace must be kept perfectly clean; a single spot of dirt makes a colored stain. More- over, the blast of air and fierce flames of the furnace would injure the delicate paste. For these reasons it is 7iecessary to place the porcelain inside the seggars. The clay used in making these cases comes from the village of Li-ch'un, which is on the northeast of

ILLUSTRATIONS OF MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN. 429

Cl»ing-te-cben. It is of three different colors — black, red, and white. A kind of blackish-yellow sand, which is found at Pao- shih-shan, is mixed witii the clay to form the paste, so that it may be more readily fired. The cases are fashioned on a wheel, which is similar to the wheel used for porcelain. The paste need not be finely levigated. After the cases have been partially dried they are roughly finished off with the knife, put into the furnace, and fired for the first time empty. When baked and ready for use, they are called by the name of ta-hsia, or ' finished cases.'

"The workmen who manufacture the seggars are accustomed with the same coarse paste to make, on the same wheel, a supply of earthenware bowls for the daily use of the potters in their native hamlets."

The seggars are made of a common yellow ferruginous clay, which darkens to a brick-red tint when fired. They are in the form of circular trays about six inches high, fitting one upon the other, so as to form the columns seven feet in height, which are ranged inside the large furnace. Intervals to allow free play of the flames are left between the piles. The lower cases, which are par- tially imbedded in the gravel floor of the furnace, are left empty. The bottom of each tray forms the cover of the case below, only the top case having a cover of its own. If the pieces of porcelain are too high for the case, one or more" circular rings of the same size as the trays are substituted, by which means the height of the seggar can be increased indefinitely. In early times, as we saw in the descriptions of the Ming dynasty, they had special kilns for firing the seggars ; now they are fired empty, together with the older cases which are charged Avith porcelain in the usual way, the new ones being placed in the middle of the columns. A supply of flat disks (/w^ deaux) made of biscuit porcelain, or of fire-clay, is pro- vided as supports for the pieces of porcelain, which are prevented from adhering to the disks by dusting them over with kaolin.

430 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Illustration No. 5 : " Preparation of the Molds FOR THE Round Ware."

*' In the manufacture of the round ware each several piece has to be repeated liundreds or thousands of times : without molds it would be most difficult to make the pieces all exactlj' alike. The molds must be made in accordance with the original design, but the size can not be so precisely measured; they must be larger than the model, otherwise the piece will come out smaller than the pat- tern. The ravv^ paste, which is expanded and loose in texture, becomes during the process of firing contracted and solidified to about seven or eight tenths of its original size, a result following from the natural laws of physics. The proper proportionate size of the unbaked piece is fixed by the mold, and therefore the molders use the term ' prepare ' (Jisiii) instead of ' make ' (tsao). Each piece must have several molds prepared, and the size and pattern of the contents when taken out of the kiln must be exactly alike. A good practical knowledge of the length of firing required and of the natural properties of the paste is necessary before it is possible to estimate the exact amount of shrinkage, so as to fashion the molds of the proper form. In tlie whole district of Ching-te-chen there are only three or four workmen reputed clever at this special handiwork."

Tbe term " round ^vare," or yuan-cliH, is a general tei'm applied by Chinese potters to all the different kinds of porcelain articles in ordinary use, such as dishes Q^^avi), bowls (^wmi), cups (flmng), and platters (tieli). They are first " thrown " on the ^vheel, the wheels being of two sizes, managed by different classes of workmen. After having been fashioned on the wheel, they are given to the molders to be pressed in the molds referred to above, which are of rounded form externally, and are composed of two parts, the outside of the piece being molded in the one, and the interior by the other, which is called technically the " core." The use of the mold by Chinese potters can be traced back to very early times. The ICao hung chi, a technical work of the Cliou dynasty

ILLUSTRATIONS OF MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN. 431

(b. c. 1122-249), wliicli has beeu already referred to, dis- tingiiislies the ordinary potters (^T''aojeii), who worked with the wheel, from the molders (Fang jen), who made the round, tazza-shaped sacrificial dishes called tou and the oblong bowls for meat offerings called huei. The Imu Heng, a critical book of the Han dynasty by Wang Ch'unof, who lived a. d. 19-90, refers to the molds used by potters of that time under the name of huei-lien : " The 2^otters make molds of earth which fix the size of the pieces so that they can not be enlarged or diminished afterward ; correct estimates of the sizes i-equired must be made beforehand, as they are changed during baking."

Illustration JVo. 6 : " Fashionino the Round Ware on

THE Wheel."

"There are several different processes of work in tlie manufac- ture of tliis round ware. The square, polygonal, and ribbed pieces, and those with projecting corners, have to be carved, engraved, molded, and finished with the polishing knife, all of Avhich are different branches of work. The plain round pieces are turned on the wheel, being distributed according to their size between two classes of workmen. The first take the large pieces and fashion the round dislies (^/a?*), tlie bowls {irdn), the cups (chtiug), and the saucer-plates (tie/i), from one up to two or three-feet in diameter; the second make on the wheel the same kind of jiieces which measure less than a foot across. The wlieel consists of a disk of wood mounted below upon a perpendicular axle, so as to revolve continuously for a long time, during which the piece must be prop- erly turned, without becoming too thick, too tliin, flattened, or otherwise misshapen. There is a carpenter at hand to repair it when necessary.

"Beside the wheel is an attendant workman, who kneads the paste to a proper consistence and puts it on the table. The potter sits upon the border of the framework and turns the wheel with a bamboo staff. Wliile the wheel is spinning round he works the paste with both hands; it follows tlie hands, lengtliening or sliorton-

432 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

ing, contracting or widening, in a succession of shapes. It is in this way that tlie round ware is fashioned so that it varies not a hair's breadth in size."

The potter's wheel is one of the most ancient instru- ments of human industry, and the date of its invention is lost in the mists of time. The simplest form is that described above, which is kept in motion by the feet of the workman as he fashions the piece of porcelain with his hands. Just as simple a form is still in use at many manufactories — at Sevres, for example. In most large factories, however, the wheel is of more elaborate con- struction, and it is kept in motion by some mechanical means, so that the potter is relieved of a portion of the woi'k. Even in China, as we see in pictures, an assistant is often there, rotating the wheel with a rope passed round it, the ends of which lie holds in his hand, or balancing himself by a rope attached to the ceiling while he turns the wheel with his foot. This is the " throwing wheel " by wliich the soft white clay is fashioned, with the half of the lingers only, into a shape roughly approxi- mating that desired ; it is on the polishing wheel, or "jigger," that it is finally '' turned " to the exact shape of the model or design.

When the thrower has a piece to fashion on the wheel, he first places on the top a flat disk, ^vhich he puts in the middle and moistens with water, and then upon this disk he places the quantity of paste necessary to form the piece, dips his hand into diluted paste or " slip," and puts the apparatus in motion with his feet ; then, pressing between his hands the shapeless lump of paste, he raises it, lowers it, makes it into a kind of large lentil, and pierces the lenticular mass with his two thumbs ; he lifts it up once more while squeezing the lump between his thumb and fingers into the shape

ILLUSTEATIONS OF MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN. 433

desired. He develops it gradually, keeping it moist all the time with slip, and brings it by degrees to a form which approaches, more or less, that of the perfect piece. The smaller objects are shaped between the thumb and index finger, either of one hand or of both hands. Larger pieces are made by being pressed between the hand and wrist or with the help of a pad or sponge. The workman in this case usually stands, and the size of the pieces that he can make is limited by the length of his arms. If this limit has to be exceeded, he must build up the borders of the cylinder, previously thrown on the wheel, with bits of paste stuck on with slip. The pieces with no mouths and those with very narrow necks are thrown in two halves, which are cemented together with slip.

The precautions to be taken to secure a good result, according to Brongniart, are: 1. The paste must not be too soft; it will be easier to throw, but at the risk of some defect. 2. The woi'kman must have a sure hand and not press unequally on any part of the piece that he is lifting into shape. 3. And specially, it is important that he maintain a perfect accord between the speed of rotation of his wheel and the rate of ascent of his hands, so as to describe a spiral, cylindrical, or conical, in which the steps are the smallest possible. The more plastic and kaolinic the paste the more difficult it is to throw it successfully — not that this paste is harder to throw than a short paste, but because any inequalities of molding and pressure are so much more apparent in this than in a thinner paste. The princi[)al defect of a bad throw is " screwing " (^vissage). This defect consists of grooves, more or less apparent after firing, which start from the base and rise in spirals like the thread of a screws These grooves are due to inequalities of the pressure exerted while the piece is in the hands of the workman.

434 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

If the paste be less plastic, less supple, the pieces to be turned subsequently must be so much the thicker ; gen- erally speaking, the thickness of pieces of hard porcelain as they come from the throwing wheel is so great that one can hardly at hrst sight recognize the form that will be ultimately evolv^ed on the jigger, the turning wheel proper.

lUmtratioii No. 7 : " Manufacture of Vases {Cho cKiy

" The vases and sacrificial vessels, called p'ing, lei, tstin, and yi, are comprised in this general name of cho ch'i. The plain round vases are fashioned upon the potter's wheel, in the same manner as tlie ordinary round ware; they are then dried in the open air and turned on the polishing wheel to be finished with the knife. After the vase has been thus shaped it is washed vvitli a large goat's-hair brush dipped in water, till the surface is perfectly bright and spot- lessly clean. After tliis the glaze is blown on, it is fired in the kiln, and comes out a piece of wliite porcelain. If painted in cobalt on the paste and then covered with glaze, it is a piece decorated in blue.

"In making the carved polygonal, ribbed, and fluted vases, the paste, wrapped in cotton clotli, is pressed witli flat boards into thin slabs, which are cut witli a knife into sections. The pieces are joined together by a cement (Jiarhotine or slip) made of some of the original paste witli water. There is another kind of vase which is made by tlie process of molding, and wliich is finished after it is taken from the mold in tlie same way. The carved polygonal vases and the carved molded vases have to be filled in and washed clean with the brush in tlie same way as the round vases turned upon the wheel.

" All the varied forms of vases ma}' be engraved with the style, or embossed in relief, or carved in openwork designs, for which purposes, when sufficiently dried, they are given to artificers spe- cially devoted to these several branches of work."

The character cho, which means properly " carved jade," is applied in Chinese ceramics to vases generally,

ILLUSTRATIONS OF MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN. 435

which are called vho cli'l, in contradistinction to the yuan chJi^ or " round pieces," which include the bowls, cups, plates, etc., intended for ordinary use. The p'in(/ was originally a bottle-shaped vase, in which the mouth was less in diameter than the body, but the term is now applied to all kinds of ornamental vases ; the lei are sacrificial vases with scrolled grounds ; the fswi are the vases with flaring mouths that we call beaker-shaj^ed, and the yi the modern incense urns ; the former are modeled after ancient bronze wine-vessels, the latter after the bronze bowls used in olden times for sacrificial offerings of food and corn.

The round {yuaii) vases are turned upon the wheel, the square {^fcmg) vases are made of sections of paste, pressed or molded in various "ways, and cemented together by slip. The author of the Sliili tvu han chit, a miscellany published in 1591, says: "In the manufacture of porcelain it is the square pieces that are the most difficult. They are so difficult because when taken out of the kiln they are so often misshapen or cracked and rarely free from some defect. During their making the cornel's have to be evenly carved, the fluted parts have to be scooped out Avith the knife, and the lines of junc- tion of the sections have to be closely cemented ; in some unseen corner there may be a want of cohesion, or some slight irregularity, either above or below, in front or behind, to the right or left. Hence the common say- ing that the square is difficult. The round vases are made at one operation, and follow the movements of the hands, while the wheel does more than half the man's work ; not like the square and I'ibbed vases, which depend wholly upon the manual skill of the artisan."

The different branches of work alluded to above are more fully described in the letters of Pere d'Eutrecolles, translated in Chapter XI.

436 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Illustration iVu S: "Collection of the Material FOR the Blue Color."

" All kinds of porceliiiii, whether round ware or vases, that have to be decorated in blue, whether modeled after that of the reigns of HsiXan-te, G/Ceng-hua, Chia-ching, or Wan-li, require this blue color for the painting of their decoration. The deep blue mono- chrome glaze, gros bleu, also requires this blue for its preparation. The material comes from the province of Chekiang, where it is found in several mountains within the prefectures Shao-hsing Fu and Chin-hua Fu. The collectors who go into the hills to dig for it wash away the earth which adheres to it in the water of the moun- tain streams. Tiie mineral is dark brown in color. The large round pieces furnish the best blue and are called ' best rounds,' distinguished in addition bj^ the name of the place of production. It is brought by merchants to the porcelain manufactory, and is buried by them under the floor of the furnace, roasted for three days, and waslied after it is taken out, before it is finally offered for sale, ready for use. . The material is also found in different mountains in the provinces of Kiangsi and Kuangtung, but the color produced by these kinds is comparatively pale and thin, and it is unable to support the fire, so that they can be used oiih'^ in painting coarse ware for sale in the market.

" The picture exhibits only the collection of the material : the processes of preparation and of roasting are not shown."

Blue is the leading decorative color on porcelain, as the learned author of the T''ao shuo observes. In the Chin dynasty (265-419) blue porcelain was caWedi pHao tzii, resembling in color the pale blue shade (^p'iao) of certain silks. In the T'^ang dynasty (618-906) it was called the blue color of distant hills ; in the Chou dynasty (951-960) the blue of the sky after rain ; under the Wn Yueh the prohibited color, because it was reserved for the sovereign ; afterward, under the Sung dynasty (960-1279), although other colors were also used, the Ju-chou porcelain was baked with a pale blue glaze ; the finest imperial porcelain of the time was

ILLUSTRATIONS OF MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN. 437

starch-blue {fenchHng), and the crackled Ko yao and the ordinary Lung-ch'tiau porcelain of the time were also of bluish shade;

Abundant specimens of the Chinese minei-al have reached Europe. Ebelmen, in his book so often quoted (vol. i, page 385), says that he had specimens of the mineral as it comes fi'om the mine, of the same after it had been roasted in closely luted porcelain crucibles placed under the floor of the furnace, and of the powder produced by grinding the roasted material in mortars. The raw mineral had the form of irreo:ular concretions hollow in the interior, of a deep bro^vu color with a slight shade of green, giving a brownish powder which stained the fingers. Heated in a closed tube it gave off twenty per cent of water, and after prolonged calcination acquired a more pronounced greenish shade. It proved to be a complex mineral of cobaltiferous manganese in the form of oxides, which did not, however, constitute all the mass of the fragments, being associated with a vari- able quantity, up to nearly half the weight, of silicate of alumina.

The analysis of two specimens gave the following result :

Loss in the fire (water and oxygen)

Silica (insoluble residue)

Oxide of copper

Alumina

Oxide of manganese

Oxide of cobalt

Oxide of iron .

Lime

Magnesia

Arsenious acid

Oxide of nickel, sulphur

Raw	Roasted
mineral.	mineral
20.00	4.00
37.46	27.00
0.44	2.00
4.75^ 27.50 ! 5.50 1.65-^
65.00
0.60	1.00
a trace	a trace
a trace	1.00
a trace
97.90	100.00

•438 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

The complex structure of tlie mineral explains the minute precautions taken by the Chinese in selecting the best pieces, and also the infinite variety in tbe shades of blue obtained after firing. The larger the proportion of cobalt the purer the blue ; a blackish or grayish tint is said to be due to an excess of nickel or iron, a purplish to an excess of manganese. The vigor of the color is due, however, as much to the limpid purity of the white glaze which it has to penetrate, being painted, as it always is, on the raw body of the porcelain. Penciled stcr biscuit upon Sevres porcelain, glazed, and fired cm gi'and feu, the thinner strokes came out blue, but the deeper parts were sensibly grayish. Its fugitive nature caused the loss of much of the color, as it was fired at a temperature so much higher than that of the Chinese furnace.

Illustration No. 9 : " Selection of the Blue Material."

"The blue material, after it lias been roasted, must be specially selected, and there is a particular class of workmen whose duty it is to attend to this. The superior kind selected is that which is dark green in color, of rich translucent tint and brilliant aspect. This is used in the imitation of antiques, for the monoclirone blue glaze, and for fine porcelain painted in blue. When of the same dark-green color, but wanting somewhat in richness and luster, it is used for the decoration of the coarser porcelain made for sale. The remainder, that has neither luster nor color, is picked out and thrown away,

"When the material has been selected it is ready for use. The method employed is to paint with it upon the piece that has not been fired, to invest the piece afterward with glaze, and then to fire it in the furnace, from which it comes out with the color uniformly transformed into a brilliant blue. If it has not been invested with glaze the color will be black. Should the piece be overfired, the blue of the painted decoration will 'run' into the white ground of the piece,

"There is one kind of blue, commonly called 'onion sprouts,*

ILLUSTRATIONS OF MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN. 439

which makes very clearly defined strokes which do not change in the furnace, and this must be selected for fine painting.

"The picture shows baskets filled with boxes of the color, with an ordinary background ; there is no actual reference in it to the selection of the color."

The cobaltiferous manganese mineral, which is col- lected from the hills, where it occurs either on the sur- face of the ground or at the depth of a few feet, is of very uncertain composition. One portion of the same concretionary piece may be rich in cobalt, while another is quite inert, consisting of silicate of alumina with per- haps a few crystals of quartz. The pieces are generally about the size of the thumb and flattened in shape, and are known commonly by the name of slu'lt-tzu citing — i. e., " stone-blue," or " mineral-blue." But the material figures in books under a nuiltitude of synonyms. In the Sung dynasty * it was imported from western Asia under the name of Wu ming yi — i. e., " nameless rarity " — and there are several specimens of the Chinese mineral under this name in the Musee iVHistoire Naturelle at Paris, which were examined by Brongniart. Other names are T\io cli'ing, '^ ceramic blue " ; Ta cliUng^ " gros bleu " ; Fo-tou dicing, " Buddlia's-head blue"; Pao-sliih-Ian^ " sapphire-blue," and a number of other names, with the place of production prefixed; the only difficulty of which is the way they are contracted — die liao, literally " die material," being the form usually found in Chinese books for dieJciang cKing liao, or "blue material of Chekiang," the province from which the best is obtained. A name which puzzled me for a long time was Hitn-sliui dicing, " turbid-water blue," till I found that it referred to the puree prepared by mixing a little of the first-class blue with water that had been employed for painting the

* Cf . Chinese Porcelain before the Present Dynasty, by S. "W. Bushell, (page 52).

440 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

ground of a piece with the decoration reserved in white, like the celebrated " hawthorn ginger-pots," with their brilliant mottled grounds of pulsating blue, of which one is so beautifully illustrated in Plate II,

The same mineral is employed in the preparation of the black glazes, for which purpose it need not be so good — that is to say, so rich in cobalt, according to the Chinese. Sometimes the decoration of what was intended to be a blue and white piece will come out of the kiln perfectly black, because the glaze was laid on too thin.

Illustration i\u 10 : " Molding the Porcelain and G-rindinct the Color."

" After tlie large atid small round pieces have been shaped on the wheel, and have been sufficiently dried in the air, tliey are put into the molds which have been previously prepared, and are pressed gently with the hands, until the paste becomes of regular form and uniform thickness. The piece is then taken out and dried in a shady place till it is ready to be shaped with the polish- ing knives. The damp paste must not be exposed to the sun, as the heat would crack it.

" With regard to the preparation of the color for the artists, it must be ground perfectly fine in a mortar; if coarse, spots of bad color will appear. Ten ounces of the material are put into each mortar, and it is ground by a special class of workmen for a whole month before it is fit to be used. The mortars used for grinding it are placed upon low benches, and at the sides of the benches are two upright wooden poles supporting cross-pieces of wood, which are pierced to hold the handles of the pestles. The men, seated upon the benches, take hold of the pestles and keep them revolving. Their monthly wage is only three-tenths of an ounce of silver. Some of them grind two mortars, working with both hands. Those who work till midnight are paid double wages. Aged men and 5'oung children, as well as the lame and sick, get a living by this work."

The color referred to above is still the cobalt-blue, the predominating color of old Chinese porcelain. The

ILLUSTRATIONS OF ^MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN. 441

Chinese owe their success in the ceramic art in great measure to their careful and methodical preparation of the materials. Imagine the patience of a man sitting on a bench, as described here, for a whole month, with a pestle in each hand, grinding the same color all the time, and satisfied with monthly wages of less than half a dol- lar ; with the addition, however, it is to be hoped, of an allowance of food ! The editor of the official records of the imperial manufactory says that two of the chief cri- teria of success are perfect dryness and fineness of all the materials : " The furnace must be dry, the porcelain must be dry, and the fuel must be diy ; then there will be lit- tle breakage, loss of shape, or dullness of color. The clay must be fine, the color must be fine, and the work of the artist must be fine ; then the defects of coarse, rough finish, of spoiled coloring, and of stains will be avoided."

Oxide of cobalt is one of the most ancient and widely known of the coloring matters used in the decoration of all kinds of pottery. As M. Deck says in La Faience (loc. cit., page 185) : " The beautiful blue color of the oxide of cobalt is persistent at the highest temperature of the porcelain furnace ; its coloring power is so strong that the least trace is enough to color the vitreous flux. It has an immense vogue, and is the color most fre- quently used in ceramic decoration, both in ancient and modern times. It has the great advantage of accommo- dating itself to all fires, from the most violent to the most feeble. It combines and harmonizes with every kind of medium {fondanf), and can be applied to all sorts of ceramic bodies, and its blue color is one of the most beautiful and the most solid in our palette. The Egyptians and Assyrians employed it from the highest antiquity ; the Persians, Chinese, and Japanese have executed charmino; decorations with nothino; but this

442 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

blue ; it is perhaps the most suitable color to be employed aloue in decoration."

Illustration No. 11 : " Painting the Round Ware in Blue."

" The different kinds of round ware painted in blue are eacii numbered by the liundred and tlioii'^und, and if the painted decora- tion upon every piece be not exact iy alike, tlie set will be irregular and spoiled. For this reason tlic men who sketch the outlines learn sketching, but not paintin,; ; those who paint study only painting, not sketching ; by this means their hands acquire skill in their own particular branch of work, and their minds are not dis- tracted. In order to secure a certain uniformity in their work, the sketchers and painters, although kept distinct, occupy the same house.

"As to the other branches of work — embossing, engraving, and carving in openwork — they are treated in the same way, and each is intrusted to its own special workmen. The branch of decorating in underglaze red, although really distinct, is allied to that of paint- ing. With regard to the rings round the borders of the pieces and the encircling blue bands, these are executed by the workmen who finisli the pieces on the polishing wheel ; while the marks on the foot underneath, and the written inscriptions, are the work of the writers who attach the seals.

" For painting flowers and birds, fishes and water-plants, and living objects generally, the study of Nature is the first requisite ; in the imitation of Ming dynasty porcelain and of ancient pieces, the sight of many specimens brings skill. The art of painting in blue differs widely from that of decoration in enamel colors."

In this rapid sketch of the art of painting in under- glaze cobalt-blue most of the different processes of decoration displayed in collections of Chinese blue and white porcelain are touched upon. The blue is painted upon the white body of the j^orcelain before it is glazed by immersion or otherwise, and the encircling rings which define the borders of bowls and the shoulders of vases are easily penciled by a light touch of the brush as the

I

ILLUSTRATIONS OF MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN. 443

object revolves on the jigger ; by uo other method could they be executed with such j^erfect regularity. A single line of blue of this kind round the rim is the sole decora- tion of some of the translucently white eggshell wine- cups of the reign of Wan-li, which are among the liglitest and most delicate objects ever produced in porcelain. The work of the writer, who outlines the seals and other marks and writes the labels and verses that accompany the pictures, is quite as important as that of the artist, in the estimation of the Chinese, who are great connois- seurs of caligraphy, and distinguish at first sight, from that one criterion, a piece of imperial manufacture (kuan yao) from the production of a private kiln {ssu yao).

Painted decoration in copper-red under the glaze prop- erly finds its place here. The technique is the same, and the pieces, after they have been glazed, are fired in the same furnace as the blue and white. For an illustration, see Fig. 229. It may, of course, be used in combination with the blue in the decoration of the same vase, or with other colors of the grand feu, such as celadon, or coffee- brown.

Illustration No. 12 : " Fashioning and Painting

OF Vases."

" The different forms of vases and sacrificial vessels comprised in tlie general term of cho chH include the square, the round, the ribbed, and those with prominent angles ; tliere are variotis styles of decoration executed by painting in colors and carving in open- work. In copies from antiquity artistic models must be followed ; in novelt}' of invention there is a deep spring to draw from. In the decoration of porcelain correct canons of art should be fol- lowed ; the design should be taken from the patterns of old brocades and embroidery, the colors from a garden as seen in springtime from a pavilion. There is an abundance of specimens of the Kuan, Ko, Ju, Ting, and Chun (wares of the Sung dynasty)

444 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

at liand to be copied ; and water, fire, wood, metal, and eartli (tlie five elements of physics) supply an inexhaustible fund of material* for new combinations of supernatural beauty. Natural objects are modeled, to be fashioned in molds, and painted in appropriate colors ; the materials of the potter's art are derived from forests and streams, and ornamental themes are supplied by the same natural sources. The sacrificial wine-vessels, tsun and lei, are of equal importance ; the censers, shaped like the ancient bronzes, yi and ting, emit flames of brilliant color. In addition to the ancient earthenware drums (wa/ou), many kinds of musical pipes are now made, and the artistic skill of the color-brush perpetuates on por- celain clever works of genius."

In this paragraph T'ang Yiiig, instead of describing the illustration, gives a disquisition upon his view of the correct canons of art, as applied to the decoration of porcelain, expressed in high-flown antithetical couplets,. Avhich are not so easy to render intelligibly in plain prose. Julien suppresses them altogether as " devoid of interest from the point of view of histoiy and of fabrica- tion," but they give us some insight into the ideas of a Chinese artist and the motives of his decorative work. Antiquity is always the first desideratum ; the forms of the objects are taken from productions of the old ceramic factories of the S^ing dynasty, which were themselves derived from more ancient bronzes ; and the decorative designs are often derived from the patterns woven in China from the most ancient times in brocades or worked by the needle in. silk embroideries. The prevalence of colored grounds, of medallions, and of all the varieties of diaper, in the decoration of Chinese porcelain, is traced back to the occurrence of similar patterns in these bro- caded and embroidered silks.*

* The names of more than twenty of these brocade patterns that were copied in Ming porcelain were enumerated in Chapter VII.

II

ILLUSTRATIONS OF MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN, 445

Illustration yo. 13 : " Dipping into the Glaze and Blowing on the Glaze."

" All the different kinds of round ware and vases, including the pieces decorated in blue, as well as the copies of Kuan, Ko, and Ju porcelain, must have the glaze applied before they are fired. The ancient method of putting on the glaze was to apply it to the sur- face of the vase, whether square, tall, fluted, or ribbed, with a goat's-liair brush filled with the liquid glaze, but it was difficult to distribute it evenly in this wa}'. The round ware, both large and small, and the plain round vases and sacrificial vessels used all to be dipped into the large jar which held tl)e glaze, but they failed b}' being either too thickly or too thinh^ covered, and, besides, so many were broken that it was diflicult to produce perfect specimens.

" In tlie present day the small round pieces are still dipped into the large jar of glaze liquid, but the vases and sacrificial vessels and the larger round pieces are glazed by the souffle process. A bam- boo tube one inch in diameter and some seven inches long has one of its ends bound round with a fine gauze, which is dij)ped repeat- edly into the glaze and blown tlirough from tlie other end. The number of times that this process has to be repeated depends partly on the size of the piece, partly on the nature of the glaze, varying from three or four times up to seventeen or eighteen. These are tlie two distinct methods of glazing : by immersion and by insufllation."

The glaze contains a notable proportion of lime, ^vhich aids in the liquefaction of the feldsj^atliic base, and gives the slight greenish tinge to the ground, which is one of the characteristics of Chinese porcelain. It is applied in China u[)on the raw body of the piece, Avhich has been previously dried in the open air. In other countries the unglazed ware undergoes a preliminary baking to bi'ing it to the condition called degottrdi, so that even the largest pieces may be strengthened sufficiently to enable them to be dipped in the water holding the materials of the glaze in suspension. The porous clay absorbs the

446 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

water, and there is deposited on the surface a uniform la3^er of the vitrifiable materials suspended in it. Large vases fiv^e feet in height are glazed in this way at Sevres, being placed in open wooden cages and lowei'ed by means of pulleys ; they are imnjersed for thirty or forty seconds, according to the greater or less strength of the preliminary baking, and ai"e then allowed to drain, after which any difference of thickness is corrected as much as possible by hand.

The Frencli consul, M. Scherzer, fully describes the Chinese method of glazing by sprinkling : " Having brought the finely pulverized materials to the consistence of a liquid houilUe by mixing them with pure water, the workman takes a tube of bamboo which he covers at one end with fine gauze and dips it into the glaze, which he projects upon the vase by blowing through the opposite end. The number of layers that the worknian sprinkles in this \vay depends upon the nature of the glaze. For the white, three layers are applied succes- sively by blowing, while the fourth and last layer is given with a very soft brush. For the colored glazes the operation is more complicated and comprises nine successive layers ; the first three are ap})lied by blowing the glaze upon the piece properly dried, sufficient time being left between each to acquire its original dry con- dition. The fourth layer is painted on with a veiy soft brush. The fifth, sixth, and seventh layers are given by blowing. Finally, the eighth and ninth are applied with the brush."

M. Vogt says that the qualities required for a perfect glaze are so numerous that its preparation is unques- tionably one of the most delicate operations of the ceramic art. A good glaze ought, during firing, to spread uniformly over the piece that is being enameled, without forming either of the defects of "shrinkage" or "bub-

I

ILLUSTRATIONS OF MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN. 447

bling." Its fusibility ought to be adapted to the degree of temperature required for the firing of the paste. If too fusible, it will penetrate the paste, and the glazing will be dull and dry; if too hard to melt, it will be covered all over with little holes, which give to the porcelain the peculiar appearance that is called technically coqve iVwiif. There must, besides, be a perfect agree- ment in the coefficient of dilatation between the paste and the glaze. If not, as the porcelain cools the glaze will break, and its surface will Ije soon furro\ved by a network of lines. This crackled condition, which is called technically tressaillure, is due solely to a physical cause ; it is the result of a difference of dilatation between the ])aste and the glaze, as the piece is returning to the surrounding temperature. The crackles aie started when the glaze, as it is cooling, contracts more than the paste ; being fixed to the paste, it must necessarily crack, and the space between the lips of the furrows indicates the difference of contractibility. In the inverse case — that is to say, when the paste contracts more than the glaze — the glaze maybe detached in splinters and "scale oif " ; a piece with this defect is irretrievably lost. It is not so with the defect called tressaillure. A perfect master of paste and glazes can produce at will fissures in the glaze, forming more or less close networks, composed of lines joining together with no long straight lines between ; in this case a defect is converted into a good quality, and we have the craqvele or truite. The Chinese make such good use of this quality as to be able to produce on the same piece crackled zones of different dimensions in the midst of uncrackled srlazes.

The conditions that chanoje the coefficient of dilatation in porcelain are not well ascertained ; it is known, how- ever, that alkalies increase it in the glaze, and that silica increases it in the paste. A paste rich in aliunina,

448 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

invested with a non-calcareous glaze, always tends to become crackled, according to M. Vogt. This is con- firmed by Chinese accounts. The Ting Yao, the so-called '' soft porcelain " of collectoi'S, which is so apt to become crackled, is characterized by a highly kaolinic paste, and the glaze is pre]3ared without lime. The milk of lime, which is an important ingredient of the ordinary Chinese glaze, is replaced in the crackled glazes by a, puree com- posed principally of steatite previously ground to a fine powder. Any of the ordinary colored glazes may be crackled by adding this last to their ordinary ingredients. Some glazes are always crackled, without requiring the addition of anything to their ordinary ingredients, like the turquoise and aubergine purple, single colors of the dertii-grand feu^ which are both of triiite texture ; the turquoise glaze is rich in alkali, being prepared with a niter flux, and the aubergine glaze is combined with a minimum amount of lead.

Many of the curious ceramic terms met with in old Chinese books are due to alterations of the glaze during firing, such as " palm-eye " spots, the effect of bubbles, " crab's-claw " and " chicken's-claw " veining in the sub- stance of the unctuous glaze, and " orange-peel " texture of its undulatory surface. These partake really of the nature of small flaws, a recent Chinese writer i-emarks, and are only particularly noticed as criteria of genuine productions of an early time, when the porcelain was not so perfectly glazed as it is in the present day.

Illustration No. 14 : '' Turning the Unbaked Ware AND Scooping out the Foot."

" Tlie size of the round piece has been fixed in the mold, but the smooth polisli of the surface depends on the polisher, whose province is another branch of work, that of ' turning,' He uses in his work

ILLUSTRATIONS OF MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN. 449

the polishing wlieel, which in form is like the ordinary potter's wheel, only it has projecting upward in the middle a wooden mandrel, the size of which varies, being proportioned to that of the porcelain which is about to be turned. The top of this mandrel, wliich is rounded, is wraj:)ped in raw silk to protect the interior of the piece from injury. The piece about to be turned is put ujton the mandrel, the wheel is spun round, and it is pared with the knife till both the inside and outside are given the same perfectly smooth polish. The coarser or finer finish of the form depends upon the inferior or superior handiwork of the polisher, whose work is con- sequentl}^ of great importance.

" With regard to the next process, that of scooping out the foot, it is necessary, because each piece, when first fashioned upon the potter's wheel, has a paste handle left under the foot two or three inches long, by which it is held while it is being painted and the glaze blown on. It is only after the glazing and the painting of the decoration are finished that this handle is removed by the polisher, who at the same time scoops out the foot, after which the mark is written underneath.

" In the picture the workmen are seen occupied in the two processes of polishing the surface and scooping out the foot."

To prepare the porcelain for the polishing wheel ©r " jigger," it has to be dried sufficiently to enable it to be shaved with the knife without being reduced to powder. The tools used by the Chinese workmen are of the simplest kind — thin iron plaques of rectangular or curved outline. The piece is mounted upon the mandrel, so that its axis is a prolongation of the axle-tree of the apparatus, and it is shaved down to the required thick- ness while the wheel is revolvins:. Encirclincr bands or fillets that have to be executed in relief, and rings defin- ing the shoulder or borders of the vase, are carved at the same time with a neatness and regularity that no other process could attain.

The removal of the shapeless lump of clay which has been left projecting underneath the foot is one of the last operations in the fabrication of the piece; the mark is penciled in blue, the glaze is applied over it, and the

450 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

piece is ready for tlie furnace. The rim round the edge of the foot is left uncovered with glaze, and exhibits the peculiar character of the paste to the eye of a connoisseur. In older specimens no glaze is applied to the foot, and a j)ortion even of the outside of the bowl or cup is left unglazed, the glaze running down in thick, unctuous masses so as only partially to cover the surface, stopping short in a wavy line of thick drops. During the Ming dynasty there were some characteristic differences in the feet of bowls which may be noted in this connection. The shallow spreading eggshell bowls of the reign of Yung-lo have a sandlike rim and smoothly glazed bottom ; the altar-cups of the reign of Hsuan-te have a conical projection in the middle with a threadlike rim at the edge ; the shallow cups painted with fish, of the reign of Cliia-ching^ have a circularly rimmed base with a loaflike prominence inside the bowl. In the present dynasty, too, the foot of the vase is often examined as a'n aid to the determination of its date, the presence or absence of glaze, its plain or crackled texture, and its particular shade of color affording a valuable criterion for that purpose in different cases.

Illustration No. 15 : " Putting the Finished Ware INTO the Kiln."

" The kiln is long and round, and resembles in shape a tall water-jar (weng) turned over on its side. It measures a little over ten feet in height and breadth, about twice as much in depth. It is covered with a large, tiled building which is called the ' kiln- shed.' The chimney, which is tubular, rises to a height of over twenty feet behind, outside the kiln-shed.

"The porcelain, when finished, is packed in the seggars and sent out to the furnace men. When these men put it in the kiln they arrange the seggars in piles, one above the other, in separate rows, so as to leave an interspace between the rows for the free

ILLUSTRATIONS OF MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN. 451

passage of the flames. The fire is distinguished as front, middle, and back; the front of tlie fire is fierce, the middle moderate, the l>ack feeble. The different kinds of porcelain are placed in the furnace according to the hard or soft quality of the glaze with which they ai'e coated. After the kiln has been fully charged the fire is lighted, and the entrance is then bricked up, leaving only a square hole, through which billets of pine wood are thrown in without intermission. When the seggars inside the furnace have attained a silvery red color (white heat) the firing is stopped, and after the lapse of another twenty-four hours the kiln is opened."

The form of the furnace has ah'eady been fully de- scribed, and the changes in its dimensions from ancient to modern times have been alluded to. It has gradually become larger in size, till in the present day, according to M. Scherzer, although the breadth is about the same as that described above, being three and a half meters, the height and length are increased by about one-half to five meters and ten meters respectively. The way in which the Chinese take advantage of the irregularity of the form and of tlie varied force of the fire in different parts of the furnace has also been described. During the Ming dynasty tliere were different kinds of furnaces in the imperial manufactory — furnaces for the clay seggars, for the large garden fishbowls, for the blue and white porcelain, and for the colored glazes, etc. In the present day there are none, with the sole exception of the muffle stoves for the second firing of the porcelain painted in enamel colors. Everything is sent out to be fired in the private kilns, called Pao CJi'mg Yao^ be- cause they guarantee the success of each firing. There are two classes of kilns at Ching-te-chen. In tlie first kind the fuel is pine wood ; all the imperial porcelain is sent to these. In the second kind, which are intended for the firing of the commoner and coarser porcelain, the fuel is ordinary brushwood, which is brought in by men from the neiohborino; hills.

452 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Illustvatioli No. 16 : " Opening the Kiln when the Porcelain has been Fired."

" The perfection of the porcelain depends upon the firing, which, reckoning from the time of putting in to that of taking out, usually occupies three days. On the fourth da}^, early in the morning, the furnace is opened, but the seggars inside, which contain the porcelain, are still of a dull-red color, and it is impossible to enter yet. After a time the workmen who open the kiln, with their hands protected by gloves of ten or more folds of cotton soaked in cold water, and with damp cloths wrapped around their heads, shoulders, and backs, are able to go in to take out the porcelain.

" After the porcelain has all been removed and while the furnace is still hot the new charge of ware is arranged in its place. In this way the new porcelain, which is still damp, is more gradually dried, and is rendered less liable to be broken into pieces or cracked by the fire.

" The men in tlie picture who are leaning on the table wrapped in cloths are those that take the porcelain out of the kiln; the other men who are carrying loads of firewood are waiting to fire the next charge; the actual process of carrying out the contents of the furnace is not clearly indicated."

During each firing the " gentle fire " or ^>6^«'^ feu is kept lip for about twenty-four hours, to heat the porce- lain gradually, until the interior is brought from a dull red to a cherry red. Having attained this stage, the period of the " fierce fire " or grand feu begins, during which pine billets are thrown in as fast as possible till the furnace is quite full, and it is kept full till the neces- sary white heat has been attained, and this is continued durins: the third stas^e. This is the s^eneral course of the fire, but its effect varies in different parts of the furnace according to the oxidizing or reducing nature of the flames. If air predominates in the products of combus- tion, the flame will be oxidizing; if, on the contrary, unburned gases are circulating in excess, the flame \\\\\ be reducing. The fireman judges by inspection : if the

ILLUSTRATIONS OF MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN. 453

flames are perfectly clear, be considers them to be oxi- dizing; if they are thick and loaded with heavy volumes of smoke, he concludes they are reducing. A clever fireman is able at will to make his furnace pass from one to another of these conditions, and ought even to know how to keep the flames neutral, neither oxidizing nor reducing, which will give the maximum temperature without exerting any chemical influence upon the porcelain that is being baked.

All hard porcelain is composed essentially of kaolin, feldspar, and quartz. To give to this mixture the trans- parency and vitrification which characterize porcelain, it is necessary to reach during the firing at least the temperature required to fuse the feldspar. Feldspar fuses, at about 1_300°_C,, and this is the minimum [)oint at which a porcelain rich in feldspar can be successfully fired. For a highly kaolinic porcelain it is necessary to push the heat up to 1500°, or even to 1550°. Sub- mitted to these high temperatures, the elements of the porcelain change their nature; the feldspar in fusion attacks the quai'tz and the kaolin to form new com- I binations.

Illustratioii No. 17: " Round Ware and Vases Decorated in Foreign Style."

" Botl) round ware and vases of wliite porcelain are painted in enamel colors in a stj'le imitated from Western foreigners, wliich is consequently called Ycoig ts'ai, or ' Foreign Coloring.' Clever artists of proved skill are selected to paint the decoration. The different materials of the colors having been previously finelv ground and properly combined, the artist first paints with them upon a slab of white porcelain, which is fired to test the properties of the colors and the length of firing thej' require. He is gradually promoted from coarse work to fine, and acquires skill by constant practice; a good eye, attentive mind, and exact hand being required to attain excellence.

454 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

" The colors whicli are emploj^ed are tlie same as those used for cloisonne enameling upon copper {F<i-laug). The}' are mixed with tliree different kinds of medium, tlie first being turpentine, the second liquid glue, the tliird pure water. Turpentine is best adapted for free coloring; glue is more suitable for thin waslies, water for retouching the colors in I'elief. While it is being painted the piece is either supported upon a table or held in the hand, or laid upon the ground, according to its size, and it is placed in the position most convenient for the ready use of the brush."

The art of cloisonne enameling upon copper was intro- duced into China from the West. It was one of the early industrial arts of Byzantium, and is fully described in the writings of the monk Theophilus, who lived in the eleventh century a. d. It was from Byzantium that it must have come to China, as is clearly proved by the Chinese name for the art, Fa-lan^ or Fa-langy which is a corruption of Fo-lang or Fo-lin^ the name of Byzantium in the Chinese historical annals. As ex- plained by the author of the Fao Shhio, the syllable lin is pronounced Jang in the dialect of Canton, and he accounts in this way for the change of Fo-Un to Fo-lang, Fo-lang ChHen, or " Fo-lang inlaid work," is given by him as the correct form of the full name ; but the Chinese shirk trisyllabic locutions as too complicated^ so the third syllable was iirst dropped ; the others became gradually corrupted to Fa-lan, in whicli the

* The name of Fo-Un or Fu-lin has given rise to much discussion. It first occurs in the annals of the Sui dynasty (581-621) as the name of a country situated 4,500 li to the northwest of Persia. It often occurs subsequently, applied to the Greek Empire as the successor of the Roman Empii-e (7'a th'in), and as rivals of the rising Arabs (Ta-Shi/i). The initial was originally hard in Cliiuese, and the name is generally supposed to be derived from irSXiv, just as the Turkish name of Constantinople (Stamboul, or Istambul) seems to be a corruption of els ttjv wdXiv. The Greeks were proud of the title of " citizens " of their great city. Some derive the name from " Frank," but the Chinese could hardly have heard of the Franks so early as the sixth century. Dr. Hirth's valuable paper on Cliina and the lioman Orient may be referred to for a fuller discussion of the question, without adopting, however, his proposed identification of Fu-lin with Bethlehem.

II

ILLUSTRATIONS OF MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN. 455

second character means " blue/' and all trace of the original derivation is lost. Another common name for the art, whicli is cultivated in Peking in the present day, is Ching-tai Lan, or Ching-tai enamel, and the mark of the reign of Ching-kd is not infrequently found underneath ancient specimens. The emperor of the Ming dynasty who reigned under this title occupied the throne in 1450-56, and he is said to have patronized the art, and to have had sets of sacrificial utensils made for temples. It was in 1453 that Constantinople was taken by the Turks under Mohammed II, and some of the Greek workmen may possibly have come to China as fugitives about this time.

Julien translates the expression Fo-lang ClUien Ycu), '* Porcelaines a incrustations {ornees (Vemaux) de Fo-lang (de France).'''' Although it is a kiln ware (^yao), it has certainly nothing to do with porcelain, and there is no probability of its introduction into China having been due to France, although it is adopted by Salvetat, who writes : " This fact presents by itself a very great impor- tance in the history of the industrial progress of nations. It is well known that in China enamels upon copper are made in great perfection. It appears to follow from this passage that the Chinese only made these enamels in imitation of productions that Europe — perhaps France — sent to them by way of exchange."

The old Byzantine enamels w^ere generally w^orked upon gold. In China the usual excipient is copper, which is gilded after the enamels have been tired and polished, so that the designs appear like a mosaic of colors inclosed in clolmns, the outlines of which are defined by a line of gold. Two other processes of enameling are also executed in China: the champUve, in which the pattern is exca- vated in the solid copper vase, to be filled in with the enamel colors ; and the transparent {a jour) enameling,

456 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

in which the colors are inserted in open cloisons, having no background ; both these methods were employed pre- viously in Byzantium, and may be seen also in old Russian ecclesiastical work. There is yet a fourth process of enameling on copper in China, where the colors are painted on without any previous preparation of the excipient ; this is chiefly carried on in the province of Canton, where the art is said to have been introduced from the country of Ku-li — i. e., Calicut, in India; the productions are commonly known under the name of Yang tz'u, or "foreign porcelain." The author of the Wen fang ssu k'ao says of this : " One often sees incense- urns and flower-vases, winecups and saucers, bowls and dishes, wine-ewers and boxes, painted in very brilliant colors ; but, although vulgarly called porcelain, they have nothing of the pure translucency of the true material, and are fit only for the service and ornament of the ladies' apartments — not for the chaste decoration of the library of a scholar or mandarin."

The enamel colors in the present day are manufactured in the glass-works in the province of Shantung, and sent thence to every part of China to be employed in all kinds of enameling upon metal, and in the glazing of common earthenware and faience, as well as in the decoration of porcelain. They are composed of a vitreous flux, colored by a small percentage only of metallic oxide, which is generally kept in solution in the state of silicate. The coloring matei'ials are oxide of copper for the greens and bluish greens ; gold for the reds ; oxide of cobalt for the blues ; oxide of antimony for the yellows ; arsenious acid for the whites ; peroxide of iron is used for coral-red and other shades of this color, and impure oxide of man- ganese gives the blacks. The last two materials which give the colors directly are only mixed with the flux, not dissolved. These form the colors of the muflfle stove, by

J

ILLUSTRATIONS OF MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN. 457

the fire of wliicli they are incorporated in the softened wliite glaze. It is impossible to employ them in the decoration of European porcelain, the hard glaze of which contains no lime, and when the Chinese enamel colors were tested at Sevres they scaled off in the stove. They have all been thoroughly examined in Europe and chemi- cally analyzed.

Illustration No. 18 : " Open and Closed Muffle

Stoves."

" White paste porcelain that has been previously fired in the fur- nace is first decorated by the artist with painting in colors. When it has been painted in colors it must be again fired to fix the colors. For this purpose two kinds of muffle stoves are used, one kind being open, the other closed.

" The open stove is used for the smaller pieces. This stove is similar to that used for cloisonne enamels on copper, and it has a door opening outward. When the charcoal fire has been lighted inside, the porcelain is placed upon an iron Avheel, which is sup- ported upon an iron fork, by which the porcelain is passed into the stove, and the fireman holds in his other liand an iron hook, so that he may be able to turn the wheel around in the fire to equalize the action of the heat. When the colors appear clear and bright the firing is reckoned to have been sufficient.

" For large pieces the closed stove is employed. Tliis stove is three feet high and nearl}- two feet and three-quarters in diameter. It is surrounded by a double wall to hold the charcoal fire, the wall being perforated below for the entrance of air. The porcelain is introduced into the interior of the stove, while the man holds a circular shield to protect himself from the heat of the fire. The top of the stove is then closed by a flat cover of yellow clay and closely luted. The firing takes a period of about twenty-four hours.

"The process of firing the monochrome yellow, green, and pur- plish brown porcelains is the same as tlie above."

The open muffle stove is no longer used in China. The author of the Ohing-te-chen T'ao lu says (chapter iv, folio

458 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

5) : " Porcelain painted in colors at Ching-te-chen was formerly not so highly valued, until the beginning of the reign of CJiHen-lung, when })oth the mandarins and the common people thronged to buy it, so that the supply had to be day by day increased. The manufactories are com- monl}^ called ' red shops,' but the owners style themselves ' stove-men.' They do not, however, use open and closed muffle furnaces made in the ancient style, but only build up a cylinder of bricks on the ground like the mouth of a well, a little over three feet high and between two and three feet broad, leavins; holes underneath for the drauo-jit. The decorated porcelain is put inside, a cover is fixed over the fire, and that is all. It is called a muffle stove (shao Iu\ and there are fixed rules for the time of firing. If you ask them what the open and close stoves are, they will generally answer that they do not know."

There is a good representation of this modei'n shao lu in Julien {La Porcelaine Cliiiioise, Plate XIV), which is copied from the book just quoted. The open stove which accompanies it is taken from some older Chinese book. There are good illustrations of the open and closed muffle stoves of the foi'ms described above in the Atlas accompanying Brongniai't's classical work (Les Arts Ceramiques, Plate XLIV) taken from a Chinese book of the Ming dynasty.

Illustration yo. 19 : " Wrapping in Straw and Packing in Cases."

" After tlie porcelain has been taken out of the furnace it is arranged into four separate classes, which are known by the names of 'first-class color,' 'second-class color,' 'third-class color,' and ' inferior ware,' and the price is fixed accordingly at a high or low rate. The porcelain of ' third-class color' and the ' inferior ware * are kept back for local sale. The round ware of ' first-class color ^ and the vases and sacrificial vessels of the ' first and second class ' are

ILLUSTRATIONS OF MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN. 459

all wrapped up in paper and packed in round cases, there being packers whose duty it is to attend only to this w^ork. With regard to the round ware of ' second-class color,' the dislies and bowls are tied together in bundles, each composed of ten pieces, which are wrapped round with straw and packed in round cases, for conveni- ence of carriage to distant parts.

" The coarser porcelain intended for ordinary use, whicli is dis- tributed throughout the different provinces, is not packed in cases with straw, but only tied up in bundles with reeds and matting. From thirty or forty pieces up to sixty make a ' load ' sufficient for a man to carry at each end of his yoke. The ' loads ' are packed inside with reeds and matting and bound round outside with strips of bamboo, ready to be conveyed either by water or by land as may be more convenient.

"The workmen wlio do the packing are generally known by the name of ' mat-men.' "

The above descriptiou refers especially to the produc- tions of the imperial iiiaiiufactory, only the best pieces of which are picked out to be sent to Peking, while the rest are sold locally. A regidar supply is sent to the palace twice every year, an additional amount being requisitioned on any extraordinary occasion, such as an imperial wed- ding ; the lists are generally published at the time in the Ching Pao, the official "Peking Gazette." According to T'ang Ying in his "Records of the Porcelain Manufac- tory," quoted in the Annals of the Province of Kiangsi : ^' After the porcelain made in the imperial manufactory has been finished, every year at the two seasons of autunm and winter, a number of broad flat-bottomed boats and a gang of porters are hired to convey to the capital the six hundred and more casks packed with round j^ieces and vases. The annual supply required for the palace of round ware of the highest class, including round dishes, bo^vls, cups and saucer-plates, ranging from between one and two inches up to two and three feet in diameter, amounts to between 16,000 and 17,000 pieces, in addition to 6,000 or 7,000 pieces selected from the best

460 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

of the second class. These are all packed together Id casks and conveyed to Peking, to be ready for imperial presents, and for the emperor's own use. The vases of all kinds intended for ornamental and sacrificial use of the highest class, including ovoid vases with tall, narrow necks, sacrificial vases witli scrolled designs, beaker- shaped vases and urns for burning incense, etc., ranging from three and four inches u[) to three and four feet in height, require a yearly su})ply of over 2,000 pieces, with- out reckoning the 2,000 or ^3,000 vases selected from the best of the second class. These also are all packed together in casks and comeyed at the same time to Peking."

In addition to the firing of the imperial porcelain, the kilns at Ching-te-chen, whicli are num])ered by the thou- sand, practically supply the whole of the Chinese Empire, as well as the porcelain required for export to foreign countries. Boats laden with it are no uncommon sight iu the inland waterways of China, and I have even seen a line of large wheelbarrows under full sail, pushed and supported on both sides by running men and dra^vn in front by donkeys, speeding along the highways

" Of Sericaiia, wliere Chineses drive With wind and sail their cany waggons light."

Paradhe Lost, iii, 437.

Illustration No. 20: " Worshiping the God and OFFERING Sacrifice."

" Ching-te-chen, situated within the jurisdiction of Fou-Iiang- Hsien, is only some ten or more li in circuit, environed by moun- tains and rivers, so as to form, as it were, an island, yet on account of its porcelain production merchants throng to it fiom all quarters. The private kilns, between two and three hundred in number, exhibit a constant succession of flames and smoke the whole year round, and give employment to not less than several hundreds of

ILLUSTRATIONS OF MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN. 461

thousands of workmen and assistants. The porcelain industry- gives subsistence to an immense number of people whose life hangs on the success or failure of the furnace fires, and they are all devout in worship and sacrifice.

" Their god, named T'ung, was once himself a potter, a native of the place. Formerly, during the 3Iing dynasty, when they were making the large dragon fish-bowls, tl)ey failed in the firing year after year, although the eunuchs in charge inflicted the most severe punishments, and the potters were in bitter trouble. Then it was that one of them, throwing away his life for the rest, leaped into the midst of the furnace, whereupon the dragon bowls came out perfect. His fellow-workmen, pitying him and marveling, built a temple within the precincts of the imperial manufactory^, and wor- shiped him there under the title of ' Genius of Fire and Blast.' Down to the present day the fame of the miracle is cherished, and the potters continue to worship him, not a day passing Avithout reverential sacrificial offerings. Theatrical shows are also instituted in his honor, during which crowds of people fill the temple grounds. He is worshiped here as tlie tutelary gods of agriculture and land are in other parts of the empire."

The Chinese are devoted to ancestral worship, in the ceremonies connected with which sacrifice is offered to the manes or spirits of the deceased. Many of their deities are canonized mortals who have lived among them in historical times. No schoolboy must enter a public school without paying reverence to the picture of the sacred sage, Confucius, who lived b. c. 551-479 ; and every soldier worships the image of Kuan Ti, the God of War, who lived on earth as Kuan Yli, and was beheaded a. d. 219, after a life of martial prowess. The potter, T'ung, the vicarious sacrifice of whose life is sketched above, was not, however, the fii'st deity of the craft. His predecessor was named Chao, according to the Ching-te-chm T\io In (book xiii, folio 10), which says that it was in the reign of Hung-hsi, who lived a. d. 1425, that the assistant director of the porcelain manu- factor}^, Chang Shan, was the first to worship the patron

462 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

god of the potters, and built a temple within the walls of the maniifactoiy. The deity, whose surname was Chao, his name K'ai, and his literary appellation Shu- peng, is said to have been in charge of the work during the CJiin dynasty (265-419), to have acquired a wide re2:)utation for the choice productions inspired by his genius, and to have risen afterward to the rank of prince. It was in this dynasty that the famous azure- blue o:laze first came into vofjue, and we should like to know more of the history of the director Chao, if he be not altogether a legendary character. His temple has long been in ruins, and his cult is now supplanted by that of another patron -god. The present temple was rebuilt in the reign of Yting-clieng b}' Nien Hsi-yao, as commemorated by a stone tablet, erected by him in front of the main hall, which is still standing. T'ang Ying, in the next reign, discovered a large fish-bowl, decorated with dragons, of the reign of Wan-U, the bottom of which had fallen out in the kiln, and had it installed in the temple courtyard as a specimen of the porcelain "composed of the blood and bones of the deity.''

I

CHAPTER XVI.

MODERN PERIOD (1796-1895). IMPERIAL LIST OF THE

YEAR 1864.

DURING the long reign of CKien-lung, which came to an end in 1795, there was a ojradiial des^enera- tion in the artistic qualities of the porcelain produced at the imperial manufactory, and this is reflected in a still more mai'ked degree in the ceramic products of the private kilns of Ching-te-chen. The decoration lost by degrees much of its vigor and freedom of execution, and the colors gradually failed in the dei)th, pnrity, and brilliancy of tone which distinguished the older period. These defects are not compensated by a certain improve- ment in technical manipulation and a studied finish of design, which are mechanical rather than artistic. A century has passed since the death of Cli'ien-lung, and there has been hardly any check to this steady progress of degeneration in any of the five reigns of his successors. These reigns may be conveniently grouped together to form the modern period of the ceramic art in China, which will consequently comprise about a century, dating back from to-day. They are barely represented in collections, unless perhaps by an occasional imitation, which has been so perfectly repi'oduced as to deceive the unwary collector. Still, some knowledge of the porce- lain of the time is necessary, if only to enable one to distinguish such modern counterfeits from the real antiquities that they are intended to represent. A glance at the designs and processes of decoration in use

463

464 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

at the present time is necessary, moreover, to help us to understand the descriptions in the older books, when we have not the actual pieces before us. Chinese art, more perhaps than any other, is essentially reproductive and imitative, and most of the modern designs can be traced back to early periods. The artists seem to have no inventive faculty, and yet it is astonishing to notice how rarely they adopt anything from abroad in recent times.

The imperial porcelain of the reign of Chia-chHng (1796-1820) can hardly be distinguished, except by the mark, from that of CKien-lung. It is highly appreciated by the Chinese connoisseurs on account of its finished technique and the perfect regularity of its decorative designs. The figure scenes are carefully painted, and the scrolled borders and lambrequins are finely and neatly penciled. There is a class of vases, characteristic of this reign, which are entirely covered Avith elaborate scrolls of diverse pattern in underglaze blue, enhanced by a richly gilded background, and which are highly decorative ; but this highly ornate style of decoration seems more fitting for enameling on metal than on a fragile material like porcelain. The mark on the imperial porcelain of this reign is usually attached in the form of a seal, impressed in the paste ; the foot, as well as the interior of the vase, is often glazed with the same pale-green enamel that was noticed in the official produc- tions of the preceding reign.

The perfect finish of the monochromes of the time is beautifully shown in the finely crackled turquoise vase that has been illustrated in Fig. 8, which is delicately etched under the soft-toned glaze with dragons and bats enveloped in scrolled clouds, and is marked underneath with the seal, also etched in the paste, of Ta CJCing Cilia cKing nien chili — i. e., "Made in the reign of

MODERN PERIOD (1796-1895). 465

Chia-chHng of the great CKing [dynasty]." Of the other single colors the imperial yellow and the coral-red are among the most successful, although not equal to the finest productions of the CNien-hmg period.

The bowl illustrated in Fig. 294 is an examj^le of the more complicated decoration of the period. It is orna- mented with floral emblems of longevity in a threefold series, consisting of blossoming prunus-trees, sprays of bamboo, and fir-trees with Polyporus fungus (ling-cliili), which are painted in enamel colors inside and outside the bowl in identical designs, and have the foliage and flowers pierced in parts and filled in with glaze so as to be transparent. The decoration is completed by a medallion containing melons j)ainted in the bottom of the bowl. The seal, penciled in blue under the foot, is Ta CWing Chia chHng nieii c/iih — "Made in the reign of Cliict-cli'ingj of the great CKing [dynasty]."

This emperor, like his accomplished father, Chien-lungy was fond of poetry. I have in my possession some pieces of a tea service made for him, which are decorated in soft enamel colors with bands of floral scrolls, relieved by a bright enameled gi'ound, and defined by lines of gilding. These are inscribed with an ode of his own composition, celebrating the virtues of tea, the rhyming verse being signed Chia-cJiing in two small panels of round and square outline, attached at the end of each inscription and penciled in vermilion. The full seal mark of the I'eign is also penciled underneath in red, within an oblong white panel reserved in the bright yellow enamel which covers the rest of the ground. The accompanying super- scription is taken from the interior of one of the little fluted dishes of this set ; and it is followed by an attempt at a literal version of the simple verse, which consists of four stanzas of ten characters, each stanza ending with the same rhyme :

466 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

" Finest tribute tea of the first picking And a briglit full moon prompt a line of verse. A lively fire glows in the bamboo stove, The water is boiling in the stone griddle, Small bubbles rise like eyes of fish or crab. Of rare Ch'i-cli'iang tea, rolled in tiny balls, One cup is enough to lighten the heart. And dissipate the earl}-^ winter chill."

" Written by the emperor in the middle decade of the ' little spring ' month (i. e., the first month of winter, the tenth month), of the cyclical year ting-ssu (1797) of the reign of Chia-ch'ing. (Signed) Chia-ch'ing."

The Emperor Tao-huang, wlio succeeded his father, Ohia-chHng, reigned for thirty years, from 1821 to 1850. Some illustrations of the porcelain of his time have been already given. The finest ^vork was lavished at this time on articles intended for ordinary use, such as soup-basins, rice-bowls, teacups Avith covers, and miniature wine-cups, and the seal mark of Tao-hiiang is usually well repre- sented in collections of such things. One of the most attractive of the styles is a plain decoration reserved in white on a soft coral-red ground, which defines the out- line of sprays of bamboo, or other simple floral designs in a charming way. An idea of this may be gained from the flanged bowl in Fig. 63 ; the floral decoration in this, outlined in red, has the blossoms of the China rose slightly touched with pale green. The incinerated iron oxide in these cases is very finely pulverized and intimately mixed with the euameler's plumbo-alkaline flux, and it acquires a brilliancy of tone which is not attainable by the ordinary method of painting it on com- bined by means of glue witli a white-lead flux. This enameled red ground, which dates from the Yung-chmg period, is the "jujube-red" of Chinese ceramic art. The " medallion bowls " of this period are perhaps the most general favorites, and in London, at Christie's auction-

MODERN PERIOD (1796-1895.) 467

rooms, where they ai'e wont to figure under the name of " Peking basins," they are seldom sold for less than ten guineas a pair. The name is as misleading as that of "Nanking blue and white," as porcelain was never made at either Peking or Nanking. The bowls are found at Peking to-day, because they were sent there from Chlng-te-chen at the time they were made for the service of the emperor. They are ordinary rice-bowls in shape, as may be seen from a glance at the typical specimen illustrated in Fig. 73. This has an etched crimson ground brocaded with conventional flowers, and the medallions which are reserved in the roiige-cVor ground contain sprays of flowers and fruit, Avhile the interior is painted in underglaze cobalt-blue with a basket of flowers encircled by floral sprays. In a second set of similar bowls the medallions are filled ^vith land- scapes of lake and mountain scenery, representing the four seasons. In a third series, decorated with the same crimson ground, the medallions display the varied para- phernalia of the liberal arts known as the /><? hi(, ov "■ hundred antiques."

In addition to the crimson (^rouge-d\*i') ground, the "■ medallion bowls " display etched grounds of four other colors, viz., pink (I'ose (Vor), which is derived also from gold ; lavender, a manganese color of a charming tint approaching the shade commonly known as French gray; lemon-yellow, and blue; this last is the least successful of the colors, although the rarest, being some- what of greenish tone. The resei'ved medallions usually contain sprays of prunus, magnolia, chrysanthemum, and lotus, mingled with the sacred longevity fungus and bunches of scarlet nandina berries. The yellow bowls include, in addition, another series Avith four medallions filled with miniature landscapes of hill scenery dotted with temples and pagodas, and a third set with three

468 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

medallions containing outdoor scenes with rams, emblems of the universal revivifying power of spring, according to the punning motive, San yang h^ai ta% in which Yang means " spring " as well as " ram." The blue medallion bowls have the etched ground overlaid with colored clouds, and the four medallions painted with mytho- logical subjects corresponding to the pictui-e in the interior, which is painted in shaded blue. This is a circular medallion containing a picture of a male and female stellar divinity in the midst of clouds, with their constellations above their heads and a flock of birds flying around their feet. The picture suggests a joyous meet- ing of lovers, Imi meaning " joy " as well as " magpie," the "joyous bird" of the Chinese. The stellar divinities in the picture are the cowherd "Ch'ien Niu," riding upon a buffalo, identified with a constellation comprising por- tions of Capricornus and Sagittarius, and " Chih Nii," the Spinning Damsel, a Lyrse. An ancient legend related by Huai Nan Tzii, who died b. c. 122, promul- gates the romantic idea that the two are separated all the year round except on the seventh night of the seventh moon, when Magpies fill up the Milky Way to enable the Spinning Damsel to cross over. A legion of poetical allusions have sprung from this passage picturing the separated lovers gazing at each other from afar or celebrating their joyful reunion.* Of the four medal- lions on the exterior of the- bowls, two opposite ones contain separate pictures of the same cowherd and spinster; the other two are filled with outdoor scenes, in one of which the Spinning Damsel is seen walking under a tree with maiden attendants, in the other in amorous dalliance witli her lover in a garden pavilion.

Some of the most beautiful bowls and plates of this time, as well as richly decorated vases, have the mark

* Mayer's Chinese Reader's Manual, pp. 97, 98.

MODERN PERIOD (1796-1895.) 469

of Shen-te-fang — " Hall for the Cultivation of Virtue " — inscribed underneath. It has already been explained that this was the designation given by the emperor to one of the halls of his palace. That the mark really belongs to this reign has been doubted, but it is 2>i'0ved by a small bowl with everted brim in the Hippisley Collection (No. 367 in the catalogue), which is " decorated with a spray of white plum and longevity fungus, beauti- fully painted, accompanied by a poem from the pen of the Emperor Tao-kuang, and bearing his seal attached. The seal is in the form of a little oval panel with the two characters, placed vertically, reserved in white upon a vermilion ground. Nothing is sacred to the fraudulent imitator in China, and this hall-mark is often forged, so that it is found, as Sir A. W. Franks remarks {loc. cit., page 213), ^' on specimens of different kinds and very vai'ied quality."

Some of the white unglazed porcelain made at this time, reminding one of the Parian ware of European pottei'ies, is finely modeled and of finished technique. It is seen especially in articles intended for the writer's table, such as cylindrical brush-pots, seals, boxes for seal vermilion, and the like.

The Emperor Hsien-feng succeeded to the imperial throne in 1851. During his reign the south of China was ravaged by the " Long-haired Kebels " (the lai- pings), who started from the provinces of Kuangtung and Kuangsi, reached the province of Kiangsi in his third year, and were not finally expelled till the spring of the third year of the reign of his successor, Timg-cliili (1864). Ching-te-chen was besieged and taken by the rebels, the imperial potteries were burned to the ground, and the workmen either massacred or driven away. Imperial porcelain of this period is consequently rare, as it could only have been produced and forwarded to

470 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Peking duriug the early part of the reign. It resembles in character the production of 2ao-huang, and is inscribed generally with the six-character mark of the reign^ penciled underneath in red in the ordinary script. Among the pieces I have seen that are woi'thy of special notice are vases of good form decorated with nine five- clawed dragons, painted in soft enamel colors, on a white background which is etched in the paste with scrolled waves ; and a dinner service of bowls, cups, and saucer- shaped dishes, painted in coloi'S with processional figures of the eighteen Lohau, or Arhats of early Buddhist history.

In the third year of the reign of the young Emperor T\ing-cid]i (1864), after the expulsion of the rebels from the province of Kiangsi by Li Hung-chang, who was appointed acting viceroy in that year, while Tseng Kuo- fan, the celebi'ated viceroy, took command of the imperial army in the field, the imperial manufactory at Chiug-te- chen was rebuilt. A shoi't account of the seventy-two buildings which were erected more or less ou the old foundations by the ncAV director, Ts'ai Chin-ch'ing, who Mvas appointed at this time, has already been given in Chapter IX. Some idea will be gained of the porcelain manufactured by a discussion of the ofiScial list of the articles which were requisitioned in this year for the use of the emperor. This is extracted from the Annals of the Province of Kiangsi {Chiang hsi Thing chili, book xciii, folio 13-16), where it comes immediately after the oflUcial list of the reign of Yung-cheng, the analysis of which has been given already in Chapter XIII. The new list is dated the third year (1864) of the reign of T^ung- chill. It is comprised under two headings, of which the first is devoted to the vases and larger pieces {cho chH)y the second to the round ware (jjuan clii).

MODERN PERIOD (1796-1895). 471

" A. Vases to be sent to Peking for the Emperor. i:^MW^)-

" 1. Quadrangular vases witli api'icot-sbaped medallions and two tubular handles enameled w itli the Chiin glaze.

The modern Chun Yu is so called because the colors of the glaze are intended to resemble that of the ancient Chiin-chou porcelain of the Stmg dynasty. It is the sovjffie glaze with a greenish-blue flecking and dappling on a reddish ground, the red being subordinate to the blue, which has been ap})r()priately named " Robin's Egg" by American collectors. The form described here is that of the brilliant jiamhe quadrangular vase illustrated in Plate XLVI, whicli has an apricot-shaped medallion worked in slight relief in the paste under the glaze, in front and behind, and two wide tubular handles at the sides.

'' 2. Quadrangular vases with apricot-shaped medallions and two tubular handles invested \vith Ko Yao glaze.

The shape is exactly the same as that Just described, and it occurs not infrequently from the reign of GlCiein- Inng downward, in the stone-colored crackle traversed by a network of reddish lines, Avhich is known as Ko Yu. Ko means " elder brother," and the name dates from early in the Sung dynasty, Avhen t^vo brothers named Chang are related to have made celadon ware at Lung- chHian. The productions of the elder brother, which were distinguished by liaving a crackled glaze, were called Ko Yao, and the name, as applied to crackled porcelain generally, has survived to the present day. It is given especially to the ordinary stone-gray crackle which is seen in every Chinese collection. The cracklins^

&

472 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

is produced by combining with the materials of the glaze a natural stone called Lan-t'ien shih from its place of j^roduction, which appears to be a kind of compound magnesia silicate allied to steatite, and which takes the place of the lime that gives solubility to the ordinary glaze.

" 3. Quadrangular vases with the /)« hua symbols enameled with the Ko Yao glaze. (^ f jl E9 ^ A^

These are tall oblong vases of square section with the eight trigrams of ancient Chinese mystic lore worked in relief underneath the crackled stone-gray glaze. The eight symbols usually stand out in relief on each of the sides, but sometimes, as in the vase of this kind illusti'ated in Plate XXIII, there are two displayed on each side, separated by the dual yin-yang symbol in the middle. Vases of this form and design stand upon Taoist altars holding the slips of bamboo used in divination ; the vase is shaken, and the stated number of slips are selected at each operation to determine the prognostic, which is worked out by the presiding seer with the aid of his divination books, while the ^\ orshiper is burning incense before the sacred shrine.

" 4. Vases in the foi'm of ancient wine-vessels of Jade enameled copper-red. (^ fl[ 3l ^ ^ S)-"

Yu hu cli'un is the common name of a vase with bulg- ing pyriform body poised upon a circularly rimmed foot, contracting gradually upward with a narrow neck and expanding sharply at the orifice to make a w^der hori- zontal lip. The name comes from the modeling of the form on the lines of the graceful wine-vessels that used to be carved out of jade, although these last were generally ewers furnished with a curved spout, an open flowing handle, and a knobbed cover, while the porcelain type is an ornamental flower-vase. The term chi-hvng used here

MODERN PERIOD (1796-1895). 473

answers to the bright ruby-reel derived from copper, which is the most successful of the modern single colors, and occasionally will almost rival the celebrated savg-ch-hmif of the JCang-hsi period in the brilliancy of its flashing tones. The character chi employed above is an unau- thorized form, that one would hardly expect to find in an official list ; it means the color of the sky after rain, and can consequently be combined properly only with citing, "blue," to form cld-clCing, as in No. 42, beloAV, and another character with tlie same sound, meaning "sac- rificial," ought to be substituted, chi-lmng, or " sacrificial red," being the traditional name of the ruby-red cups which were made in the reio:n of Hsimn-te for the ritual worship of the emperor on the Altar of the Sun.

" 5. Vases in the form of ancient wine-vessels of jade with threads worked in relief decorated in blue. ( p^

I have not seen an example of this kind, but am told that the vases have encircling rings worked in the paste in the form of ropes, so as to divide them into sections for decoration in blue and white.

"6. Vases of the Yil hit cWun, or carved jade type, decorated in blue with c^arden scenes inclosed by railings.

(W ^ ffi IF 5 ^ § «)."

These vases, the form of which has been already described, have an open-rail fence drawn round the lower part of the bulging body, inside which rise clumps of graceful bamboos, shrubs of naudina with bunches of berries and flowering trees of all kinds, with an occa- sional rockery in the intervals. The design dates from the reign of Cli'ien-lung.

" 7. Vases in the form of paper-beaters, with the fai- clii symbol, invested with imperial o;laze decorated in

colors. mM'nm±mm ii »)."

The cliih-rli'ui pUng, or " paper-beater vase," has a

474 OKIENTAL ( ERAMIC ART.

cyliiulrical body rounding in above to a straight upright neck, of about the same length as that of the body of the vase. If the body is more l)ulging and the upright neck proportionally narrower, as in the powder-blue vase which is illustrated in Plate XCIIl, we have the Yv-cli'ui P"* incjy or "oil-beater vase," the sluqie being that of the mallet commonly used in China for crushing seed to extract the oil. The Cai-clii symbol refci red to is the creative monad disk dividing into the dual yin ycmg, "darkness and light," which is displayed in Plate XXIII.

*' 8. Quadrangular vases, with the elephant symbol of great peace enameled skv-'>lue. (^ W 0 ^ >vC i

The rebus T\il p'lng yu linking (fifth to eighth charac- ters above), " an auguiy of great peace," was referred to in Chapter V, in the descri[)tiou of an ancient pallet of Sung porcelain etched with the figure of an elephant. The vases referred to above have two handles molded in the form of elephants' heads, implying the same happy augury. The modern single color called fien-cJi'mg, or " sky-blue," is dei'ived from cobalt mixed with the feld- s})athic glaze of the high fire ; it is of somewhat darker tone than the dair de June of older times, which was pro- duced by the combination of the same ingredients with a purer and more translucent glaze.

" B. Round Ware to be sent to Peking for the Emperor. ["^^ ^ |M^ ^^

" 9. Medium-sized l)owls decorated in brown with dragons. [% f| ^ ^)."

These are the bo^vls with five-clawed imperial dragons of maroon tint ; the decoration was painted on with the copper-red color sur le era, and the piece was subse-

MODERN PERIOD (1796-1895). 475

quently glazed and fired in tlie large furnace, so that the technique is the same as that of the blue and white.

" 10. Medium-sized bowls enameled in copper-red.

Ohi-hung is the ruby-red monochrome derived from copper silicate referred to under No. 4 of this list.

"11. Large bowls painted in blue with the Indian

lotus, mmm^w-'

The Western or Indian lotus (Hsi Fan lien) is the most common motive of the conventional floral scrolls with which Chinese porcelain is so often decorated.

" 12. P'ive-inch dishes painted in blue with the Western

lotus. (WS^Si'M)"

The dishes and plates of a Chinese service are all round, and what we should call saucer-shaped. In this list those of half a foot in diameter and upward are called p'an, " round dishes "; those of less size are called tieh, w^iich we may conveniently render as "platters,"

"13. Medium-sized bowls painted in blue with the eiirht mystic trigrams and storks in the midst of clouds.

(W « m A ib cf ffl"

The bowls are decorated outside with eight flying storks enveloped in scrolled clouds. The stork is the aerial courser of the Taoist immortals, and it is often represented carrying in its beak bamboo slips of fate inscribed with the^^^r hita symbols.

" 14. AVine-cups decorated in enamel colors with nar- cissus-flowers. (5 ^ 7K lUl ^ 51 ^)."

The wine is served hot at the Chinese banquet, poured into tin}' bowl-shaped cups of porcelain. The Aareissus tazetta, which has white flowers with yellow cups in the center, is a favorite floral decoration on porcelain ; it is the slnii hsien liua, " the water-fairy flower," of the Chinese.

470 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

" 15. AVine-cups with exj^anding rim painted in red with dragons. (^ ll f | ic P g 3l)."

This is the design most frequently seen on these little cups. The dragons, of the imperial iiv^e-clawed type, are painted in coral-red over the white glaze ; the j)orce- lain, having been previously glazed and fired in the large furnace, is decorated with the iron-red color, and fired a second time in the muffle stove. The bowl illustrated in Plate LXVII may be referred to as a beautiful example of this kind of decoration.

" 16. Round dishes a foot in diameter decorated in blue with a pair of dragons. (W tt f I ffi K M)-"

"17. Soup-bowls Avith di'agous incised in the paste under a dark imperial yellow glaze. (^ ^ "^ 0g g^

The soup-bowl {pang ivari) is sjnaller and shallower than tbe ordinary rice-bowl {fern wan). The first charac- ter used here means literally " pretty " or " bright "; it is substituted for another of the same sound meaning " watered," which is technically given to several single- colored glazes applied with a brush. An lung means " concealed dragons," but an has a special technical mean- ing in ceramic art, and an laia is the expression always used for decorations etched with a style in the paste, which are brought out more strongly by holding the piece up to the light.

" 18. Medium-sized bowls of barrel-shaped form with dragons incised in the paste under a bright yellow glaze.

19. "Teacups enameled bright yellow. (^ J^ ^

SSL}'

The teacup (cli' a-chung) referred to here is taller and more upright in form than the clt'a-wan, and differs in never being furnished with a cover, but the names are often used indiscriminately ; neither has a handle at the

I

MODERN PERIOD (1796-1895). 477

side like our teacups. When a teapot is not used, the tea-leaves are infused in cups with cov^ers, which ai'e called hai-ivan, Jcai meaning " cover." AVhen the tea is drunk, the cover is manipulated so as to leave only a narrow chink at the rim of the cup, to keep the tea- leaves inside.

" 20. Medium-sized bowls with dragons incised in the paste under a bright yellow glaze. (^ S © f I 't'

" 21. Medium-sized bowls of ringlike outline painted in ])lue with designs of the three fruits. (^ ^ ^^ -^ j)P

^ ^ ^)"

The three fruits which are usually represented are

the peach, j)omegranate, and Buddha's-hand citron, em- blems of the three abundances (san to) of years, sons, and promotions.

" 22. Soup-bowls with expanding rims w^ith dragons incised in the paste under a bright yellow glaze. (^ "i^

"23. Kound dishes six inches in diaiueter ]\'iinted in blue with a pair of dragons. (^ !^ hI ^ ~\1* ^)-"

" 24. Round dishes a foot across painted in blue with a decoration of spiral scrolls inclosing longevity characters

'' 25. Teacups {GlCa Waii) painted in blue with sprays of the Oleafragrans flower. (W ;^ >B ^ ^ ^)-''

The Mu-lisl is a dwarf variety of Oleafragrans with 7'eddish flowers, which are even more sweet-scented than those of the ordinary white variety; it is but rarely employed for the decoration of porcelain.

" 26. Medium-sized bowls decorated in enamel colors with sprays of precious lotus, (jj ^ ft ^ 't' ffi)-"

The precious lotus (^pao lieii) is one of the varieties of the Neliuiihiiiin speciosum held sacred by the Buddhists, who liken the precious jewel of their faith to the limpid

478

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

drops of pure water that collect upou its l)i'oad peltate leaves.

" 27. Teacups decorated with white bamboo upon a ground painted red. (^ It Sfe 6 W ^ ^)"

This charming design, with tlie graceful leafy sprays of the bamboo reserved in white and relieved by a soft coral-red background, was adopted in the imperial manu- factory in the CNien-lvmg period, the seal of which is found penciled iu blue underneath bowls of almost egg- shell thinness and purest color. The red is produced from iron peroxide prepared by the incineration of the green sulphate. The more modern bowls are thicker, and the red tends to become of a brick-dust hue.

" 28. Six-inch saucer-dishes painted in blue with the 'three friends' and figure scenes. (^ -^. ^ \ ^

The " three friends" (san yu) in ordinary Chinese par- lance are the evergreen pine, the bamboo, and the winter- flowering plum, whicli keep green in cold times of advei'- sity. In the decoration of porcelain they are usually grouped in a landscape scene with the figures of hermits or aged pilgrims. But there is another group of " three friends" in the persons of Confucius, Buddha, and Lao Tzu, who are often depicted examining scrolls of ancient lore, or engaged in distilling the elixir vitm.

" 29. Tea-dishes {ClCa P''an) painted in blue with a pair of dragons, (W ffl SI ^ ®-"

There are no porcelain saucers in Chinese tea-sets, their place being taken ])y boat-shaped saucers of metal, lac- quer, or some other material. The tea-dishes referred to here are little trays with upi'ight borders of oblong, foui- lobed, or fluted outline, like the one that was described under the reign of Chia-cli'ing^ with the imperial verse inscribed upon it.

" 30. Six-inch saucer-shaped dishes decorated with

MODERN PERIOD (1796-1895). 479

green di-agons on a ground with scrolled waves incised in the jiaste and painted in colors. (^ H§ 7}v U f |

" 81. liound dishes a foot in diameter, painted in blue with archaic phoenixes. (W S IE Vffi K M)-"

The l^uei feng is tlie peculiar conventional phoenix of ancient bronzes in which the body desjenerates into orna- mental sci'oUs.

" 32. Round dishes nine-tenths of a foot across, with a blue ground inclosing dragons and clouds painted in yel-

low. (M * ^ s a ii ;t t ^'•"

This is a very ancient style of decoration, \vhich w^e noticed in the description of the imperial porcelain of the reign of CMa-ching (1522-66). The piece is first treated like an ordinary blue and white specimen, which is to liave the decoi'ation reserved in white upon a mottled blue ground, the white parts being subsequently enam- eled yellow, and the dish being retired to fix the color.

" 33. Medium-sized bowls decorated with phoenix medallions painted in i-uby-red underneath a pure wliite

grouiui. (ig e f IB s ji in H E tf .ffi)"

The red of the grand feu, ^\ Inch is derived from cop- per, has had the name of pao sliao Imng, literally " ruby- iired red," since the time of Hsilan-te (1426-35), when it was first nsed in the decoration of porcelain, and there is a widespread conviction in China that the color is actually produced by rubies pulverized and combined with the materials of the glaze. In the present day amethystine quartz (tzu ying shih) is used in the preparation of the color, but this can act only in modifying its solubility and penetrative power, because, like the ruby, amethyst be- comes colorless in the intense heat of the furnace. The expression fienpai yu, which is used here to distinguish the class from that painted in red under a celadon ground, like No. 39 in this list, has also given i-ise to much misap-

480 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

prehension both in China and elsewhere. The character fien., " filled in," is substituted for an older one of the same sound meaning " pure " or " sweet," and the expres- sion can hardly mean " a\ hite glaze to be filled in with colors," although Du Sartel, in La Porcelaine de Cliine, gives it so on Julien's authority, and makes it the heading of a whole class, which, as a critic justly observes, threatens to remain without a member to I'epresent it.

*' 84. Teacups painted with yellow dragons and clouds lelieved by a blue ground. (^ tt ^ S S f I

'' 35. Six-inch saucer-shaped dishes of copper-red. (^

"36. Medium-sized bowls of copper-red. (^ ^I ff*

" 37. Seven-inch saucer-shaped dishes of copper-red.

(* ir -b ^ ®."

" 38. Soup-bowls of depressed barrel-shaped form enam- eled brown. (^ ^ f fll 1: ^ ?i ffi;)."

This glaze, called tzii clmi, or "burnished gold" {or brunl), by the Chinese, is derived by them from a native ferrug-inous mineral called tzu chin sliih, which is com- bined with the glaze in the way so fully described in Pere d'Entrecolles's Letters.

" 39. Medium-sized bowls painted with phoenix medal- lions in red under a celadon glaze. (^ ^ fpl ^ H

a + ffl"

Tiung-chbing is the Chinese name of the soft sea-green shade which we call celadon. In modern books it is often written, as it is here, with "winter" as the first character, as if it were " evergreen " ; originally it appears to have been written with a character of the same sound (tung) meaning " east," the tint being that of the porce- lain produced during the Sung dynasty at the eastern

MODEKN PERIOD (1796-1895). 481

capital, the modern K'ai-feng-fu, in the province of Honan. The combination of the decoration in under- glaze copper-red of the grand feu Avith the celadon glaze has been already noticed in the description of the porce- lain of the reign of Yung-cheng.

"40. Seven-inch round dishes decorated in the five enamel colors with spiral scrolls and words of hajijiy augury. (£ ^ K » ^P S -fa "t M)"

The spiral-scroll design is likened by the Chinese to " silkworm coils " ; forms of it occur on the most archaic bronzes. A fitting felicitous inscription, which is often displayed on modern imperial porcelain, is Wari shou tvu cldang, " A myriad ages never ending ! " Several other formulae were found in the lists of the Ming dynasty given in Chapter VII.

" 41. Teacups (ChVc chung) decorated in the five enamel colors with mandarin ducks and lotus flowers. (3S. ^

The beautiful -waterfowl called Anas galericulata is commonly known as the '^ mandarin duck." They exhibit, when paired, a remarkable attachment to each other, and have thus become emblems of connubial love and fidelity in a higher sj^here. This decoration is often met with, and it has already been described in the ceramic art of the Ming dynasty.

"42. Teacups (^Oli'a Wan) enameled deep blue. (^

The character chi is defined in dictionaries as the color of the clear sky after rain, and clii chHng in ceramic par- lance is the deep blue monochrome tint derived from cobalt, which in its deepest shade, approaching that of indigo, becomes the ta cliHng of the Chinese, the gros hleii of Sevres. It may be either blown on to form the "powder-blue" glaze, or painted on with the brush in the ordinary way.

482 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

"43. Teacups (67i'« TF^i'/O decorated in colors with the eight precious emblems. (^ J\^ ^ ^ ^)."

The I^a Pao referred to here are the eight precious emblems of the Taoist cult, the several attributes of the eight genii, or immortals, which are displayed on the large pilgrim bottle in Fig. 50.

" 44. Large bowls decorated with the PaHsien painted in blue, and sea-waves penciled in red. (^ ^ ^ TK

W ^ A I'll] X mr

The eight Taoist immortals crossing the sea in proces- sion is a favorite subject of decoration for the sides of a bowl, each one holding in his Ijands his distinguishing attribute. A large bowl of the o\(\.famille verte is illus- trated by the inimitable pencil of Jules Jacquemart in Plate IX of Histoire de la Porcelaine, although the author, in his description of the bowl, ingeniously discov- ered an emperor and empress accompanied by a band of musicians in the procession of figures.

" 45. Mediuai-sized bowls decorated inside in blue and white, and outside in colors with lotus-flowers. (^ ■^

^ ^ ^ W « tf ffi)"

" 46. Bowls decorated with the eight symbols of happy augury. (A ^ P ^)."

The Pa Glii-hsiang, the well-known set of eight Bud- dhist symbols that are so often found on porcelain, were figured and described in Chapter IV.

"47. Bowls of peach-yellow porcelain decorated in

green. (H ;fE t* ^ g ^)."

These are said to be invested with a monochrome ground of the shade referred to, variegated with green mottled clouds, which are overlaid in the style of some of the composite ^6i'/?2/>e glazes.

" 48. Round dishes five inches in diameter with purple and green dragons on a monochrome yellow ground.

i f I M 'K £ t

MODERN PERIOD (1796-1895). 483

This is a very favorite pattern in the imperial palace to-day. It comes under the heading of the '^tliree-col- ored decoration of the muffle stove." The outlines of the designs are incised in the paste and filled in with manganese-purple and copper-green glazes, so as to be displayed on the enameled yellow })acl<ground. The bottom is also coated yellow^, and the mark underneath is penciled in green.

" 49. Three-inch platters (2/e// ) with purple and green drao;ons on a monochrome yellow ground. (^ |J h1

" 50. Soup-bowls of the fourth size enameled bright

yellow. mWumM^&)\

" 51. Round dishes five inches in diameter, decorated with phoenixes and clouds. (5 S £ "^ ^)-"

" 52. Medium-sized bowls decorated in the live colors, with dragons and ]^h<:enixes in the midst of flowers.

(£ ^ ii a * ^ 4" ffi)"

" 53. Four-inch platters with purple and green dragons on a monochrome vellovv ground. (^ ^ gg 5ra K k9

" 54. Round dishes nine-tenths of a foot in diameter, decorated in colors with the eight Buddhist symbols of happy augury in the midst of a floral ground, i:^ yv

"55. Large bowls decorated in colors, with ])li(enixes of archaic design flying through flowers. (^ ^ HL $

There is a certain amount of repetition in this some- what lengthy catalogue, but it is hoped that it may be a useful contribution to the terminology of the ceramic art, and it is with this view that the Chinese characters in the original have been inserted under each heading. Actual specimens of the articles described are not j'are in collec- tions, and it is always safest to go back from the known

484 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

to the unknown, and it is more especially so in China, where nothing modern is acceptable unless it be modeled after the antique. Chinese decorative art in its present phase is highly conventionalized. It has never been dis- tinguished for originality, and some of its most promi- nent motives, like the dragons and phoenixes that occur so frequently in the lists, have been adopted from India through Buddhist cliannels, and may be traced back to the nagas and garudas of Indian mythology.

Another aspect of modern porcelain manufacture is the direct and studied reproduction of older pieces. The correct date is certainly inscribed upon the porcelain of the imperial factory, but it is rarely, if ever, found upon the productions of the private kilns. The most ambi- tious efforts of the private potters are carefully copied from ancient pieces, and the original marks, as well as every detail of the ornamental designs, are exactly repro- duced. For the rest, the general rule is that the com- moner the ware the more ancient the mark ; and a visit to any ordinary crockery shop in China will show that nearly every blue and white cup on the shelves is marked Hsi'mn-te, and that most of the colored ware is inscribed CKeng-hua, although everything in the shop is avowedly modern, and the pieces have not the slightest preten- sions even in style to such an early date as the Ming dynasty.

Some of the colorable imitations of celadons and other single colors come from Japan, but Japanese porcelain rings with a different note when tested, being made of other materials than that of China. The Chinese are in these latter days also coming to the front in the fabrica- tion of fraudulent counterfeits, and have lately exported blue and white vases decorated with figure scenes, as well as others with a raottled-blue ground overspread with prays and blossoms of prunus reserved in white, and the

MODERN PERIOD (1796-1895). 485

new pieces are occasionally brilliantly executed in this K^ang-hsi style in a way to deceive the unwary. The modern copies of the vases of the same period, decorated in enamel colors, are much less successful, and may be readily distinguished by the want of luster in the colors, especially in the greens.

For the single colors the greatest pains are lavished by the imitator upon the rarest and most expensive, as giving the most remunerative result. The vase shown, in Fig. 297 is an example of a new specimen of satig-de-hoeuf glaze of remarkably rich and brilliant color. It rivals a genuine old Lang Yao vase in its varied i^lay of crimson shades, albeit the crackled o-laze wants somethino; in depth of tint. The technique, however, is less perfect ; the thick, grayish, minutely crackled glaze with which the interior is coated is deeply fissured in places, and the foot of the vase has had to be ground on the wheel to remove drops of glaze that have "run " down during the firing. It is impossible to remove all traces of such drops, which usually occur in modern pieces of the kind — never on the old, when the glaze, which is uniformly dis- tributed throughout, always terminates below in a straight line of mathematical regularity, and the foot of the vase exhibits no marks of the polishing wheel. The glaze in the new pieces is much more fluescent, so that the color tends to run down, and the upper rim of the vase is often left perfectly white. I may perhaps be excused a personal reminiscence to express my meaning : On a visit to a curio-shop in Peking one day this year, I was shown a small sang-de-hoeiif vase, the lower part of which displayed the richest color, but the upper two inches of the neck were a glassy white, and I remarked that, were it not for the neck, it might well pass for an old piece. A month later I was invited to see a collec- tion that a traveler was making, and in the most promi-

486 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

nent position was exhibited the same little vase, neatly mounted in a case, lined with pale blue silk, to throw out its color. Two inches of the neck had been sawn off, and the place had been so carefully rounded and polished that no suspicion of the fact had occurred to the pur- chaser, who fondly imagined that he possessed a genuine antique of the first water. I must confess that I did not expose the ingenious fraud of the " heathen Chinee " at the time, but am driven to do penance now 2i^ particeps crirainis.

For cutting porcelain the jade-carver's wheel is the means commonly employed. The apparatus, which is worked by a treadle, is fitted with flat disks of soft iron of different sizes. The disk selected, w^hen it has been fitted for use, is kept moistened at the edge with a paste made of garnet or ruby powder mixed wdth water. It is astonishing to see how" readily a large porcelain vase can be cut horizontally in two, or the rim of a chipped piece trimmed perfectly even, by a simple machine like this. Many a neat ovoid vase has been carved in this way out of the lowei' part of a broken Ijeaker ; and, by the same means, originally oblong tiles, intended to be inlaid in woodw^ork, are often found to have been bisected longi- tudinally, so that the two faces may be framed and mounted separately as companion pictures.

The imperial porcelain of the present reign of Kucvng- hsii continues to be decorated in the same lines, and it does not call for any special notice. There has been some attempt at a revival of the ceramic art under the patronage of the empress dowager, who has ruled China durinii: two Ions; minorities. In addition to her other accomplishments, she is a pi'ofessed artist and calligraphist, and a picture from her pencil with her autograph signature is often seen occupying the place of honor among the birthday gifts of a high mandarin.

MODERN PERIOD (1796-1895). 487

The special seals attached to the porcelain made for her palace have been already given in Chapter IV.

Quite recently Ching-te-cheu has been devastated by Hoods brought down by the mountain torrents, and a sad account of ruin and desolation is related by Rev. Virgil C. Hart, D. J)., one of the latest missionary visitors to the place. It is to be hoped that better times are in store for China, and for the porcelain industry, which was once one of her chief glories. As M. Gran- didier says, in concluding his work (X<x Ceramique Chinolse, page 224) : " The modern period, up to the present day at least, is little worthy of our attention ; the art is dormant, and holds itself aloof, disowned, abandoned, dishonored. Cheapness attracts the buyer. The fatal consequence is a common product ; quality is incessantly sacrificed to quantity. The hour of decadence struck a hundred years back, and there is no sign by which to foresee any serious renaissance near at hand."

CHAPTER XVII.

THE FORMS OF PORCELAIN OBJECTS AND THEIR USES IN CHINA.

THIS is a wide subject, on which there is oppor- tunity here for only a few desultory remarks. An extensive collection of Chinese porcelain exhibits a long series of objects of multitudinous shapes and sizes, removed from their original habitat, and far from their usual surroundings, so that the proper use of some of the things can hardly be guessed by the uninitiated. Images of Buddhist and Taoist divinities, torn from their temple shrines, are grouped with profane figures, and sacred ritual vessels, intended for ancestral offerings of food and w^ine, are mingled promiscuously with common utensils of daily life. A seated representa- tion, for instance, of Maitreya, the Buddhist Messiali, with rosary in hand, whose smiling features and luxuri- ant fio-ure have earned for him in France the traditional title of the Pousa or god of content and sensuality, is placed close to the reclining figure of Li T'ai-po, the celebrated poet, who has fallen, overcome with wine, and is embracing his capacious wine-jar, designed to hold water for the ink-pallet of a modern emulator of his genius. An ecclesiastical vase from a Buddhist altar, like the one of a pair, illustrated in Plate XX, should be distinguished from an ornamental flower-vase or a perf ame-sprinkler ; and a sacred libation-cup, or a cup designed for use during the marriage ceremony, from an ordinary wine-cup. Sweet-smelling flowers are highly appreciated by the Chinese, and we see per-

488

THE FORMS OF PORCELAIN OBJECTS. 489

f orated baskets of porcelain in which they are sus- pended before Buddhist altars, pierced cylinders and boxes for the table, and openwork flasks, fashioned in the form of scent-satchets, intended to be strung uj)on a lady's girdle, filled with blossoms of the scented jasmine or of the Olea fragrans. So one ought to be able to diagnose the use of an incense-urn or a Joss-stick holder, to recognize a bowl for goldfish, a flowei-pot, or a dish for flowering bulbs, an arrow-receptacle (chien thing), or a brush-cylinder (^9^ t\mg), the apparatus for a game of gohang, or a dice-box. The dice-box is a little round tray with a raised circular rim, within which fits tlie dome-shaped cover in which the dice are shaken ; this is taken off to show the result of the throw. Cricket-fighting is another favorite pastime with the Chinese, and the curved hollow cellules with movable covers, in which the tiny champions are brought to the fray and incited to combat, are sometimes molded out of white biscuit porcelain, although ordinary faience^ being more absorbent of water, is a better material for the purpose. The cricket naturally lives in dam^^ places, and, in solitary captivity, is kept in an earthenware jar with a cover like an old-fashioned tobacco-Jar, the lid of which is excavated to hold water. The cricket-bowls of ancient porcelain that we read of are of wide, shallow form, and are used as the arena of the fio^ht.

The author of the Tao Shuo, in the first chapter of bis book, gives a brief sketch of the various kinds of objects made during the present dynasty, the outlines of which may be followed here with some amplification by the way. He begins with a list of the sacrificial vessels of bronze, dating from the Three Ancient Dynasties, that are now all made in porcelain, including the large vessels of varied form called tsun, the smaller vases called lei, from their scrolled designs, the tripod

490 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

or four-legged bowls called thig^ the bowls without feet (yi) for oiferiugs of corn, the wiue-jars (yu)^ and the libation-cups (cliiieli). The forms of the ancient vessels are not, however, always exactly copied, nor are the uses necessarily the same in modei-n times. The ting and yi, for example, which used to contain rice and millet, are now employed for burning incense, which was unknown in ancient China before the introduction of Buddhism ; and the ancient vessels of bronze, fashioned in the form of an elephant or of a rhinoceros, in which the holloAV body contained the wine, are now represented by the same animals, molded of solid porcelain, carrying on their backs capacious vases with movable covers. The forms of these are figured in the illustrated ritual books, and accompanied by a minute description of the different designs and dimensions.

Some idea of the variety of the sacrificial vessels may be gathered from an account of the tables set out for the ceremonial worship of the emperor at the T'ai Miao, the Ancestral Temple in the Prohibited City at Peking, to which he proceeds in state four times every year, to offi- ciate as chief priest and preside over a banquet prepared for the spirits of his ancestors. A i-ow of six libation- cups (cliileh) tilled with wine is placed in front, followed by four tureens of yellow porcelain containing soup and broth, which include a pair of teng, tazza-shaped, with solid stem and spreading foot, and a pair of Jising with mask handles and three scrolled legs, all of which are provided with covers. In the center are four deep dishes, with spreading feet and shaped covers, made of wood, lacquered and gilded, filled with boiled rice and three kinds of millet, a pair of /'?^ of oblong shape, and a pair of oval huei.^ These are flanked on either side by

* One of these dishes, made of yellow porcelain, is figured by Grandidier {La Ceramigue Chinoise, Plate II, 7).

THE FORMS OF PORCELAIN OBJECTS. 491

twelve stemmed bowls with covers coutainiDg all kinds of cooked dishes, sturgeon and minced carp, deer's sinews, minced hare and minced deer, sweetbread, pickled pork, etc., with cakes of different sorts, and fruit, includ- ing hazelnuts, water caltrops, the prickly waterdily {Euryale ferox), jujubes, and chestnuts ; the twelve bowls {j)ien) on the right being made of closely Avoven slips of bamboo, lacquered yellow, the twelve {tou) on the left of carved wood, gilded. Next come three large oblong metal trays on separate stands with the meat offerings of a bullock, a sheep, and a pig. A box of woven bamboo, in front of all, holds rolls of undyed silk stuffs, which are burned so that the spirits of the deceased may be clothed as well as fed.

The Wu Kung, or set of five sacrificial utensils, which is never absent, is displayed in the foreground on a sep- arate table, consisting of au incense urn in the centei\ with two pricket candlesticks and two side pieces. The last are changed at each season, a pair of rhinoceros vases (Jm tsun) being set out in the spring, a pair of elephant vases (lisiang tsuii) in the summer, a cup-shaped pair of vessels {cliu tsun) in the autumn, and a pair of plaiu ovoid vases with spreading lips (Jiu tsun) in the ^vinter.

The ritual vessels for the Ancestral Temple are enameled yellow, that beiug the imperial color. It is aIso, in accordance with notions upon color symbolism, which the Chinese share with other ancient Oriental nations, the color of earth, so that the porcelain vessels for the Altar of Earth in Pekins; are also enameled yel- low, as Avell as those used by the emperor in his worship of the patron god of agriculture, and by the empress in her worship of the patron goddess of silk, at their respective temples. Blue is the color of heaven, and its temple is roofed with tiles of sapphire tint, and the ritual vessels used upon the Altar of Heaven have to be

492 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

enameled blue, as well as those used in the Temple of the Land and Grain, where the emperor offers annual sacri- fices for a favorable harvest. Red is tlie symbolical color of the sun, and the ritual vessels of porcelain displayed upon its altar are still investe<l with that color, as they used to be in the days of Jlsilan-te, when the famous ruby-red, derived from copper, was first introduced for the altar-cups to hold the wine offered up by that emperor in the worship of the sun. White is the color of Jupiter, the Year Star of the Chinese, and is reserved for the sacred vessels used upon its altar.

Some of the Buddhist altar sets of five pieces (v)w lung) that have just been referred to are noble speci- mens of the ceramic art. A similar set is often seen on Taoist altars, like that made by T'ang Ying for presenta- tion to the Temple of Tungpa, near Peking, of which the inscription was given in Chapter IV.

The same sacrificial set of five pieces is displayed upon the domestic altar of larger Chinese houses, but in smaller houses one sees perhaps only a single censer, like the specimen of ivory-white Fuchien porcelain, illustrated in Fig. 302, which is inscribed underneath wath the sacred swastika symbol. In other cases a tazza-shaped cup is placed before the sacred shrine, to hold a daily offering of fresh flowers, flanked by a pair of lions mounted upon pedestals, from which spring little tubes to hold the molded rods of fragrant sawdust, which are commonly called " joss-sticks " by foreigners, " joss " being the pigeon-English corruption of the Portuguese Dios. The burning of incense is an indispensable accompaniment of every act of worship. One of these lions (shih-tzu) i& exhibited in Fig. 303, and the tube which holds the stick of incense is seen in the picture rising from the pedestal at the back. The lion figures in Buddhism as a protector of the faith. The tazza-cup is called ch'ing shui wmi, or

TIIE FORMS OF PORCELAIN OBJECTS. 493

" pure-water bowl " ; it may be replaced by a plain white bowl of ordinary form, and the beautiful "lace-bowls" of the reign of Ch^kn-lung are specially prized for the purpose.

Two other Buddhist vessels may be noticed here, the alms-bowl (Chinese j»<9, Sanskritj9a«!/'«), and the lustration vase (Chinese tsao-p'ing, Sanskrit hundikd^, which eveiy mendicant monk carried in olden times. The alms-bowl is of flattened globular form rounding into a small circu- lar mouth. The lustration vase, intended for ceremonial ablution, is of more varied form ; one of them is pre- sented in Fig. 304 with a tall, curved S23out springing from the monstrous head of a dragon, which is richly decorated with floral diapers and bands of conventional ornament, painted in colors of the K^mig-Jisi period, relieved by a tzu-chin ground of " old-gold " tint. The older lustration vases are larger and of plainer form; sometimes they are elaborately worked ift the paste, under a crackled glaze of the Sung dynasty, with dragons, frogs, fish, crabs, and all kinds of water plants — antitypes of the famous Palissy ^vare, which is ornamented in simi- lar style.

There is another incense apparatus with no religious significance, which is provided as part of the furniture of eveiy Chinese reception-room or library of any preten- sions. The emperor is always represented as having one on the table before his throne, and it is a necessary part of the equipment of a scholars study. This is the San She, or " Set of Three," which is so often seen mounted on stands in Chinese collections, carved in jade, rock- crystal, turquoise, lapis lazuli, and other precious ma- terials, molded in bronze or silver, enameled in painted or cloisonne work upon metal, as Avell as in faience and porcelain. The three pieces of this set comprise an urn (lu) for burning the chips of sandalwood or

494 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

other scented material with the fumes of which the room is to be impregnated; a box (Jio) with a cover to store the fragrant fuel ready for use ; and a vase (^jy'ing) to hold the miniature tongs, poker, and shovel, made usually of gilded copper, with which the fire is kept up.

The Chinese literati are very particular in selecting their library apparatus and writing-tools, and a long series of scholars have published at different times a small library of books on the subject. For the writing-table there are porcelain pallets {yeii) ; rests for the cake of ink {mo chuang) ; water-pots (sliui chJeng) of varied form, with tiny ladles of gilt metal or coral inside ; water-droppers (fi-tzii) of quaint designs, such as a tor- toise or a three-legged toad distilling drops from its mouth, a lotus-pod, or a miniature wine-ewer ; paper- weights (^chen ehik), a coil of dragous, a scantily clad urchin or gayly dressed girl reclining upon a leaf, or such like; hand-rests (^;/^'6»)of oblong shape, with convex surface, to support the ^vrist when ^vriting. The pencil- brush {pi) of the writer or artist may be mounted in a porcelain handle {pi kuan) ; it has a bath {pi hsi), a dish in which it may be dipped and washed, which is often a specimen of ancient celadon, or of some other celebrated production of the older dynasties; "there is," according to our Chinese authority, " a bed (^;/ chuang) for it to lie down in, a rest {pi ho) for its support, the orthodox form of which is a miniature range of hills, and a cylinder {pi fung) for it to stand up in when not in use." The ancient seals {yin) of the Han dynasty, which used to be carved in Jade or molded in copper, are now all copied in porcelain ; they are of oblong form, surmounted by handles, fashioned in the form of a camel, a tortoise, an archaic dragon or tiger, a curved tile or two interlacing rings. Some of these seals have been dug up in Irish

THE FORMS OF PORCELAIN OBJECTS. 495

bogs, supposed to be of great antiquity, and a volume has been published on the subject.""

There are oblong plaques of poi'celaiu, covei'ed ^vith written inscriptions, or decorated with pictures, in blue or \vhite, or in colors, jjrepared to be mounted as panels in large leaf screens, framed in carved and lacquered, wood ; decorated porcelain panels for inlaying in an oblong wooden pillow, to provide a cool rest for the head in the hot season ; hollow slabs of circular and oblong shape, with pictures painted on both front and back, to be inserted in the woodwork of beds, a round slab being placed at the head of the bed in the middle, succeeded by a series of oblong slabs, extending down the sides, and triangular mounts for the legs. Then there are porcelain mounts for the two ends of the wooden rollers attached to scroll pictures ; porcelain han- dles for walking-sticks ; sets of chessmen \vith boards, and other games, including a pair of bowls, of the traditional form of the Buddhist alms-bowl, for holdintr the black and Avhite men for the game of wei-cK'i, the ^' miniature war practice " of the Chinese.

With regard to vases adapted for the display o'f cut flowers to decorate the reception-room or library, it would require a volume to describe all the varied shapes and designs. Archaic bronze forms alone, in Avhich China is so rich, afford an inexhaustible series of models, as may be seen by a glance at the voluminous illustrated books on the subject such as the Po hu fou, and the Ilsi eliding hu chien catalogue of the imperial collection of the Emperor Cli'ieii-lung, which have already been referred to. The older ceramic productions supply another sug- gestive source of inspiration, and according to the T^ao ShvA), select specimens of the Ting-chou, Ju-chou, crackled Ko Yao, and imperial porcelains (Kuan Yao) of

*Nottces of Chi/me Seals found in Ireland, by Edmund Gettj, Dublin, 1850.

496 OEIENTAL CEEAMIC AET.

the Sung dynasty, as well as porcelain vases of the celebrated reigns of Hsilan-te, OJi'eng-hua, and Ohia- ching, and cloisonne enamels on copper, of the reign of Ching-tai, of the Ming dynasty, are sent down from the palace, and gathered, besides, into the workshops at Ching-te-chen from all parts of the empire for the purpose.

The same book describes porcelain vases generally a& ranging in size from a height of two to three inches up to between five and six feet. In shape the hu are round, like the ancient earthenware vessels of that name; the tan are round and swelling below like the gall-bladder, from which their name is derived ; the tsun are broad and round in section, with low body and expanding mouth, the hu of slender hornlike form, with vertical ridges on the body and trumpet-shaped mouth ; these last two are archaic bronze forms, being varieties of what we, for some unexplained reason, call beakers.

There are two special works before us on flower-vases, both of which were published toward the end of the Ming dynasty in the beginning of the seventeenth cen- tury. The first, entitled PHng sJiili, " History of Vases," is by Yuan Hung-tao, a famous scholar and high official who died in 1624, and whose biography, together with that of his two brothers, " The Three Yuan," as they were called by their contemporaries, is recorded in the Ming shiJt (or Annals). In his description of the forms he says :

"Among the vases in private collections in the province of Kiangnaii, the finest are the ancient beakers {hu) with trumpet- shaped mouths, invested with a bright azure-blue penetrating into the paste marked with patches of vermilion tint rising in slight relief ; these may be termed golden halls for flowers. Next in rank come select specimens of the imperial potteries of the Sung dynasty, of the crackled Ko Yao, of the crackled white porcelain

I

THE FORMS OF PORCELAIN OBJECTS. 497

of Ilsiang-slian, near Ningpo, and of the ivory-white Ting-chou ware ; these, when slender and graceful in form and of rich luster, all make elegant cots for the fairy blossoms. Vases for the deco- ration of the scholar's study ought not to he large and heavy, and any of the porcelain productions of the above factories, such as the vases shaped like paper-beaters, those with goose-necks, those fashioned in the shape of aubergine fruit, the flower bags or baskets {hua nang), the flower-beakers {hua tsun), the receptacles for divining-rods, and the bulrush-shaped — any of these that are short and small are suitable for chaste decoration."

The other book, called F Hng hua p^u, is a treatise on vases and the methods of arranging flowers in them, by- Chang Ch'ien-te, a son of the author of the CKi/ng pi tsang, an antiquarian work that has ali-eady been quoted, and for which he wrote a preface dated 1595. He says:

"In the art of floral decoration the first requisite is the selection of the vases. In spring and winter they should be of bronze, in sunmier and autumn of porcelain, on account of the variations of temperature. The larger ones are placed in the reception-hall, the smaller in the library, on account of exigency of space. Bronze and porcelain are preferred to gold and silver, as harmonizing better with the simple tastes of a scholar. Rings and pairs are to be avoided, and special attention is to be given to rarity and beauty. The mouth of a vase should be small and the foot thick, so that it may stand firml}'^ and not emit unpleasant vapor."

The last paragraph recalls a favorite shape of the Ming dynasty, slender below, enlarging upward to a wide, bulging shoulder, and finally rounding into a small narrow neck; this is the mei pHng or "prunus vase" of the Chinese, who consider the form appropriate for the display of blossoming branches of the mei luia, the winter })lum ; in American auction catalogues it is often called a '^gallipot," for some reason not clear to the uninitiated. Gourds are considered most suitable for the display of lotus-flowers, bulrusli-shaped vases for peony- blossoms. The Chinese never arrange flowers in mixed

498 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

bouquets ; a spray or two of Ijamboo may be put with orchids, or a few l)lades of reed or other water-phiut with lotus-blossoms, that is all. The festivals of the four seasons must be celebrated b}^ a lavish exhibition of their floral emblems, the spring peony, the summer lotus, the autumn chrysanthemum, and the winter prunus. Each montli of the year, too, has its distinctive flower, which the florist is expected to produce for his jjatrons in due rotation, as well as to provide a supply of cut flowers for other calendar holidays and festive occasions.

Next to vases for cut flowers we come to flowerpots for growing plants, wliich are always pierced in the bottom with one or more holes, and are often provided with saucers. Some of the smaller ones, intended for interior decoration, are finely modeled and elaborately painted in colors. The ancient Chlin-chou flowerpots, in their brilliant red coats of richly varied transmutation tints, rank as the most valued treasures of the Chinese connoisseur. The larger flowerpots, which are intended for the veranda and balcony, are also of varied form and design, being round, square, or polygonal, barrel-shaped, or like a miniature tank with rolled sides, and in other cases simulating the trunk of a tree or some grotesque monster. Tlie large dragon fish-bowls (lurig hang) that are placed on wooden stands in Chinese gardens or court- yards and filled with lotus-plants or with goldfish have been often referred to. Smaller bowls (^yu hang) of the same shape are made for keeping goldfish in rooms, and are often decorated in the traditional way with dragons ; others are made in the shape of the Buddhist alms-bowl as flattened globes with small circular mouths, the most attractive of which, perhaps, are the white bowls in which the sides have been pierced on geometrical lace- work patterns and filled in with transparent glaze, giving a charmingly light effect as they stand on a side-table in

THE FORMS OF PORCELAIN OBJECTS. 499

front of the window. The shaped dishes of foliated outline mounted upon low, scrolled feet are for the cultivation of narcissus-flowers, which it is the ambition of every Chinese householder to have in full blossom upon New Year's day ; the bulbs are supported in the dish by a layer of pebbles and kept watered. A circular dish of plainer form is generally seen upon one of the tables at the same time piled up with a heap of Bud- dha's-hand citrons or fragrant melons to perfume the air; the large Yung-cheng dishes, of which one is illustrated in Plate XLVIII, are used in the palace for this purpose, and a still more choice receptacle for the fragrant fruit is a dish of old Lung-ch'iian celadon, or of some other kind of ancient porcelain of the Sung dynasty.

Many other objects are made of porcelain for the recep- tion-room : Barrel-shaped seats (^Tso-hvti) ; slabs of rectan- gular or circular shape for insertion in the tops of tables and benches ; hanging baskets with pierced sides for flowers, hanging lamps (Jcua-teng) of eggshell thinness, or with openwork panels, like the two beautiful examples illustrated on these pages ; and all kinds of boxes and cabinets of varied shape and design.

Three characteristic forms of the floral receptacles with pierced openwork sides through which the fragrance of the flowers is diffused throughout the room, are shown here. Fig. 306 is a hanging basket decorated in enamel colors, with gilding of the ICang-hsi period, with floral band near the rims, and the sides painted in black, green, and yellow to simulate wicker. The cylinder w^hich fits inside is painted in coral-red Avith scrolls of lotus and a ring of spiral fret.

Fig. 307 shows a basket-shaped bowl, with a cover surmounted by a lion, decorated in JPang-hsi colors. The handle is painted in black lines upon a yellow ground to imitate basket-work. The sides are pierced in six

500 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

panels of hexagonal trellis interrupted by cbrysanthe- mum-llowers alternately red and liglit purple, and the <jover has a similar openwork design. The borders are painted with scrolls in red. The perfume globe, hsiang chHu, in Fig. 308, is of light biscuit porcelain inlaid with ICaiig-lisi colors, a bi*illiant green in combination with the usual enamels of the oAdfamille 7'ose. The pierced medallions contain alternately peony and lotus "flowers. It has a tiny round cover for the introduction of the flowers, and is strung with a silk cord, although it would usually stand on the table. It is fashioned in the likeness of one of the globular gourds which are often carved in open- w^ork as receptacles for fragrant flowers, as cages for singing cicadas, or to carry fighting crickets in safe cus- tody inside.

There must always be a paii* of hat-stands (mao chia) on one of the side-tables for visitors' hats, which are kept on the head during calls of ceremony, but are allowed to be taken oif on less formal occasions ; these are often made of porcelain and vary very much in form. M. Grandidier describes an elaborate porte-calotte exhibited in his collection in the Louvre, consisting of a sphere supjDorted by a long tube, to which it is buttressed by branches of foliage, mounted upon a lobed stand with trefoil feet, the globe being hollow so as to hold fire or ice, according to the season, for the purpose of warming or cooling the hat. Another not uncommon design has a little box supported upon long, curved spindle legs with a perforated lid, adapted to hold a scent sachet or a few chips of sandalwood.

Having disposed of objects of utility, we come to those intended solely for decorative purposes. To this class belongs the great majority of the vases and jars seen in Oriental collections. Their function is purely orna- mental, although in form they are lineal descendants of

THE FORMS OF PORCELAIN OBJECTS. 501

the flower-vases, the wine-receptacles, and the Jars with covers for storing preserved fruits and dried tea-leaves, that were made for actual use in earlier times.

An ornamental group or set of five pieces is often seen arranged in line on one of the long side-tables of tlie Chinese reception-hall. This is the Wv She, or " Five Set," and it may be either of a single color, or decorated in one or several enamel colors, or painted in blue and white. It consists of a vase (^l^ing)^ in which the mouth is less in diameter than the body, placed in the middle, a pair of jars (kuaii) with covers on each side of the cen- tral vase, and a pair of beaker-shaped vases (htt), with flaring mouths wider than the bodies, at the two ends of the line. This arrangement differs from that of the gar- niture de clie7ninee, or " mantelpiece set," of European collections, which is also composed of five pieces of simi- lar design displayed in line, but the central vase of the Chinese *set is missing, its place being usurped by a third covered jar; two other jars are placed at the ends of the line, and the pair of beakers between the jars. Tliis was the conventional " o-arniture " of the Dutch in their interiors of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, in which the Oriental porcelain lighted up the old oak furniture, and gathered an added brilliancy contrasted with its dark settincr. These were ideal surrouudinofs for the lustrous blue and white porcelain of the IV ang-hsi epoch, and it could hardly be exhibited anywhere under greater advantages.

One of these garnitures de cheminee has been photo- graphed for Fig. 213. It is decorated in bands and panels of varied form painted in bright enamel colors with gilding, relieved by a monochrome tzu-chin ground of coffee-brown tint. The ground is interrupted by encircling bands and lambrequins of floral brocade, by blossoms of peony, aster, peach, and plum, and by scrolled

502 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

aud foliated panels filled with pictures of landscape scenes with temples and pagodas. The covers of the Jars, enameled with the same brown ground, have leaf- shaped reserves painted with peony-flowers. The pecu- liar style of decoration is commonly known in Europe as " Batavian," the Dutch having imported it so largely in the last century, during the time that they were the chief merchant-carriers from the far East.

The magnificent ovoid vases, five feet in height, with bell-shaped covers on the top, which made their first appearance toward the end of the reign of K'^aiig-lm., gorgeously decorated in colors of the famille rose, are called by the Chinese ti p'ing, or " ground vases," their place being on the ground at the sides of the entrance of the hall, mounted upon low stands of carved wood. In Europe they are seen occasionally on the grand staircase of a palace, supporting branched chandeliers of ormolu.

A peculiar shape of the reign of K^uig-lisi is !he chien thing, or " arrow cylinder." The Manchu Tartars have always been famous for their skill in archery, and even in the present day the military officer depends on it for his promotion. The arrow receptacles are either tall cylin- ders, or of square tubular form, and are mounted in socketed pedestals of the same material surrounded by an openwork railing. They are very richly decorated in the brilliant enamel colors of the period, combined with relief molding and chiseled openwork, as exemplified in the characteristic specimen in Fig. 313.

The small vases with thin necks tapering upward to a contracted orifice, like the pair of which one is pre- sented in Fig. 309, are perfume sprinklers (Jisiang shui ping^. This pair, which came from the collection of a Persian prince, uncle of the Shah, had been mounted in that country with metal, and doubtless used there for sprinkling\ose-water, the favorite scent of the Persians.

I

THE P^ORMS or POECELAIN OBJECTS. 503

The porcelain is, of course, Chinese, and it is decorated in the chai'acteristic style of the K''ang-hsi period with a powder-blue ground, interrupted by three reserved medal- lions of quatrefoil, pomegranate, and fan shape, which are lightly penciled in underglaze blue upon a white ground with wild flowers growing from rocks.

The smallest vases of all are the snuff-bottles {yen hu), one or two of which are generally laid upon the small table that stands on the divan of a Chinese reception- room, with little ivory spoons attached to the stoppers inside, to ladle out the contents. The tobacco plant is indigenous to America, and there is no reason for doubt- ing that it was introduced into the Far East by Spanish or Portuguese ships at about the same time that it reached Europe. In fact, the Chinese Emperor Wan-li (1573-1619) vied with his contemporary, James I of England, in fulminating edicts which he issued against the new weed, that was then just coming into vogue in China. It flourished, notwithstanding, and in the pres- ent day it is cultivated throughout the empire and smoked alike by man, Avoman, and child. But the little bottles seem to have been made in China before the introduction of snuif, and the apparent anachronism is due to the fact that they Avere originally intended to hold valuable aromatics or rare drugs, Avhich is proved by their old name of yao p'iiig, or "medicine-bottles." Glass bottles are now gradually coming into use for the purpose, but old-fashioned druggists still send out their pills in the little porcelain flasks. The 'itinerant medi- cine-venders often have a supply of these little flasks made to order, with their professional name inscribed on one side, and perhaps a quaint superscription on the other, like chH tal or pa tai, "seven generations" or " eight generations," to indicate that the secret formula has been a hereditary possession for so long a period.

504 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Before tbe Portuguese ships appeared in the Indian Ocean and interrupted tlie traffic, Chinese junks visited the coasts of Africa and Arabia, and seem to have taken a quantity of these medicine-bottles of coarse fabric and rough manufacture to store the precious aromatics which formed the most valuable part of their cargo. Little bottles of the kind are found to-day in Cairo, and their fraudulent introduction into ancient tombs by the Arab workmen has led some to claim for them a fabulous antiquity, after Rosellini,* who describes one as having been " found by him in an Egyptian tomb which had never been o])ened before, and the date of which be- longed to a Pharaoh reigning not later than the eighteenth century before Christ." Their false pretensions have been long ago exposed by Sir Walter Medhurst and Sir Harry Parkes, in the Transactions of the China Bi'anch of the Royal Asiatic Society, and need hardly have been alluded to here, had one not seen a row of the so-called snuff-bottles exhibited among true Egyptian antiquities in the AbVjott Collection in New York, and found Dr. Prime boldly claiming, in his book on the Pottery of all Times and Nations published in 1879, an age of a thou- sand years for tliree snuff-bottles in his own collection, obtained by him from Arabs at Thebes and Cairo.

There is a peculiar attraction in Chinese snuff-bottles, and I have seen three envoys of great European powers at Peking vying with each other in the acquisition of rare specimens. They are made of many other materials besides porcelain, such, for example, as cameo-glass, jade, rock-crystal, amethyst, caruelian, chalcedony, heliotrope, sardonyx, chrysoprase, turquoise, agate, nielle bronze^ damascened iron, painted and cloisonne enamels, carved cinnabar lac, etc. Several pamphlets have been written on the subject, the latest of which is the beautifully

* I Monumenti delV Egitto, etc., vol. ii, p. 337. Pisa, 1834.

THE FORMS OF PORCELAIN OBJECTS. 505

illustrated contribution, under the title of CJdnese Snuff- Bottles by Mr. M. B. Huish to the Opuscula of the Odd Volumes Sette, of which, unfortunately, only one hun- dred and forty-nine copies have been printed, the circu- lation being;; limited to Odd-Volume members.

Of the porcelain snuif-bottles several of quaint form and cunning device have been selected for some of the head-pieces for these pages, and Plate XXXVII is specially devoted to their illustration. The collection exhibits, in epitome, many of the diiferent processes of decoration, including single colors plain and crackled, painting in blue, red, and in many colors, relief modeling and openwork carving in those provided with a pierced outer casing. The different forms of larger vases are reproduced in miniature, single or bijugate ; there are flasks upright and recumbent, gourds of all kinds, trellis designs, and basket Avickerwork. One little bottle simu- lates a bursting cob of maize, another the fruit of the eggplant, a third is fashioned, as it Avere, of two lotus- leaves joined together, a fourth of a pair of butterflies. A quaint form is that of a Chinese damsel whose inverted body is the receptacle for the snulf, while one leg is hollowed for the spoon, which is cemented to the tiny porcelain foot that is made to officiate as the stopper of the strange bottle.

The civil mandarin may have the one hundred and eighth bead of his official rosary, or the clasp of his girdle, made of porcelain ; the military mandarin, the broad ring which protects his thumb against the bow- string, or the little tube which is attached to the top of his hat to hold the streaming peacock's feather. Chinese ladies are said to possess in their inner apartments boxes, large and small, for holding powder, rouge, and other cosmetics, in which they indulge so freely, as well as bottles for liquid scents ; they occasionally wear in

506 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

their headdress elaborate liairpins of porcelain, they adorn theraselv^es with earrings and bracelets, fasten their robes with porcelain rings and buttons, and attach ornamental pendants to their girdles. Some of these things are very delicately decorated. There is a certain badofe worn at relio;:ious ceremonies which often finds its way into collections ; it has inscribed on one side the Chinese characters chai chieh, " fasting and abstinence,"^ inclosed within an ornamental frame, and on the other side the same motto in the Manchu script ; it may be of oblong or oval form, or shaped like a double gourd.

The pretty little vase-sha])ed receptacle in Fig. 314,, with globular body and wide-spreading neck, is an imperial hand-spittoon (cha-toii). It is decorated in twa shades of coral-i'ed with a pair of five-clawed dragons pursuing pearls in the midst of clouds, a band of conven- tional flowers, and rings of gadroon and spiral fret. It may be referred confidently to the ClxHen-luung period^ although there is no mark underneath. A pair of taller vessels of the same form are usually seen on the toilet- table in a Chinese room, perhaps with a toothbrush standing up in one ; they take the place of glass tumblers with us.

Our Chinese guide proceeds next in the T\io Shuo to give a brief enumeration of the porcelain services and other things made for the dinino-.room. He beo-ins with rice-spoons, teaspoons, and the chop-stick service. The latter consists of a pair of chop-sticks for each guest (which he uses in lieu of knife and fork) and a number of little saucer-shaped dishes of varied form, some empty,, for the guests to lay their chop-sticks on, or to use as they help themselves from the bowls that are being constantly brought in courses of four or eight plats ; others dotted about the table filled with melon-seeds, peach-kernels^ nuts, and sweetmeats. The " drageoirs," or comfit-dishes^

THE FORMS OF PORCELAIN OB.JECTS. 507

are sometimes modeled in the form of a large lotus- flower or plum-blossom in movable compartments, so that they can be taken to pieces to form separate little dishes for the dining-table. Comfit dishes of this floral or geometi'ical design, dating from the reign of ICang-hsi, are often very richly decorated, being enameled sur' biscuit with graceful scrolls of the same flower, displayed upon a bright green or buff-colored ground.

The ditt'erent kinds of bowls, teacups, wine-cups, dishes and platters have been already referred to, and it is not necessary to describe all the various forms of teapots and wine-ewers. The tall ewers of cylindrical shape with tiara-fronted tops, like that in Fig. 168, are used by the Chinese for iced fruit-sirups ; the Mongols are fond of the same design foi' their Icouniis or milk- wine ewers, which are made of bronze or silver. The ordinary wine-cups of the Chinese are small, sometimes not larger than thimbles ; marriage wine-cups are of more elaborate design ; sacrificial libation-cups are molded in the form of bronze ritual- vessels with hieratic designs. For the dining-table there are also vinegar- cruets, oil-lamps, pricket candlesticks, and square recep- tacles for the snuff from the candles (la tou), made of porcelain. For daily use there are wash-basins, pots, and pans, and jars of manifold form and capacity, which need not be minutely described.

Some of the dinner services used for sendins: out dinners from restaurants are of very elaborate character, the covered dishes being molded in the form of ducks, fishes, and the like, so as to indicate the nature of their contents.

White services, decorated with arabesques and other designs incised in the paste under the glaze, are intended for use during mourning. Imperial mourning-bowls are etched with five-clawed draorons under the white srlaze.

CHAPTER XVIII.

PECULIAR TECHNICAL PROCESSES. CRACKLE PORCELAIN.

FURNACE TRANSMUTATIONS. SOUFFLES. LAQUE BUR-

GAUTEE, PIERCED AND " RICE-GRAIN " DESIGNS.

WHITE SLIP, ETC.

BEFORE proceeding to a consideration of the colors and the motives of decoration of Chinese porcelain^ a few words may be said on certain characteristic tech- nical processes of their ceramic art. Some of the peculiar methods referred to have been successfully imi- tated in Japan, as well as, more recently, in Western countries, but they were all first invented in China, the original country of the art.

Crackle porcelain is one of the most peculiar produc- tions of the Oriental potter, and has not been success- fully imitated elsewhere. Several of the most ancient wares are distinguished by their crackled glazes. There lies on the table before me at tlie present moment a col- lection of potsherd fragments of bowls and dishes dating fj'om the Sxing and Yuan dynasties, recently dug up within the precincts of the city of Peking, which are all crackled. The glaze lias been laid on so thickly in some of these ancient pieces that it is actually thicker than the underlying paste, accounting so far for the hackneyed native simile of " massed lard." It ranges in color through all shades of purple to the j^ale cerulean tint known as yueh pal, or elair de hme, and has its lustrous depth traversed by an infinity of lines so as to look like fissured ice. The Chinese collect such fragments of old vessels, when the color is suflficiently attractive, to mount

508

PECULIAR TECHNICAL PROCESSES. 509

them in girdle clasps, or to frame them in gilded metal for use on the study-table as rests for the wrist of the writer, etc. An old legend declares that the azure-tinted j)orcelain of the ancient Imperial House of Ch'ai, whicli flourished in the tenth century, was so brilliant that a fragment placed in front of the helmet of a warrior would even deflect the course of an arrow.

There are two varieties of the old celadon porcelain made at Lung-ch'iian during the Sung dynasty which differ in the glaze, one being uncrackled, while that of the other was crackled. The invention of this last was attributed, as we have seen in Chapter V, to an elder brother of a family of potters named Chang, and it was from this fact that it first came to be known as Ko Yao, ko meaning " elder brother." Another common name for crackled porcelain is sui clt'i, sui meaning " broken," or " shattered in pieces." This name, derived from the mosaiclike aspect of the glaze, looking, it was said, as if the porcelain were made of a thousand sej)arate pieces cemented together, also dates from the Sung dynasty, when it was applied to the crackled porcelain produced at Chi-chou, in the province of Kiangsi. Tliis is de- scribed in the old books as resembling the ancient ho yao, both in color and in being I'eticulated with lines like fissured ice. Descriptive names of crackle that are often met with are pbig-lieh, " fissured ice," which is applied to the coarser variety, and yii tzii, " fish-roe," ^vhich is applied to the variety with a closer crackled network that is called by French ceramic writers truitee, oji account of its fancied resemblance to the fine scales of the trout.

Crackling, as has been explained in Chapter XV, is due to a physical cause. It may happen accidentally in some pieces during the firing of a European furnace, although it is then considered to be a defect. Its

510 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

productiou in China even was doubtless originally acci- dental ; but it had to be produced artificially in the imita- tion of the old glazes which exhibited this peculiarity, until finally the Chinese potter was enabled to produce it at will. The crackled glaze in the present day, accord- ing to the Ching-te-chen T''ao lu, is pre[)ared from a natural rock found at San-pao-p'eng, from which place it is brought to the manufactory in the form of prepared bricklets called sui cli'i tun^ or " crackled-ware bricklets." These, when finely levigated, produce the ordinary crackled glaze ; when they are roughly washed the crackled lines appear at larger and wider intervals. In the old crackle of the Sung dynasty, made at Chi-chou, the porcelain, which was heavy, thick, and of strong, coarse texture, was coated with glazes of two colors, either rice-gray or light blue. The mosaic-like crackled lines were produced by the addition of hua-shih, or stea- tite, to the materials of the glaze. When ink or vermil- ion was rubbed in, and the su2:)erfluity rubbed off after the piece was finished, a charming network of fissured lines appeared of subdued black or red tint.

There was another variety of crackled porcelain pro- duced at the same manufactory in which a decoration in blue was added to the grayish-white crackled ground, being painted on the raw body before the application of the glaze. Specimens of archaic-looking crackle roughly decorated in blue, generally with dragons, are found in the present day in Borneo and other islands of the Eastern Archipelago. They are highly prized by the Dayaks and handed down in families as heirlooms. Some of them may date from the Sung or Yuan dynasties, like the plain crackled ware with which they are associated. The little tripod censer in Fig, 66, although it may not perhaps be so old, is a good illustration of the style.

PECULIAK TECHNICAL PROCESSES. 511

There is another kiud of crackled porcelain of more modern date than the last, in which the surface, origi- nally white, is tinted pink or crimson. It is represented by comj:)aratively small pieces, such as vases a few inches high, teacups, and the like, and the surface is usually tiiiely crackled, or truitee. The color is produced by yen-chill hung, or rouge d'o)\ combined with a flux, and is the same as that employed for the celebrated ruby- backed dishes. The crackled piece, after it has been fired, is placed in a little cage oi- netting made of iron wire and heated strongly in a coal fire ; it is then re- moved, and the color, suspended in water, is blown on the heated surface with the usual bamboo tube covered with gauze ; it produces immediately the effect desired, and requires no further firing.

Crackled porcelain may also be decorated in enamel colors, which are fixed in the oi'diuary way by a second firing in the mufile stove, and some very beautiful bowls of the K''ang-hsi period illustrate this combination. The style and technique of the colors fix the date, if the bowl be not marked, with a certainty that could hardly be attained by an examination of the crackled glaze alone. A striking example in the present collection is the statuette of Kuau Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, which is reproduced in colors in Plate LX.

With regard to the crackled glaze in single colors, v/hich include some of the most attractive of Chinese monochromes, they are well represented in the colored plates. The Chinese potter claims to be able to crackle any one of the monochrome glazes by introducing some of the mii-cli'i tun, or " crackle petuntse," into the ingre- dients. Some of the single colors, however, such as the coral-red produced by iron, and the rouges d''or of pink and ruby shades, are never in actual practice so treated. These colors are so delicate as to require no extrinsic

512 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

adornment to add to their charm. Some others of the monochromes, on the contrary, are always crackled, such as the turquoise-blue derived from copper, and the auber- gine purple of cobaltiferous manganese, both couleurs cho demi^g rand feu. Turquoise crackle in its varied shades is fully 'illustrated in Plates XCIII, LXXXIV, XLV, and LXXV ; and a magnificent vase of finely crackled purple blue of deepest and richest tone is presented in Plate XXIX.

Several of the early ceramic productions of the Sniu/ and Yuan dynasties are distinguished by their crackled glazes, like the two pieces illustrated in Plate XII. It was during his repeated attempts at the reproduction of such ancient pieces that the modern Chinese potter acquired his skill in the management of crackle. The modei'n representation of the old dair-de-lime crackled glaze of Ju-chou is the vase illustrated in Plate LXXVII^ with its glaze of the color technically known as ^'2/ yu — i. e., '' Juchou glaze " — varying from pale blue to gray^ traversed by a reticulation of reddish lines; the repre- sentative of the purple-colored imperial w^are (huan yao) of the soutJiern Sung dynasty is the crackled lavender vase in Plate XLIII, with its brown-tinted mouth and its foot artificially coated to simulate the brown paste of the original model. In a similar fashion the crackled white Fen Ting vases exhibited in Plates LXXXIX and XCI, both of which date from early in the present dynasty, are the representatives of the ancient ivory- white crackled porcelain made at Ting-chou in the Sung dynasty, from which they take their name ; and the crackled grayish-green vase in Plate LXXXVI is a representative of an ancient celadon.

The most brilliant of all the crackles is the celebrated Lang-yao of the reign of K''ang-lisi, already described in Chapter X, the original sang-de-hcevf of ceramic

PECULIAR TECHNICAL PROCESSES. 513

connoisseurs, which ranks deservedly among the highest achievements of the Oriental potter. Its gorgeous mottled dress of mingled tones of crimson and ruby shade can be seen in the four vases, selected from the series in the collection, to be illustrated in Plates LIX^ LVII, I, and LVI. The largest and most characteristic example, perhaps, is the vase in Plate LIX, which shows the crackled texture of the glaze, the stippled ground, and the vertically streaked play of rich colors, passing from the deepest crimson through all intermediate shades to pale apple-green toward the rim. The tall, graceful vase in Plate LVI and the beaker in Plate I both ex- hibit rich, full tones of red, deepening in the latter case almost to black upon the shoulder of the vase. But a more j)erfect example than the bottle-shaped vase in Plate LVII, in its rich coloring and finished technique, could hardly be imagined, and it displays near the base the typical patch of apple-green which is so often associated with the ox-blood red. An occa- sional vase of the Lang yao type is seen, in which the crackled glaze is entirely apple-green (^p'ing-lcvo clCing^y with perhaps a patch of red near the lower rim.

The green monochromes of Chinese porcelain are generally produced by copper, the exceptions being the celadon proper, or tung-chHiig, the sea-green tint of which is due to ferruginous clay, and the modern representatives of the old Lung-ch'lian celadons, which are brought to a more pronounced grass-green or olive- green hue by the addition of a small dose of cobalt to the ingredients of the former glaze ; any of these celadon glazes may be purposely crackled. A brilliant green derived 'from copper is the leading note in the decoration with colored enamels of the K^ang-hsi period, and the same color appears naturally in the foreground among the monochromes of the time. It is distinguished

514 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

by its marked iridescence, a quality which is displayed in a high degree by the vase illustrated in Plate LXXIX. The vases in Plates LXXXI and LXXVIII are invested with crackled green enamels of two of the shades com- prised by the Chinese under the name of hua-p'i I'ii, or ^'cucumber-green," which is fairly distinctive, although other names are used in European books, such as ^'camellia-leaf green," or "apple-green." Tlie last term ought, I tliink, to be confined to the pale green so often found upon porcelain, associated with tlie " apple- red," which is also due to copper ; the same dual com- bination that occurs curiously on the rind of a ripe apple. The fourth vase of green crackle, illustrated in Plate XXVII, is a typical example of the "fish-roe green " {iju-tzu-cK ing) of the Chinese, which, like its congener, the truitee yellow or nuistard crackle, was a favorite glaze of the OKien-lung period. A fine specimen of this yii-tzu huang, or "fish-roe yellow," of the Chinese, is displayed in Plate LXXXVII.

The discussion of transmutation colors succeeds that of the ordinary crackled porcelain by natural transition, because tliey attain their most brilliant effect in com- bination with a crackled glaze. The name of "furnace transmutation " is a literal rendering of the Chinese term yao pien, which is applied especially to the flmnhee porcelain of variegated coloring, due to different degrees of oxidation of the copper silicates to which it owes its bi'illiant hues, passing from the warmest crimson through all intei'mediate shades to turquoise-blue. It is difficult to depict in words the gorgeous effect of the varied play of colors in this decoration, which is justly considered to be one of the most marvelous products of the Orient. The cause of this transmuta- tion is well known. Copper in its first degree of oxida- tion gives to the vitrified glaze the bright ruby-red tint

fl

PECULIAR TECHNICAL PROCESSES. 515

known to the Chinese as eld hung^ or '■'■ sacrificial red " ; witli more oxygen it produces a brilliant green, and at its highest degree of oxidation a turquoise-blue. Any of these effects may be produced in the chemical labora- tory. In the furnace the various modifications are pro- duced suddenly by the manipulation of the fire. In a clear fire with a strong draft all the oxygen is not consumed, and is free to combine with the metal in fusion. If, on the other hand, the fire be loaded with thick smoke, the carbonaceous mass will greedily absorb all the free oxygen, and the metal will attain its mini- mum degree of oxidation. So, when placed in a given moment in these various conditions by the rapid and simultaneous introduction of currents of air and sooty vapors, the glaze assumes a most picturesque appearance; the surface of the piece becomes diapered with veined and streaked colorations, changing and capricious as the flames of spirits ; the red oxide passes thi-ough violet and green to the pale blue peroxide, and is even dissipated completely upon certain projections, which become w^hite, and thus furnish another happy fortuitous combination.

The transmutation glazes are of ancient date in China, some of the Chiin-chou porcelains of the Sung dynasty being of this class. The name of Lo hem ma fei — i. e., "mule's liver and horse's lung" — was, in fact, invented as descriptive of the mingled colors of one of the varieties of Chiin-chou vases which was sent down from the palace in the reign of Yunng-cheng to be copied at Ching-te-chen. The name ^vas well chosen, suggesting, as it does, what has been described by an expert* as the mixture of red, blue, violet, and yellowish green, flowing over the porcelain like a kind of lava of blood, lungs, and liver, chopped up and melted into enamels.

* La Porcelaine, par Georges Vogt, p. 23.

516 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

The idea of liver-colored would suggest brown as well, and we often, indeed, found tbis color present in the old jiambe glazes, due doubtless to the presence of iron. The occurrence of yellow and brown spots on certain -fiambes is always a sure indication of the existence of iron.

Pere d'Entrecolles, in his second letter dated in 1722, the last year of the long reign of the Emperor ICang-hsi, writes : " There has just been brought to me one of those pieces of porcelain that are called yao-'pieii, or transmutation.' This transmutation occurs in the fur- nace, and is caused either by some defect or excess in the firing, or perhaps by some other causes which are not easy to conjecture. This piece, which was a failure, according to the workman, and ^vhich was the eifect of pure chance, was none the less beautiful nor the less highly prized. The workman had designed to make vases of red souffle. A hundred pieces had been entirely lost ; the one alone of which I am speaking had come out of the furnace resembling a kind of agate. If one were willing to run the risk and the expense of repeated trials, one might discover, as the result, the art of mak- ing with certainty what chance had produced a single time." The words of the worthy Father are prophetic, for it was early in the succeeding reign of Yung-clieng that the art was verily discovered and rapidly brought to perfection ; the best pieces of this class are rarely marked, but the rare marks are seals of Yung-clieng and ChHen-lu7ig, which are sometimes impressed in the paste underneath.

The process described above may be characterized as the academic transmutation method. In actual practice the result is often aimed at in a more artificial way. The piece, coated with a grayish crackle glaze, or ^vith a ferruginous enamel of yellowish-brown tone, has the

PECULIAR TECHNICAL PROCESSES. 517

transmutation glaze applied at the same time as a kind of overcoat. It is put on with the brush in various ways, in thick dashes not completely covering the surface of the piece, or flecked on fi'om the point of the brush in a rain of drops, etc. The piece is finally fired in a reducing atmosphere, and the air, let in at the critical moment when the materials are fully fused, imparts atoms of oxygen to the copper, and speckles the red base with points of green and turquoise-blue, so that the glaze becomes vitrified into the characteristic variegated hues as it gradually cools. An inspection of the pieces will indicate the various methods of application. The hexag- onal vase, for example, illustrated in Plate LXXXVIII, has a crackled o-laze of olive-brown tint overlaid with thick splashes of jlamhe glaze, which have run down in the kiln in massive drops, so as to stand out on the surface of the vase in marked i-elief. The recep- tacle for divining rods in Plate XXIII, which is a more modern piece, with a thinner glaze, also indicates, from the association of olive-brown with the mottled grays and purples which bedizen its sides, the presence of iron as well as of copper.

A curious combination of the transmutation o-laze with blue and white decoration is presented in the vase, attributed to the early CJiHen-lung period, that is shown in Fig. 312. It is painted in underglaze blue with a landscape scene, hills with temples and pavilions, and a lake with boats upon it, and with bands of rectangular fret round the rims. This is overspread with splashes oijlambe glaze, so as nearly to conceal the picture under variegated clouds of purple, crimson, and olive-bro^vn tints, which become crackled where the glaze is thin. The interior of the vase is coated with the same crackled and varieo-ated o:laze.

The next special technical process to be noticed is that

518 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

of the application of soiiffih. The bamboo tube with gauze tied over one end that is used by the potter has already been described. With that the Chinese blow on the ordinary white glaze in repeated layers, as well as many of the single colors, such as the cobalt-blue, the high-fired reds derived from copper, the coral-red produced by iron, the pinks and carmines of gold, and the pure metals, gold and silver combined with a lead flux. The colors applied in this way can generally be I'ecognized by the stippled aspect of the glaze, which is well marked in the sang-de-hoenf glaze of the Lang Yao, and in the ruby-red monochrome of the succeeding reign oE Yung- cheng, which is one of the most characteristic glazes of the class of porcelain known as Nien Yao. What we have especially to notice now are the compound glazes in Avhich a second color is blown upon a monochrome previously prepared. Such is the " Robin's Egg," or Okiin Yu, which was alluded to in Chapter XIII as a souffle glaze with a greenish-blue flecking and dappling on a reddish ground, the red being subordinate to the blue. The second color in these compound glazes is either blown on so as to cover the entire surface of the first with a delicate stippling, combining with and modifying the original tint, such as red upon a green or yellow ground, or green upon yellow ; or it is projected in layer drops, which dapple the surface or run down over the piece in regular veins, leaving traces like tears.

One of the best-known glazes of this class is the CKa- yeh-ino^ or " Tea-dust " glaze, produced by the insufilation of green enamel upon a yellowish-brown ground, which owes its color to iron. The combination produces a peculiarly soft tint of greenish tone, which was highly prized in the reign of Cli'ien-lang, w^hen it was invented, so that a sumptuary law was made, according to M. Billequin, restricting the use of this color to the emperor,

PECULIAR TECHNICAL PROCESSES. 519

to evade which collectors used to paint their specimens with imaginary cracks, and even to put in actual rivets, to make them apj^ear to be broken.

Another souffie combination of the same time produced the THeli-lisiu-liua^ or ' ' Iron-Rust Decoration," whicli has been described in Chapter XIV, and is well illustrated in colors in Plate XIX. The K'u-tang4^ai^ or "Ancient Bronze Coloring," which is one of the chief triumphs of the same reign of CJi'ien-linuj^ offers some analogies to the iron-rust decoration. There is a specimen in the Miisee du Louvre (No. 248) which, according to M. Jacquemart, when placed among bronze objects can not be distinguished from them ; it is necessary to examine it closely and to touch it to recognize the work of the potter. The ground of the piece is bronze-colored, some of the salient parts being gold-tinted ; while the decora- tions impressed upon the sides, in the style of metal casting, have received in the hollow parts a greenish- blue enamel, which simulates perfectly the natural oxida- tion of an ancient copper object. A smaller specimen of similar character is shown in Fis;. 274.

Some of the many imitations of natural materials on which the Chinese pride themselves were referred to in the same chapter. There are cups simulating walnut- wood, with the grain so perfectly rendered in painted enamels that it is difficult to believe, ^^^ithout handling them, that it is not the actual veining of wood. The vase in Fig. 316 is enameled inside and outside in colors of the K\ing-lisi period, laid on siir hisciiit, to look like to]'toise-shell.

The carved cinnabar lac, of which a specimen was illustrated in Plate XXXVII, 4, is sometimes laid and worked upon a porcelain base, such as a vase or cup. It is also pei-fectly imitated in porcelain, with the designs modeled in the paste in similar relief and enameled

520 OKIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

vermilion. There is another peculiar combination of the incrusted lacquerwork with porcelain, which has been named 'porcelaiiie laquee hwt^gauUe after hurgau^ the French name of the shell of the turbo. This was first noticed and described by Jacquemart, but he erroneously attributes it to Japan, although the style of art and the nature of the porcelain both prove it to be Chinese. The Chinese call it Lo4ien-Tz^u — i. e., "Porcelain inlaid with shellwork " — and the technique is the same as that of the incrusted cabinet work of Canton, only worked upon porcelain instead of wood. The porcelain is com- paratively thick, with solid rims, and the ground of the piece is usually left unglazed, so that the lacquer may adhere more firmly to the surface. The finest vases date from the reign of IVang-lm^ and it seems to have been first worked on porcelain at this time, in spite of the fact that the mark of GKeng-hua of the Ming dynasty is occasionally found inscribed underneath.

The decoration of the laque burgautee class is gener- ally of a landscape character, executed in a mosaic mother-of-pearl, varied sometimes by thin plaques of beaten gold and silver, displayed upon a velvety back- ground of ink-black lac. The pieces of shell, extremely thin, are tinted artificially, shaped with the knife, and combined cleverly by the artist to form the details of the picture. The patience of the workman is almost incredible, shaping one by one the leaves of a willow- tree, or of a clump of bamboos, the feathers of a bird, the glittering morsels designed to represent the pebbly bank of a river, or the faults of a rock, and carving silhouettes for clouds and waves, fine and supple as the strokes of a pencil. There is a large bowl in the Sevres Museum, covered with a lake scene, with lotus- flowers, reeds, and water-fowl, which is a chef-d''GSVA)re of naturalistic art. I have seen a lar2:e vase of the

PECULIAR TECHNICAL PROCESSES. 521

kind nearly three feet high, of the K^ang-hsi period, with the neck and swelling body filled in with black lac, exhibiting in delicately tinted mosaic the varied scenes of Chinese lily life, in their minutest details, each scene being labeled in tiny characters ; the gilded disk of the sun was shining over all in its pristine brightness; but the silver walls of the houses had become quite black from age. The little cylindi'ical beaker illustrated in Fig. 315 is a less important example.

The next peculiar technical processes in the short list that forms the heading of this chapter are those of orna- mental pierced work of the ordinary kind, and pierced work filled in with glaze, so as to form the transparencies which are known from their usual shape as " rice-grain " designs. These methods have been already described. They are now well known, and are practiced all over the world, at Sevres and Worcester, as well as in Japan. Fig. 318 is a Japanese vase of this description that was exhibited at the Chicago Exposition. They may be used in combination with all kinds of decoration, but are most charming and effective in pure white porcelain, such as the little white cups of design similar to the one illus- trated in Fig. 138, which are lined with beaten gold or silver when used, and the white bowls with lacework transparencies of the Ch^ien-lung period, which are the lightest and most delicate of all the triumphs of the ceramic art. A white cup of the kind just referred to is presented in Fig. 319. The sides are carved with a trelliswork of svastikco pattern, in the intervals between five circular solid medallions, from which stand out in salient relief figures of the longevity god, alone in his glorj^, and of the eight Taoist genii, associated in j^airs. The figures, modeled in " biscuit," project from the glazed ground of velvety aspect. Their background of clouds,

522 OKIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

and the light scrolls which wind round the borders of the cup, are worked in white slip, contrasting in its cloudy opacity with the underlying glaze. The delicate little cup in Fig. 322 is carved in openwork with a broad trel- lis band composed of five medallions of pierced floral pattern, connected by a ground of interlacing cii-cles, reminding one of the open tilework of Chinese architec- ture. A narrow pierced band encircles the upper rim.

The little flower cylinder in Fig. 333 shows the com- bination of pierced work with painted decoration. It is a receptacle for scented blossoms like the fragrant jasmine, the mo-li-hua of the Chinese, which is closed at the top, but has a hole in the bottom for the introduction of the flowers, shaped for a screw cover. The top and sides are painted in delicate enamel colors of the Cli'ien- lung period, upon a ground molded in relief, and pierced in the intervals of the decoration, so that the scent of the flowers may penetrate. The figures, which are grouj)ed under a tall pine, represent the Taoist Triad of star gods. Lu Hsing stands in the middle, holding a ^'w-^' scepter ; Shou Hsing, upon his right, is leaning upon a long, gnarled stafF, Avith a scroll tied to the top, a peach in his hand, his robes brocaded with longevity characters; Fu Hsing, upon his left, holding a baby boy in his arms, while two s]3rites dance in the foreground, clapping their hands. On the cover is a representation of a Taoist figure speeding across the clouds, with a branch of sacred peach on his shoulder.

The " rice-grain " decoration, in which the pierced orna- mentation is filled in with glaze, seems to be of compara- tively modern introduction in China. No marks anterior to the reign of CJCien-lung have been noticed, and the majority of the marked pieces bear the date of his suc- cessor, Chia-cWing (1796-1820). The white bowls' and saucer-shaped dishes of the soft, fritty material made in Persia, which were kuo\vn as Gombroon ware, have rude

PECULIAE TECHNICAL PKOCESSES. 523

decorations of the same nature, but, as Sir A. W. Franks observes, " there is no evidence to show in which country this mode of ornamentation originated." In addition to the ordinary rice-grain work, which is usually associated with conventional designs, jDainted in blue of grayish tone, this process supplies a means of varying the usual colored designs by making the dragons, storks, or other details transparent, or by picking out some of the leaves in the foliage or the petals of a flower. The mug of European form in Fig 321 displays the typical mode, the sides being pierced with a broad band of rice-grain trans- jiareucies arranged in a formal star pattern. The handle, composed of two interlacing bands, is studded at their four points of junction with flowers worked in relief, which are tinted in underglaze cobalt-blue, touched with gold, and the bands of conventional design, which are painted in the same grayish blue round the borders, are also picked out with gilding. The upper rim is stained brown ; the bottom is unglazed, and there is no mark attached.

The class of porcelain with white slip decoration includes those specimens in which the white decoration appears to have been applied in a semi-liquid state, tech- nically called "slip," or engohe, on a colored ground. Designs are also modeled in relief in the same slip in the paste of porcelain before it is glazed, and have been referred to in the description of celadons and jlainhes, as vv'ell as in that of decorated vases, but these would be excluded. The white slip decoration is used in China in combination with one of the dark-brown coffee-colored monochromes of the tzu-chin glazes, or with the dark and pale blue and the lavender-tinted glazes derived from cobaltiferous manganese. Some of the soft, siliceous wares of Persia are ornamented on a blue ground with white designs of this kind applied in relief, and they have been imitated in the Italian potteries, at Nevers, Rouen,

524 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

and elsewhere. For this reason Jacquemart lias attrib- uted the vases of hard porcelain with white slip decora- tion on a brown ground to Persia, and he iigures one, which is undoubtedly Chinese, in Plate XIX, No. 1, of his book, as a production of Shiraz. There is no reason, however, to suppose that hard porcelain was ever made in Persia, although it appears from their style and designs that some of the specimens were made in China for the Indian or Persian market. The gourd-shaped vase shown in Fig. 323, which has a copper rim and cork- like stopper engraved with figures and birds of Persian workmanship, is a fair illustration of the style, dating from the K^ang-lisi period. It is enameled with an ii^i- descent tzu-cliin ground of dark-brown color. The white decoration over the glaze, roughly modeled in low relief and lightly touched with the graving tool, consists of four sprays of conventional flowers, two on each half of the gourd. The three circles from which the lower sprays seem to sprout would be rocks in more finished work ; in Jacquemart's vase, which is almost as roughly decorated as this one, there is a somewhat similar design, which is taken for an articulated cactus-stem ; in addition to the floral decoration there is an ornamental border round the bulbous enlargement of the neck of this vase of scroll design with beaded pendants, which is often met with upon Chinese vases of this type.

The other illustration exhibits, in Fig. 324, a small vase of baluster form, also attributed to the K\ing-lisi period, invested with a pale-blue glaze of the tint called by the Chinese tHen-chHng, or " sky-blue," sparsely crackled with a few brown lines. It is decorated in slight relief with a spray of blossoming prunus carefully modeled in white slip and finished with the graving tool. The foot, coated with the same pale-blue glaze underneath, has the promi- nent rim artificially colored iron-gray.

CHAPTER XIX.

CHINESE CEKAMIC COLORS.

THE principal colors used by the Chinese in the decoration of their porcelain and the chemical composition of some of them have been already alluded to. A list of the colored glazes employed during the Ming dynasty was included in Chapter YIH, together with a number of the prescriptions used in their prepa- ration. Still, a short chapter on the special subject of ceramic colors may not be superfluous.

The most striking point in Chinese ceramic art is the paucity and simplicity of the materials wdth w'hich they produce so many brilliant effects. They have no chemical knowledge, and their methods are entirely empirical, depending on the varied effects produced by the admixture of the simple coloring materials, on the different results obtained by theu' combination ^vith different glazes, and on the degree of oxidation of the minerals due to the manipulation of the fire. Take, for example, the native mineral which, after calcination and pulverization, is used for painting in blue and Avhite, and in the preparation of blue glazes. It is found on the hillsides in several parts of China, occurring, not far from the surface of the ground, in small, irregular nodules of concretionary formation, and is essentially a cobaltiferous peroxide of manganese, mixed with oxides of iron and nickel, Avith traces of arsenic, bound together by a variable proportion of silica. But the composition of this complicated ore seems to vary indefinitely, not only in the productions of different provinces, but even

526 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

in specimens dug up from the same hillside. The purity of the blue depends upon the richness of the mineral in cobalt ; an excess of manganese will give it a purplish tinge; it will be darkened by too much nickel or iron. So the presence of an expert is required at the imperial manufactory, whose sole duty it is to pick out the best pieces, judging from their color and aspect, to supply the coloring material for the painted decoration in blue and the powder-blue grounds, and for the mono- chromes ranging from the darkest blue chi eliding down to the palest clair de lune^ which are obtained by mixing the calcined mineral in different proportions with the ordinary feldspathic white glaze of the grand feu. The blue enamel of the muffle stove, used in overglaze decora- tion in colors, is also formed of the same cobaltiferous material, combined with a vitreous flux ; it varies very much in tone, and is often of purplish tint. The same mineral is used in the preparation of the ordinary black glaze of the painted wares, and of the aubergine purple glaze of the demi-grand feu, but in these cases the colors are due mainly to manganese, and the Chinese expressly say that the poorer ores are available for these two glazes. The cobaltiferous ore is used, again, to modify the tint of other single colors, to give a pea-green hue to the ordinary celadon glaze due to the protoxide of iron, or to convert the carmine {yen-chih hung) of gold purple of Cassius into amaranth, the color of the blue lotus- blossom {cli' lug -lien) of Chinese ceramic art.

The influence of different glazes and of the reducing or oxidizing powers of the flames in changing the colors of the same material is well illustrated in the case of copper. When this element is maintained in a highly siliceous medium in the minimum condition of oxidation in a reducing fire, it develops, as a suboxide, a brilliant red of ruby tone, the typical red of the grand feu.

CHENTESE CERA]VnC COLORS. 527

When fired mtli a lead flux it becomes fixed as a pro- toxide, and develops a brilliant green, ranging from pale apple-green to the deepest emerald in the gros vert^ according to the concentration of the glaze ; it becomes in this way the source of all the greens of the muffle stove, as well as of the finely crackled cucumber-green of the demi-grand feu, which is applied generally sur hiscuit. Finally, when fired with niter, or with a lead flux containing an excess of alkalies, the silicate of copper is still more highly oxidized, and develops a beautiful turquoise-blue. Similar changes may even be made to appear upon the same piece. A Lang-Yao vase, for example, often displays a patch of apple-green toward the edge of its rich mantle of sang de hoeuf, and the peach-bloom glaze owes its charm to the peculiarly soft combinations produced by the fortuitous mingling of the two colors. The three colors are all seen together in the mottled garb of a flamhe specimen, brought out by the oxidation of the glaze while still fluescent by a cur- rent of fresh air suddenly introduced into the furnace. So iron, when fired in a reducing atmosphere in the large furnace, in the presence of a large excess of sili- cates, develops, as a protoxide, the peculiar sea-green tint known to us as celadon, deepening to an olive shade, or to a dark bottle-green, as the proportion of iron increases. The same element develops, as a peroxide, a graduated series of browns, ranging, according to the concentration of the glaze and the " warming " influence upon the color of the oxidizing flames, from pale buff, through cafe au lai% dead leaf, chocolate, and bronze, to the blackish shade of the darkest fond laque. The peroxide mixed with a simple flux of white lead painted on the porcelain over the white glaze, and fired in the muffle stove, produces the beautiful red which, in its purest tone, reminds one of coral, and is usually called coral-red.

528 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

This is the mo hung^ or " painted red," ^;ar excellence^ of the Chinese. When it is combined with a silico-alkaline vitreous flux it takes on a brighter hue of the same vermilion color, which suggests to the Chinese the red cheeks of the ripe jujube, one of their favorite fruits, so that they call the glaze now tsao-erh hung, or "jujube- red."

The above shades of red differ completely in tone from those of the other red of the muffle stove, which is obtained from gold precipitate, the compound of tin and gold which is commonly known as purple of Cassius. This produces the tints of the underneath borders of the rose-backed dishes, which are enameled with glazes of single color ranging from deep carmine, the yen-cliih Jjbung, or " cosmetic rouge " of the Chinese, down to fen hung, or pink, the "rose Pompadour," or "rose Du Barry," of French ceramic writers.

There is occasionally, on the other hand, a remarkable resemblance in the shade of coloring of glazes produced from different elements, so that a pale cobalt mono- chrome of sky-blue (fien chHng) tint may be confused for a moment with an azure-tinted glaze of turquoise shade derived from copper. On closer inspection, how- ever, the latter will be seen to have a minutely crackled texture, being one of the glazes of the demi-grand feu, while the former is one of the single colors of the grand feu.

These few introductory remarks are intended to show that some knowledge of the chemistry of colors is abso- lutely necessary as an aid to their distinction and classi- fication. Their proper distinction is often of great assistance in the correct chronological arrangement of the specimens in which they occur. The presence of any of the I'ouges d^or, for example, would prove that the piece could not be earlier than the seventeenth

CHINESE CERAMIC COLOES. 529

century, in the first quarter of wMch these colors were introduced.

The coloring materials used by the Chinese in the decoration of porcelain are few and simple when com- pared with those employed in Europe. They comprise oxide of cobalt for the ordinary blues ; oxide of copper for certain reds and greens and for turquoise-blue ; oxide of antimony for the yellows ; gold for carmines and pinks ; arsenious acid for opaque whites ; oxides of iron for celadon, coral-red, and browns ; and peroxide of manganese less rich in cobalt for the blacks and purples. '' In Europe," as M. Ebelmen observes,* " they make use of the different oxides that have just been enumerated, and take advantage also of many other substances unknown to the Chinese. The tint of the oxide of cobalt is modified by combining it with oxide of zinc or alumina, sometimes with alumina and oxide of chrome ; pure oxide of iron furnishes a dozen shades of red, from orange-red to the deepest violet-red ; oclires, pale or dark, yellow or brown, are obtained by the combination of different proportions of oxide of iron, oxide of zinc, and oxides of cobalt or nickel ; the browns are prepared by increasing the dosage of oxide of cobalt in the pre- scriptions for the ochres ; the blacks, by the suppression of the oxide of zinc in the same preparations. We vary the shades of our yellows by the addition of oxide of zinc or of tin to clear them, and of oxide of iron to deepen their tone. Oxide of chrome, either pure or combined with oxide of cobalt or the oxides of cobalt and zinc, gives yellomsh greens and bluish greens, which can be made to range from pure green to almost pure blue. Metallic gold furnishes for us the purple of Cassius, which we can afterward transform at will into violet, into purple, and into carmine. We may cite also

,* Travavx Scientijiques. tome i, p. 423,

530 ORIENTAL cera:mic art.

the oxide of uranium, and the chromates of irou, baryta, and cadmium, which give useful colors, and will conclude by mentioning the recent application of metals unoxidiz- able by fire, the discovery and preparation of which require a knowledge of chemistry that the Chinese are far from possessing."

The poverty of the Chinese palette, however, is more apparent than real, as they produce by diiferent com- binations of the colors an infinite variety of shades, so that the color scale is almost exhausted in their series of monochromes. Some colors may have escaped their in- cessant researches, like the abnormal pigments extracted from petroleum and coal-tar, such as Magenta and Sol- ferino, the fruits of recent scientific investigation, broken and fugitive tints of uncertain shade that can well be spared.

Ceramic colors are simple or compound, pure or broken ; red, yellow, and blue are simple colors. Red and yellow form orange, yellow and blue form green, blue and red form violet ; these are compound colors.

The intensity of the coloring can be attenuated by white, the colors can be deepened by black. It is by this means, by the addition of white or black to other colors, that all the different grades of tone are produced. M. Grandidier gives a list of about eighty different shades of color represented by select specimens in his own collection of Chinese porcelain, now worthily installed in the Louvre at Paris under his own oflicial curatorshij^. They occur there not only as monochromes, but also as backgrounds for painted decoration in blue or in different colors, relieving and enhancing the brilliancy of the effect in an infinite series of combinations, several of which have been illustrated and referred to in our own pages. Porcelain is conveniently divided into mono- chrome and polychrome, but in actual practice the same

CHINESE CEEAMIC COLORS. 531

colors are used for both kinds, the only essential requisite being that tliey will withstand the degree of temperature required for the firing. The same gold pink {rose cVoi"), for example, that is used for enameling the monochrome black of an eggshell dish, serves for penciling the dia- pered bands that decorate the interior; and the same cobaltiferous material that is blown on to form a powder- blue ground is used for painting the blue lines of the pictures in the medallions reserved for the purpose. In another class of pieces that have been already decorated in colors of the gr mid feu, the white ground ma}^- be subsequently filled in with soft enamels such as yellow or coral-red, or, again, any of the singly-colored grounds may be stippled with souffles of other enamel, to be subsequently fixed in the muffle stove.

The decoration of Chinese porcelain becomes more interesting when theii' methods of applying the colors are compared with those employed in Europe. As M. Ebelmen explains, the processes employed in Europe are very varied : sometimes pastes of different colors are used for the body ; sometimes the coloring material is incorporated with the glaze ; sometimes, again, the colors are applied uj^on the surface of white porcelain. The first two methods of decoration require a degree of temperature as high as that necessary for the firing of the porcelain itself. The colors employed are called de grand feu. For painting, on the contrary, upon the surface of porcelain, only such colors are used as can be vitrified at a much louver temperature than the pre- ceding; these are the colors called de moufle, the only ones that afford, up to this time, resources for painting upon porcelain pictures that can be compared with oil paintings of the old masters on canvas.

The Chinese coloring materials can be classed in the same way as those used in Europe into two main divi-

532 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

sions : tliose that can be compared with the colors of the grand feu, and those that have more analogy with the muffled colors. These last differ, however, from the European muffle colors in being mostly true vitreous enamels, the same that are used for enameling on metal. There is an intermediate division in China, known as the colors of the demi-grand feu, which differ from those of the first division in being combined w^ith a lead flux, and fuse at a lower temperature, although practically they are generally fired in the same furnace. We will attempt a cursory classification of the colors under these three divisions, adding a few notes on the principal tones of color as we proceed.

1. High-fired Colors or the Grai^d Feu.

The principal colors that come under this division are : the whites derived from the ordinary feldspathic glaze; the series of reds and a grayish celadon-green obtained from copper ; the ordinary celadons, olive- greens, and different shades of brown, which owe their coloring to iron ; the blues and purples of the cobaltifer- ous oxide of manganese, and the blacks derived from the same complex mineral. The coloring materials referred to above are occasionally used in combination ; the sea- green celadon of iron is darkened by the addition of a dosage of the cobalt mineral, and the black monochrome ground of the cobaltiferous manganese is rendered lustrous and iridescent by the addition of tzu-chin skill, the ferruginous material of the fond-laque glazes. The work of the Chinese potters is mainly empirical, and some of their principal successes, the despaii' of European imitators, are due to mixtures, in different proportions, of the cobaltiferous, in manganesian and ferruginous minerals, wdth the fusible White glaze. The result will

CHINESE CERA3IIC COLORS. 533

depend not only upon the richness of the materials in these ingredients, but also upon the atmosphere of the furnace, in its reducing or oxidizing effect.

The colors of this division are combined with a feld- spathic glaze, rendered more soluble by a notable addition of lime. This distinguishes them at once from the colors of the next two classes, in the flux of which oxide of lead is an indispensable element. The coloring materials are usually mixed with the white glaze, and applied upon the white surface of the unbaked porcelain by immersion, by insufflation, or with the brush. Occasionally the color is projected by the souffle method upon the body of the piece and invested afterward with the white glaze in successive coats. The porcelain in China is rarely sub- mitted to a preliminary baking as in Europe, but some of the ancient celadon glazes are described as having been aj^plied sur hisciiit.

The white glazes may be noticed first. In eveiy collec- tion of Chinese porcelain there are two varieties of white that ought to be carefully set apart from the ordinary productions of the Ching-te-chen jjotteries. These are the products of Ting-chou in the province of Chihli, and of Te-hua in the province of Fuchien. The Ting-chou ware dates from the Sung dynasty ; it has been described in Chapter Y, under its two varieties, the Fen Ting, with the paste white like flour, and the Tu Ting, with a less pure yellowish body. The glaze, which is either un- crackled or crackled, has in both varieties an ivory-white tone, and a texture resembling in surface that of soft- paste porcelain, to which it is frequently likened. The decoration, which is often of very intricate floral design finished off with bands of geometrical scroll-work, is either molded in relief or chiseled at the point in the paste under the glaze. The ornamentation of the Ming dynasty is less elaborate in character. During the pres-

534 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART,

eiit dynasty the old potteries are closed, but fine repro- ductions of the Fen Ting class have been made at Ching-te-chen, especially in the reigns of K''ang-hsi and Ch^ien-lung. The ceramic production of Te-hua is the Cliien Tz'% or Fuchien porcelain of the Ming and (JKlng dynasties, which will be described in a later chapter. It is the typical hlanc de Chine of collectors, with a rich satiny glaze of siliceous aspect closely blending with the paste underneath, either creamy white in color, or of a more opaque tone approaching that of ivory ; it is repre- sented chiefly by well-modeled statuettes of Buddhist divinities, such as those of the Goddess of Mercy, of Maitreya the Coming Buddha, figures of lions and myth- ological animals, incense-burners, teapots and libation- cups, the latter of oval or octagonal shape, made to imitate the cups carved out of rhinoceros horn, with applique ornaments of archaic character.

After the specimens of these two potteries have been grouped upon separate shelves, there ^vill remain a varied assortment of plain white porcelain to represent the pot- teries of Ching-te-chen. White, when pure in tint, has always been highly esteemed in China, where the earliest porcelain was made to simulate the precious cups and bowls of translucent white jade. The reign of Yung-lo, the third of the Ming emperors, is distinguished for its fragile white porcelain ornamented with impressed de- signs giving transparent effect like the water-mark in paper, and the reign of Wan-li, toward the end of the same dynasty, is marked by the renaissance of pui-e white jadelike wine-cups of eggshell thinness and incredible lightness. White is the mourning color in China, and a relic of an imperial mourning dinner service is often seen on a foreign shelf in the shape of a rice-bowl etched with five-clawed dragons under a pellucid white glaze. The delicate^ white cups carved in openwork and the charming

CHINESE CERAMIC COLORS. 535

lacework bowls with pierced designs filled iu with glaze were described in the last chapter.

Plain white porcelain is generally enameled, but there is a special variety which is purposely left in the state of biscuit without any coating of glaze, like the Parian ware of the West. The special Chinese name for this hfan tz'u — i. e., "■ turned porcelain," as if the vase were in- verted, so that the unglazed interior appeared outside, and the fiction is occasionally kept up by applying a touch of glaze inside the mouth. Flower-vases molded with a string network in relief, brush-cylinders, boxes for seal-color, and water-pots for the writing-table with land- scapes in salient relief, snuff-bottles, and many other small objects, are met with of this kind. The covered cylindrical pots in which fighting crickets are kept, the open cellules in which they are brought to the fray, and the trays on which they fight, are usually made of brown earthenware, because it absorbs water more readily, l)ut they are sometimes seen molded out of unglazed white porcelain.

In addition to the glazed white porcelain intended to remain plain white, a quantity is turned out to be sub- sequently decorated with enamel colors. Most of it is finished at the manufactory ; some is sent to Canton and painted in the peculiar style which characterized the old porcelain of the East India Company commonly known as '' India China." An occasional piece has found its way abroad and been afterward painted in surface colors with European designs at Meissen or Chelsea.

The reds of the grand feu are derived from copper. The copper is generally applied in China in a metallic form, the molten metal, derived from the cupellation of silver, or from other sources, being granulated by being thrown into water, finely pulverized, and fused with a large excess of silica in a reducing fire, so as to be con-

536 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

verted into a protosilicate. The firing is a most delicate operation, and must be stopped at the critical moment to attain a bright uniform color: if it be pushed too high, the metal will be dissipated, and the vase will come out wholly or partially colorless ; if it be insuffi- cient, the piece will be dull or liver-colored ; if the flames be allowed to become oxidizing for a moment, it will be transformed into a persilicate, and be converted to green or even to turquoise-blue, this last color representing the maximum amount of oxidation. Copper is the protean metal which gives rise in this way to the varied changes t)f color known as furnace-transmutation, or yao-pien, which were described in the last chapter.

Ked is a favorite color with the Chinese in the decora- tion of their porcelain, but this copper-red of the high fire is easily distinguishable at a glance from the reds of the muffle stove, which are derived from iron or gold. It shines out from the depth of the translucent glaze with tones approaching that of the ruby, so that the Chinese call \t pao-sJiih hung, or " ruby -red " ; the iron-reds {fan hung), on the contrary, are more superficial and of coral or brickdust hue ; the rouges cfor {yen-chili hung), which are also surface enamels, are carmine or pink.

Copper-red is one of the most ancient of Chinese ce- ramic colors, being met with in some of the most brilliant monochromes among the productions of the Chiin-chou potteries in the Sung dynasty. The reign of Hsi'mn-te (1426--35) of the Ming dynasty was especially distin- guished for its ruby-red, which was used at this time either as a single color or in painted decorations. The wine-cups used by the Emperor Hsiian-te at the ritual services at the Temple of the Sun were made of this color. Later in the Ming dynasty, in the reigns of Cliia- ching and Wan-li, we are told that the firing of the cop- per-red was found to be too difficult, and that its place

CHINESE CERAMIC COLORS. 537

was usurped by the iron-red, whicli \vas much cheaper, ^nd easier of application. In the reign of K'cmg-hsi it reappeared as the Yti-U hung^ or "glaze-inclosed red," described at the time by Pere d'Entrecolles, and the brilliant sang-de-hceuf of the Lang Yao, together \\'ith the attractive peach-blooms of this period, were both discov- ered in attempts at reproducing the sacrificial red of Hsuan-te. The attempts culminated early in the next reign in the production of the well-known monochrome red of the Nien Yao, a stippled color of bright uniform tint, which continued to be successfully produced during the reign of Clbien-lung. There is a marked renaissance of the copper-red as a single color in quite recent times, and a piece is occasionally seen rivaling the finest old ^aiig-de-boeuf in its brilliant tones of color, although infe- rior in technical finish.

It may be useful to add a few points of distinction between these different reds. The Lang Yao of the reign of ICang-hsi, which may be considered as the sang- de-boenf proper, displays a brilliant red of crimson tone, permeating the vitreous enamel, which is crackled throughout, and strewn under the surface with innumer- able little points. These points have been justly com- pared to the tiny bubbles of carbonic acid that are continually rising to burst on the surface of gaseous water in a thermal spring. The vases are glazed under- neath, and exhibit three typical bottoms, according to Chinese connoisseurs, a plain white enamel, a grayish •celadon crackle, or an apple-green crackle. The red of these vases is rarely uniform ; their chief charm is in the mingling modulated tints of their mottled texture and streaked depths, varied, perhaps, by an occasional patch of apple-green near the rim. Some are wanting in lim- pid depth and become brownish or even liver-colored ; these are failures in baking.

538 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

The Lil Lang Yao, or " Green Lang Yao," of the Chinese is much rarer than the sang-de-hoe'nf, and it is not certain that the pieces wliich exist were not accidentally produced in the firing of vases that were originally in- tended to be red. On caieful examination a spot or two of red will generally be found lurking in places where the glaze is deepest. M. Ebelmen (Joe. cit., page 445) refers to several examples of celadon coloration as obtained by him in his experimental researches upon the copper-red. He explains how a reducing atmosphere is necessary to maintain the coloring material at a minimum of oxidation for the production of the red, and how, in an oxidizing atmosphere, on the contraiy, the color would totally disappear if the volatilization of the metal were possible, or would become green if the coloring material survived in appreciable quantity. According to this hypothesis, some specimens of so-called celadon& would be either abortive I'eds or copper-greens of suffi- ciently poor color. He places in his class of celadon de cuivre all the vases, barrel-shaped gai'den-seats, and balus- trade fittings that the Chinese make in stoneware. He quotes also a very remarkable fact of a fragment of sea- green or grayish celadon porcelain, showing clearly in the fracture an opaque-red layer, looking like sealing- wax, in immediate contact with the paste. The oxidiz- ing atmosphere, in this case, had acted only on the sur- face, Avhich it had changed from red to a pale greenish tint.

Another glaze that owes its charming tints to copper is the peach-bloom, or peati de pecli£, which has been already described and fully illustrated in these pages.

The Chi-hung was brought to perfection by Nien Hsi- yao, the director of the imj)erial potteries in the reign of Yting-cheng. The name, which means " sacrificial red,'^ dates from the reign of Hman-te of the preceding

CHINESE CERAMIC COLORS. 539

dynasty, as already explained. The red vases of the Nieii Yao, as this porcelain is called after its inventor, are coated with a deep, uniform glaze of ruby tone, the stippled texture of \vhich indicates the method of ap- plication of the color by insufflation. In the uext reign of QKien-lung this single color loses something of its purity and transparency and becomes brownish, so that it has been compared to that of the skin of a medlar {jyeau de nejle). The modern chi-hung vases are less uni- form in tint, developing purplish or crimson mottled shades like the old sang-de-boeuf, or changing to the varie- gated flamhe tints described in the last chapter. But they are improving daily under the stimulus of high prices, and I have a new vase now before me, clothed in as brilliant a garb as any ancient Lang Yao specimen.

The next colors of the high fire for consideration are those due to iron, which range, according to the degree of oxidation of the metal, from the palest sea-green to the deepest brown. It is to the paler green shades that the term celadon is properly confined ; the darker shades, which are due to the peroxide, are the yellow-browns and browns of the fond-laque division. Some French ceramic writers use the term celadon in a much wider sense, to include the pale blue derived from cobalt, which is the ymli pat, or clair de June of the Chinese, and hardly needs a second name of " starch-blue " celadon (celadon bleu d'^einpois), as well as the soufie tea-dust {cKa-yeh mo), and some even group the crackled tur- quoise and purple of the demi-grand feu in the same division. We use it here as generally synonymous with the Chinese ceramic color tou-cJi'ing, literally " pea- green," which includes the two varieties of Tung cKing, the color of the old celadon ware made at the Eastei'n Capital of the Sung dynasty, and the Lung-cKuan yu, the glaze of the ancient Lung-ch'uan celadons of contem-

540 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

porary date. The prescription for the ton-cli'mg glaze^ which was applied to the celadons of the Ming dynasty^ made at Ching-te-chen, was given in Chapter VIII. The coloring material was derived from a yellow ferruginous clay, and the color was explained to be due to the sili- cates of lime and iron developing a light greenish shade under the influence of a reducing atmosphere maintain- ing the iron at a minimum of oxidation. A similar pre- scription produces the Tung-chbing celadons of the pres- ent dynasty, whereas the Lung-ch'iian glaze of to-day is made by the addition of a small dosage of calcined cobaltiferous oxide of manganese, the eft'ect of which is to darken the shade till it approaches that of the Chinese olive, which is the traditional color of the ancient Lung- ch'iian wares.

The celadons comprise many shades of clear green^ some of which approach blue ; others tend to become gray ; the tones vary with the depth of the glaze, en- hancing the effect of the incised and relief designs which often accompany it. The old celadons of the Sung dynasty are found sometimes darkening almost to bottle- green, or even becoming in exceptional cases brown- ish. The ratimiale of this is explained by the chemist M. Ebelmen, who asks: "What would happen if the celadon glaze Avere fired in an oxidizing atmosphere ? The tint would pass into red, and if the iron were in sufficient proportion a warm tone with hardly any green in it should be obtained. All these shades are found in Chinese productions, and if only the oxide of iron be increased a little, one can pass from the celadons to a deep lac-brown in an oxidizing atmosphere, to an olive- green or a bottle-green in a reducing atmosphere."

The browns, in fact, owe their color to the same mate- rial as the celadons, the compact ferruginous clay, which is called tzu dtin shih^ literally " brown gold stone,"

CHINESE CERAMIC COLORS. 541

because it is the mineral soui'ce of the ceramic golden browns. Its preparation and mode of apj^lication were fully described in Pere d'Entrecolles's Letters. AVhen mixed with a large excess of feldspar and lime it pro- duces a clear buff, or an " old-gold " tint. The Chinese tell how the potters tried to produce a yellow mono- chrome by mixing actual gold with the glaze of the high fire, but found that the metal was all evaporated in the furnace, so that they returned to the or hruni as a grace- ful and efficient substitute. Among other monochrome shades of this class, found on highly fired Chinese porce- lain, are brown ochre, cafe an lait, chestnut, capuchin, maroon, dead-leaf (^feuille nioHe), chocolate, bronze, lac- colored (almost black), etc. The darker shades are often highly iridescent.

The blues of the grand feu owe their color to cobalt, which resists the highest temperature of the furnace. The Chinese coloring material is a native cobaltiferous mineral of very variable composition, which has been already sufficiently described. The best pieces having been selected by an expert, they are first calcined in porcelain capsules, and then pulverized in hand-mortars for a whole month before the material is considered fit for use. The purest and most brilliant blues are pro- duced when the material is applied immediately ujion the raw white body of the unbaked piece, and covered with the white feldspathic glaze which it penetrates under the solving influence of the fire. The magnificent blue and white decoration, and the powdered blue grounds of lapis lazuli tint that distinguish the reign of K\mg-li8i were all executed in this way, giving an un- dulating intensity and pulsating depth to the color, and preserving it, moreover, indefinitely, so that a vase two hundred years old will look as if just fresh from the kiln. If the ore be not sufficiently rich in cobalt, the color will

542 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

be grayish ; if the glaze be too thin, or the piece be over- fired, so that the color comes to the surface, it will be turned black by the oxidation of the manganese, which is always present in the ore. The soii^e blue may be crackled by the addition of the proper ingredients to the white glaze, bringing out a clear color quite different in tone from the more finely crackled deep sapphire-blue of the demii-grand feu, illustrated in Plate XXIX, in which the cobaltiferous material is combined with a lead flux.

AVhen mixed with the feldspathic glaze and applied in the fashion of the ordinary single colors the effect of the cobalt is different. There is no longer the same intensity and depth of color, but we have in compensation a peculiar purity of tint and softness of tone in the series of charming single colors w^hich the Chinese potter has achieved in this way. The most delicate of all ceramic colors, the yueh jyai, or clwir de hme, displayed in Plate LI, is produced by the smallest addition of cobalt. Added in larger quantity the ordinary t''ien cKing, or " sky-blue," glaze of the vase shown in Plate LXXIV is developed in the furnace. A still larger proportion is requii'ed to bring out the chi-cJiHng, the " blue of the sky after rain," which is defined as the deep azure of the clear rifts between the clouds.

We possess many specimens dating from the Sung and Yuan dynasties, like the two illustrated in Plate XII, which derive their color from cobalt-tinged glazes of the grand feu, crackled or uncrackled in texture. They often display shades of lavender or pale purple, indicating the presence of manganese in the coloring material. The celebrated ancient ware of Ju-chou was purer in tint than any other of the Sung porcelains, being described as a clair de lune of the color of the blossoms of the Vitex incisa, the " sky-blue flower " of the Chinese.

CHINESE CERAMIC COLORS. 543

The same cobaltiferous mineral is utilized in tlie ])ro- duction of the black grounds of the graiidfeii, for which purpose the pieces of ore that are less rich in cobalt will suffice. Pere d'Entrecolles describes two kinds of black glaze. The first, which is duller in aspect, is obtained by combining three parts of the blue coloring material with seven parts by weight of the ordinary feldspathic glaze, but the proportions may be varied in accordance with the tint required ; the mixture is applied to the unbaked piece, which is afterward fired in the big furnace. It forms an effective background for a decoration in gold, which is penciled on after the first baking, and fixed by refiring in the muffle. The second black glaze, called wii chin, or ^' metallic black," which is more lustrous and iridescent in aspect, is formed by adding some of the tzu- oJiiji sliih, the ferruginous mineral w^hicli produces the coffee-brown glazes, to a liquid mixture composed of the above ingredients, in which the porcelain is plunged, and baked in an oxidizing fire. If the firing be carelessly managed the color will be brown instead of black, as we often see in modern pieces.

The colors of the high fire are used in combination with each other in the decoration of Chinese porcelain, as well as singly for monochrome glazes. The essential point is that all the associated colors should be able to be brought out properly by the same fire. The uuderglaze <jobalt-blue seems to be developed with any kind of fire if only it be buried in the depths of the glaze in the pres- ence of an excess of silica, so that we see blue and white painting, with touches, perhaps, of bright copper-red, associated on one vase witli broad bauds of palest sea- green celadon and zones of grayish crackle, and on another find zones of warm dead-leaf brown encirclincr the shoulder and rims and separating pictures penciled in blue. The blue seems to acquire additional brilliancy

544 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

when enhanced, as it occasionally is, by a background of ox-blood or peach-bloom of the same mottled tones as characterize the single-colored vases of the period. Many of these different combinations have been already referred to ; one of the most effective is that of copper- red with pale celadon, as illustrated in Plate XXXVI ; in such pieces the red coloring material is painted with a brush upon the unbaked surface before the celadon glaze is applied ; it gradually infiltrates under the solving action of the reducing fire till it penetrates to the surface. There is always a certain lack of clearness of definition in designs produced in this way, which is often combated by tooling the outlines in the paste, or working them into low relief.

Another common combination of high-fired colors upon vases is that where the decoration is executed in blue and maroon with touches of celadon. The cobalt and copper colors are painted on under the glaze, while the celadon is inlaid, as it were, in the white enamel, filling in the out- line of a rockery, for example, or some other detail of the picture. In other styles of decoration we see lustrous black grounds with reserve medallions containing cameo pictures in blue, and powder-blue vases with panels of mirror-black displaying pictures in gold that have been penciled on subsequently to the first firing. The dead- leaf and coffee-colored grounds of the grand feu furnish in the same way a long series of combinations. Finally come an infinite variety, designed for additional decora- tion in enamel colors, which can be fired in the mufifle stove at a comparatively low temperature Avithout injury to the original highly fired colors, on which the enamels are overlaid, or with which they are intermingled.

CHINESE CERAMIC COLORS. 545

2. Colors of the Demi-grand Feu.

Among the monochromes peculiar to Oj'iental porce- lain there are some which appear to have been applied SUV hiscuit — that is to say, upon porcelain that has already been fired in the furnace. On close examination they are seen to be truite, to have a minutely crackled texture, a characteristic which is rarely seen in glazes fired at a very high temperature. On being tested with hydro- fluoric acid by M. Ebelmen, they proved to contain, in addition to the blue, yellow, and green coloring agents, a notable proportion of oxide of lead. This approaches them to the enamel colors of the mufile stove included in the next class. They are fired by the Chinese in the deepest part of the large furnace, and are placed below the level of the vent-hole opening into the chimney, where the temperature is much lower than it is in the body of the kiln.

The colors of this class are not numerous ; they com- prise turquoise-blue, aubergine-violet, yellow, and green. Their composition is sufiiciently well known, as they are all included in the list of colored glazes of which the prescriptions were given in Chapter VIII, extracted from technical books of the Ming dynasty, and the Chinese accounts have been confirmed by a qualitative analysis of actual specimens.

The mode of application of these glazes is described by Pere d'Entrecolles. The bowls, for example, are first fired unglazed in the large furnace, from which they come out quite white but lusterless ; if they are to be single- colored, they are immersed in a crock containing the coloring materials made into a kind of cream with water ; if they are to be party-colored, like the bowls known to the Chinese as " tiger-spotted," which are daubed all over,

546 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

inside and outside, with irregular blotches of purple, green, yellow, and white, the colors are laid on with a brush. Tlie piece is finally fired again in the most tem- perate part of the large furnace, as a fierce fire would destroy the colors.

These were the earliest vitreous colors used in China, and they were employed centuries before the enamel colors of the muffle stove were introduced. Fusing as they do at a comparatively low degree of heat, they are availaVjle for the decoration of common pottery or earth- enware, as well as of porcelain, and they are widely utilized for this purpose throughout the East, more especially foi- architectural decoration. In the celebrated porcelain pagoda of Nanking, which was rebuilt in the beginning of the fifteenth century (but is now destroyed), only the white bricks were made of porcelain ; the colored tiers, panels, and antefixal ornaments were all of enameled earthenware. The roofs of the palaces and imperial temples in Peking are covered with yellow tiles ; those of the princes with bright green ; the Temple of Heaven shines in the sun as intensely purple as the vase in Plate XXIX ; and bi'oken ornaments in all the soft tones of crackled turquoise are to be picked up in the ruins of the summer palaces which were burned in 1860. All the four colors are represented also in the grotesque monsters of European form, and in the helmets and trophies of arms that were designed by the Jesuit Frere Attiret for the fountains and other decorations of the Versailles that was built under his superintendence at Yuan-ming-yuan in the last century for the Emperor Oh^ien-lung. These were made at the potteries near Peking. I allude to them here because at these very potteries they are now busily engaged in making a quantity of vases and bowls glazed with the same beauti- ful colors, to which the soft excipient seems to impart

I

CHINESE CERAMIC COLORS. 547

an added softness, which are destined for exportation to supply the increasing demands of enthusiastic collectors of " single colors." The fact that yellow clay used often to be mixed with the porcelain earth in the old fabrics, to enhance the brilliancy of the glaze colors, gives a certain vraisemhlance to the fraudulent reproductions which I have seen sold for as many dollars as they would cost in cents to produce.

3. Enamel Colors of the Muffle Stove.

The materials used by the Chinese in their ordinary decoration in colors fuse at a much lower temperature than that required for baking porcelain, and they are painted over the glaze on pieces that have been pre- viously fired, and which must be retired in the muffle to fix the colors. They may be compared to our own muffle colors, but they differ in some essential points^ in their composition as well as in their mode of appli- cation.

There is, to begin with, a radical difference in the first principles of Chinese art, shown in the want of per- spective, the absence of shading, and the studied avoid- ance of mixed tints. The hio-hest aim of the artist at Sevres is to copy an oil-painting on canvas of one of the old masters, to reproduce exactly every varied shade of color in the original, and to take care that, after baking, the picture shall appear uniformly glazed. The Chinese artist is attempting to reproduce on porce- lain a water-color on silk or paper of one of his old masters, limned in pure, soft colors, with no broken tints and no mixed tones. The Chinese colors are far from presenting the uniformity of thickness and glazing that is considered to be de rigioeur in Europe in a painting on porcelain. Some are brilliant, perfectly fused, and

548

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

laid on so thickly as to stand out iu tangible relief on the surface of the porcelain ; the carmines obtained from gold, the purple-blues, the greens, and the yellows are examples ; others, such as the iron-reds and the blacks, present generally a dull surface, and are only glazed in the thinner parts ; their depth is always less than that of the vitrified colors. In the Chinese pictures there is no shading in the figures or other details ; the outlines are sharply defined by single lines of red or black ; there is no gradation in the different tints ; the colors are laid on in Inroad strokes, to which the artist returns occasionally to execute a damask, either with the same color, with other colors, or with metals ; he rarely mixes on his palette powders of different coloring ma- terials. The aspect of their pictures, when examined closely, reminds one of the glass mosaics that were so artistically executed in Europe during the thirteenth century, and in which all the details of the design and modeling of the figures were produced simply by red or brown lines upon the mosaic ^vork executed in frag- ments of white or colored glass.

- These enamels are colored by a small percentage only of the metallic oxide dissolved in the vitreous mass, and they require to be laid on thickly to give the proper intensity of tone ; this gives a relief which is impossible to obtain by any other method, and imparts a certain cachet to Chinese productions. The general harmony of the coloring is due to the nature and composition of their enamels. The flux, in China, is composed of silica and oxide of lead combined with a greater or less proportion of alkalies. It holds in solution, in the state of silicates, a few hundredths only of the coloring oxides, the number of which is extremely limited. The coloring materials are oxide of copper for the greens and the bluish greens, gold for the reds.

CHINESE CERAMIC COLORS. 549

oxide of cobalt for the blues, oxide of antimony for the yellows, arsenious acid, and more rarely stannic acid, for the whites. Oxide of iron and the impure oxides of manganese, which give the first red, and the second hlaclc, are the sole exceptions, and this is, no doubt, because it is impossible to obtain these colors in solu- tions by means of the oxides that have just been mentioned.

M. Ebelmen sfives the followins; resume of his re- searches :

" 1. The colors called muffle colors — that is to say, baking at a very low temperature compared with that at which porcelain is baked — are essentially few in number.

" 2. The palette is composed not of colors, properly so called, but of enamels — that is to say, of plumbo- alkaliue glasses, variously colored by a few hundredths of dissolved oxides.

" 3. The composition of the vitreous flux is generally very uniform ; its tint is always light, and it is this lightness of tone, as well as the vivacity of the color- ing, which gives Chinese porcelain its harmonious effect and characteristic richness.

" 4. The enamels are colored by oxide of cobalt, by oxide of copper in the state of binoxide, and by gold — all substances easily soluble in a vitreous flux, and of very simple preparation.

"To these shades the Chinese add a yellow derived from antimony, and an opaque white, the base of which is sometimes tin, sometimes arsenious acid, both of which they mix with the other enamels, as they combine these last with each other to obtain a nearly infinite variety of shades, which, however, it is always possible to decompose and to reduce to the five following ele- ments : blue from oxide of cobalt, blue or green from

550 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

oxide of copper, carmine from gold, and yellow from oxide of antimony.

''If we add to these enamels the very impure oxide of cobalt, which, under the glaze, will always develop into blue, the same oxide mixed with white lead to make it adhere to the glaze becomes black ; and the calcined oxide of iron, which, combined with white lead and with flux, produces a series of iron-reds, dull or brilliant, like or dark ; and finally gold, which is made adhesive by the addition of a tenth part of white lead, we shall be able to gain a complete idea of the means that form all the resources of the Chinese decorator."

The enamel painting in colors of the next period, which came in after the new Manchu dynasty was firmly established, is commonly known as Khmg-hsi Wu ts'ai — i. e,, "Decoration in colors of the reign of K^'ang-lisir The pictures are usually executed entirely in enamels, the underglaze blue being replaced by a surface cobalt silicate of vitreous composition, which accompanies the old purple enamel color derived from the same native manganese ore less rich in cobalt. The full, strong red of coral tint continues and improves in purity of tone, and the greens become more and more prevalent and brilliant, so that the class has been called by the distinctive name of famille verte. This class, the color- ing of which is perfectly shown in the vase illustrated in Plate VI, is also known in China by the name of ying ts'ai, or ''hard colors," to distinguish it from a different style of coloring which was introduced toward the end of the same reign, executed in pale tints of pure tone and broken colors, among which carmines, pinks, and an amaranth purple, all derived from pre- cipitated gold, appeared for the first time in ceramic art. This constitutes the decoration in jua7i ts'ai, or " soft colors," which is known also by the name of fm

CHINESE CERAMIC COLORS. 551

ts'ai, or " ^2^^ colors." Plate LXIII is a fine example of the style.

But it is time to examine the enamel colors in detail. They are brought to Ching-te-chen in the shape of irregularl}^ broken fragments of vitreous composition from the glass-works in the province of Shantung. A collection of Chinese glass will exhibit all the different single colors in their primitive state, simply molded into shape to form various kinds of utensils and ornaments. The pieces as they come from the glass manufactory, com- posed of a plumbo-alkaline flux of very uniform com- position tinged by the metallic oxide which gives the color, have first to be pounded and finely pulverized, and at the same time a variable proportion of white lead is added if it be necessary to increase the fusibility, and some siliceous sand if the color be too soft. The color is finally worked on the palette, either with turpentine, with weak glue, or with pure water, and painted on over the glaze with the brush.

In addition to their use in the decoration of painted porcelain, these enamel colors are all used singly to pro- duce monochromes. The class of monochrome enamels, all of which are fired in the mufile, will include : the reds of vermilion and coral tint derived from iron, exemplified by a typical example in Plate XCII ; the carmines and pinks derived from gold, of which one is represented in Plate LIII ; the yellows, ranging from the pale canary of Plate LXV to the deep imperial yelloAV of Plate V, which are derived from antimony, tinged more or less by the presence of iron ; the plain, uncrackled greens of varied tone and sheen, often iridescent, w^hich owe their color to copper binoxide ; the uncrackled sapphire-blue of intense tone known as ^J)«<9-5^^'^ Ian, due to cobalt silicate ; the deep grayish purple (tzii) manganese monochrome, and a brilliant glossy black of vitreous composition.

552 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

The white enamel colors owe the opacity of their tint to arsenic, of which they generally contain about five per cent. The vdtreous compound is widely used also in combination with other colors, being mixed with them, to modify their tint and make them opalescent. The various white enamels known to the Chinese by the names oi y a pal, "ivory-white," lisuehpai, "snow-white," smd po-li pad, "glass-white," differ but slightly in. com- position. The yioelip)(ii, " moon- white," of the enameler's palette, which has a pale greenish tinge, is prepared by adding a small amount of one of the transparent greens to the white.

The blacks, of varied composition, all owe their color to cobaltiferous manganese not rich in cobalt. The calcined mineral is sometimes painted on combined with white lead as a flux and mixed with glue, when the surface will be a dead black, and only partially vitrified at the edges by combining with some of the silica of the white glaze. The wu chin, or " metallic black " of the enam- eler's palette contains an additional quantity of oxide of copper, which imparts a greenish tone. The same coloring material, when mixed with the oi'dinary viti'eous flux, produces the brilliant color known as Hang liei, or "glossy black," which contains a smaller proportion of oxide of manganese than the other blacks.

The blue of the enamel painter, like that of the grand feu, owes its color to cobalt. There are many shades, differing in fusibility, but all made by the same method, and consisting of oxide of cobalt, more or less impure, dissolved in a more or less fusible plumbo-alkaline glass. The color is very intense in the state of silicate, so that the deepest sapphire-blue does not contain more than one and a half per cent of oxide of cobalt, and the lighter azure-blue, called fen cKing, yields only one-third as much on an analysis of the flux. The presence of oxide of manga-

CHINESE CERAMIC COLORS. 553

nese skives a violet tint. The enamel fuses on tlie surface of the porcelain in salient relief so tbat it can be distin- guished at once from the underglaze Ijlue ; its brittleness causes it to be easily injured, and it is occasionally found broken and scaled oft* in patches, the result of wear.

The green enamels used for the surface decoration ■of porcelain are all colored by oxide of copper, being either pure, or changed to a yellowish tone by the addi- tion of prepared yellow, or to a bluish tone by the addition of arsenical white or the use of a harder flux. The flux is varied according to the tint desired. Oxide of lead in excess deepens the green ; soda communicates a tint less blue than that developed by potash under similar circumstances. Tlie pale sea-green tint used for filling in distant mountains is called for that reason sJtan lii, or " mountain green " ; this is the pure biuoxide of copper, and it is converted into turquoise-blue of darker or lighter shade by being mixed with dift'erent propor- tions of white enamel containing arsenic. The color called hu lii, or vert passe, is made by the combination of antimonial yellow with the copper green. The deep- est shade of camellia-leaf gi-een, called ta lii, or gros vert, is brought out in the firing of the pure copper oxide dis- solved in a highly plumbiferous flux combined with the smallest possible proportion of alkalies.

The yellows of the mufile stove are colored by anti- mony. Antimony alone is colorless, but in combination with oxide of lead it gives a bright canary-yellow when pure. When contaminated with iron a reddish or orange tone is produced. The purest tint is exhibited in the yellow ground of the vase illustrated in Plate LXV, and tne same yellow characterizes the finest painted decora- tion of the period. The imperial yellow, which is spe- cially reserved in China for the use of the sovereign, is of fuller, deeper tone, approaching orange. Peroxide

554 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

of iron is purposely mixed with the pulverized yellow enamel to produce the surface color of dull aspect which is known by the name of hu Ciing, or " old bronze."

The deep purplish brown monochrome enamel, ap- proaching a dark claret color, which is known to the Chinese as tza, is produced by manganese. The oxide of manganese communicates to alkaline glazes, as we saw in the colors of the demi-grand feu, a beautiful violet d''eveque (bishop's purple), or aubergine purple ; to lead glazes it gives the brownish or grayish purple of the muffle stove, wdiich we find in imperial ware in combina- tion usually with dragons and other ornamental designs, etched at the point in the paste underneath.

The reds of the enameler's palette remain for considera- tion. They consist of two distinct and well-defined classes, viz., the rouges defer, which owe their color to iron per- oxide, and the rouges d''or, which owe their color to gold precipitate, the purple of Cassius. The former are of brickdust or bright coral hue ; the latter are I'ose-colored,. carmine, or pink. Peroxide of iron is self-colored, and does not require to unite chemically with any other sub- stance to bring out its tint. In this it resembles the peroxide of manganese, which produces the black, and the technical application of the two colors is consequently the same. The peroxide of iron requires only a simple flux to cause it to adhere and to glaze its surface. It i& prepared in China by the incineration of crystals of green vitriol (sulphate of iron). The peroxide is combined with five times its weight of white lead, the two materials being passed through a fine sieve and triturated together ; a little glue must be dissolved in water w^hen it is used on the palette, anfl it must be painted on with a light brush. The color applied in this way is of deep, full tone, but of dull aspect, as it depends for vitrification on the small proportion of silica that it is able to absorb

>

CHINESE CERAMIC COLORS. 000

from the underlying glaze; it differs from the ordinary enamel colors in not being in apprecial)le relief. This is the ta hung, or gros rouge, of the Chinese, also known as mo hung, or " painted red," being the oi'dinary red of decorative painting on porcelain. The iron peroxide, like the peroxide of manganese, is also employed in combination with the ordinary plumbo-alkaline vitreous flux when the color is required to be more brilliant and glossy. The bright coral-red single color, known to the Chinese by the name of tsao-^rh hung, or " jujube red," is produced by this means ; it differs from the other in being completely vitrified, even when laid on thickly, and excels it in trans- lucency and luster, although not so deep and full in tone. The vase illustrated in Plate XXVI displays this ground in combination with a decoration in enamel colors ; in other cases it is employed with the best eft'ect to form a rich ground for ornamental designs reserved in white, as in the charming little bowds of the ChHen-lung period, which are so gracefully decorated with white sprays of bamboo, thrown out in crisp outline by the lustrous ver- milion background.

The rouges d'or are of comparatively modern introduc- tion into the Chinese ceramic field, and seem to have been quite unknown until the latter part of the reign of K\ing- hsi. They are not mentioned by Pere d'Entrecolles, but the cyclical date corresponding to the year 1721 has been found on several saucer-dishes of Chinese porcelain deco- rated with enamels of this class, and they occur among the colors of vases painted in the style known us Juan ts^ai, or " soft coloring," that are credibly attributed to the reign of IC^ang-hsi. The color called yen-chih hung, from its likeness to the cosmetic rouge of the Chinese, is brought to Ching-te-chen in the shape of irregular frag- ments of ruby-colored glass, the precipitated purple of Oassius having been previously combined with a vitreous

556 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

flux. This is finely pulverized, worked up on the palette with water or turpentine, and painted on without further addition to produce the deep carmine of the rose-backed es-o-shell dishes, or the crimson blossoms of a flower on a decorated piece. The color is known also as hua Jiung, or "flower red," on account, probably, of its frequent use in coloring petals. Anal}sis shows it to consist of the usual plumbo-alkaline flux, tinged with about one-quarter per cent of metallic gold. A pink called /m hung, of the " rose Du Barry " type, is prepared by mixing the materials of the carmine color with those of the ordinary white enamel. The third color of this class, which is called by the name of chUing lien., or "blue lotus," is pre- pared by mixing together three enamels — the caiminCy colored ruby-red by dissolved gold ; the ivory-white^ made opaque by arsenious acid ; and the deep blue derived from cobalt ; the result when fired is a deep amaranth of purplish tone.

Gold is also used in its ordinary metallic form in gild- ing porcelain and in penciling upon it decorative designs, which are fixed bv beina; fired in the muifle, Pere d'En- trecolles has described fully its method of preparation and its application, mixed with one-tenth of its weight of white lead, by means of weak glue. It is singular that exactly the same proportions ai-e employed in Europe in mixing the gold with the flux which makes it adhei'e to the porcelain, although the flux used at Sevres is subni- trate of bismuth. Silver is also employed in China in its metallic form, combined with white lead, whether as a souffle overglaze or as an efliective decoration penciled upon a dead-leaf ground.

CHAPTER XX.

MOTIVES OF DECOEATIOX OF CHINESE PORCELAIN.

THE principal modes of decoration have been casually alluded to already in the description of particular pieces and of the style of different peiiods, but a short resume of the more usual motives selected by the Chinese artist may be attempted in a separate chapter. A com- plete account of the varied phases of an art the principles of -which diff'er so completely from our own, or of the alien religions and strange philosophy which furnish its chief subjects, is hardly to be expected. The first impres- sion is apt to be that of the grotesque, and we notice the absence of pei'spective in the landscapes, the want of drawino; in the fio-ures, and the strang-e forms of the weird monsters that are so often introduced. It is necessary to get accustomed to these peculiarities to appreciate the full effect of the vivid and harmonious colorino: in which the brush of the Oriental decorator of porcelain has never been surpassed. The same effect is aimed at whether he be painting on the ra^v body with a single color, such as cobalt-blue, so that the picture may be imbibed in the fire in the translucent depths of the wdiite overglaze, or whether he be working with the vitreous colors of the enameler's palette, which are applied over the glaze and fixed in the lesser heat of the muffle stove. It is brilliancy which is the leading note in the decoration of porcelain, and it is produced in its perfection in the vivid greens of the polychrome pictures of the o\d. famille veHe, as well as in the pulsating vigor which distinguishes the best " blue and white " of the same reign of ICancj-

557

558 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Tisi. These two acliievements mark the culmiuating point of the ceramic art of Cliina, and they have never been surpassed in any other country.

The earliest prehistoric pottery that is dug up from the ground in all parts of Eastern Asia, specimens of which are so highly prized by the Chinese as relics of the time of their sacred emperors, Yao and Shun, w^hose virtues are extolled by Confucius, is made of coarse, yel- lowish clay. It is roughly ornamented with indented dots and scored lines arranged in geometrical patterns, or with string marks, impressed while the clay was still moist, and has generally a remarkable similarity to the archaic pottery discovered in other parts of the world. In the Han dynasty it begins to be marked with inscrip- tions in the same way as the bricks and tiles of the period, which indeed it exactly resembles in material and structure. An example of this is a roughly shaped globu- lar vessel, six and a quarter inches high, six inches in diameter, with an expanding mouth strengthened by a prominent lip, which has been added to my collection since the chapter on Marks was written. The form is precisely that of some of the Anglo-Saxon urns dug up in England. The mark, Avhich is stamped under the foot of the vase, so that the characters stand out in low relief, is Wufeng erli nien — i. e., "second year of the Wu-feng period," which corresponds to b. c. 56, the eighteenth year of the reign (b. c. 73-49) of tlie ^m^^erov Hsuan Ti of the Han dynasty.

The more finely finished pieces of the Han dynasty are composed of a kind of gray faience coated with a brilliant green glaze derived from copper, the tint of which is fitly compared by the Chinese to that of the rind of a cucumber. The vases, modeled in the form of the sacrificial bronze vessels of the period, have usually mask handles fashioned in the shape of monsters' heads,

I

MOTIVES OF DECORATION. 559

and are ornamented ^vith encircling bands worked in relief in the paste under the glaze. These bands are generally filled with the forms of grotesque dragons and other monstrous creatures traversino; a frieze of clouds. The designs are identical with those employed at this period in the mural sculptures of tombs carved in bas-relief on stone which I was the first to introduce into Europe by the exhibition of a series of rubbings at the Oriental Congress at Berlin in 1881.* The photographs of these rubbings are included in the beautifully illus- trated volume f lately published by my friend M. Cha- vannes, the learned Professor of Chinese at the College de France^ which should be consulted by every student of early Chinese art. The scenes displayed so strikingly in these mural sculptures are of the most varied character, and are especially interesting as indications of the ancient myths of the Chinese, before they were modified by the introduction of Buddhism from India. AVe see the astronomical star-gods, headed by the Supreme Deity enthroned in the Great Bear, round which the lesser satellites continually circle in token of homage, the storm- gods in the midst of clouds shaping themselves into the forms of dragons and winged horses, the elemental gods of wind and rain, and the dreaded god of thunder canopied by a rainbow, the latter being depicted as a two-headed dragon with arched body. There are battle scenes and warlike processions with chariots and spear- men, representations of the early men of mythical times with serpent bodies, and peaceful pageants, such as Confucius attended by his disciples, or the meeting of Confucius and Lao Tzu. Historical scenes from classical times follow, a series of pictures of the assassins of

* Inscrij)tions from the Tombs of the Wu Fuinily from the Neighborhood of the City Chiahsiang-hsien in the Province of Shantung. By Dr. S. W. Bushell.

j; La Sculpture sur Pierre en Chine au temps des deux Dynasties Han. Par Edoiiard Chavannes. Paris, 1893.

560 OKIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

tyrannical sovereigns, and of the noted examples of feudal devotion, the virtuous heroines of ancient stoiy and the paragons of filial piety, that have so often sup- plied motives for the decoration of porcelain in more modern days.

One of tlie stone slabs figures the felicitous omens that herald the rule of a virtuous sovereign ; the well of pure water that appeared spontaneously without digging ; the miraculous bronze tripod in which food could be cooked without fire ; the spotted unicorn called lin {hH-liii) ; the yello\v dragons that appeared swimming in the lakes ; the calendar plant of the time of the Emperor Yao, that indicated the day of the month by throwing out a sprout on each successive day of the waxing moon, till there were fifteen, and by dropping one by one these sprouts each day of the waning moon; the six-legged monster; the white tiger that harmed no man ; the jade horse ; Jade growing up miraculously from the ground ; the red bear ; the twin tree with two trunks united above ; the crystal gem (^pi-liu-li), disk-shaped, with a round hole in the middle ; the deep-green tablet (Jisuan Icuei) of jade, of oblong shape, with pointed top, an ancient badge of rank ; two-headed quadrupeds, birds, and fishes ; the white carp that appeared to Wu Wang, the founder of the Chou dynasty, as he was crossing the ford at Meng- chin ; the white deer on which foreign envoys from the south are said to have ridden to the court of the ancient Emperor Huang Ti\ the silver wine-jar (ym weng)^ and the Jade symbol of victory {ijil slieng), the form of which resembled that of a weaver's spindle, or of two disks united by a central bar.

Bronze has been one of the principal materials for artistic work in China from the most remote times, and the collections of bronze antiquities that have been pub- lished in the many illustrated books that are referred to

MOTIVES OF DECORATION. 561

in tlie chapter on Bibliography have furnished a mine of wealth for the potter in supplying forms as well as decorative designs. The circular mirrors of bronze, for example, which go back to the Han dynasty (b. c. 206- A. D. 220), are molded and engraved on the back with varied designs, accompanied often by written inscriptions, and form by themselves a suggestive chapter of Chinese art. The round mirror is a sacred article in the Taoist cult, being supposed to have the power of detecting evil spirits masquerading in human guise by reflecting their true form, and the back is usually covered with pictures of mythological and astrological character. In the Han dynasty we have winged figures of the celestial deities, four-horse chariots, and grotesque monsters in the style of the mural sculptures of the time, lions and phcenixes in the midst of arabesquelike scrolls of flowers, dragons, and sea-horses in festoons of grapes. The divinity Hsi Wang Mu, "Royal Mother of the West," with kneeling attendants bearino; olferinofs, and bands of musicians, is seated, either enthroned alone, or in association with Tung "Wang Fu, "Royal Father of the East"; the legends connected with these two deities are supposed to be partly borrowed from Hindu sources, being arranged like those relating to Indra and his consort, and the Buddhistic aspect of the figures, posed as they are occasionally on lotus thalami, lends some color to the supposition. The astrological figures on the Han mii'i'ors are those of the four quadrants of the uranoscope, viz., the azure dragon of the eastern quadrant, the somber tortoise and serpent of the north, the white tiger of the Avest, and the red bird of the south. The bronze mirrors of the T\vn(j dynasty (618-906) display a further series of astrological figures, including the twelve animals of the solar zodiac, the twenty-eight animals of the lunar zodiac, the asterisms to which they correspond, etc.

562 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

The list of the animals of the solar zodiac has beeu already given in Chapter III, in connection with the duodenary cycle. They are represented on the backs of the mirrors in rings, which are sometimes filled in with sprays of ilowei's or leafy scrolls. On porcelain of more modern times the animals are occasionally grouped in a landscape scene filled in with ordinary details. They are also found molded in porcelain, either in a series of small animal forms, or as statuettes with human bodies and animal heads.

One of the large bronze mirrors of this period, fifteen inches in diameter, with the usual boss in the middle, perforated for a silk cord, has round the boss a ring of the four quadrants enumerated above, followed by a succession of concentric rings. The second of these rings has the pa hua^ the eight trigrams of broken and unbroken lines, used in divination; the third ring con- tains the twelve animals of the solar zodiac ; the fourth, the ancient names of the lunar asterisms in archaic script ; the fifth, the figures of the twenty-eight animals of the lunar zodiac, followed by their names, the names of the constellations over which they rule, and those of the planets to which they correspond. The planets are arranged in the same order as in our days of the week, and the Chinese are supposed to have derived their first knowledge of the division of the periods of the moon's diurnal path among the stars into weeks of seven days about the eighth century, when they obtained also the animal cycles, which had been previously unkmown to them. Their knowledge of the twenty-eight lunar mansions is, however, far more ancient, and long dis- cussions have taken place as to whether they were invented in Chaldea, India, or China, or derived from some common source in central Asia. Professor W. D. Whitney, in his studies on the Indian Nahsliatras, or

MOTIVES OF DECORATION. 56&

Lunar Stations, sums up the discussion by the con- clusion that, " considering the concordances existing among the three systems of the Hindus, Chinese, and Arabians, it can enter into the mind of no man to doubt that all have a common origin, and are but different forms of one and the same system."

In addition to the astrological and hieratic devices on these old bronze mirrors, which are mostly of Taoist character, with wild animals, such as the deer and hare^ bringing herbs in their mouths to the hermit, or sacred birds, such as the swallow and crane, carrying in their beaks scroll messages from the gods or fateful talismans for the religious recluse, there is another kind with purely ornamental decoration. These are covered with sprays of natural flowers and buttei'flies, with conventional gar- lauds of idealized flowers, such as are called by the Chi- nese pao hsmng Jma, or '' flowers of paradise," with flsh swimming in waves among moss and water-weeds, with boys circling round the field weaving flowers, with drag- ons and phcenixes disporting in tlie midst of floral ara- besques, and with many others of the designs that we find so often repeated later as art motives for ceramic decoration.

In Buddhism, bronze objects of the same circular form, looking like large medallions with the face polished to a mirrorlike surface, represented the sacred w^heel (/« hiQi)^ and are molded on the back with Sanskrit dharani. One of these is sometimes placed in the hand of a Bud- dhist divinity, or suggests the decoration of a porcelain dish penciled with concentric rings of Sanskrit writing.

The ancient bronze moldings, in connection with the carvings in jade of the Han dynasty, which were exe- cuted in a similar style, furnished in fact the first models for the porcelain manufacture. The old crackled wares of the Sim(/ dynasty, the grass-green celadons, and the

564 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

ivory-white Tingcliou porcelain of the same period (960- 1279), all have the decorative designs molded in reliefer engraved in the paste underneath the glaze, which was applied subsequently. We know nothing from actual experience of the older fabrics, but are told in the })ooks that they were made in imitation of white and green jade, and that they owed their chief beauty to the bi'il- liant tints of their single colors, emulating the emerald hue of moss-green jade, or the clear blue of the sky after rain. Specimens of the Sung dynasty are not so uncom- mon ; the vases are seen to have been molded with the designs of the character that has been described, outside, so as to cover their surface ; the bowls, cups, and dishes have had the interior ornamented by being pressed upon the mold and finished afterward with the graving tool. Among the most frequent of the molded designs are phcenixes flying among flowers, and brocaded grounds composed of intei'lacing sprays of Moutan peonies and. lilies, the rims being defined by encircling bands of fret of varied pattern. A pair of fishes is occasionally seen in Ijold relief in the bottom of a circular dish of old cela- don porcelain, and the same design is found on the older copper basins of the Han dynasty ; other dishes are lightly engraved under the glaze with a spray of lotus or of peony, or with grounds of checkered and fluted pat- tern. There is no reference to painted decoration till toward the end of the Sung dynasty, and even then only in the case of some of the coarser productions, which seem to have been occasionally roughly ornamented with a few strokes of brown derived from some ferruginous material, or witli touches of a dull blue composed of impure manganiferous cobalt laid on over the glaze and incorporated with it at the same firing. The blue and white of the Yuan dynasty (1280-1367) was probably of the same type, and perhaps some of the crackled jars

MOTIVES OF DECORATION. 565

roughly painted iu blue with dragons, that are cherished as heirlooms by the Dayaks of Borneo and in other islands of the Eastern Archipelago, may date from this period. China has never been so isolated from the outer world as some have supposed. The oldest writings and tradi- tions have so much in common with those of the ancient Accadians and Babylonians as to suggest the theory of a joint origin for both.* Many of the philosophical ideas of the early Taoist writers are evidently inspired from a Hindu source, and the Buddhist missionaries, when they came to China in the first century a. d., brought with them carved images and sacred pictures, and besides exercised subsequently a considerable influence on Chi- nese art, as is freely confessed by native writers on the subject. Even before the Christian era the Emperor Wi/ Tl of the Han dynasty had opened up intei'course with w^estern Asia, sent envoys ^vho penetrated as far as the Persian Gulf, followed by a large army, which con- quered the Greek kingdom of Ferghana, enthroned a new king there, and exacted a tribute of Nisgean horses, so famous in classical history, which were, indeed, the avowed object of the expedition. Herodotus describes these horses, which " sweated blood," as coming from Nisa in Media ; and Ssu-ma Ch'ien, the author of the Sliih Chi^ the first of the official Chinese histories, who has been called " the Chinese Herodotus," describes them in similar terms under the name of JSfi-ssu horses ; while Li Kuang-li, the commander-in-chief of the expedition, who was appointed in the year b. c. 102, Avas given the honorary title of Nissean General. The Greeks are described in the Chinese history under the name of Yuan, which is equivalent to laon, the name they have always borne in Asia ; and the influence of Greek art is

* Western Origin of the Early Chinese Civilization. From 2300 B. C. to 200 A. D. By Terrlen de Lacouperie. London, 1894.

566 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

betrayed by several details in the mural sculptures of Chinese tombs dating from the Han dynasty as well as in early Buddhist sculpture.

During the succeeding centuries there was occasional intercourse both by land and by sea until the thirteenth century, when nearly the whole of Asia was under the dominion of the Mongol descendants of Genghis Khan^ who occupied the thrones of both China and Persia, over- ran Russia, and reached nearly to the walls of Vienna. Marco Polo in his well-known Travels describes his jour- neys about this time between Europe and Cathay both by sea and by land. Rabruquis, the envoy of Saint Louis of France to Mangu Khan, who arrived at Kara- korum in the year 1252, found there a Parisian gold- smith named Guillaume Boucher, who was specially attached to the court and had made for the Khan's palace a wonderful fountain of silver, which he describes minutely. It was in the form of a tall ti'ee surmounted by an angel with a trumpet, having four large receptacles concealed in its trunk, from which started four pipes, emerging in the form of gilded serpents, and terminating in the mouths of four silver lions which surrounded the foot of the tree, and furnished a supply of wine, cosmos made from mare's milk ; mead made from honey, or rice-water, whenever either of these four beverages was required. It was toward the close of this dynasty that the Byzantine art of cloisonne enameling in copper seems to have been first introduced into China, as the nUn-liao of Chili^cheng (1341-67) is found underneath the foot of pieces which there is no reason to doubt are actual productions of the time, although the art was not offi- cially adopted until the reign of CJdng-tai (1450-56) of the next dynasty.

We are told by Sir John Malcolm, in his History of Persia (volume i, page 422), that a hundred families of

MOTIVES OF DECORATION. 567

Chinese artisans and engineers came to Persia with Hulagu Khan about the year 1256, and it has been surmised that theie were some potters among the number. If there had been the}^ would have found many processes of decoration in use there in the fabrica- tion of faience and fine earthenware (for no true porce- lain has ever been made in Persia) such as would seem hitlierto to have been unknown in their own country, and it seems natural to conclude that these would have been introduced into China about this time rather than invented de novo. The reign of Hsuan-te (1426-35) was the first to become celebrated for its blue and white, and the Chinese attribute its excellence to the quality of the cobalt mineral which was imported by them at the time --^^ vJrom Western Asia under the name of " Mohammedan ^blue.'^ The process of decoration in enamel colors com- bined with a lead flux, which were painted on over the white glaze and fixed by a second firing in the mufile stove, came in later.

Blue was the leading color in the decoration of porce- lain throughout the Ming dynasty (1368-1643). The other colors were at first principally used as grounds to relieve the blue designs, or to fill in ornamental details that had been previously reserved in white on a blue ground. Even in the reign of Wan-li (1573-1619), when painting in enamel colors had come into wider vogue, the blue was still sketched in first on the raw body, while the other enamel colors were filled in after- ward over the glaze. A complete palette of overglaze enamel colors appears later as a characteristic of the reign of K^ang-hsi (1662-1722), and the large vases of this class decorated in brilliant enamels of the fatnille verte, that are so often classified as Ming pieces because they are inscribed with the mark of Cli' eng-lma^ are really productions of the K\mg-Jisi period.

568 ORIENTAL CERAJriC ART.

Next to bronze designs and antique carving, the patterns of old silk brocades and woven stuffs afforded frequent motives for the decoration of porcelain, as we have already seen in Chapter VII. China is the original country of silk, and it has been celebrated for its woven productions from the most remote times. The twelfth book of the Po wu yao Ian, an excellent work on objects of art which has often been quoted, and which was published in the beginning of the seventeenth century, is devoted to ancient silks under the heading of cldii, " brocades," and hsiu, " embroideries," the former of which were woven on the loom, the latter worked bv hand with the needle. It includes an account of the designs used in different dynasties, in which there occurs a curious notice of five rolls of brocade with draerons woven upon a crimson ground that were presented, in the second year of the Cliing-cli^'u period (238), by the Emperor Ming Ti of the Wei dynasty to the Empress of Japan, who is recorded to have sent an embassy to the Chinese court in that year. Under the Sung dynasty (960-1279) is given a list of about fifty brocade patterns of the same general character as those enumer- ated on pages 255-256 ; and this is followed by another long list of figured silk handkerchiefs of the time, which were woven with designs similar to those of the brocades, and used for head wrappers and for carrying things in. This list of handkerchiefs ends with a reference to the white wool kerchiefs of the Kitan Tartars, the arabesque designs used by the Niichih Tartars, and the white kerchiefs of the Koreans of the period, which were woven with figures of eagles, vultures, and flowers, with pheasants and other birds.

All the different desio-ns enumerated in both these lists have been constantly used in later times in the decoration of porcelain.

Ji

MOTIVES OF DECORATION. 569

The painter on porcelain claims for himself only a subordinate position in the school of Chinese art, and his greatest triumph is a colorable imitation of one of the old painters on silk and paper, whose pictures are kept mounted upon rollers in Chinese cabinets. These pic- tures are either graphically sketched in black ink, or delicately tinted in water-colors, painting in oil being unknown to the Chinese. The Chinese artist is first a writer, and he acquii'es his skill in outline as a callig- raphist of the written script, which was often originally a picture of the object. He has always possessed, as M. Paleologue observes in L'Art Cliinois (page 246), the sentiment of color, and has acquired by intuition, as it were, a perfect skill and finished delicacy in its appli- cation. It is mainly in the advantage they have taken of the vibration of colors that the Chinese have revealed their power as colorists. Instinct and observation have taught them that by shading the tints upon themselves a singular depth and intense power can be brought out. In painting on porcelain, even more perhaps than in painting on silk, they have made the colors vibrate and pulsate by putting blue upon blue, red upon red, yellow upon yellow, in every shade from the lightest to the darkest. The defects of want of perspective and ab- sence of relief modeling are less noticeable on porcelain than in pictures executed on a larger scale.

With regard to the different branches of his art there is nothing that the artist on silk or paper, followed in his turn by the painter on porcelain, has not attempted. He treats in succession religious and historical subjects, scenes of actual daily life, illustrations of poetry, romance, and the drama, landscapes and copies of Nature, animals real and mythical, flowers natural and symbolical, etc. The Chinese generally recognize four genres, viz.: (1) Eigures {rien Wu); (2) Landscape {Shan Shui), the

570 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

name meaning literally " liill and water"; (3) Nature {Hua Niao)^ literally "flowers and birds"; and (4) Miscellaneous {Tsa Hua).

As a striking example of tlie first class of decoration with figures, the large vase, thirty inches high, that is illustrated in Figs. 328 and 341, may be presented. It is painted with a battle scene, sketched with a certain amount of life and energy, so that the picture covers the whole surface of the vase, extending over the neck as well as the body. The colors used are the brilliant overglaze enamels of the K'ang-hsi period (1662-1722),. greens of different shade pi'edominating, and the daik cucumber-green, the pale apple-green, and rich purple exhibit the finely crackled texture which distinguishes some of the monochrome glazes of the period. The names of the generals that are written on their ban- ners show that the scene is taken from the Hsii Slmi Ha, a well-known collection of stories of brigands of the reign of Hiii Tsung of the Sung dynasty, in the beginning of the twelfth century, and we must turn to the book for a short explanation :

The general, Sung Cliiang, had been sent by the emperor witli an army to recover the city of Ch'in-chou in the province of Sliensi, which had been captured by brigands. Tlie brigands, led by Lei Ying-ch'un, accompanied by his v/Me P'o-p'o Niang, who was called Pai Fu-jen, " The White Lady," a noted swordswoman, whose charger was a lion that vomited flames, had taken refuge in the Hung-tao Mountain, wliicli was over one hundred miles round. Sung Chiang had advanced his troops, massed in three divisions, to the attack, and Lei Ying-ch'un had been killed by Lin Ch'ung in the first battle. The White Lady, when told the news of the death of her husband, had wept bitterly, but had hastened to the front, and had defeated the two generals Hua Jung and Ch'in Ming, whose horses had fled affrighted by the lion, and alarmed by the power of the enemy's magicians over the elements.

Sung Chiang, the imperial general, afterward had a number of imitation lions made with moving eyes and heads filled with sulphur.

MOTIVES OF DECORATION. 571

wliicli could be lighted at tlie critical moment. This is the moment chosen for illustration. The White Lady, wielding a long-handled sword, is seen in the foreground mounted upon a grotesque lion, and her charger is just turning back, frightened by the dummy lions which are grouped on the other bank of a river, as if being driven in a team by an attendant. Slie is attended by two of her generals on horseback, whose names are inscribed on their bannei's Chang Ying-kao and Ching Ch'en-pao, and the large, waving triangular banner dis2:>lays the constellation of the Great Bear and the archaic dual symbol in token of her occult art. The loyal generals are gathered on tiie other bank of the river, the large square flag wliich is carried b}^ one of the horsemen being inscribed Ta Sung, " Great Sung," the name of the reigning dvnasty. The smaller group depicted on the neck of the vase represents the commander-in-chief of the imperial army and his staff, the waving banner being inscribed Shiiai, the title of his rank. His commands are rendered by the man below, who is beating a drum. They are all gazing upward, looking at an apparition in the sky in the guise of a martial figure, which is approaching with each foot poised upon a fiery wheel. This is Kuan Ti, the national god of war, who appears in China at critical occasions as an omen of victory, and animates the fray, just as the gods of ancient Greece were related to have done in Homeric times.

We are told in the stoiy that afterward the White Lady returned riding a chestnut horse, to be killed by Hu Yen- sho, and that her two generals, whose names are given above, were slain at the same time by the great general Ch'in Ming and by Kuan Sheug the " long-sworded/' whose devices are to be seen inscribed among the rest upon the vase. The background of the picture is a mountain scene with large pines growing from precip- itous rocks.

The next illustration (Fig. 16) exhibits a " cool pillow " of porcelain for summer use, which is also painted in brilliant enamels of early ICaiig-lisi date, laid on over the white glaze, including manganese purple, coral-red, black, and a few touches of gold, relieved by bright emerald-green and pale primrose-yellow grounds. It is

0<2 ORIENTAL CERAIVIIC ART.

covered in the middle with a foliated panel of floral bro- cade, with peony scrolls painted in colors on a yellow ground, so as to extend over three of the sides. The fourth side has a round hole in the middle of a painted flower, which is fltted with a screw cover, so that fragrant flowers or scented herbs may be introduced into the hol- low interior of the pillow. The borders are surrounded by bauds of diaper and spiral fret. The square ends, of which one is shown in Fig. 342, are decorated with scenes from some comedy. A traveler of mature years, with an attendant carrying baskets of fruits or flowers, is stand- ing in the courtyard of a house at the porch of which stands a lady, bowing politely as she listens to him talk- ing. The wine-cups j)laced side by side on the table inside suggest an approaching wedding, which is perhaps the subject of the discussion.

Porcelain is often molded after sacred designs in the form of images and the like, or illustrated with themes derived from some one of the religious cults followed in China, and a word of introduction on the subject may be attempted here. There are in China three systems com- monly spoken of by foreigners as " religions," and known as Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. The first is the cult of the literati, of which Confucius, who lived b. c. 551-479, is the prophet, and the reigning emperor, as the Son of Heaven and the vice-regent of the Supreme Deity on earth, is the great high priest, and he has the sole right of offering sacrifice, unless he deputes the duty to one of the princes or high mandarins. It is really a sys- tem of state philosophy rather than a religion, as Confu- cius was himself a professed agnostic, and was wont to refuse to discuss the supernatural with his disciples, but the practice of ancestral worship is inextricably inter- woven with its tenets. The state gods, like Kuan Ti, the God of AVar, are deified mortals, and subject to promo-

I

MOTIVES OF DECOEATION. 573

tion or degradation by the emperor, who rules the celes- tial hierarchy on the same lines as the earthly mandarin- ate, and may even adopt into it any deity from the other cults.

The God of War has already been noticed as appearing in the air as an omen of victory in a battle scene depicted on the large vase illustrated in Figs. 328 and 341. Kuan Yii, a well-known historical character, rose into celebrity in the troublous times at the close of the Han dynasty. He is reputed to have been in early life a seller of bean- curd, but to have subsequently devoted himself to study, until in the year 184 he casually encountered Liu Pei, when the latter was about to take up arms against the rebellion of the Yellow Tui'baus, and a solemn compact was sworn in a peach orchard. The fidelity of Kuan Yii to his adopted leader remained unshaken in despite of many trials. At an early period in his cai'eer he was created a baron by the notorious regent Ts'ao Ts'ao, who tried to turn the hero from his fealty to Liu Pei, whose tAvo wives had fallen into his power, by shutting up Kuan Yii at night in the same house with the two imprisoned ladies ; but the trusty warrior preserved their reputation from innuendo, and proved his own fidelity by mounting guard in an antechamber the livelong night with a lighted lantern in his hand. His martial prowess was proved in many campaigns with Liu Pei, before the throne of his chief as sovereign of Shu became assured, but he fell a victim at last to the superior force and strategy of Sun Ch'iian, the founder of another of the Three Kingdoms into which the empire then became subdivided, and Avas taken prisoner and beheaded in the year 219. Although always celebrated as one of the most renowned of China's heroes, it was not till early in the twelfth century that he was canonized by the Emperor Hid Tmng of the Simg dynasty. By the Emperor Waii-li of the Ming

iff

574 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

dynasty he was raised, in 1594, to the rank of TV, the highest in the hierarchy, and since that date, and espe- cially since tlie accession of the reigning Manchu dynasty, his worship as the God of War has been firmly established.

The porcelain figure presented in Fig. 343 is Kuan Ti, the Chinese God of War, as he sits enshrined upon the altar in the gateway or front hall of most of the temples in China. It represents a mail-clad warrior seated, in a speaking attitude, with one hand uplifted, in a wooden chair which has dragons' heads projecting from its arms, one of his legs resting on rocks, the other placed on a lion footstool. The figure is molded in one piece, with the exception of the liands, which can be detached.

The principal God of Literature is the stellar divinity. Wen Chang Ti Clitin, whose constellation is one of the smaller groups of stars in Ursa Major. He is represented in pictures as a dignified figure in mandarin dress and a broad-brimmed hat of antique style, riding a mule, accom- panied by attendants carrying banner-screens and other paraphernalia. His superior claims have been ousted, however, by one of his satellites known as K'uei Hsing, who is the personification of the star hhtei^ and who is by far the most popular God of Literature in the present day, although he was not formally canonized till the four- teenth century. Tradition says that he once lived on earth, and attained by his literary genius the highest grade at the official examinations, but was refused the post to which he was entitled on account of his ugliness, whereupon he precipitated himself in his despair into the Yellow River, and was borne to the place which he now occupies in the firmament by the dragon. The porcelain statuette reproduced in Fig. 86, which is decorated in overglaze enamel colors, shows K'uei Hsing standing with one leg upon the head of a fish-dragon, which is rising from the waves. His face is that of a demon, with

MOTIVES OF DECORATION. 575

repulsive features, projecting canine teeth, protuberant eyes, and two budding horns; the bare arms and legs are encircled by bracelets and anklets, and the cloak waving loosely above the head with long, floating ends conveys the impression of movement. A pencil-brush is wielded in his uplifted right hand, and he holds a square cup of ink in his other hand, or a cake of ink molded in the form of a silver ingot. The fish-dragon (yil-lung), which is his special attribute, is the emblem of literary perseverance and success, and is often used alone in symbolical decora- tion, as in the blue and white piece shown in Plate LXIX. The Yellow River passes in its course through a famous defile known as Lung-Men, or " Dragon-Gate," and according to old legends, when the salmon ascend the stream in the thii'd moon of each year, any that suc- ceeded in passing through the precipitous rapids at this point become transformed into dragons. The list of suc- cessful candidates is called the " dra2:on list " in allusion to this.

Taoism is the second of the three srreat relio-ions of China. Lao Tzii, the founder of the occult philosophy of the Taoists, is said to have been l)orn in the year 604 B. c, and to have been a keeper of the official records at Lo, the capital of the Chou dynasty, in the province of Honan, till near the close of the fifth century b. c, when he was visited by Confucius. The meeting of the two sages is one of the scenes on the mural tomb sculptures of the second century that have been already alluded to, and it forms occasionally the motive of the decoration of a porcelain vase. After a long period of service Lao Tzii retired from office, foreseeing the decadence of the suze- rain house of Chou, and ti'aveled away to the west. The governor of the frontier pass of Han Ku besought him to write a book before retiring from the world, and was intrusted with the Tao Te Chmg, before the author dis-

576 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

appeared from mortal ken. This work, the Bible of Taoism, has been translated into several European lan- guages. Later legends have assigned to its author a period of fabulous antiquity, and a miraculous concep- tion through the influence of a star, alleging him to have been the incarnation of the supreme celestial entity, which they called the " Venerable Prince of the Great Supreme," whence he is also termed Lao Chiin, or " Ven- erable Prince." Shou Lao, the " Ancient of Ages," the stellar god of longevity, whose celestial seat is near the south pole, is supposed to be the disembodied spirit of the venerable philosopher. The mystic elements of his- teaching were progressively developed by his early dis- ciples in their search after an elixir to preserve the body from decay and death, and in their efforts to discover the lapis divinus, and to transmute metals into gold, which gave rise to the ancient study of alchemy, in its two lead- ing branches. Their first great patron was the Emperor Wu Ti (b. c. 140-87) of the Han dynasty, and from his period onward the reverence paid to Lao Tzii began to assume a divine charactei*. In a. d. 666 the emperor of the T''ang dynasty canonized him with the title of " Im- perial God of the Dark First Cause," and other titles were added subsequently, till it has become difficult to distinguish his attributes from those of Shang Ti, the supreme god of the celestial hierarchy. Shang Ti is identified with the northern pole star, his chariot is the Great Bear, and the stars of the circumpolar space consti- tute his court — the Taoist kingdom of heaven — under appropriate titles. Shou Lao is established at the oppo- site pole of the heavens, and only appears on auspicious occasions. He is represented (Fig. 348) as a venerable man of benevolent aspect, with bald head, protuberant forehead, and long, flowing white beard, dressed in robes brocaded with the character shou, "■ longevity," and carry-

MOTIVES OF DECORATION. 577

ing a sacred peach in his hand. Sometimes he is mounted upon a deer, or' speeding through the air on a stoi-k, or he may be depicted as a mortal sage in a rocky landscape riding an ox on his long journey to the west.

The old " Nature gods " of the Chinese, the devouring ogre of the wilderness, called T'ao-tieh, whose features are delineated on archaic bronzes, the rain- and storm- gods, which appear dimly outlined in the dark clouds before the tempest, and the dreaded thunder-god, whose bolts are the prehistoric stone axes and celts that are often found in ground washed aAvay by the torrent after a thunderstorm, have all been adopted by the Taoists, but they are rarely seen on porcelain, and need not detain us here.

Much more popular is the Taoist Triad of Happiness^ Rank, and Longevity, " Fu, Lu, Shou," which is depicted in Fig. 325. The vase is decorated in delicate enamel colors with gilding of the Yung-cJieng period, with scat- tered scrolls of clouds and flying storks bringing branches of peaches in their beaks. On one side the strokes of the character sIwk, '' longevity," filled in with a brocaded ground, are interrupted in the middle by a peach-shaped medallion containing a picture of a group of figures gathered under a spreading pine. The three principal figures represent the Taoist Triad, the others being only attendant sprites. The Star God of Rank, Lu Hsing^ stands in the middle, dressed in mandarin robes, with a winged official hat of ancient style, and holding a jii-i scepter ; the Star God of Longevity, Shou Hsing, stands on his right, leaning upon a long staff, to the top of which is slung a scroll, and holding in his left hand a peach, the sacred fruit of life ; the Star God of Happi- ness, Fu Hsing, on the other side, has a babe in his arms, who is reaching out his hand for the peach. The boy dancing at the side holds up a lotus-flower, the one stand-

578 ORIENTAL CERA^^C ART.

ing at the back a hand-organ (tseng). On the other side of the vase the strokes of the companion character /"?/, ^' happiness," are interrupted in the middle by a circular medallion containing a picture of the Taoist goddess, Hsi Wang Mu, accompanied by two female attendants, crossing the sea on a raft.

The goddess is represented again in the saucer-shaped dish of eggshell porcelain painted in soft enamel colors with gilding, which is shown in Fig. 339. The central panel is designed in the shape of a peony-petal, and sprays of peony-flowers and buds are displayed upon the lilac diaper which surrounds it. It is painted in sepia tints, touched with gold, with the picture of two grace- ful female figures, representing the Taoist divinity, Hsi Wang Mu, with a youthful attendant standing upon branches of equisetum moss, as if floating on water, with their scarfs flowing in the breeze. The goddess, dressed in dragon-brocaded robes, holds a gilded sce^^ter ; the attendant carries a dish of peaches, the " fruit of life " of Taoist story. The rim of the dish is encircled by a band of pink diaper, interrupted by medallions containing sprays of peony, the floral attribute of the goddess.

Hsi Wang Mu, the queen of the genii, is the ruler of the Taoist paradise in the K'un-lun Mountains, which is celebrated in ancient myth and fable. Legends in the old books record the visit of the Emperor Mu Wang in his journey to the west in b. c. 985, and relate how he was entertained by the goddess in her fairy abode, where she lives, surrounded by troops of genii, on the shores of the " Lake of Gems," where grow all kinds of trees bearing fruit of jewels and precious jade, and the peach- tree whose magic fruit confers the gift of immortality. The goddess bestows this fruit upon the favored beings admitted to her presence, or dispatches it by the azure- winged birds who serve, like the doves of Venus, as her

MOTIVES OF DECORATION. 579

messengers. The magiiiliceiice of her riioimtain palace is described iu glowing terms by Lieh Tzti, a Taoist alle- gorical writer of the fifth century b. c. In later times the Emperor Wu Ti of the Ha/i dynasty is alleged to have been favored with visits by Hsi Wang Mil and her fairy troop, and his regal entertainment of his super- natural guests is a well-worn theme of old picture and story.

The suuif-bottle shown in Fig. 347 exhibits Shou Lao again, in the guise of an aged pilgrim, leaning upon a long staff to the gnarled head of which is tied a double gourd, the traditional pilgrim's bottle. The deer at his side has a branch of the sacred Polyporus fungus in its mouth, and the bats flying round are introduced as sym- bols of happiness. At other times he is seen as a vener- able figure seated on the rocks in a mountain landscape under a pine-tree, with the bamboo, flow^ering plum, and sacred fungus growing near, and his familiar animals, the deer, tortoise, and stork, near at hand, while the motley crowd of immortals and genii gather round in homage, distinguished by their various attributes. The best known of these is the group of Taoist rishi, or hermit immortals, that constitute the J^a Hsien, the " Eight Genii," of the Chinese, whose emblems Avere given iu the chapter on Marks. The individual members of the eight have long been venerated among the Taoist saints, although they do not seem to have formed into a defined group before the thirteenth century. They are regarded as the patron saints of different arts and industries, and are found separately as porcelain statuettes, or united in the decoration of porcelain bowls and dishes, especially on those intended to hold sacrificial offerings. Their names and attributes are as follows :

1. Chung-li Ch'uan, who lived during the Chou dj^nasty, and was one of the discoverers of the elixir of life. He is represented

580 OEIENTAL CERAMIC AET.

as a fat man, with bare, pendulous abdomen, holding a sacred fun- gus, or a peach, in one hand, and in the other a fly-brush, or a fan, witli which he is said to revive the spirits of the dead. He is also known as Ilan Chung-li.

2. LiX Tung-pin, born in 755, was one of the most prominent among the later Taoist patriarchs, who held office as magistrate of Te-hua, and studied the mysteries of alchemy in the recesses of the hills called Lu Shan in the province of Kiangsi. A personage of martial aspect, he is armed with the sword of supernatural power, with wliich he traversed the empire for upward of four hundred years, slaying dragons and ridding the earth of divers evil things. He is also known by his personal name of Lii Yen, and is worshiped everywhere as the special ])atron of the sick, who hang up the magic sword by their bedside to exorcise maleficent spirits. Under the designation of Lti Tsu, or the " Patriarch Lii," he is the patron saint of tlie fraternity of barbers.

3. TA T''ieh-l:imi — that is to say, " Li with the Iron Crutch " — presents himself in the guise of a lame and crooked beggar dressed in rags. No precise period is assigned to his existence on earth, but he is said to have been of commanding stature and dignified mien, and devoted to the stud}' of Taoist lore, in which he was instructed b}"" Lao Tzu himself, who used to summon his pupil to the celestial spheres. When his spirit mounted on high, the care of his body, Avhich remained on earth, was confided to one of his disciples. On one occasion, unhappily, the watcher was called awa}' to the deathbed of liis mother, and his trust being neglected, when the disembodied spirit returned it found its earthly habitation no longer vitalized. The first available refuge was the body of a lame beggar, whose si)irit had at that moment been exhaled, and in this shape the sage continued his existence, supported by an iron crutch, and carr3dng a pilgrim's gourd, from which clouds and magic apparitions are often seen to be issuing. He is the special patron of astrologers and magicians.

4. Ts'ao JCiio-cIi' lu is said to have been the son of a famous general of the tenth centurj^, and brother of an empress regent of the Su7ig (iywA^iy. He is dressed in oflScial robes, wears a winged hat, and carries a pair of castanets. He is the patron of mummers and actors.

5. Ija7i Ts'ai-ho, a legendary being of whom little is known, the sex even being uncertain. One stor}'- says that it was a weird woman

I

MOTIVES OF DECORATION. 581

dressed in a tattered blue gown, with a cloak of leaves, who used to beg a liveliliood in the streets, clianting a doggerel verse denunciatory of fleeting life and its delusive pleasures. She carries a spade and a basket of flowers, and is worshiped b}' gardeners and florists as their tutelary saint.

6. Chang Kuo Lao, a celebrated necromancer, who is said to have flourished in the seventh and eighth centuries, and to have possessed a wonderful white mule which carried him thousands of miles at a stretch. He used to carry the picture of his mule folded and hidden awa}"^ in his wallet, and made the beast resume its proper shape b}' spurting water on the picture. At other times he would conjure it out of liis magic gourd. He is recognized by the peculiar musical instrument which he carries, a kind of drum of bamboo, with a pair of rods. He is the patron of artists and calligraphists, and of scholars generally.

7. Han Hsiang Tz-iX is reputed to have been a great-nephew of the celebrated statesman Han Yii, who lived 768-824, and was an ardent lover of transcendental study. As a pupil of the patriarch Lii Tung-pin, he gained admission into the Taoist paradise and ■climbed the tree of life, the sacred peach-tree, fiom which he fell to the ground, and, in descending, entered into the state of immor- talit}'. He is represented as a young man plajnng upon a flute, and is specially worshiped b}' musicians.

8. Ho Hsien Kii, the maiden immortal of the group, is said to have been a native of tlie neighborhood of Canton. At the age of fourteen a spirit visited her in a dream, and instructed lier in the art of attaining immortality by eating powdered jade and mother- of-pearl. She followed these instructions implicitly, vowed herself to a life of virginity, gradually renounced ordinary human food, and acquired the facult}' of traversing the hills in spiritualistic fashion, as if endowed with wings. She used to return at night with the herbs she had gathered during her solitary wanderings. She still appears occasionally to her favored votaries, floating upon a cloud of many colors, as depicted on the charming eggshell dish illustrated in Plate LXHI, where she is represented as carrying in her hands a large jar of the elixir of life. She is usually clad in a cloak of mugwort-leaves, carries a lotus, and is the tutelary genius of housewifer^^

Tlie obloug porcelain plaque wbicli is exhibited, mouutecl in its frame of carved wood, in Fig. 352, is

582 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

painted in enamel colors of the OhHen-lung period, with a picture of the eight immortals (Pa Hsien) crossing the sea on their way to the immortal realms on the far bank. The shore to which they are proceeding is a conventional mountain scene, with tall pines in the foreground, repre- senting the Elysian fields of the Taoist cult.

Tung Fang So, who lived in the second century b. c.^ was one of the favorite associates of the Emperor Wu Ti of the Han dynasty, into whose service he entered B. c. 138, when the young sovereign summoned the most gifted scholars and men of genius. He encouraged the emperor's leaning to the superstitious and marvelous, and was soon after his death adopted as a Taoist saint and endowed with all kinds of miraculous qualities. He was declared to be an embodiment of the planet Venus, and to have been incarnate many times in the course of Chinese history. The goddess Hsi Wang Mu, who saw him during her visit to the court, is said to have exclaimed, " That is the boy who once stole three of my sacred peaches, and acquired thereby a longevity of nine thousand years ! " He is always represented holding a gigantic peach in his hand, or speeding across the clouda with a branch of the fruit of life thrown over his shoulder.

The list of Taoist genii is nearly endless,* for every vocation has its tutelary saint, who is often a deified mortal who once worked at the craft, as in the case of the patron Pousa of the potters, the story of whose vicarious sacrifice has been related in the chapter on Ching-te-chen,

Sailors worship the goddess Ma Ku, and build temples

* There are several books on the subject, one of the earliest being the Shen Hsien Chuaii, by Ko Hung, written in the fourth century A. D., which gives a series of biographical notices of eighty-four immortals. Cf. Harlez, Le Livre des Esprits et des Imrnortels. Essai de mythologie Chinoise d'aprh le» textes originaux. Bruxelles, 1893.

MOTIVES OF DECORATION. 583

at the seaports, where she is enshrined under the title of T'ien Hon, "Empress of Heaven"; she appears riding upon the storm-clouds, or floating on the rough sea- waves, to direct her votaries in times of danger, and is liberally proj^itiated by ex voto offerings w^hen they are once more safe on shore. The complaisant Taoists have even dedi- cated an altar for thieves, and supplied them with a deity of their own, to whom they devote a portion of their ill-2:otten chains after a successful raid. Some of the genii are connected with, folk-lore rather than religion, and partake of the nature of the fairies of Western story, like the mischievous elf who hides away in the thorny recess of the jujube-tree, or the tiny peachling whose abode is in the kernel of the fruit.

Among other genii often represented in the decoration of porcelain are : Liu Han, ^vhose familiar is the three- legged toad from the moon, which reveals to him secrets of immortality and hidden treasures, and who holds up a coin or jewel between finger and thumb, or weaves a string of cash in the air ; Wang Ch'iao, the philosopher j^rince of the sixth century b. c, who is seen playing upon the flute as he rides through the air upon the white crane, from whose back he w^aved a final adieu to the world as he ascended to the immortal realms ; and the scantily clothed hermit, Huang An, who sits cross-legged upon the back of a tortoise swimming across the sea. The twin genii, called Ho Ho Erh Hsieu — that is to say, '' Two Genii, of Union and Harmony " — are perhaps the most popular of any. They are two cronies, Arcades ambo, who take many forms, being represented sometimes as ragged mendicants, with staff' and besom, in friendly converse, as they approach a priest who is ringing a monastery bell ; sometimes as a couple of hermits ^^-ith smiling, boyish faces, one carrying a lotus-flower, the other a box from underneath the cover of- which a cloud

584 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

may be seen issuing whicli is shaping itself into the form of bats as emblems of happiness. The twin merry genii are presented in Fig. 346, wdth the arm of one encircling the neck of the other. They have gold bracelets and anklets, and their robes are richly brocaded in enamel colors with gilding of the ClCien-lung period, so that they have altogether a very mundane aspect, and their super- natural character might hardly be suspected were it not for the cloud-enveloped pedestal of celadon tint on which they are posed, which mark them as celestial beings. These smiling features pervade domestic life in China: they are printed on the wall-paper, and woven in silk as appropriate hangings for the marriage couch, and even towels imported from abroad are seen stamped in fugitive ink with the effigies of the two merry genii. Should there be an estrangement between lovers or friends, one of them must go to a temple, burn incense at the shrine consecrated to the two genii, and bring away a pinch of ashes from the censer, and if this be surreptitiously put into a cup of tea and the decoction be drunk by the estranged one unknowingly, it will infallibly bring about a complete reconciliation.

Buddhism, the third great religion of China, was intro- duced from India. The earliest missionaries came over- land to the southwest of the Chinese Empire, the modern province of Ssu-chuan, and arrived in the second century B. c, but gained few converts. It was not till the year 61 A. D. that the Emperor Ming Ti, in consequence of a dream of a golden figure of supernatural proportions, whose head was encircled by a shining halo, sent an embassy to India, which brought back with them many sacred books and images. Two Indian priests, Matanga and Gobharana, accompanied the mission on its return to China, and the emperor built a temple for their residence at Loyang, then the capital. It was called Pai Ma Ssti,

MOTIVES OF DECORATION. 586

"White Horse Monastery," in commemoration of their having brought the Sanskrit books on a white horse, and they forthwith proceeded to translate those books into Chinese. Buddhism penetrated subsequently to Korea, and through that country into Japan, which, however, it did not reach till the middle of the sixth century.

Buddhism is well known, in comparison with Taoism, and there is a vast literature on the subject available for reference, so that it need not detain us so long. One of the most recent works on the subject is that written by Dr. Waddell,* on the borders of Tibet. It is well illus- trated, and will be found a mine of myth and symbolism, the author having, he tells us, purchased a Buddhist temple, with all its ritual fittings, and obtained much of his information on obscure points from learned lamas on the spot.

Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha, is rarely molded in porcelain, more precious materials, such as jade, rock- crystal, amethyst, or turquoise, being considered more suitable for his exalted dignity when represented on a small scale. His principal representations are :

1. His JBirth, A figure of a child standing erect upon a lotus- thalamus, pointing upward to heaven witli his right hand, down- ward to earth with his left, according to the tradition which tells us that he cried out at the moment, '^I the only, most exalted one ! "

2. Sctkya returning from the 3Iou7itains. Of ascetic aspect, with beard and shaven poll, attired in flowing garments and hold- ing his hands in a position of prayer. The ear-lobes are enlarged, a sign of wisdom, and the brow bears the ilrna, the luminous mark that distinguishes a Buddha, or a Bodhisattva.

3. The All-wise Sdkya. A Buddha seated cross-legged upon a lotus throne, resting the left hand upon the knee, the right hand raised in the mystic preaching pose. The hair is generally repre-

*T}ie Btiddhism of Tibet, or Lamaism, with its Mystic Cults, Symholism, and Mythology, and in its Relation to Indian Buddhism. By L. A. Waddell, M. B., etc., London, 1895.

586 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

seuted as a blue mass composed of short, close curls, and a jewel is placed about midway between the crown and forehead.

4. The Kirvuna. A recumbent figure lying upon a raised bench, with the head i^illowed upon a lotus.

5. In the Sdkyamuni Trinity. Either erect, or seated in the attitude of meditation, with the alms-bowl in his hands, between his spiritual sons, the Bodhisattvas Manjusri and Samantabhadra, the three forming a mystic triad.

Manjusri, or Manjughosha, "Tlie sweet-voiced," the Buddliist Apollo or God of Wisdom, is tlie great dis- peller of ignorance. Witli the bright sword of divine knowledge, which he wields in his right hand, he cuts all knotty points, and he carries in his left hand the bible of transcendental wisdom placed upon a lotus- flower. He is often represented mounted on a lion.

Samantabhadra, "The All-good," the other celestial Bodhisat of the Buddhist Trinity, is always seated upon an elephant, and usually holds a book.

Gigantic images of the above triad occupy the center of the large hall of a Chinese temple, while the walls are lined with figures of the eighteen Lohan (Sanskn't, Arhat), representing the chief of the early apostles or missionaries of the faith, each provided with its own particular shrine and altar. The number was originally sixteen, and the Japanese still keep to the original group, not having adopted the two saints which have been more recently added in China. Each of these " eighteen Arhats " is figured in a fixed attitude, and each has his distinctive symbol or badge, in the same way as our apos- tles are represented — Mark with a lion, Luke with a book, etc. The group is sometimes painted on a porcelain vase or snuif-bottle, or is seen passing in procession round the sides of a bowl or cup intended for sacrificial use.

The two best-known members of the group are perhaps the seventeenth and eighteenth : Dliarmatrdta^ born, like

' MOTIVES OF DECORATION. 587

the original sixteen, in India, and Ho-shang, " The Monk," the only one that has a Chinese name. Dhar- matrata, as a lay devotee, wears long hair. He holds a vase and fly-whisk, carries on his back a bundle of books, and gazes at a small image of the mystic celestial Buddha Amitabha. He wrote seven works, of which the chief, Uddnm)arga, a collection of verses from the Buddhist Canon, has been translated into English by Mr. W. W. Rockhill.

Ho-shang, "The Monk," is the familiar Pu-tai Ho- shang, "the Pnest with the Hempen Bag," whom the Japanese call Ho-tei, that being their pronunciation of the first two syllables of his name, which mean " hempen bag." They describe him as a Chinese bonze or monk, who lived about a thousand years ago, and was remark- able for his fatness, his love of children, and especially for always carrying a large hempen sack, from which his name was derived. The bag, which has always a bol- sterlike roundness, is put to many uses ; it may be a bed on which the owner is reclining, a receptacle for the hundred precious things, or a trap for the little boys and girls who cluster round and are enticed inside to see the wonderful things it contains ; whatever it may be, it is as inseparable from Ho-tei as are his fair, round stomach and double chin. In China he represents the last incarnation of Maitreya^ " The Loving One," the coming Buddha or Buddhist Messiah, and his obese image, with a loosened girdle in one hand and a rosary in the other, is enshrined by them in the front hall of every temple, under the name of Mi-lo Fo— i. e., Maitreya Buddha. He ranks as a Bodhisat, having only once more to pass through human existence to attain Buddhahood, and under this title, con- tracted to poii-sa, or poussah, has become proverbial in French as an emblem of contentment and sensuality. His image is very frequently molded in porcelain, and it

588 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. %

lias often been erroneously considered to be that of tlie martyr j)atron of tlie potters, and labeled as le dieu de la porcelaine. Maitreya is supposed now to be enthroned in the Tushita heaven, and he is a favorite deity of the Tibetans,

The most popular of all the Buddhist divinities in China, as well as in Japan, is Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, whose figure is illustrated here in Plate LX. She also ranks as a Bodhisat, and is identified with Avalokita, " The Keen-seeing Lord," the spiritual son of the celestial Buddha Amitabha, who shares with him the dominion of the Paradise in the West. This is the most powerful of all the Bodhisats, and the one of which the Dalai Lamas of Tibet pretend to be the incarnation. Avalokita, being a pure mythological creation, is seldom, like Buddha, represented as a mere man, but is invested with all kinds of supernatural forms and attributes. The four-handed form figures him as a prince sitting in the Buddha posture, with the front pair of hands joined in devotional attitude, while the other hands hold a rosary and a long-stemmed lotus-flower. Another form has eleven heads, piled up in the shape of a cone, and eighteen, or even forty hands, grasping symbols and weapons, and stretched out in all directions to defend and I'escue the wretched and the lost ; and some of the manifestations are endowed with a thousand eyes, ever on the lookout to perceive distress. The Chinese Bud- dhists relate that Avalokita once appeared on earth as a daughter of a king of the Chou dynasty in 696 b. c, although Buddhism was not introduced into the country till long after that date. The princess was sentenced to death by her father for refusing to marry, but the execu- tioner's sword broke without harming her. When her spirit went down to hell, hell was changed into paradise, until Yama, the ruler of the realms below, sent her back

I

MOTIVES OF DECORATION. 589

to life, and she was miraculously conveyed upon a lotus- petal to the island of Potala. Hers is the image that is worshiped throughout the far East to-day as the personi- fication of love and charity. In one of its shapes, Kuan Yin the Maternal, the Goddess of Mercy has a child in her arms, and is specially sacrificed to by women desirous of offspring, who load her altar with ex-voto offerings of doll-like babes made of silk or molded in porcelain. These are the images that have been occasionally mis- taken for representations of the " Virgin and Child."

Bodhidharma is a Buddhist saint frequently repre- sented in Chinese and Japanese art, and he is seen molded in stoneware in Plate XLI. He was the twenty- eighth and last of the line of Indian patriarchs, and the first Chinese patriarch. The son of a king in southern India, he came to China by sea in the year 520, and was the first to bring the palm called patra (J5orassus flahel liformis). He settled in Loyang, where he was called " The AVall-gazing Brahman," because he remained per- fectly still the whole time engaged in silent meditation. He died about the year 529, and was buried in the monas- tery grounds, but was met, the legend says, soon after, enveloped in his shroud, on his way back to his native land, holding one shoe in his hand, saying, when ques- tioned, that he had forgotten to bring the other. The grave was afterward opened ; the corpse had disappeared, and only a single shoe was found. Bodhidharma is often pictured crossing the water standing upon a reed, which he had plucked from the bank. The Chinese form of his name is Tamo, and some of the more credulous of the early R-oman Catholic missionaries in China were inclined to believe, from the similarity in the names, that he might be identified with St. Thomas, who is supposed to have gone as an apostle to India, and might well, they argued, have extended his journeyings to China.

590 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

The influence of Buddliism on Chinese art was of the most profound and far-reaching nature, and extended to buikling and sculpture, as well as to the carving of images in precious stones, the casting of ritual vessels of novel design in metals, and the painting of sacred pictures on paper and silk. In all these arts the Hindu monks are said to have been skilled, and they imposed their canons on the Chinese, so that down to the present day the sacred images are modeled on the old lines, and exhibit a marked Aryan type and physiognomy. Monasteries were soon founded throughout China in the most picturesque spots in the hills, with tall pagodas to enshrine sacred relics and chaityas of varied form as funeral monuments, such as now make a necessary adjunct to every Chinese landscape. One of the ordi- nary forms of the chaitya, or dcigaha, is seen molded in porcelain in Fig. 349. It is a microcosm of the universe according to Buddhist ideas. The plinth is square, the form of earth ; the hollow shrine, with open door, has the vaulted form of heaven ; and the spire is horizontally ridged to represent the thirteen celestial spheres in superimposed tiers; the umbrella-shaped top is crowned with the " jeweled vase," bound with waving fillets. The painted decoration of strings of colored beads and gilded rings hanging from grotesque mon- strous heads, and of arabesque scrolls of conventional flowers, is also of Buddhist type.

Among Buddhist mythological animals, the dragon (jutga) and the golden-winged bird (^garuda) are the chief. The former had a serpent form like the cobra, and the latter had something in common with the adjutant-bird, the enemy of the serpent tribe, but the Chinese have modified both after their previous con- ceptions of the dragon (lung) and phoenix (feng). The lion is an animal that occupied an important place in

MOTIVES OF DECORATION. 591

Hindustan as one of the insignia of royalty and a sup- porter of the throne, and it is often figured also as a guardian of the jewel of the law. It was new to China, not being a native of the country, and even now, although a pair of bronze or stone lions stands before the gateway of every palace and large temple in China, and another is often molded in porcelain in miniature, as we have seen, for ritual use, they are ahvays of grotesque form, and have flames issuing from the hips and shoulders, the attributes of mythological animals. The lion in ordinary Chinese art is a tame beast, sporting with a brocaded ball ; their own king of beasts is the dreaded tiger, which contends with the dragon as the prince of the powers of the air.

The elephant, the horse, and the hare are sometimes seen in a picture on a porcelain vase, crossing the dark sea which leads to paradise, the only animals that have obtained admittance to Nirvana by their own merit. The elephant is also molded in porcelain for the Buddhist altar as the bearer of the jeweled vase, and the horse as carrying on his back sacred books ; the hare, which now lives in the moon, was exalted after it had offered itself a willing sacrifice as food for Buddha when he was starving. When horses form the decoration of a vase, it is generally the team of eight famous horses of the ancient Emperor 2Iu Wang, which were driven by his charioteer Tsao Fu, on his expedition to the K\m-lun Mountains to visit Hsi AYang Mu, the Queen of the Genii.

The four supernatural or spiritually endowed crea- tures {Ssu Ling) of the Chinese are the dragon, the phoenix, the tortoise, and the unicorn. Sometimes the tiger is associated, making a group of " Five Ling."

1. The dragon (Lioig), the chief among the scaly reptiles, is conventionally depicted as a four-footed monster, resembling some

592 OKEENTAL CERAMIC AKT.

of the huge saurians that have recently been discovered by paleon- tologists, and the fossil bones of such, it may be added, really figure as "dragon's bones" in the Chinese pharmacopoeia. It is conventionally represented with a bearded, scowling head, straight horns, a scaly, serpentine body, with four feet armed with formidable claws, a line of bristling dorsal spines, and flames proceeding from the hips and shoulders. The claws, origi- nally three in number on each foot, were afterward increased to four and five, the last number being restricted to the imperial dragon of the last and present dynasties, as brocaded on imperial robes and painted on porcelain made for the use of the palace. The dragon, in ancient philosophy, corresponds to the East, to spring, etc., and ''Azure Dragon" is the name of the eastern quadrant of the urauosphere. It has the power of transformation, and the gift of rendering itself visible or invisible at pleasure. Kuan Tzu (seventh century B. c.) declares that ''the dragon becomes at will reduced to the size of a silkworm, or swollen till it fills the universe ; it desires to mount, and it rises until it affronts the clouds; to sink, and it descends until hidden below the fountains of the deep." The early cosmogonists described four kinds of dragons : the celestial dragons {t'ie?i lung), which support and guard the mansions of the gods ; the spiritual dragons (shen lung), which rule the winds and produce rain for the benefit of mankind ; the earth dragons {ti lung), which direct the fiow of rivers and springs ; and the dragons of hidden treasures {fu ts'ang), which watch over buried wealth concealed from mortals. The Buddhist dragon of the law {fa limg) is represented as . tightly grasping the jewel of the faith in one of its outstretched paws ; originally hostile, it has become submissive to Buddha and a trusty guardian of the faith. The celestial dragons in Chinese art, as they ascend and descend, are usually represented in pursuit of effulgent jewels that appear to be whirling in space, and that are supposed to be of magic efficacy, granting every wish. The congener of the celestial dragon is the cMao lung, the dragon of lakes and marshes, who is figured in the luuar zodiac, already referred to, as a dragon-headed serpent without feet. The ji^'aw lung is the dragon coiled in a circle, hibernating in the watery depths, that often forms medallions on bowls and dishes ; some say it is the dragon which does not mount to heaven. The ch'ih lung is the archaic dragon of ancient bronzes, a clinging, lizardlike reptile with clawless feet and spiral bifid tail, that is often molded in relief on libation wine-cuj^s and other porcelain vessels of

MOTIVES OF DECOEATION. 593

antique design. The Chinese dragon is sometimes hornless; occa- sionally, but very rarely, it is provided with a pair of wings. The fish dragon has already been alluded to as the chosen emblem of literary success ; and there is also the yellow dragon, or dragon horse, the most honored of its tribe, which rose out of the river Lo, in the time of the fabulous Fu-M, the legendary founder of the Chinese polity, with a scroll upon its back inscribed with the eight mystic trigrams (jsa hua). The dragon is peculiarly symbolical of all that pertains to the Son of Heaven, the emperor's throne being styled the dragon-seat, and his face described as the dragon- countenance ; his banner is the dragon flag, and after his death he is borne aloft by dragons to the regions of the blessed.

2. Feng is the name of the male, huang the name of the female, of a fabulous bird of wondrous form and mystic nature, the second of the four supernatural creatures. The compound of the two {feiig-huang) is the generic name of the bird, which has many symbolical analogies with the phoenix of the Greeks, and, like it, is immortal, has its dwelling in the highest regions of the air, and only ap^Dears to mortals as a presage of the advent of virtuous rulers, or an emblem of an auspicious reign. In the fabulous times of Huang Ti the phoenix made its nest in the palace, and the ancient Booh of History records that they came with measured gambolings to add sj^lendor to the musical ceremonies of the great Shun. In the eastern gateway of the palace of to-day a huge bronze phoenix hovers under the roof of the great hall, over its nest, which is also fashioned of bronze in the shape of a circlet of clouds. The phoenix has always been taken as the presage and emblem of a virtuous sovereign, and it figures still as the special emblem of the Mikado in Japan. In China it used to rank above the dragon, which was the emblem of a good minister. In the present day it has become the special emblem of the empress, and the dragon that of the emperor. In poetry the inseparable feng and huang are models of conjugal love. The phoenix is usually depicted with the head of a pheasant and the beak of a swallow, a long flexible neck, plumage of many gorgeous colors, a flowing tail, between that of an argus pheasant and a peacock, and long claws pointed backward as it flies. They are seen flying in the midst of scrolled clouds mingled with forked flames, or wending their way through a close floral ground, which is preferably made up of sprays of the tree-peony. Three times three is the lucky number for the decoration of a vase, just as we find nine dragons

594 OEiENTAL cera:\iic aet.

on another vase in pursuit of whirling jewels, or nine lions sport- ing with as many brocaded balls. If there be ten, one is certain to be much larger tlian the rest, and it will be the parent dragon or phoenix, with nine young ones.

3. The tortoise {Kuei) is the third of the supernaturally endowed creatures. The greatest of the tribe is the divine tortoise, which rose out of the river Lo, and presented to the gaze of Yii the Great a mystic plan of numerals inscribed upon its back, which he deciphered and adopted as the basis of moral teaching and a clew to the philosophy of the unseen. Tlie shell of the tortoise was used in divination by the ancient Chinese, who augured from the lines on the scorched shell, in the same way as other ancient tribes used to augur from the roasted blade-bone of a sheep. Like the rest of the sacred group, the tortoise is given a marvelous longev- ity, even a span of five thousand years, and after a certain age it bears the sign of its patriarchal dignity in the shape of a hairy tail. As an emblem of strength it appears in Hindu legends, sup- porting an elephant, which in turn bears the world ; in China it is represented as bearing on its back P'eng Lai Shan, tlie sea-girt abode of immortal genii.

4. The unicorn {Ch'i-lin), the fourth of the group of supernatural creatures, has its generic designation compounded of the names of the male {ch'i) and of the female {lin). It is usually written k'i-lin, and this name, under the form of kylin, is often erroneously applied in European ceramic books to lions, and generally to other lionlike grotesque creatures with which the Chinese fill in rocky landscapes under the generic name of hai-shoit, or '' sea-monsters," the chimeres of old French catalogues. The Chinese unicorn has the body of a deer, with slender legs and divided hoofs, the head resembles that of the dragon, the tail is curled and bushy, like that of the conventional lion, and the shoulders are adorned with the flamelike attributes of its divine nature. Its appearance is a happy portent, and it used to grace the palaces of the ancient emperors of fabulous times. It is said to attain the age of a thousand years, to be the noblest form of the animal creation, and the emblem of per- fect good ; and to tread so lightly as to leave no footprints, and so carefully as to crush no living creature.

Other supernatural animals occur occasionally. They are usually composite creations, like the dragon-horse

MOTIVES OF DECORATION. 595

of ancient fable, lionlike monsters with the heads of wolves, and the like. The fox is a beast whose nature is deeply tinged with supernatural qualities, and it bears a worse reputation in China than its brother does in European fairy tale. It is a spirit of mischief, of super- natural cunning, with the powder of assuming various forms, its favorite and most baneful transformation being into the semblance of a young and beautiful girl, in which shape it lures its victim to destruction. The fox is the courser upon which ghostly beings ride, and when it reaches the term of a thousand years it becomes a Celestial Fox, characterized by a golden color and nine tails, and serves in the halls of the Sun and Moon. The hare has already been alluded to as living in the moon, where it sits under the shade of the Olea fragrans tree, pounding the elixir of life with pestle and mortar. Its companion in the moon is the toad {clihin- cliht), into which the lady Ch'ang-ngo was changed, after she had stolen from her husband the drug of immortality which had been given to him by the god- dess Hsi Wang Mu, and taken flight with her precious booty to find refuge wdth the moon. These legends appear to be of Taoist origin, and the animals are those that the solitary hermit was accustomed to see in his mountain retreat. He was wont to gather his herbs in the light of the full moon, and this luminary was an important power in his alchemistic speculations. The deer is another of his sacred animals ; it is represented bringing the Polyporus fungus (ling-chiK) in its mouth, and is always placed near the deity of longevity as one of his peculiar attributes.

The other animal attributes of Taoist divinities are the tortoise and stork, whence comes the usual birthday greeting, " May your years be those of the tortoise and stork ! " The stork (Iio) is the sacred bird par excellence.

596 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

and is supposed to attain a fabulous longevity. The variety usually represented is the Manchurian crane {Qrus viridirostris), which is characterized by a plum- age of white and black, and by a bare crimson patch upon the crown. It must not be confounded with the egret, which is often found in the decoration of porcelain in combination with the lotus, and which has no mythological attachments. The stork is the aerial steed of some of the genii, and it brings the talismanic rods of fate in its beak from the other world. In pictures of the Taoist paradise it is often seen swimming round the rock on which the sacred peach-tree is grow- ing, or gathering in large flocks upon the pine-clad shores of the Mount of the Immortals.

There are also a number of emblems of longevity selected from the vegetable kingdom, which supply frequent motives of decoration. Among fruits the most prominent place is given to the peach {fao). It is an emblem of mamage, as well as a symbol of longevity ; the early odes liken a bride in her graceful elegance and promise to a blossoming peach-tree, and the most ancient superstitions of the Chinese attribute magic virtue to its twigs, which were brought in the beeks of sacred birds. The peach is the tree of life in the mystical dreams of the Taoists ; it grows in the grounds of the palace of the goddess Hsi Wang Mu, bearing fruit that ripens but once in three thousand years, and conferring that period of life upon those that are fortunate enough to taste it. The peach figures with the pomegranate and the Bud- dha's-hand citron, as "the three fruits" (san Icuo) sym- bolical of the three abundances (san to), viz., abundance of years, abundance of sons, and abundance of happiness.

The fungus of longevity (chih), usually called ling- chill, ling meaning "miraculous," is a branched woody fungus of brightly variegated coloring, known to bot-

MOTIVES OF DECOEATION. 597

anists as Polyporiis lucidus, as determined by Sir Joseph Hooker from a dried specimen taken by me from a Taoist temple at Peking to tlie herbarium at Kew. Chinese myth dilates upon its rapid growth, its vivid coloring, and its durability. It sometimes incloses curiously a growing plant, so that blades of grass appear to be sprouting out of its substance, a combination of good omen ; more propitious still is a branching stem bearing seven or nine heads, and this sometimes forms the motive of the shape of 2i flamhe vase, the gorgeous coloring of which is intended to represent the natural tints of the variegated fungus. A branch of this fungus is placed as a magic wand in the hand of Taoist genii, and the peculiar shape of the head of the jeweled ju-i scepter, which has been frequently referred to, betrays its original derivation from the same fungus form.

The Chinese gourd is another of the chosen emblems of longevity on account of the durability of its dried fruit, as well as a symbol of fertility from the quantity of seeds it produces. There are single and double gourds of varied form, cultivated varieties of Lagenaria vulgaris, the calabash or bottle-gourd. Bottles and drinking-cups have been made of its dried shell from the most ancient times, and it is still used in temples for libation-cups and ladles for sacrificial ^vine. The variety of the bottle-gourd called hu-lu, the "double gourd," which is naturally contracted into a waist in the middle, is the pilgrim's gourd ^:>rt;' excellence. The Taoist hermit carries one strung upon his girdle, and occasionally con- jures spirits and apparitions from its interior, like the magician in the stories of the Arabian Mghts.

The pine, bamboo, and winter-blossoming plum {sung, chu, met) are constantly grouped together as a threefold symbol of longevity. The first two figure as evergreens, emblems of a green old age ; the last as a tree which

598 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

throws out blossoming twigs from its gnarled, worn, and leafless trunk before the winter is over. The three may form the sole decoration of a vase, or be combined in Taoist pictures to form sacred groves in their mountain paradise, or a canopy for the God of Longevity, as he sits enthroned on the "rock of ages" {shou sJiaji), wor- sliiped by the motley crowd of immortals.

The plum {Prumts doynestica) is sacred to Lao Tzii, who is said to have been born under its bi'anches, and three of its purple fruit form his special attribute. This fruit, called li in Chinese, is to bp distinguished from the smaller and sourer fruit called mei {Prunus Tnume), the blossoming twigs of which make such an effective floral decoration, as in the so-called " hawthorn " jars and vases.

This charming variety of prunus is the typical flower of winter, the tree-peony {PcBonia nioutan) being the typical flower of spring, the lotus {Nehimhiutn sped- osuiii) of summer, and the chrysanthemum of autumn. These " Flowers of the Four Seasons " [Ssu Chi Hua) are a frequent motive for the decoration of the four faces of a quadrangular vase, or the four side panels of a bowl. The amateur of the chrysanthemum is T'ao Yuan- ming ; the lover of the lotus, the poet Li T'ai-po ; and a pair of large round dishes or bowls are often decorated Avith companion pictures of these two worthies sur- rounded by their favorite flowers. T'ao Yuan-ming was a noted scholar and poet of the fifth century, who resigned the seals of ofiice in preference to "bending his back" to a superior functionary, remarking that it was not worth while to " crook the loins for the sake of five measures of rice." After he had retired he passed his days drinking, playing upon the lyre, and making verses amid the chrysanthemums that embellished the garden of his retreat, until he died, 427 a. d., at the age

MOTIVES OF DECORATION. 599

of sixty-two. Li T'ai-po, the most famous of the poets of China for his erratic genius, romantic career, and devotion to the wine-cup, as well as for his powers of verse, has already been often referred to. The scene in which the emperor himself is handing dishes to liim at a banquet, while his favorite and haughty concubine attends with the poet's brush and ink-pallet, and the chief privy counselor, Kao Li-ssu, pulls off his boots, is often pictured on porcelain as the ne plus ultra of success of literary genius.

The Chinese artist excels in flowers and birds. The four plants to which he devotes the most attention are the prunus {mei^, the bamboo (chu), the orchid (Ian), and the chrysanthemum (cliii), and most art books con- tain a series of studies of these, some of which, pub- lished over two centuries ago, are curious examples of the technique of printing in different colors. Among the other flowers used in decoration the following may be mentioned : Sliao-yao, the Pcwnia alhijlora'^ T'u-mi, the Rom rugosa', Jui-hsiang, the Vilniinum odoratissi- mum', Mo-li, the Jasminum samhac] Lien-hua, the Nelumbium speciosnm ; Kuei-hua, the Olea fragrans ; Hai-t'ang, the Pyrus specfahilis', Chih-hua, the Gar- denia florida ; Ting-hsiang, the Syringa sinensis ; Ch'iang-wei, the Posa indica; Mou-tan, or Pwonia moutan ; Yii-lan, or Magnolia yulan ; Chi-kuan, tlie Celosia cristata ; Hu-tieh-hua, the Iris japonica ; Hsiu- ch'iu, the hydrangea ; K'uei-hua, the hibiscus ; Chiu- hai-t'ang, the Begonia, discolor ; Ho-pao moutan, the Dielytra spectabilis ; Shili-chu, the Dianthus or pink ; and the Shui-hsien-hua, the " Water-fairy " flower, or Narcissus tazetta. Some of tliese may be combined to form a floral rebus, or they may be massed together with sprays, as in the vase shown in Fig. 279. Particular birds also are commonly associated with particular trees

600 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

and flowers, such as phoenixes, peacocks, or pheasants with the Moutan peony; partridges or quails with mil- let ; swallows with the willow ; storks with the pine, etc. The composition called Po Niao CKao Feng, or " The Hundred Birds paying Court to the Phoenix," represents all the dift'erent kinds of birds coming in pairs to gather round a couple of phoenixes which are seen strutting proudly in the foreground.

Painters of figure subjects {jen-wii) have a wider range of selection, as may be gathered from a glance at the catalogue of the Anderson Collection which is now in the British Museum.* The kind of pictures chosen for the decoration of porcelain is often a reflex of the manners and customs of the times. The close of the Ming dynasty was a period of luxuiy and indolence, and the decollated porcelain is painted with pictures of court life, with bands of gayly dressed damsels playing instru- ments of music, and with all phases of processional pomp. Magistrates are represented seated in state at the justice- table, and parties of scholars and poets are grouped in garden pavilions, drinking wine and making verses. The emperor Lung-cWing (1567-72) was notorious for his profligacy and for his devotion to the pleasures of the harem, and we find some of the imperial porcelain of his reign so defaced with erotic scenes that there is no place for it in a decent collection. After the Manchu conquest of China in 1644, when the emperor IVang-lisi was firmly established on the throne, and the impei'ial porcelain manufactory was once more at work, the decoration reflects a changed scene. Pitched battles, single combats of spearmen mounted on party-colored horses, and military processions with men in armor,

* Descriptive and Ilistorical Catalogue of a Collection of Japanese and Chinese Paintings in the British Museum. By W. Anderson, F. R. C. S., London, 1886.

MOTIVES OF DECORATION. 601

are the new order of the clay. The ladies of the court •even are often seen mounted on horseback and engaged in equestrian sports, a\ hich the emperor ^vatches seated in a raised pavilion. The heroes most frequently pic- tui'ed are the military commanders of the troubled times of the " Three Kingdoms," and the historical drama supplants for the moment scenes of comedy. There is a certain crude vigor in the art of the earlier half of this reign, which has led many to attribute the productions to a more archaic period. Before the end of the long reign of sixty years a more finished style has come into vogue, and the strong, brilliant colors that distinguish the older style are gradually being replaced by shades of softer tint, such as seem to befit the new themes, which are illustrations of the processes of agriculture and silk- weaving, pictures of the liberal arts, and scenes from the tales of the popular drama.

Themes from the classical times of the ancient Book ■of History are popular subjects of illustration ; such as the story of Shun, the model emperor of ancient times, who was chosen to succeed to the throne on account of his filial piety by the Emperor Yao, who is pictured approaching with a cavalcade bearing presents to Shun as he is plowing in the fields with an ox ; or that of Kiang Tzii-ya, the trusted counselor of Si Po, the prince of Chou, in the twelfth century b. c, who is sitting on the rock, fishing with a rod, when the prince <jomes to offer him the minister's bado:e of ofiice and a state chariot for him to ride in. Among literary subjects may be mentioned The Seven Worthies of the Bamboo Grove {Chu Lin Ghbi Hsien^, a famous asso- ciation of learned men who used to meet, about the year 275, for discussion and jovial relaxation in a grove of bamboos; and the "Orchid Pavilion" {Lan Ting), the rendezvous in the fourth century of a party of

602 ORIENTAL (ERAMIC ART.

distingiiislied scLolars, whose compositioDS in prose and verse have survived to the present day in the hand- writing of the celebrated calligrapher, Wang Hsi Chih^ who was one of their niniiber. A pattern for poor scholars is the high mandarin of the Han dynasty, wha is seen in the picture reading a book while carrying bundles of fagots, as the humble seller of firewood used to do when his thirst for knowledge led him to read incessantly, until the fame of the wood-seller's learning was noised abroad, reached at last the ears of the emperor, and led to his appointment to oiSce.

The " Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety " and the *■' Virtuous Heroines," whose stories as models of chastity and wifely devotion are recorded in the old annals, are familiar to all students of Chinese lore. The Chinese standard of female beauty is seen in the "Pretty Girls" {Mel Jmi), with long, graceful figures, which the old Dutch collector used to call ^^lange lijsenP The artist occasionally poses the figures with slender bamboos waving in the background, or willow-branches drooping- overhead, as accessory suggestions of airy grace and willowy elegance. Others are scattered in a garden picking flowers, or again collected in four groups prac- ticing the four liberal accomplishments of "writing,, painting, music, and chess." Familiar life is not neg- lected by the artist, and ladies and children are seen in the midst of ordinary household surroundings, em- bellishing the interior of an eggshell dish, or decorating a charming vase of the famille rose. Children are sympathetically shown, either masquerading in mock procession, or flying kites and playing games, such as hobby-horse and blind man's buff. Stories of clever children are also pictured, like that of the rescue of the little eleventh-century boy who had fallen into a large porcelain fish-bowl as he was trying to reach a frog.

I

MOTIVES OF DECOKATION. 603

by one of his playmates, who liad the presence of mind to seize a stone and bi-eak a liole in the side of the bowl to let out the Avater, while the rest of the children were running away affrighted, leaving their comrade to drown. The rescuer was Ssu-nia Kuang (1009-86), who after- ward became one of the most distinguished statesmen and historians of the Sung dynasty.

CHAPTER XXL

PORCELAIN .MADE FOR EXPORTATION. SPECIAL FORMS

AND DESIGNS. INDIAN CHINA. ARMORIAL CHINA.

JESUIT CHINA. HINDU STYLE. ORIENTAL PORCELAIN

DECORATED IN EUROPE. — IMITATIONS.

DOWN to tbe end of the Ming dynast)^ the Chinese seem to have carried on the porcelain manufacture on their own lines, and decollated it after their own taste; we hear nothing of novel forms or special designs made for exportation to foreign countries. There had been a large quantity of Chinese porcelain exported to Western countries from early Mohammedan times, when the Arabs first came to Canton by sea, and were permitted to establish a colony there under the control of their own magistrates. Chinese fleets rode in the Persian Gulf, as related in their own annals of the ninth century, and confirmed by Mohammedan writers of the time. Dur- ing the Yuan dynasty (1280-1367), when the same Mongolian house ruled Persia and China, the relations between the two countries became still more intimate, and there w^as constant traffic by land as well as by sea, for an account of which the celebrated Travels of Marco Polo may be consulted. In the Ming dynasty the over- land route was barred by the Mongolian Timur (the great Tamerlane), but Chinese ships continued to go west, touched at Ceylon and Ormuz, passed the Straits of Babelmandeb into the Red Sea, to land cargo at Jidda, the port of Mecca, and coasted the shore of Africa as far southward as Magadoxu and Zanzibar. The voyages are described in detail in the Chinese annals of the reigns

604

PORCELAIN MADE FOR EXPORTATION. 605

of Ytmg-lo (1403-25) aud Hsiiaii-te (1426-35). Early in the next century the Portuguese made their appear- ance in these seas, and from this time no more Chinese junks were seen in the Indian Ocean. The great mart was in the Persian Gulf, and any porcelain that reached Europe before the discovery of the voyage round the Cape of Good Hope Avould have come by caravan to Cairo or to Aleppo. Ancient Chinese porcelain has been found in the present day at many stations of the route that has been thus briefly sketched. Collections have been gathered from Kandy, and from other parts of the interior of Ceylon ; many of the older specimens in the South Kensington Museum were purchased in Persia by Major Murdoch Smith ; and the greater part of the old celadon dishes in European possession are described as having been obtained in Cairo. Chinese celadon has also been discovered by Sir John Kirk in ruins at Zanzibar, together with Chinese "cash" of the tenth and eleventh centuries. Potsherds of the same peculiar sea-green ware have even been dug up, we are told, on the African mainland farther south, on the sites of ruined cities in Mashonalaud.

In the year of the Hejira 567 (a. d. 1188) we find the first distinct mention of porcelain, out of China, in the record of a present of forty pieces having been sent to Nui'eddin, the Caliph of Syria, by his lieutenant Saladin, afterward the celebrated hero of the Crusades, on the occasion of his concpiest of Eg3'pt. It penetrated subse- quently to the principal countries of Europe, and is classed in court inventories of the thirteenth and four- teenth centuries among the most precious possessions of sovereigns, being mounted in gold and silver and inlaid with jew^els. It was about 1440 that the Sultan of Babylonia (i. e., Cairo, which was often called Babylonia in the middle ages) sent a present of three bowls and a

606 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

dish of Chinese porcelain (^'porcelaine de Sinant) to Charles VII, King of France. In 1487 an ambassador arrived at Florence from Egypt with valuable presents, including some large vases of celadon porcelain for Lorenzo de' Medici. In the same year porcelain is enumerated in the Maritime Laws of Barcelona among the imports from Egypt into Spain. The earliest piece of Oriental porcelain that can be referred to as having been brouo;ht to Eno-land before the Keformation is a pale sea-green bowl mounted in silver gilt, which is preserved in New College, Oxford, under the name of Archbishop Warham's cup, and which is said to have belonged to that prelate (1504-32). In the year 1506, Philip and Joan, of Austria, who had taken the title of King and Queen of Castile, left the Low Countries for Spain, but were driven by a storm into Weymouth, where they were entertained by the high sheriff. Sir Thomas Trenchard. When the king took his leave he presented his host with some bowls of blue and white porcelain, one of which was inclosed in massive silver gilt, Moresco pattern, and one of them is said to be still kept in the Trenchard family.

Mounted specimens of Elizabethan date are not so uncommon. In the Blue and White Catalogue of the Bur- lington Fine Arts Club {loc. cit., page 3), a basin deco- rated in four panels with vases of lotus-fiovvers and birds, mounted in English silver gilt (Elizabethan hall-mark), and lent by Sir Wollaston Franks, is described. At the same time there were exhibited four celebrated pieces, mounted in the same style, from the Burghley House collection, which are believed to have been in the Cecil family from the time of Queen Elizabeth. One of the pieces, painted in brilliant blue with phoenixes and chrysanthemums, was marked with the date of the con- temporary Chinese Emperor Waii-li (1573-1619). Mr.

PORCELAIN MADE FOR EXPORTATION. 607

Cosmo Monkboiise, the learned editor of the catalogue, says in his Introduction : " Perhaps it was out of the same ' parcel ' of china that the Lord Treasurer Burgljley offered to Queen Elizabeth one porringer of Svhite por- selyn ' garnished with gold, and Mr. Robert Cecill a ' cup of green pursselyne,' as New Year's gifts in 1587-88."

After the discovery of the route by the Ca2:)e of Good Hope, porcelain became better known in Europe. The Portuguese navigators aj)peared on the shores of the far East in the beginning of the sixteenth century, and arrived at Canton in the year 1517, where they were at once admitted to trade. Japan was opened to them in 1542 by the shipwreck of a Portuguese vessel on the shore of the island of Kyushu, ^vhere they were well treated by the Japanese, and allowed to set up a trading establishment at Nagasaki. During the time that the Portuguese enjoyed the monopoly of the East Indian trade they imported splendid collections of porcelain, including vases of the largest size, like those that used to be installed in the Royal Palace of Alcantara, now unfortunately dispersed. The Dutch succeeded the Portuo-uese in the control of the trade with the far East, Van Neck established a factory at Batavia in 1602, the Dutch East India Company was formed in the same year, and under its auspices vast quantities of porcelain were imported into Holland and the north of Europe. A fine selection, made 1698-1722, is still to be seen in the Johanneum at Dresden, and another is preserved in the palace at The Hague.

The English East India Company, which was estab- lished in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, did not for a long period after its foundation succeed in opening a direct trade with China, being excluded by the Portuguese and Dutch. The port of Gombron, opposite to Ormuz, in the Persian Gulf, was for a long time the chief entrepot

608 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

of the British trade, and the earliest " China ware " introduced into England derived its name of " Gombron ware" from this place. In 1631, among the Avares and merchandise allowed to be imported from India, a catalogue includes " China dishes and puslanes of all sorts." In 1640 a factory was established at Canton, and direct trade has been carried on, with occasional inter- ruptions, since that date.

With regard to the kinds of porcelain imported, a fund of interesting information has been gathei'ed by Du Sartel (loc. cit, pages 112-148) from French catalogues of the eighteenth century, of which that of the Fonsper- tuis Sale * is one of the most important, containing notes by Gersaint, a celebrated expert of the time. The ear- liest porcelain imported was of single color, principally celadon or white ; blue and white followed, as confirmed by Pere d'Entrecolles, writing in 1712, who says that up to that date this ^vas almost the only kind exported from China to Europe. Gersaint also writes in the same strain in 1747.

The porcelain imported seems to have been generally a selection from the ordinary contemporary productions of the private potters of Ching-te-chen. The work of the imperial mauufactoiy could only have been exception- ally represented, as it is reserved for the service of the emperor. The private collections of Chinese connoisseurs were not ransacked, as the}^ are in these later days, so that we can hardly expect to find any important exam- ples of ancient ceramic art among the piles of dishes^ plates, and tea services that were imported, as we gather from old bills of lading, by the hundred thousand. Among the larger decorated vases of the reign of K^ang- hsi, a certain number are usually set aside in European

* Catalogue de la vente des tableaux, bijoux, porcelaines, etc., de M. Angram, Vicomte de Fonspertuis. Paris, 1747.

PORCELAIN MADE FOR EXPORTATION. 609

collections because they happen to be inscribed with old marks, and are supposed, moreover, to have an archaic aspect. Representative cabinets of so-called Ilman-te and Oil' eng-hua porcelains are filled in this way, although genuine Ming dynasty porcelain, which is rare even in China, is conspicuous by its absence.

It was in the reign of JCang-hsi (1662-1722) that porcelain seems to have been first made at Ching-te-chen in new forms and special designs for the European market. These were often executed after European models and designs taken there for the purpose by native agents from Canton. The earliest pieces with foreio;n desio-ns were made for Persia and the Moham- medan market, and were decorated with scrolls of Arabic writing, generally texts from the Koran, the incorrect lettering of which, apart from the character of the floral designs with which they were associated, betrayed the Chinese hand. Next came Chinese copies of the old Imari ware of Japan, which were so perfectly executed during the reign of K'ang-hsi that it would be some- times difficult to distinguish the copy from the original were it not for the different quality and ring of the paste. In later days Delft ware has been copied in a similar way, one of the faience plates, originally painted in blue after Chinese lines, having been reproduced in porcelain, so that it might have been mistaken for the first model, if the Chinaman had not tried to copy the initials of the signature of the Dutch decorator.

Porcelain has also been decorated in China for the Hindustan market in the form of quadrangular sweet- meat trays, oblong boxes with covers, and the like, painted with copies of Indian miniatures, such as nautch girls dancing before men of rank, holding up swords and flowers, or potentates seated on marble tei'races with attendants standing behind holding fans, and a line of

610 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

slender arches of palace architecture rising in tlie back- ground. The cover of a betel-nut box of this class is illustrated by Jacquemart (loc. cit.^ Plate XVII, Fig. 3), as an example, however, of his class oi 'porcelaiiie hindoue, the existence of which is highly problematical. A label is occasionally attached to these pictures, penciled in gold ; but the Arabic inscriptions are always very incor- rectly written, evidently by persons unacquainted with the language, and the unaccustomed hand is detected as readily as when the Chinese artist is trying to form European letters.

The usual style of Arabic inscriptions on Chinese por- celain is shown in Fig. 103, an eggshell saucer-shaped dish, with designs penciled in black and filled in with gold, which is to be attributed, from its technique, to about the middle of the eighteenth century. It has a medallion in the middle with a dentated border from which four projections extend inward, which is filled with Arabic writing, and a broad belt of the same script on a gold ground encircles the border of the dish. The rim is surrounded by a narrow band of floral scrolls con- sisting of alternate sprays of peony and chrysanthemum of purely Chinese design. Two dishes of the same shape, size, and technique are now in the British Museum."'^"

The name of " porcelaine des Indes " in France, of " India china " in England, was applied generally in the eighteenth century to the decorated Chinese porcelain which was imported in such large quantities, and eagerly sought after, until the time came when a similar material could be produced in Europe. Although the art of mak- ing hard porcelain was discovered in Saxony by Bottger in 1708, it was not till 1760 that it was made at Sevres, and it hardly came into domestic use before the end of the eighteenth century. Meanwhile it was made and

* See the Franks Catalogue, loc. cit., Nos. 619, 620.

POKCELAIN MADE FOR EXPORTATION. 611

specially painted in China for exportation, and often from designs furnished by Europeans. In the sale catalogue of the collection of Vicomte de Fonspertuis by Gersaint, which has just been referred to, the Chinese and Japanese are generally referred to as "Indiens." Some confusion would have been avoided if the term " porcelain of the East India Company " had been adopted instead of " India china." Jacquemart has ascribed the porcelain of this class to Japan, but on very slender grounds. Others by a still more singular hallucination have attributed it to Lowestoft in England, although there are many dated specimens anterior to 1777, the date of the so-called invention of hard paste at Lowes- toft. Sir A. W. Franks has exposed these fallacies and proved its Chinese origin. A large proportion of it was evidently painted in Canton by Chinese artists, the por- celain being brought for the purpose overland from Ching-te-chen, glazed in the ordinary white state, with the addition perhaps of a few rings or outlines in under- glaze blue defining the spaces intended to be tilled in with colors. The style was similar, and the colors employed were the same that were used in the ateliers of Canton in the decoration of j)ainted enamels on copper, which are a specialty of the place, under the name of ycmg tz'i\ or " foreign jDorcelain," so called, we are told, because the art was originally introduced from Calicut in India. Precisely similar designs occur on the copper and porcelain objects of the period, which w^ere molded in identical forms, and fired in the same muffle kilns to fix the colors. The porcelain of this class is known to the Chinese by the name of ya7ig ts'ai, or "foreign colors." It is comparatively rare, however, in China, having been principally made for exportation and sent abroad at the time it was made.

Many of the services have on them the armorial bear-

612 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

ings of the persons for whom they \veie made. The col- lection in the British Museum is very rich in this class of ^' armorial china," including portions of services made for Frederick the Great, and for the royal families of Den- mark and France, as well as many pieces with the arms of European families of rank, and of merchants wlio are known to have traded with China. A large service was made for the palace of the Swedish kings at Grips- holm, the name of which is inscribed on the pieces.

The large, deep plate illustrated in Fig. 52, which is nearly nineteen inches across, is an earlier specimen of armorial china than the above. The decoration is partly in underglaze blue, partly in overglaze muffle colors of the ICang-hsi period, blue, green, yellow, and red, with touches of gold, and the rim is gilded.

Some of the earlier pieces decorated with foreign designs were painted entirely in blue. The tall cups with covers called " Keyser cups," which are illustrated in Sir Heniy Thompson's Catalogue, and also by Jacque- mart, are painted with a broad panel containing St. Louis of France and his queen on a canopied throne, and nar- rower alternate panels with kneeling figures and birds, and have inscribed round the top, l'empire de la vertu EST etabli jusqu'au BOUT DE l'univers. The inscription is occasionally misspelled in a way that at once betrays the Chinese hand (see page 106). A second well-known series of tall cups and saucers is painted in blue with a Dutch design known as Kockock in liet Huisje (the cuckoo in the house); a sketch of a small building on a platform with trees and plants and two birds above.

The decoration was sometimes copied from European pictures brought to China for the purpose, so that we find in collections of Chinese porcelain sea views with Dutch vessels, punch-bowls with pictui-es of English har- vesting and of the harvest feast inscribed undei'neath

PORCELAIN MADE FOR EXPORTATION. 613

HARVEST HOME, aud grotesque copies of the famous pic- tures of the elements by Francesco Albani, now in the gallery at Turin. One would hardly expect to see an English political cartoon on Chinese porcelain, but refer to Franks Catalogue, loc. cit, No. 625 :

" Punch-Bowl. Chinese porcelain, painted in colors with gild- ing; on each side are a pair of medallions exactly similar, each forming a satirical coat of arms. No. 1, Bust of John Wilkes; crest, a lion passant; supporters, Sergeant Glj'n and Lord Temple; motto, ALWAYS READY IN A GOOD CAUSE; above is inscribed, WILKES AND LIBERTY. No. 2, Bust of Lord Mansfield, with a h3'dra below; crest, a viper; supporters, Lord Bute and the Devil; motto, JUSTICE SANS piTiE. The devices on this bowl appear on the heading to an address by John Wilkes, 'To the Gentlemen, Clergy, and Freeholders of the County of Middlesex,' dated from King's Bench Prison, Saturdaj^ June 18, 1768. They are entitled 'arms

OF LIBERTY AND SLAVERY.' "

A Dutch skippei', detained in harbor after a voyage to China, would have a picture of his ship painted on porce- lain, as shown b}^ the service noticed by Jacquemart and Le Blant (Joe. cit., page 384), which was decorated in colors with gilding, with a vessel under full sail, flying the Dutch flag, and inscribed underneath, t : schip.

VRYBURG CEYOERT : DOOR '. CAPITEYN JACOB. RYZIK IN :

CHINA. INT lAAR. 1756 (The sliip Vryburg, conducted by Captain Jacob Ryzik, in China, in the year 1756). A plate of similar decoration, described in the Franks Cata- logue (loc. cit., No. 598), has the inscription, written in a medallion, chris"^ schooneman opp^. stuerman op t'sciiip

VRYBURG : TER REEDE WANPIIO IN CHINA INT lAAR : 175()

(Christopher Schooneman, chief mate of the ship Vry- burg, in the roads off Whampoa, in China, in the j^ear 1756). Whampoa is the harbor of Canton, and the plates were doubtless painted in that city while the ship was in port. There would be hardly time to send the order on

614 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

the long overland journey to Ching-te-chen, and it is still less likely that the artists of Nippon had anything to do with them, although M. Jacquemart argues so at some length.

Occasionally the decoration is of more familiar charac- ter. Fig. 361 represents a saucer-shaped eggshell dish in the Walters Collection, painted in brilliant enamel colors with gilding. The design that decorates the interior^ composed of waving foliations mingled with paneled bands, has the shaj^e of a coat of arms, and it is sur- mounted by the figure of a white goose, the Chinese emblem of marriage, standing upon a gilded visor of gro- tesque form, looking somewhat like a crest. The two oval shields displayed side by side in the middle contain the monograms i. v. e. and i. b. upon blue grounds of different shade. These are no doubt the initials of the Dutch bridal pair whose names are penciled in full below within a blue baud in gold letters, ian : van : ens and lOANNA bochoute. The band of scrolled foliations that encircles the above designs is etched in gold. The border of the dish is decorated with a gilded diaper interrupted by four foliated medallions. Two of these contain miniature portraits of the happy couple, the other two are filled with symbols of good omen, a heart between two pairs of clasped hands, tied by ribbons to musical stones, hung with beaded tassels and waving fillets.

The porcelain made to ordei' for the European market^ with which the Dutch inundated Europe for more than a hundred years, is generally overdecorated, in accordance with the foreign taste. Jacquemart Justly distinguishes the objects made at the same time which were decorated according to Chinese taste by classifying them under the title of " porcelaine artistique." A single spray of flowers, a sacred or mythological figure encircled by a lightly etched floral scroll or a key border, or a dramatic

PORCELAIN MADE FOR EXPORTATION. 615

scene with the personages in antique costume, forms the whole decoration, following the canons of Chinese art. The result is more attractive than the most gayly deco- rated scenes of familiar life framed in as many rings of dif- ferent floral diaper as it is possible to get into the space ; such, for instance, as surround the seven-bordered eggshell plate illustrated in Plate X, fascinating as this is from its minute finish. The vases of the same style and period being covered with richly dressed officials in their robes of office, have been sometimes classed apart under the title of " mandarin porcelaine." This style is a favorite one with the Cantonese artist to the present day, when he is working for his foreign patron, although the native school of art, following always the canons of the old masters, disdains the modern costume of everyday life.

Among the objects made for Europe are found wash- basins and ewers of elaborate form completely covered with floral brocaded grounds of diverse pattern, inter- rupted in the middle by a medallion with a coat of arms. The tea services which w^ere imported consisted generally of a teapot with a hexagonal or octagonal tray, a pair of ovoid jars with covers as tea-caddies, a graceful cream- jug with cover, one large bowl, a variable number of tea- cups with or without handles, sometimes furnished with saucers, often without, and a plate or two for cakes, or a couple of saucer-shaped dishes. Few perfect sets remain, but several separate pieces of the class have already been figured. Fig. 362 show^s a typical teapot with a cup and saucer of the same pattern, which are not so elaborately decorated as some of the services of the period, but still somewhat overloaded with floral ornaments, as the sj^rays of prunus with birds perched upon them seem to be a little cramped for want of space, in the intervals betw^een the foliated panels displaying ch^i-lin in the midst of brocaded flowers, with which the rest of the surface is covered.

616 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

There is one class of Chiuese porcelain wliicli has been dignified with the name of " Jesuit china," as it was sup- posed to have been made under the influence of the Jesuit missionaries. The pieces are usually painted in blue and white, and date from the earlier part of the reign of K''ang-hsi (1662-1722). They are characterized by hav- ing the crucifix and other sacred symbols of the Roman Catholic faith inti'oduced in the intervals of the decoi'a- tion, which is usually of the ordinaiy Chinese style, as may be seen in the jar illustrated in Plate XIV, which has the cross and three nails with the Christian mono- gram I. H. S., inclosed in a quatrefoil panel. The sym- bols in these specimens are penciled on the paste under the glaze, and must have been put on at the same time as the other part of the decoration, before the firing.

Jacquemart in his several works on ceramic subjects has tried to establish the existence of both Hindu and Siam- ese porcelain, but on very insufficient grounds ; and I am strongly inclined to agree with Sir Wollaston Franks that there is no evidence that true kaolinic pottery was ever produced either in Hindustan or in any of the countries of the peninsula of Farther India. They have, on the contrary, always depended on China and Japan for their supply of porcelain until quite recent times, when a few factories have been established there on European lines. The class of pieces on which Jacquemart principally relied is well exemplified in the bowl illustrated in Fig. 363.

It is necessary to say a few words here on the subject of the decoration of Oriental poi'celain in Europe. This was first attempted in Holland, as is shown by M. Havard in his researches into the annals of the corporation of Delft potters.* It was about 1700 that these potters are said to have discovered the secret of the preparation of a cer-

* Histoire de la faience de Delft. Par Henri Havard. Paris, 1877.

PORCELAIN MADE FOR EXPORTATION. 617

tain number of the colors of the muffle stove. These enamel colors, which were of the same class as those em- ployed by the Chinese, were used not only for their own soft faience, but also in the decoration of hard porcelain imported from the far East, being applied on white pieces, or on pieces spaced with a few blue lines, as pre- pared at Chiug-te-chen for the artists of Canton, which were passed on to Europe for the purpose. Other pieces, in which the decoration appeared to Dutch taste to be sparse, had the white ground filled in with various acces- sories and details of semi-Oriental style, the result being a curious hybrid combination of colors as well as of styles. Some of these may be seen illustrated by Du Sartel, with the piece in its original state jjlaced side by side with the sur-decoration. Gersaint, the " expert " of Paris, in his catalogue published in 1747, describes t^vo square bottles of porcelain of this kind painted in colors with figures of men and tigers, and adds that "the figures, animals, and otlier ornaments on these bottles have been painted in Holland, as is done there, often Tuial a propos, on pieces of fine white porcelain."

It is not difficult to distinguish the work of the Dutch decorator by the aspect of the colors, apart from the style ; the Dutch palette compi-ised black, red derived from iron, a dull blue, and a pale green ; the four enamels are applied in strong relief, but are wanting in vivacity and transparency, and look as if the coloring oxides were not sufficiently developed. The red is especially dis- tinctive, being ahvays of deep brick-red tint, imperfectly glazed, and standing out in tangible mass, piled on, as it were, with a thick brush. The Chinese iron-red, on the contrary, is of coral tint, is perfectly incorporated with tlie glaze, and affords no appreciable relief even when most intense in tone.

Several of the other European manufacturers of porce-

618 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

lain of the eighteenth century tried tlieir skill in the decora- tion of Oriental porcelain. The work of Saxon artists is- seeu in the Dresden Museum placed beside the primitive pieces of old Japanese porcelain ; the work of French artists is preserved in the Musee at Sevres ; and there are in the British Museum several examples of color painting from Bow and Chelsea, and of transfer printing from Worces- ter, all executed on Oriental porcelain. The Musee de Limoges contains an interesting series of specimens, including some of rare Venetian work, like the Jap- anese vase illustrated by Du Sartel Qoc. cit., Fig. 117),. which was originally an artistic production of an Oriental artist of the seventeenth century, simply orna- mented with a narrow scroll border round the shoulder, and with light sprays of flowers repeated at the base and. round the neck, penciled in coral-red and gold. The Venetian artist, in his task of filling in this chaste and graceful decoration, had at his disposal only the black enamel which was used in his country for enameling upon glass. Treating the porcelain vase as if he were decorating one of the feathery glass cups that he was accustomed to handle, he first completed the floral scrolls on the neck with an elaborate band of birds and flowers of charming design, and then painted on the body of the piece two large vases with Japanese flowers springing from their interior. The rest of the space was filled, in with a garden scene, enlivened by the figures of two mandarins with strange birds and insects flying round them, painted according to the fancies, more brilliant than exact, which the Italian artist fondly imagined about the things of the far East. At a later date much Oriental porcelain, principally blue and white, according to Sir Wollaston Franks, has been spoiled by painting it in tawdry colors, with gilding — a detestable process which, he says, was carried on not long ago in London.

I

POKCELAIN MADE FOR EXPORTATION. 619

There are also quite modern forgeries on which coats of arms have been added to old pieces of porcelain painted in colors, where the sparseness of the original decoration left room for such additions ; these can be detected by the different conditions of the old and new enameled •colors, the former being somewhat altered by passing twice through the fire.

Su7'-decoration in all its phases is also practiced in China. It may be contemporary with the original deco- ration, as in the case when a blue and white piece has come out of the kiln with some defect of the glaze, and a spray of flowers has been deftly painted on in enamel colors to conceal the defect and fixed in the mufHe. On the other hand, it may be quite modern, and an attempt may be made, for example, to increase the value of a blue and white vase by plastering on a fusible enamel of some other color, such as the yellow of antimony, which is ^«asily refired, and so present the original blue designs with a new livery. The " ginger-pot " illustrated in Fig. 357 was originally an ordinary example of the reign of K''mig-lm (1622-1722), marked underneath in blue with a double ring, and had the scattered prunus- blossoms reserved in white, on a blue ground of poor color, traversed in the usual way by a reticulation of darker lines. It has been varied by having the petals of the alternate flowers filled in with bright-green and dull- red enamels, so as to present a kind of formal diaper studded with blossoms of these two shades. The red might pass, as the buds of the prunus are naturally tipped with red, but the glaring inconsistency of green flowers stamps the production at once as a forgery, apart from the coloring, which is certainly not that of the K''ang-hsi period, if it be Chinese at all.

Another kind of subsequent decoration is shown in Fig. 359. It is a strongly made porcelain bowl of the

620 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

K\mg-hsi period (1662-1722), with the interior painted in blue under a wliite glaze with chrysanthemum scrolls spreading over the field, and with a floral border round the rim, while the exterior is enameled with a dark- brown monochrome glaze of "dead-leaf" type. The chocolate-colored glaze has been pierced through to the white paste underneath, so as to decorate the bowl out- side in intaglio with a broad band of floral sprays and birds, executed in European style. This has been worked on the lapidary's wheel, probably in Austria.

The Chinese cut porcelain, hard as it is, is cut with the utmost facility on the jade-cutter's lathe, which is pro- vided with cutting disks and piercing tools of soft iron that, when in work, are kept constantly moistened with corundum paste. The top of a chipped vase or bowl will be shaved off evenly — "barbered" as they call it — or the jagged edges of a fracture will be neatly round ed^ for a new piece of porcelain to be fitted in the holes and cemented round the rim. A reproduction of the original design is then painted over a f raid in common oil colors. The Chinese collector has a horror of a mao ping (crack or other small defect), and infinite trouble is taken to conceal one by carrying sprays of flowers along the fissures, or even by investing the whole of the white ground of the vase with an inky coat of lampblack hardened by cement, or by applying a uniform coat of lacquer. The sur-dec(yi'ation a froid will become dis- colored in time, and it may be detected at once by a wash of weak acid, which should always be sponged on in case of doubt.

The question of the modern reproduction of ancient wares is a burning one. Caveat emptor ! The W'Ould-be connoisseur of porcelain must buy his experience while he educates his eye. Any other test is worthless. Where the demand is so great the supply threatens to become

POECELAIN MADE FOR EXPORTATIOlSr. 621

unlimited. At tlie Kioto Exposition of 1895 the latest triumphs of the Japanese in the imitation of old Chinese porcelain were exhibited on long shelves ; the Ching-te- chen potters are daily improving in their reproductions of the finest sang-de-hoeuf and blue and white of the K''ang-hsi period, and even the tile works of Peking are busily occupied in these latter days in the manufacture of single colors for the markets of the United States. In Europe the old Chelsea potters turned out Chinese por- celain with marks complete ; the earliest Meissen ware was an exact copy of the ancient artistic sort of Japan ; and the pride they take at Sevres in the reproduction of Chinese eggshell is proved by the display in the museum, of the original plate and its copy, placed side by side, as if to defy the visitor to distinguish between the two. The well-known shop of Samson at Paris is full of all the varieties of " Oriental porcelain " made in France, but one views them there as avowed imitations. It is differ- ent when one sees the same French things, as I have seen them, in the back room of a curio-dealer at Shanghai, purposely begrimed with real Oriental dirt to give an air of antiquity, and the casual globe-trotter is more apt to be deceived under such altered circumstances. However it may be, many of these forgeries find their way into cabinets, and flaunt for a brief while their borrowed plumes, until they are detected as impostors and banished to another sphere. The Walters Collection is happily free from such unauthorized intruders, so the question need not detain us further. But it has been laid down on good authority that doubt is one of the first requisites of the scientific inquirer, and it is certainly required in China for things Chinese almost more than in other parts of the globe.

CHAPTER XXII.

PORCELAIN PRODUCTION IN THE OTHER PROVINCES OF

CHINA. THE WHITE PORCELAIN OF THE PROVINCE OF

FUCHIEN. THE YI-HSING BOCCARO WARE OF THE PROV- INCE OF KIANGSU. THE POTTERIES OF THE PROVINCE

OF KUANGTUNG.

ri"^HE pi'ovince of Kiangsi has been the one great cen- -L ter of the porcelain manufacture during the present dynasty, and it may be said generally that nothing of any artistic value is produced elsewhere in China in the present day. In earlier times a certain amount of por- celain was made in other provinces for local consumption, and some of the fabrics attained special excellence and even acquired a wider vogue under some of the past dynasties when directly patronized by the emperor reign- ing at the time, or temporarily stimulated by demands for export abroad, but most of the different manufac- tories have failed, either from want of support or from exhaustion of the materials, and those that still remain produce now nothing worthy of their old renown.

A list of these potteries, ancient and modern, has been compiled by Julien (loc. cit., pages li-lxvi), and the differ- ent localities referred to have been indicated upon a map of China prepared by him for the purpose. Thirteen out of the eighteen provinces of China are represented in this list, but many of the potteries, included because they have been mentioned only once perhaps in some ancient book, have long been extinct, and some of the others, like that of Sin-p'ing, in the province of Honan, tjie

622

PORCELAIN PRODUCTION IN OTHER PROVINCES. 623

reputed place of tlie iuveDtion of porcelain, are, as we have endeavored to prove, purely hypothetical.

The principal potteries that were still working toward the end of the Ming dynasty, in the beginning of the seventeenth century, are briefly enumerated in the THen hung Wai wu^ a little manual of industrial work which was published at that time. It says (Book II, folio 10) :

" The white plastic clay called e-fu is required for the fabrica- tion of porcelain, and the finest and most beautiful pieces can not be made without it. Throughout the whole of China there are only a very few places in which it is found — viz., in the north: (1) at Ting-cliou, in the prefecture of Chen-ting-fu (pi-ovince of Cliihli); (2) at Hua-t'ing-hsien, in the prefecture of P'ing-liang-fu (province of Shensi); (8) at P'ing-ting-chou, in the prefecture of T'ai-yuan-fu (province of Shansi); (4) at Yu-chou, in the prefec- ture of K'ai-feng-fu (province of Honan). In the south it is pro- duced (1) at Te-hua-hsien, in the prefecture of Ch'iian-chou-fu (province of Fuchien) ; (2) at Wu-Yuan-hsien and at Ch'i-men- hsien — both situated in the prefecture of Hui-chou-fu (province of Anhui).

" In the potteries of Te-hua there are fabricated onl}' the figures of divinities and statuettes of famous persons artistically modeled and various ornamental objects of fantastic form not intended for actual use. The porcelain which comes from the districts of Chen- ting-fu and K'ai-feng-fu is occasionally of j^ellowish shade. The productions of all the other districts are far from equaling that of Jao-chou-fu (in the province of Kiangsi).

" The two kinds of porcelain that were made at Li-shui and at Lung-ch'tlan, in the prefecture of Ch'u-chou-fu, in the province of Chekiang, had the enamel applied after the pieces had been fired. The cups and bowls (from these two districts) which range from sea-green, or celadon, up to a dark-green color approaching that of lacquer, are called CKu Yao — i. e., ' Ch'u Ware,' after the name of the prefecture.

" With regard to the porcelain which is so eagerly sought after by foreigners from all the four quarters of the world, this is all fabricated at Ching-te-chen, in the district of Fou-liang-hsien, and the prefecture of Jao-chou-fu. Porcelain has been constantly produced there from the period Ching-te-chen (1004-07), when the

624 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

imperial manufactoiy was founded, down to our own days, although neither of the two materials of which the paste is made is pro- duced in the district."

The porcelain of the province of Chekiang acquired some renown as early as the Chin dynasty (265-419), when it was made at Wen-chou-fu, and in the T\tng dynasty (618-906) the cups of Yueh-chou, the modern Shao-hsing-fu, were esteemed above all others for tea services, and the famous ware of "prohibited color" reserved for imperial use was produced in the same dis- trict. Now there remains in this province only a small local manufactory at Chapu, a port on the northern shore of Hangcliou Bay. When the Emperor ChHen-lung visited the province of Chekiang in the year 1780, a series of illustrations of the handicrafts of the people was presented to him, which was afterward published under the title of T''ai p'ing liuan lo fou — " Illustrations of the Vocations of Peaceful Times " — and which has been lately republished. The fifty-eighth of the one hundred pictures is that of the porcelain-seller carrying his fragile wares in a couple of baskets slung upon a pole. The artist says in his description :

" In the province of Chekiang they have made porcelain from ancient times. The prohibited color {pi se yao) of Yueh-chou, the Lung-ch'iian ware (old celadon), and the Ko Yao, or crackled celadon, are among the most celebrated of its productions of olden time. With regard to the different ceramic productions of the present day the porcelain that is most highly valued by the people for eating and drinking purposes all comes from Ching-te-chen in the adjoining province of Kiangsi. Potteries have been recently establislied in Chekiang at Chapu, whei*e they make vases, basins, wine-cups, rice-bowls, and the like. The porcelain is white, with designs painted in blue, and the potters strive to emulate their rivals of Jao-chou-fu."

Hangchou is one of the places thrown open in Sej)tem- ber, 1896, to foreign residence and trade, as a result of

PORCELAIN PRODUCTION IN OTHER PROVINCES. 625

the recent war between China and Japan ; and it will be interesting to inquire whether the potteries at Chapu (tlie port of Hangchou) are still working, and, if so, what is the quality of the production.

The potteries at Ting-chou in the province of Chihli ceased to work at the close of the Ming dynasty, when we found Chou Tan-chu'an making at Ching-te-chen re- productions of ancient four-legged censers of the peculiar ivory-white finely crackled ware that used to be produced at Ting-chou, and astonishing his contemporaries by his imitative skill. During the present dynasty all the Fen Ting ware, the so-called " soft paste " porcelain, whether plain white or decorated in soft underglaze cobalt-blue, has continued to be made in Kiangsi. It is the same with many of the other old wares ; the Ju Yao and the imperial porcelain {Kuan Yao) of the Sung dynasty, the old celadons, plain and crackled, and the jfambe glazes of ancient Chiin-chou among the rest. These were all attempted to be reproduced by T'ang Ying in the reign of Yung-clieng (1723-35), in the imperial manufactory at Ching-te-chen. Their original localities know them no longer.

The potteries at Tz'u-chou in the province of Chihli are indeed the only representatives of the better known manufactories of the Sung dynasty that have continued to turn out porcelain down to the present day. Their productions were not much esteemed in former days, when they were described as a kind of inferior " Ting- Yao," and the modern work is still less valued, its only recommendation being a certain archaic simplicity of form and design. The paste is very white, but it is opaque and imperfectly vitrified. This Tz'ii-chou ware is well known in Peking and throughout northern China, as it supplies the domestic needs of the common people. Among the more curious objects are pillows made in the

626 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

sliape of scantily clothed urchins and hollow in the interior, so that they can be filled, if it be desired, with hot water in cold weather, Kudely molded idols and figures of Buddhist and Taoist saints are also produced here, roughly painted in different shades of brown (tzu-cliin) derived from iron peroxide, or penciled in a dull blue with manganiferous cobalt applied over the glaze.

The province of Fuchien, in the south, has long been noted for its production of porcelain. The Clden Tz'u, or Chien Yao — i. e., " Fuchien porcelain " — oi the Stoig dynasty, was originally fabricated at Chien-an-hsien, in the prefecture of Chien-ning-fu, although the potteries were moved later in the same dynasty to Chien-yang- hsien, which is within the bounds of the same prefecture farther north. The porcelain of Chien-an is referred to by the author of the Ch''a Iai, a book on tea written in the eleventh century, in which he speaks of the teacups of Chien-an under the name of " leveret-fur cups," and describes them as being of thick material invested with a soft black glaze flecked with lighter spots like the fur of a hare. Other authors of the time speak of the black glaze being sprinkled with yellowish tears. These cups w^ere the most highly prized of all by the enthusiasts of the competitive tea parties of the time. AV hen tea clubs were started in Japan these were the cups that were valued by the Japanese at a hundred ounces of silver each, and they supplied models for some of the early tea- jars made in that country, the dark, speckled glaze of which might be described in the very words of the old Chinese writers of the Sung dynasty in their description of this fabric* The manufacture of porcelain in this

* A recent letter from Japan says that the potter Takemoto, of Tokyo, is making a specialty of black glazes, with the aim of rivaling the Chien Yao of the Sung dynasty, and has succeeded in producing many varieties of mirror-

POKCELAIN PRODUCTION IN OTHER PROVINCES. 627

district continued to flourish during tbe Yuan dynasty (1280-1367), but after that we hear of it no more.

Early in the Ming dynasty, if not before, potteries were established at Te-hua-hsien, in the same province of Fuchien, which was then subject to Ch'uan-chou-fu, but was afterward placed under the jurisdiction of Yung- ch'un-chou. These potteries are still woiking, and are the sole source of the well-known Chien Tz'u of to-day^ which is different from the older ware that was described under the same name of "Fuchien porcelain," being white instead of black. This is the pal tz'u, " white porcelain," ^«/' excellence, of the Chinese, the hlanc de Chine of French ceramic writers. It differs considerably from other Oriental porcelain, the paste of smooth tex- ture being of a creamy-white tint resembling ivory, while the rich, thick glaze, which has a satiny aspect, like the surface of soft paste porcelain, blends closely with the paste underneath. These potteries became renowned during the Ming dynasty (1368-1643) for their figures of Buddhist divinities and saints — Kuan Yin or Avalokita^ as the Goddess of Mercy, Mi-lo Fo or Maitreya, as the Buddhist Messiah, and Ta-mo or Bodhidharma, the last Indian and the first Chinese patriarch, being the three most frequently represented. The statuette of the God- dess of Mercy, illustrated by M, Grandidier (loc. cit., Plate X, 28), furnishes a striking example of the skill- ful modeling of the Fuchien potters. A more elaborate figure of the many-handed form of the same Pusa is illustrated fi-ora the Musee de Limoges by M. du Sartel {loc. cit, Plate XVII, Fig. 60). The divinity is seated upon a lotus thalamus, with one pair of arms folded in front with the fingers raised in mystic fashion, w^hile

black and raven's-wing-green glazes, of leveret-fur streaking and of russet moss dappling ; more varieties, by the way, than I suspect were ever turned out from the original kilns in China.

628 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

eight other pairs of arms are extended in ev^ery direction, to display to the whole world, as it were, the various sacred symbols grasped in the hands. In the same plate are illustrated two groups of three figures gathered under a pine-tree, with a rocky background, two of whom are playing chess, molded in the same ivory-white porcelain. These are scenes from the legend of Wang Chi, one of the Taoist ])atriarchs, who is said to have flourished under the Gliin dynasty (265-419). While wandering in the hills one day to collect firewood, he found two aged men playing chess, and laid down his axe to watch the game. One of the players gave him a fruit-stone, which he swallowed. After a while they exclaimed, " It is long since you came, and time to go home." He found that the handle of his axe had moldered into dust, and when he reached home many generations had passed away and he was clean forgotten, so he retired again to the mountains and devoted himself to Taoism, till he was finally enrolled among the immortals.

The natives of this province are among the most superstitious of the Chinese,* and their religious tempei'a- ment seems to be reflected in the chai'acter of theii' cei'amic productions. The rice-bowls are molded with figures in relief of the eight Taoist genii worshii)ing the Longevity Grod, and the ordinary wine-cups have the air of sacrificial libation-cups, being shaped like the old carved cups of rhinoceros horn, and impressed outside with all kinds of Taoist sacred emblems. When a mark is attached it is a religious symbol like the swastika, or sim])ly the name of the potter, stamped somewhere under- neath the foot or on the reverse side of the piece. They were not, however, above working for the European market, as is proved by whole shelves of European figures

* See Social Life of the Chinese. By the Rev. Justus Doolittle. New York, 1867.

PORCELAIN PRODUCTION IN OTHER PROVINCES. 629

and designs molded in this peculiar white porcelain, which are exhibited in the Johanneuni at Dresden, dating from the seventeenth and the beginning of the eighteenth centuries.

Three pieces of Chien Tz'u have been selected from the Walters Collection for illustration here. The cen- ser (lisiang hi) in Fig. 371, which is of depressed, rounded shape, with the body bulging in the middle, is molded with a floral decoration on one side composed of sprays of bamboo and peony-flowers growing from rocks, worked in relief under the ivory-white translucent glaze with which it is invested. There is a circular panel stamped underneath, with four archaic characters in the middle, Hsuan te nien cJiih — i. e., " Made in the reign of Hsumi-te (1426-35) " — but the piece does not look so old.

The vase in Fig. 372, of solid make, has the globular body ornamented with four identical sprays of j)ruuus (mei hud) modeled in strong relief, and the neck, which has a wide ring projecting horizontally below, is en- circled above by a line of fret succeeded by a band of triangular foliations, while a similar band defines the shoulder of the vase. The glaze is of pure ivory-Avhite tint, and the technique generally is that of the Ming dynasty.

The third, a small vase illustrated in Fig. 373, with wide circular base and short cylindrical body rounding in at the shoulder to a straight tubular neck, is an example of the form known to the Chinese as hoof- shaped vases (ma fi p'ing^. It is molded in sharp relief with the eight Buddhist symbols of good augury (^pa chi-hsiang^ enveloped in waving fillets and leafy scrolls, and the rims are defined by light conventional foliations. The rich, satiny glaze is ivory-white with a slight creamy tinge. There is no mark, but the style

630 OEIENTAL CEEAMIC ART.

of execution points to the reign of Cl^ien-lung (1736- 95), or somewhat earlier.

Two typical pieces of Chieu Tz'ti are illustrated in Plate XIII. In the little wine-pot molded in the form of a pomegranate the artist has reproduced remarkably well the characteristic tone of the white glaze. In the teapot the glaze is somewhat grayer in shade, but very I'ich and lustrous, and the uuglazed base exhibits the pecu- liarly smooth texture of the paste. A picked specimen of the white porcelain of Ching-te-chen of the finest quality is illustrated in Plate XC, and it will be seen, on comparison, to have a slight tinge of blue, although the glaze is of perfect purity and translucency ; this shade is due to lime, which is always added by the Chinese in appreciable quantity to give fluidity to the glaze when the porcelain is being fired. The white Fen-Ting glaze is quite different from either of the other tAvo, as may be seen by turning to Plate LXXXIX, an admirable specimen, to be referred probably to the ICang-lisi period. The glaze here looks thinner, and it has a wavy or undulatory surface, as it seems to sink into and blend intimately with the siliceous paste under- neath ; the ivory-white, which is the prevailing tone^ has a creamy tinge, and it is delicately crackled with an infinity of fine lines.

There is a crackled variety of the Chien-Tz'u, which^ however, I liave met with only in quite modern vases of no particular merit or beauty, having the glaze deeply fissured by a wide reticulation of colorless lines ; so that it ought not to be confounded with the delicately crackled Fen-Ting porcelain.

In addition to the ivory-white porcelain, which has given the Fuchien potters their chief reputation, they also make a quantity of ordinary domestic ware for local consumption. Missionaries penetrate to all parts

PORCELAIN PRODUCTION IN OTHER PROVINCES. 631

of the interior of China in these days, and one of tliem * gives a pleasing sketch of the potters at work in this district which is worth quoting :

" Tek-kwa [the local pronunciation of tlie Te-hua of the man- darin dialect] is the most extensive manufactor}' of china in the Fulikien province. The valley is broad, and clothed over a con- siderable area with very pretty houses, in many cases resembling Swiss chalets. Pottery, pottery everywhere, in the fields, in the Btreets, in the shops. In the open air children are painting the cups. Each artist paints with his own color, or his own few strokes, whether a leaf, a tree, a man's dress or beard, and passes it over to his neighbor, who in turn applies his brush to paint what is his share in the decoration. I have seldom received a more courteous and cordial welcome than from these artists in earthen- ware at Tek-kwa."

The writer is somewhat vague in his use of the tei'ms " china," " pottery," and " earthenware " in this short paragraph, and we wish that he had looked at the ware with a technical eye and told us the exact nature of the material. The Chinese themselves are apt to be just as vague in their definition of tz'''U (porcelain), and to find their ultimate criterion in the clear ring that they can produce by striking the object with their long finger-nails. This test is not infallible, as a perfectly vitrified stoneware of colored opaque body, if it be not too thick, will give as musical a ring as the most snowy and translucent pottery of pure kaoliuic structure. The two ceramic wares of China that still remain for a word of notice would nevertheless always be rejected by a Chinese connoisseur from his porcelain class, although, strangely, we find specimens of the first, the faience of the province of Kuangtung, so often figuring with porcelain vases on the shelves of tlie Occidental connoisseur.

*Eoery-Day Life in China, or Scenes in Fuhkien. By E. J. Dukes. London, 1885.

632 OKIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

This is the Kuang- Yao of the Chiuese, the " Pottery of Kuaiigtung." It is in material a colored stonewai'e, the fabric passing from pale yellowish-gray through buff and various intermediate shades of yellow and red to deep brown. All kinds of things are made of it, archi- tectural antefixal ornaments, cisterns, fish-bowls, and flower-pots for gardens, religious images, sacred figures and grotesque animals, tubs and Jars for storage, domes- tic utensils, and vessels for eating and drinking, and many objects of ornament and fantasy — the various articles, in fact, that are made in other parts of China of porcelain. The ware is exported to all parts of the world, and piles of it are to be seen in the commoner stores in China Town at San Francisco.

There are two principal centers of manufacture in the province. The first is in the vicinity of the treaty port of Amoy, from which it is exported by sea. Dr. S. W. Williams, in his description of the principal articles of export from China,* says, under Chinaware :

" The largest part of tlie export at present consists of coarse blue ware to India and the archipelago. Large manufactories of it exist at Pakwoh, a village near Shih-raa, between Amoy and Changchou, and the common articles of domestic use find their way from Amoy to India and the archipelago, Siam, and over the southern provinces. Its fantastic figures and uniformity of color- ing and design have impressed themselves on the popular mind of Asiatics. ... Of the fine ware, which is made at King- te-ch^n in Jao-chou-fu, not so much is exported. Some of it is brought to Canton in its plain state, and the pieces are painted according to demand. The figures are sketched in Indian ink, and then painted with water-colors mixed with strong glue; the pieces are then placed in a reverberating furnace about half an hour, and taken out and washed when sufiiciently cooled. The division of labor in the preparation and painting of chinaware is carried to a minuteness not often seen in other branches of native art."

* The Chinese Commercial Guide. By S. Wells Williams, LL. D. Fifth edition, Hong-Kong, 1863.

PORCELAESr PRODUCTION IN" OTHER PROVINCES. 633

The second manufactory is in the extreme south of the province of Yaug-chiang-hsien. The author of the Ching-te-chen T''ao lu says, under the heading of Kuang- Yao :

" This was first made in the province of Kuangtung, in the <ii8trict of Yang-cliiang-hsien, in the prefecture of Cliao-ch'ing-fu. It was probably fired in tlie same way as the foreign painted enamels on copper (which, the author tells us in another part of his book, had been copied from those made at Calicut in Hindu- stan), so that porcelain is included in the official description of tlie province among the productions of Yang-chiang-hsien. I have seen censers for burning incense, vases, cups and platters, bowls and round dishes, gourd-shaped bottles and boxes with covers, and the like, made of this ware, which were finely decorated in the most brilliant colors; but in style, finish, and artistic treatment it is not to be compared with real porcelain, and it is never free from unsightly fissures in some part of the glaze in which the body of the piece is exposed to view. Nevertheless, the repro- ductions that have been made at Ching-te-chen, under the super- intendence of the dii'ector T'ang Ying, are worthy of attention for the beauty of their coloring, which exceeds by far that of the original Kuang-Yao."

The particular glaze referred to in this last paragraph was a sowfflS blue. It figures as No. 17 in the list giv^en in Chapter XIII, where it is described as having been <5opied by T'ang Ying from an ancient specimen of Kuang-Yao which had been sent down from the imperial palace at Peking for the purpose. The glazes of the Kuang-Yao are often, indeed, of the mottled and varie- gated class, the prevailing ground being blue, which may be streaked and flecked with green and pass into olive- brown toward the rim. But many other colors occur, such as purple, camellia-leaf green, and stone-colored -crackle; they are usually colors of the demi-grand feu, and may develop the most brilliant reds of sang-de-hoeuf tone, as in the figure of the Buddhist patriarch Bodhi-

634 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

dharma, illustrated in Plate XLI, which is invested in a robe of lustrous crimson. This statuette is a typical example of Kuang-Yao, and exhibits the reddish-gray color of the dense, hard material in the pai'ts uncovered by glaze. On the vases of more ancient date the surface is often only partially enameled, the glaze stopping in an irregular line as it runs down and congeals in drops, so that a third part of the piece may be left bare. In this it resembles some of the ancient w^ares of the Sung dynasty, with which it may be confounded if special attention be not paid to the pdte^ which is peculiarly dense and opaque, although it may occasionally be of a pale grayish tint approaching white.

The vase in Fig. 369 is a characteristic production of the potteries of Kuangtung. Molded of solid form, with two ring handles in relief springing from grotesque lions^ heads, it is invested with a thick, translucent glaze of bright green tint, mottled with dark brown, and becom- ing grayish blue at the edges. This does not quite reach the bottom of the vase, ending below in an undulatory line, so that the brown stoneware body is exposed to view at this spot.

The bottle-shaped vase in Fig. 370, with a pair of lizardlike dragons (cKili-lung) of archaic shape project- ing in openwork relief from the neck, is made of light but hard stoneware of brown color. It is covered with a translucent crackled glaze of rich emerald-green tint, passing into purplish gray at the rim of the vase and over the more prominent parts of the accessory modeling.

In Fig. 374 is illustrated one of the quaint little recep- tacles for water {shui cJi'eng) designed for the desk of a Chinese writer. An ancient specimen of Kuang-Yao, judging from the texture of the paste, which is of pale buif color, and the celadon hue of the glaze, it is molded in the form of a sacrificial ox, with a small oval bowl

PORCELAIN PRODUCTIOISr IN OTHER PROVINCES. 635

attached to the mouth, into which the pencil-brush may be (lipped. A channel leads from this through the mouth of the ox, the body of which is hollowed to hold water, and the back is pierced with a circularly rimmed aperture. The design is adopted from one of the ancient sacrificial wine-vessels of bronze, which, however, were usually modeled in the form of a rhinoceros, and this is suggested by the spiral folds on the skin, the thick legs, and the grotesque outline of the miniature monster before us.

The Chinese ceramic ware that remains for our con- sideration is the Yi-hsing Yao, which derives its name from its place of production — Yi-hsing-hsieu, in the pre- fecture of Chang-chou-fu, in the province of Kiangsu. It has been cursorily referred to already in Chapter VII, in a notice of some of its earlier productions during the Ming dynasty. The pottery produced here is a fine kind of stoneware of various tints — buff, red, brown, and chocolate-colored, red predominating. The Portuguese called it hoccaro, and the name has remained. Bottger, the inventor of Saxon porcelain, fii'st tried his hand in the imitation of this material in 1708, with some success, although his essays hardly deserved the epithet of force- laine rouge^ with which they were baptized. The Elers, who established a pottery in Staffordshire, England, also copied the red varieties with great exactness, so that it is not always easy, according to Sir Wollaston Franks, to distinguish their productions from Oriental examples.

The Chinese prefer this fine stoneware to any other, even to true porcelain, for the infusion of tea, and for keeping delicate sweetmeats. There is a special book which is often quoted (but I have not seen the original), called Yang-lisien ming Tin hsi, written by Chou Kao- ch'i, an author of the seventeenth century, who gives an account of the teapots (ming hu) made here (Yang-hsien

636 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

being au old name of Yi-hsing). These teapots are made in the most varied and fantastic forms, such as a dragon rising from waves, a phcenix or other bird, a section of bamboo, the gnarled trunk of a pine, or a branch of blossoming prunus, a fruit such as a peach, a pomegranate, or a finger-citron, or a flower like the nelumbium, the Chinese lotus.

Many of the pieces derive their sole charm from the simple elegance of the form and the soft self-coloring of the fine, close faience in which it is modeled. Others are ornamented with designs molded in relief, impressed with delicate diapers, or engraved with decorative designs. Others, again, are painted in enamel colors,, applied with a brush so as to come out in sensible relief, or inlaid, as it were, in a ground previously prepared for the purpose, the technique being that of champleve enamel on copper. The enamel colors may be either single or multiple. The material makes a charming background for a spray of flowers worked in clear cobalt- blue combined with a vitreous flux, or for a landscape lightly penciled in the soft grayish white afl^orded by arsenic. The decoration in multiple colors is almost* too elaborate, especially when the piece is completely covered,, so that none of the ground is visible, in which case the nature of the excipient can be detected only by examin- ing the rim of the foot underneath.

All kinds of things have been made at Yi-hsing-hsien of this peculiar faience, and out of the multitude of objects of use and ornament that are usually made in China of porcelain, there is hardly one that is not also to be found in hoccaro ware. This last material is, how- ever, considered most suitable for small ohjets de liixey and these are often very cunningly and minutely finished. Miniature teapots and fruit and flowers of charming design are made to hold water for the writer's pallet ;

POKCELAIN PRODUCTION IN OTHER PROVINCES. 637

perfume-bottles, rouge-pots, powder-boxes, trays, saucers, and other uameless accessories for the toilet-table of the harem ; small vases for flowers, comfit-dishes, chopstick- trays, and miniature wine-cups for the dinner-table. The mandarin wears a thumb-ring, a tube for the peacock's feather in his hat, and has enameled beads and other orna- ments for his rosary made of this material ; the Chinese exquisite carries a snuff-bottle, the tobacco-smoker has his water-pipe, and the opium devotee the bowl of his bamboo pipe artistically inlaid in soft vitrified colors.

Two of these small pieces have been selected for illus- tration. The first (Fig. 23) is a snuff-bottle of brown Yi-hsing ware, decorated with a miniature mountain landscape of temples, pavilions, and bridges, painted in soft-toned enamel colors. The second is a little receptacle for water, fashioned out of pale buff-colored faience in the form of a folded leaf, and imbued with autumnal tints, the outer aspect being covered with a roughened brown enamel, while the interior is coated purplish gray. The ivory stand, carved in openwork with bamboos and flowers and mounted upon a second rosewood stand, shows how it was once appreciated in China.

Glazed stoneware is made in the other provinces of China, but nothing of artistic value or interest seems to be produced that can be compared with the fine-grained hoccaro of Yi-hsiug. Potteries near Peking have been referred to as producing a kind of archaic-looking ware, which is occasionally enameled in brilliant single colors so as to cover the ground and conceal the material. This is a kind of glazed earthenware or terra-cotta, and can be easily scratched with a steel point. The ordinary glaze is a reddish brown of marked iridescence, shining with an infinity of metallic specks, an effective back- ground to the molded decoration which covers the sur- face. The designs are generally of hieratic character.

638 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

This terra-cotta is largely used in China for ai'chitec- tural purposes. The ruins of Wan-shou-shan and the other imperial summer palaces near Peking that were burned in I860, have furnished large images of Kuan- Yin enameled with turquoise-blue and other soft colors, smaller Buddhist images that were inlaid by the thou- sand in the brick walls of their temples, and dragons, k'i-lins, phoenixes, and other figures, that foi-med the ante- iixal ornaments of the roofs. Not the least interesting of these relics are the shields and trophies of arms of Euro- pean design, and the classical figures for the fountains of the Italian palace which was built in the Yuan-Ming- Yuen for the Emperor ChHen-lung under the superin- tendence of the Jesuit missionaries. These were all made in the encaustic tile-works near Peking.

It has been imagined by some that porcelain was so common in China that it usurped the place of all other ceramic wares, but this is not the case. From true kaolinic pottery, or true porcelain, we pass through all the different grades of faience and stoneware, in \vhich the material becomes gradually coarser and less perfectly vitrified, till we come to ordinary glazed earthenware, and finally to unglazed terra-cotta, which is roughl}^ fired in an open kiln. These should be set apart in collections, and an attempt be made to classify them according to the different places of production, as well as in chronological sequence. The study is not Avithout interest, as the de- velopment of some of the minor potteries that have been working for centuries in their own lines occasionally throws a side-light on the gradual progress of the decora- tion of porcelain. Although this is essentially a Chinese art, it has been more modified by external influences than some of its humbler sisters, which I would ventui'e to bring into more prominent notice for that reason.

CHAPTER XXIII.

CHINESE BIBLIOGRAPHY IN RELATION TO THE CERAMIC ART.

A SHORT excursion in the vast field of Chinese bibli- ography is undertaken here, in order to give some of the principal sources of information that have been availed of, and to indicate the ground that is open for fui'ther research. In the course of it the Chinese names of most of the books that have been quoted in the preceding pages will be given, with a reference to the dates of their publication, and a brief sketch of the nature of their contents.

Of works on the ceramic art that have been published out of China, two special books * are available for refer- ence, in addition to more partial bibliographical lists which accompany some of the general works on pottery, such as the one of which the title is quoted below.f

Some idea of the vast extent of Chinese literature may be gathered from the scholarly work of the late Alexan-

* BibliograpMe ceramique. Nomenclature analytiqite de tontes les Publications faites en Europe et en Orient sur les arts et I'industrie ceramiques, depuis le XVI' sihle jusqu'd nos jours, par Champfleury, conservateur du Musee de Sevres. Paris, 1881.

A List of Works on Pottery and Porcelain in the National Art Librae-)/, com- piled for the use of students and visitors, by R. H. Soden Smith, Science and Art, Department of the Committee of Council on Education, South Kensing- ton Museum. The first edition was published in 1875, but revised and enlarged editions, incorporating later additions to the art library, have since been issued.

f Pottery : Roto it is made ; its Shape and Decoration. Practical Inatructiom for Painting on Porcelain and all Kinds of Pottery icith Vitrifiable and Com- mon Oil Colors. With a full bibliography of standard works upon Uie ceramic art, and forty-two illustrations. By George Ward Nichols. New York, 1878.

639

640 OEIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

der Wylie, agent of the Britisli and Foreign Bible Society in China,* which, extensive as it is, is only a short epit- ome of the i)C ^ EB # ^ # li S, GliHn ting Ssu Fu chi'ian slut tsinig mu, the voluminous descriptive cata- logue of the Imperial Library of the present dynasty^ which was drawn up by command of the Emperor CJi'ieii-lung, and completed in 1790. The library is arranged, as indicated by the title of the catalogue, in Ssii Fu, or " Four Divisions," viz., Classics, History^ Philosophy, and Belles-Lettres, and the catalogue alone consists of two hundred books.

The Five Classics or Canonical Books in the first di- vision, which have been occasionally referred to in our text, include :

1. Tlie S. ^^, Yi Ching, "Book of Changes," which is so highly reverenced by the Cliinese on account of its antiquity and the unfathomable wisdom which is supposed by them to lie con- cealed under its mystic symbols. These are the pa kua, the eight trigrams of ancient divination, which are often represented on por- celain of all periods, especiall}' on ritual vessels of the Taoist cult.

2. The^ |g, Shu Ching, " Book of History," a collection of state documents of the "Three Ancient Dynasties," ranging from the time of Yao and Shun in the third millennium b. c, down to the reign of P'ing Wang of the Chou dynasty, which ended in the year b. c. 720.

3. The gi ^^, Shih Ching, " Book of Odes," a collection of songs of homage and popular ballads, three hundred and eleven in number, selected by Confucius from among those current in ancient times in the various petty states into which China used to be divided.

4. The ^^ ij^, San JLi, " Three Rituals," comprising the Chou Zii, the Ritual of the Chou dynasty, the Yi Li, " Decorum Ritual,"^ and the official Li Chi, "Book of Rites." The first of the three, the " Ritual of the Chou," is the most interesting to us in the pres- ent connection, because it contains a short notice of the govern- ment potters of the period under the two headings of Vao jeriy " potters," who worked on the wheel, and fang jen, " molders,'*

* Notes oil Chinese Literature. By A. Wylie. Shanghae, 1867.

CHINESE CERAMIC BIBLIOGRAPHY. 641

showing that these two branches of the handicraft were already distinguished at this early period. The cooking utensils and sacri- ficial utensils that they made seem to have been of common clay, and were directed to be sold in the market under certain official regulations. The particulars are contained in the ^^ ^J^ "^^j K^ao kung chi, " Artificer's Record," which forms the sixth section of the classic. The names and dimensions of the vessels are given in the original, but little else is known about them, and Chinese authorities even differ as to whether the potterj^ of the time was glazed or not. The figures in the ^^ jjjfi ^, San Li Tou, " Illus- trations of the Three Rituals," in twenty books, b}' Nieh Tsung-yi, who lived in the tenth century a. d., and in the other illustrated commentaries of more modern date, are generally imaginarj'^ and more or less fanciful,

5. The ^^ 7&Hr, CK'un ChHu, " Spring and Autumn Annals," is the only one of the five canonical books that was actually compiled by Confucius, It is the history of his native state of Lu (in the present province of Shantung), from 722 to 484 b. c, derived from the official records of the Chou dynasty.

In Chinese bibliography the dictionaries are placed after the classics. The most ancient of them is the J^A Ya^ ^ ^) a relic of the Cliou dynasty, which at one time used to rank as one of the canonical books. The commentary which is always associated with the text was written by Kiio P'u of the third century a. d., but the accompanying illustrations date only from the Sung dynasty, aljout the tenth century. The next dictionary is the ^ ^, Shiio Wen, which is devoted to an explana- tion of the ancient characters in which the classics were originally written ; it was compiled by Hsli Shen at the close of the first century a. d., and was presented by him to the Emperor An Ti in the year 121. The largest of the dictionaries, and the one that is invaluable for special research, is the flj ]^ h^ )^, P^ei tven yun fu, which was compiled under the special superintendence of the Emperor IVang-lisi., and published in 1711 in 110 thick octavo volumes. The foreign Chinese-English diction-

642 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

aries need hardly be alluded to here ; those by Williams and Giles are the best.

The second great division of Chinese bibliography includes the works on history, geography, and kindred subjects. The "Twenty-four Dynastic Histories" form the first class. Contemporary records are written day by day by the state historiographers in China, and one of the first duties of a new dynasty, when it is firmly estab- lished on the dragon throne, is to appoint an imperial commission to compile an ofiicial history of the preceding dynasty from the archives preserved in the historiog- raphers' office. These histories are therefore practically contemporary. They are all framed on a nearly uniform model, the general arrangement being in three sections, as follows :

1. Imperial Records, containing a succinct chronicle of the several emperors of the djmasty. 2. Memoirs, consisting of a succession of articles on Matlieniatical Chronology, Rites, Music, Jurisprudence, Political Economy, State Sacrifices, Astronomy, Natural Piienomena, Geography, and Literature. 3. Narratives, comprising official biograpliies of all persons of eminence, and end- ing with a short description of any foreign nations that happen to have sent embassies to China during the period.

The official histories commence with the ^ g^, Sliili Chi, by Ssii-ma Ch'ien, who lived b. c. 163-85, and who has been termed the Herodotus of China. His Histori- cal Records, in 130 books, start from the most remote antiquity and extend down to the year b. c. 122. The other dynastic histories that have been occasionally referred to, generally by quotations from individual biographies, are the ^^ ^, Sui Shu, " Book of the Sui [dvnnsty]," covei'iiig tlie years 581-617; the voluminous jg^ #, Tang Shu, "Book of the Tang'' (618-906); the ^ ^, Sang Shih, " History of the Sung " (960- 1279), the most extensive of all, comprising as it does

* CHINESE CERAMIC BIBLIOGEAPHY. 643

496 books; and the g^ ^, Ming Shili, " History of the Ming'''' (1368-1643), which is the last of the series of twenty-four.

Works on geography and topography follow next in order. The series of topographical writings in China is justly pronounced by Mr. Wylie (loc. cit., page 35) to be unrivaled in any nation for extent and systematic com- prehensiveness. Leaving out of account the sections devoted to geography in the several dynastic histories, there are separate official works on every part of the empire. At the head of these may be placed the ^ ^ — * ^ j£> Td OhHng Yi tung chih, in 500 books, which is a geography of the whole empire, published about the middle of the eighteenth century under imperial patronage. This takes up the various provinces seriatiniy giving under each an account of the astrological divisions, limits, configuration of the country, officers, poj^ulation, taxes, and renowned statesmen. Under each prefecture and department is a more detailed description of the various districts, giving, in addition to the above, the cities, educational institutes, hills and rivers, antiquities, passes, bridges, defenses, tombs, temples, men of note, travelers, female worthies, religious devotees, and produc- tions of the soil. Besides the above general compilation there are separate topographical accounts of each of the eighteen ^ (sJieng) ^'provinces," of every }^ (f^) "pi'e- fecture " and ^|»| (clioit) " department," of almost every ^ Qisien) " district " or " county," and, in many cases, of smaller towns included in the district.

The province, for example, of Kiangsi, which interests us more particularly, containing as it does the great center of the manufacture of porcelain, has a general description called 21 ® ffl jS' Gliiang Jisi fung chih, which has been very often quoted. This was first pub- lished in the reign of Chia-cJiing (1522-66) of the Ming

644 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

dynasty ; two new and revised editions were issued dur- ing the reign of ICang-Jisi, and another, much enlarged, was completed in 162 books in the next reign (1732), under the superintendence of Hsieh Min, who was then governor of the province. In the reign of T''ung-chih, after the Taiping rebellion had been put down, an imperial commission, whose names and titles fill six folios of the book, was appointed, under the presidency of the viceroy, Tseng Kuo-fan, to make a new revision. It was completed in 1882, and the result is the bulky work in 180 books which is now before us. The account of the imperial porcelain manufacture forms part of the ninety- second book, under the heading of T^ao Cheng, " Porce- lain Administration."

There were other descriptive works on the province in circulation before the publication of the above, of which the ^ ;^ /^ ^ f2» ^^^ cluing ta sJiih chi, or " Record of Important Affairs of the Province," under its ancient name of Yii-chaug, is the most important. This was written by Kno Tzu-chang, a president of the Board of War in the Ming dynasty.

The "^ ^M jfj j^, Jao chou fu chili, is the official description of the prefecture Jao-chou-fu, in the province of Kian2:si, which has Fou-liansf-hsien as one of the seven districts or counties under its jurisdiction. The edition before me is dated the eleventh year of the reign of Thtng-cliili (1872) ; it reprints several of the prefaces of the older editions, the first of which is dated in the cyclical year lisin-wei (1511) of the reign of Oheng-te oi the Ming dynasty. There are thirty-two books, the third of which, devoted to " Bridges, Antiquities, Customs of the People, and Natural Productions," includes an article on the porcelain industry, which is appended to the last section, under the heading of |5§ JJ^, T^ao CWang, " Imperial Porcelain Manufactory."

CHINESE CERAMIC BIBLIOGRAPHY. 645

A still more complete account of the ceramic industry is the one that is included in the ;^ ^ ^ jg, Fou Hang hsieii chih, " The Description of Fou-liang-hsien," which has been so often quoted in these pages, and which is referred to in some detail in the introductory chapter of this work as one of our chief authorities on the subject. The earliest edition of this work was published during the Sung dynasty, in the year 1270 ; the edition at our disposal was the official revision issued in the reign of Tao-humig (1821-50). The eighth book contains a memoir on porcelain from the official standpoint, entitled ^ ^, Tao Cheng, " Porcelain Administration."

There is no official description of Chiug-te-chen itself in the regular series, but the place of one is fairly well tilled by the ft @. ^ I^ lit, Ohing te chen Tao lu, ** Description of the Porcelain of Ching-te-chen." This was published under direct official sanction, as described in the preface by Liu Ping, the chief magistrate of the district, and is dated 1815. It contains a good map of the town, a plan of the imperial potteries, and fourteen woodcuts illustrating the different processes of manufac- ture, sketched by an artist on the spot.

Gigantic encyclopaedias made up of extracts from exist- ing works, classified under different headings according to the subject-matter, form one of the most remarkable features of Chinese literature. The :;5C ^ #P K- ^'^^ jpHng yii Ian, which is very often referred to, was com- piled in 1,000 books, divided into fifty-five sections, after a mandate issued by the second emperor of the Sung dynasty in the year 977. The largest of all is the ^ ^ -^^ ^j Yung lo ta tien, the vast cyclopi^dia of the Emperor Yung-lo of the Ming dynasty, Avho appointed a commission of scholars in 1403 to collect in one body the substance of all the classical, historical, philosophic, and literary works hitherto published, embracing astronomy,

646 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

geography, the occult sciences, medicine, Buddhism^ Taoism, and the arts. Their work was completed m 1407, and the result was 22,877 books, besides the table of contents, which occupied sixty books. It was ordered by the emperor to be transcribed for printing, but the expense was too great, and it still remains in manuscript, although many ancient and rare works, that would other- wise have been irretrievably lost, have been pieced together again from the extensive quotations in the mauusci'ipt columns and reprinted separately. From this we may pass on to the ^ ^ "i' ^ ^ ^ ^ ^, CKin ting leu chin fou shu cJii cKeng^ the huge cyclopaedia of the Emperor K''ang-hsi, the second of the present .dynasty, which contains 10,000 cliHlan or " books." It gives 426,304 extracts, long and short, from older books^ which are arranged under 6,109 headings, distributed among thirty-two classes, and the full-page illustrations number 8,041. These illustrations are executed in the style of the Ming dynasty, which is celebrated for its woodcuts, and the printing was done with movable copper type cast expressly for the purpose, ordinary Chinese books being piinted from wood-blocks. There is a complete example of the original quarto edition^ w^hich was limited to about 100 copies, in the British Museum, and a new edition has been recently published in octavo form at Shanghai by the aid of the photolitho- graphic process. There are some curious illustrations in this encyclopaedia under the heading Porcelain, but of importance from a literary and antiquarian point of view only.

Books on art come next for a word of notice. The Chinese have methodical treatises of more than a thou- sand years' standing on writing, painting, engraving, music, and the kindred subjects that are grouped to- gether under the name of liberal arts. An elaborate

CHINESE CERAMIC BIBLIOGRAPHY. 647

treatise on painting, in ten books, appeared during the Tang dynasty (618-906), entitled JR ft ^ 4 !£» Li taiming hua eld, "Records of the Celebrated Pictures of Different Dynasties," by Chang Yen-yuan, with descrip- tive and historical details regarding the art, having refer- ence particularly to a hereditary collection of paintings in the family of the author, and accompanied by bio- graphical sketches of the artists. The ^ ^ J H§» Hsilcm ho hua p'u, is a description, in twenty books, of the pictures in the imperial collection during the Hsiian- ho period (1119-25). There is a companion publication called ^ ^ ^ i§, Hsiian ho shii ])\i^ containing speci- mens of the calligraphy of successive ages gathered from the imperial archives of the same time. But all the older books have been supplanted by the large compila- tion which was referred to in Chapter V under the title of Imperial Cycloixedia of Celehrated Writers and Paint' ers, the ^ ^ iS( "^C ^ ♦ • If, Oh'in ting P'ei wen chai shu hua p^u. This was drawn up by a commis- sion appointed by the Emperor K\mg-hsi^ who wrote the preface himself when the book was published, in the forty-seventh year of his reign (1708). The titles of the principal authorities, which are cited in the introduction, number 1,844. The cyclopaedia comprises 100 cMian, or books, and it is divided usually, in Chinese fashion, into sixty-four J9e?i, or volumes. It is a perfect mine of infor- mation, giving instructions in the arts of writing and painting, descriptions of manuscripts and pictures, no- tices of celebrated collections and collectors, and of the certificates of authenticity w^hich they are in the habit of writing on the scrolls, biographical notices of writers and artists, etc. None of the artists on porcelain, however, seem to be mentioned by name, although there are occasional references to the designs used in ceramic dec- orations, as in book xii, folio 24, which gives a long list

648 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

from official sources of the motives of decoration em- ployed in the eighth year of the reign of Ohia-ching (1528).

The Chinese, it is well known, have the greatest rev- erence for antiquity, and the study of ancient relics and of the inscriptions upon them forms another impor- tant branch of literature. Archaeologists classify the specimens, which are constantly being dug up from the ground, under the two headings of Chin, " Metal," and Shih, " Stone." The former class includes sacrificial vessels, musical instruments, and ordinary utensils of bronze, bronze mirrors, bronze weapons, and coins ; the latter class comprises stone sculptures in bas-relief, carved inscriptions, Buddhist images and other figui-es, prehistoric stone weapons, vessels and utensils of neph- rite or other kinds of jade, archaic pottery, inscribed bricks and tiles, etc. There are separate works on ancient bronze vessels and on swords dating from the fifth and sixth centuries a. d., but they include much that is legendary. The most important of the old books on ancient bronzes now in circulation is the ^ ^ |^ ~^ pj ^, Hsi'ian ho Po hu Cou lu, " Illustrated Description of Antiquities published in the Hsilan-ho Period," in thirty books, which was compiled by Wang Fu in the beginning of the twelfth century, and has been fre- quently reprinted since. It is usually printed together with the ^ "^ m, IVao hu fou, "Illustrated Examina- tion of Antiquities," the description of a similar collec- tion of older date written by Lti Ta-lin in 1092, in ten books ; and with a smaller work in two books entitled ■^ 3E. ^> -^^ y^ tou, " Illustrations of Ancient Jade." Another collection of the Sung dynasty is the j|§ ]^ ^ *^ m, Shoo hsing chie^i hu fou, " Illustrated Mirror of Antiquities of the Shao-hsing Period " (1131-62), which furnished a model for the porcelain censer with fish

CHEN^ESE CERAMIC BIBLIOGRAPHY. 649

bandies of the reign of Hsuan-te of the Ming dynasty, referred to in Chapter VII. The most magnificent work of this class of more recent times is the illustrated de- scriptive catalogue of the imperial collections at Peking, entitled B fo 1& l^> Hsi chHng hu chien, which was published by the Emperor ChHen-lung in 1751 in forty- two folio volumes ; the S ^r ^ ^, Hsi ch^mg hsil chien, in fourteen folio volumes, is a supplement to the above catalogue, still unpublished, and circulating in a few manuscripts only ; and the ^ ^ "^ ^, Ning sliou leu chien, is another work similar to the preceding, also as yet unpublished, which is written and illustrated in ■the same superb style, twenty-eight volumes in folio, being the description of the collection of antiquities in the Ning-shou Kung, another of the palaces within the prohibited city at Peking. The original edition of the Hsi cKing hu, chien costs several hundreds of dollars in China, but it has been lately so perfectly reproduced at Shangliai by photographic process, in small octavo, that it is within the reach of every collector, and it ought to be at hand, for the study of bronze forms and designs.

The ^ in 1^ 1^ ^ /f^, Shub chHng yuan chen shu tang, which was quoted in Chapter V (page 98), is very different from the above, being merely an ordinary official inventory in manuscript of the furniture and specimens of art work on daily exhibition in the Shu- ch'ing Yuan, one of the palaces in the Western Gardens i^Hsi Yuan) on the northern shore of the large lake in the imperial city, corrected to the thirteenth year of Ghia-chHng (1808).

The standard work on ancient jade is the "i^ 5. H |§, Kxi yii fou p'u, " Illustrated Description of Ancient Jade," in 100 books, with more than 700 full- page woodcuts. It was compiled by an imperial com- mission, composed of the notorious Lung Ta-yuan and

650 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

eigliteen other members, including one writer and four artists, appointed by the second emperor of the South- ern Sung dynasty, and it was completed in the year 1176. A manuscript copy was purchased for the Im- perial Library in 1773 ; the Emperor ChHen-lung ordered it to be printed in the palace, and it appeared in 1779, with a preface dedicating it to the emperor. Some doubts have been expressed by native scholars as to the authenticity of the book, but on more or less slender grounds, and w^e may accept the imperial imprimatur as a sufficient warrant. The genuine character of many of the objects figured may be more justly criticised ; there is certainly no ground for the remote antiquity that is ascribed to some of the inscribed pieces.

In addition to these special works there are several books of a wider scope devoted to the general subject of antiquities and objects of art. The Ming dynasty was dis- tinguished for this kind of research, and the authors of the four following books, which have been quoted more than once in our pages, all belong to that time ; each one gives a short chapter on porcelain. They are all before me now, and, arranged in the order of their publication, are :

1. The ^ 'fi' ^ Ira, Ko leu yao hm^ "Discussion of the Principal Criteria of Antiquities," in thirteen books, by Tsao Ch'ao, published in the reign of Hung-ivu, the founder of the Ming dynasty, in the year 1387. A revised and enlarged edition was prepared by Wang Tso and issued in 1459. The new editor always carefully marks the additions made by him, so that the text of the original edition may be easily distinguished. The follow- ing table of contents will give some idea of the scope of the work, which is interesting from its early date :

Book I. Ancient Lyres, and other stringed musical instruments. Book II. Old Manuscripts, with a discussion of the distinctive characteristics of the paper and ink.

CHINESE CERAMIC BIBLIOGRAPHY. 651

Book III. Inscriptions from ancient stone tablets and other monuments, classified according to the provinces from which the rubbings were obtained.

Book IV. Select Extracts from Previous Authors on the subject.

Book V. Old Pictures, with a discussion of the peculiar water- colors emplo^-ed, and other marks of authenticity.

Book VI. Precious Stones and Jewels, including jade, agate, moss-agate, rock-crystal, glass, cat's-eyes, emeralds, pearls of dif- fei'ent kinds, garnets, rubies, sapphires, lapis lazuli, coral, and amber; rhinoceros horn and ivory, with reference to concentric openwork spheres, libation-cups, and other carvings; gold, silver, steel, and inlaid iron-work, white metal; sacred figures occurring in natural stones; ancient bronzes and methods of distinguishing false antiques, etc.

Book VII. Ancient Ink Pallets, with an account of the natural stones suitable for their fabrication, references to potter}^ pallets, and to pallets made of ancient tiles and potsherds. Curious Stones; jet and variegated stones used for inlaying furniture, minerals resembling jade, agate, or mother-of-pearl used for carv- ing, etc. Ancient Pottery and Porcelain; with notes on the pro- ductions of different manufactories, commencing with the ancient azure-tinted products of the Ch'ai potteries, and ending with the contemporary wares of the imperial potteries of Fou-liang-hsien. There are brief references to Korean pottery, and to the introduc- tion of the process of painting in enamels on copper from the Arabs {Ta-shih), in which the editor tells us that the same color- ing materials were emplo3'^ed as in the cloisonne enameling on copper {Fo-laiig Ch''ien), which was so called because it originally came from Byzantium.

Book VIII. Lacquered Work; painted lac, carved cinnabar lac, lac inlaid with gold, lacquered furniture inlaid with mother-of- pearl, etc. Brocaded and embroidered silks, silk stuffs woven on the loom with threads of different colors. Asbestos cloth, carpets of silk and wool. Foreign AVoods, sandalwood, rosewood, ebony, and other fragrant or variegated kinds. Varieties of Bamboo.

Book IX. Description of Objects for the Study and Library. Brushes, cakes of ink from different parts, principal paper factories, seal vermilion, books and tlieir care, etc.

Book X. Collections of Essays and Prefaces of old authors on the subject.

Book XI. Miscellaneous Researches, Part I. On Jade Seals. On • Iron Tablets of Authority.

652 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Book XII. Miscellanies, Part II. Wording of Imperial Edicts.^ Official Girdles, with a description of the jade, gold, silver, and other appendages that were worn upoTi them at different times as tokens of rank.

Book XIII. Miscellanies, Part III. On a series of illustrations depicting the process of rice-culture and of silk-weaving. Re- searches on tlie old palaces of the Sxing and Yuan dynasties.

2. The JS "^ ^1^, M hu lu, " Description of Anti- quarian Inquiries," is a work of the same character as the last, but smaller, being an account in four books of old manuscripts, pictures, antiquities, and other objecta of art and curiosity, etc., by Ch'en Chi-ju, an author of the Ming dynasty, which was published in the middle of the sixteenth century.

3. The ^^ ^ ^, CVing pi ts'ang, " Collection of Artistic Rarities," is another little work in two books on antiquities, pictures, brocaded silks, ancient bronzes, por- celain, seals, jewels, and miscellaneous objects of art^ by Chang Ying-wen, who wrote the last page on the day he died. It was published by his son Chang Ch'ien-t^^ the author of a book on flowers, vases, and the art of arranging flowers in them, which will be alluded to presently, and who wrote the preface for his father's work, which is dated 1595. There is a curious notice in the second book of a visit to an exhibition, called CKing

Wan Hid — i. e., " Exposition of Art Treasures " — which was held in the province of Kiangsu in the third month of the fourth year of the reign of Lung-chJing (1570)^ the objects being loaned for the purpose by four of the principal families of tlie province.

4. The tS ^ ^ ^? Po tvu yao Ian, " General Survey of Art Objects," which was referred to in Chapter V, is perhaps the best work of the class that is under consid- eration. It was written by Ku Ying-t'ai, in the reign of IHen-cJiH (1621-27) of the Ming, but remained in manu-

CHnO:SE CERAMIC BIBLIOGRAPHY. 653

script till the beginning of the j^resent dynasty, when it was printed by Li Tiao-yun, with a preface signed by himself as editor. It comprises sixteen books, which make two octavo volumes bound in Chinese style. The second book is devoted to porcelain, under the several headings :

1. The Ju-cbou, Imperial, and Ko potteries, of the Sung dynast}', with lists of the different objects made in the last two potteries arranged in three classes according to their artistic value. 2. The Ting-chou potteries, with a list of the most important objects produced there in the Sung dynasty, 3. The ancient Lung-ch'iian potteries, with an account of the grass-green celadon porcelain made there in the Simg dynasty, and a list of the objects that are considered most worthy of notice. 4. Ancient potteries of the province of Fuchien. 5. Description of the ceramic pro- duction of Chiin-chou during the Sioig dynasty. 6. The Arabian enamels on copper, V. Glassware, 8, Ancient and modern pro- ductions of Jao-chou, referring to the porcelain made at Ching- te-chen.

There is only the briefest notice in this last section of the older porcelain of the Sung and Yuan dynasties, but the productions of the writer's own dynasty (the Ming) are described at greater length, under the sev- eral reigns of F^m^-Zo (1403-24), Hsuan^te (1426-35), CKeng-Jma (1465-87), and Clvia-cking (1522-66), and Ku Ying-t'ai is constantly quoted by connoisseurs as the best authority for this period.

Literature is, as it were, a religious cult for the Chinese scholar, and he cherishes the tools of his craft as almost sacred. There is a small class of books Avritten in this connection on the furniture and literary apparatus of the study, among which certain articles of porcelain find a place. One of the earliest of the books of this class is the II ,g. Pi CJdng, '' Canon of the Pencil Brush," by Wang Hsi-chih, a celebrated calligrapher who lived

654 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

321-379 ; Le wrote down tlie poems of the club tLat used to meet in the Lan T'ing or " Orchid Pavilion," and down to tlie present time tliese poems, as written by Wang, continue to be cut in stone all over China as models of handwriting. The ^ M El 1^? ^^'^^ /<*^^ ssu p\i, is one of the older books on the materials of the study, which was compiled by Su Yi-chien in 986. It consists of four parts, which ti-eat respectively of pencils, ink-pallets, ink, and paper, with i-emarks on the various descriptions and characteristics, historical memoranda, and essays and stanzas appended to each section.

The ^ §§ -^ y, JCao p'an ijil sliih, by T'u Lung, a writer of the sixteenth century, is another general handbook for the man of learning and cultui'e, of some- what wider scope, discussing, as it does, in order :

Printed Books, Ancient Inscriptions, Manuscripts and Callig- rapliy, Painting and Artists, Paper, Ink, Brushes, Pallets, Music and the Lyre, Perfumes and Incense-burning Apparatus; Tea, its choice brands, preparation, tea-drinking utensils; Flowers, their cultivation in pots and their display in vases; Storks for the garden and the different varieties of goldfish; the Country House in the Hills, its library, medicine-room, summer-house, Taoist and Bud- dhist shrines, and outdoor pavilion for drinking tea; Furniture, materials for the study, traveling apparatus, etc.

It is a curious epitome of antiquarian information, extending to boats and fishing-rods, as well as describing the forms of vases, etc., and ends with the pictures of two double and single gourds, which are recommended as the lightest and most elegant of wine-flasks for the pilgrim to carry on his girdle when traveling.

The work of the present dynasty of this class that is

the most frequently referred to is the ^C. Wi ^ ^? Wen

fang ssu k^ao, an examination of the belongings of the

scholar by T'ang Ping-chlin, which was published in

eight books in the forty-seventh year of the reign of

CHINESE CERAMIC BIBLIOGRAPHY. 655

ChHen-lung (1782). It is illustrated witli a jwrtrait of the author and a picture of his study, with palms, dryandra-trees, and bamboos growing from rocks in tlie background of the pavilion in which he is seated with an open volume on the table.

The first two books are devoted to ink-pallets of carved stone, illustrated I)}'' forty-six full-page woodcuts of appropriate designs. Book III contains an account of paper, ink, and brushes, and an investigation of ancient pottery and porcelain. This last is mostly a medley of quotations from older writers, strung together some- what loosely, and generall}^ without acknowledgment of the sources from which the}' are derived, and it contains little that can not be found under better auspices in the J"rto Shuo. Book IV is on ancient bronzes and the means of distinguishing modern imitations; on jade, ancient and modern, its liistory and characteristics, with notes on the minerals that resemble it; on lyres, ancient and modern. Book V treats of the history of the written character, books, and paintings, and Book W of the art of literary composition. Books VII and VIII give an account of the drug ginseng, and a collection of essays and miscellaneous inquiries.

The special books on tea and its preparation occasion- ally throw some light on the j^orcelain of the correspond- ing time in their description of the cups and other utensils employed in its infusion. We should know nothing of the early fabrics of the T''ang dynasty (618- 906) were it not for the ^ g, Ch'a Cliing, the "Tea Classic," written by Lu Yii in the middle of the eighth century, the contents of which have been briefly sketched in Chapter I (page 14). The author discusses the colors of the diffei'ent glazes, and gives the palm to the pale- blue cups from Yueh-chou, as imparting an agreeable greenish tinge to the yellow liquid. The writers of the Sung dynasty (960-1^79), on the contrary, such as Ts'ai Hsiang, who wrote the ^ ^, Cli^a Iai, " Description of Tea," in the eleventh century, prefer the black cups

656 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

mottled like hare's fur, wliicli came from Chien-an (Chien-chou), as showing the last trace of the whitish tea-dust that remained in the bottom in the course of their competitive trials. The earliest book on the sub- ject is the Chhian Fu^ " Odes on Tea," by Tu Yu, a poet of the Chin dynasty (265-419), and he, as well as many of the other old versifiers, is often quoted when the ceramic productions of the time happen to be touched upon by them. Some of the Sung dynasty books on tea are illustrated with woodcuts, like the ^ g§, Gl^a P''u^ by Ku Yuan-ch'ing, published in 1269, which gives curi- ous pictures of i\\e little copper roller, the miniature stone grinding-mill, the gauze sieve, the little " tea-jar " for the dust, made of carved vermilion lac, the teacup with its vertically striated bowl and widening mouthy the graceful ewer for boiling water, of which the best, the author tells us, were made at this time of gold, the bamboo whisk, and the napkin, or duster of brocaded silk. No teapot was used at this period ; the hot water was poured on a carefully weighed quantity of tea-dust put into the cup, and stirred with the whisky which is exactly like that used to-day in other countries in the preparation of more inebriating " drinks." The winner in the " tea-fight " was he whose tea withstood the most " waters," and whose sediment-trace lasted longest on the bottom of the bowl. For teapots Ave must con- sequently refer to more modern works, like the |^ ^ ^ ^ ^, Yang hsien Ming hu hsi, " Account of Celebrated Teapots of Yang-hsien (an old name of Yi-hsing)," by Chou Kao-ch'i, which is a disquisition on those of the peculiar brown boccaro ware which is still made at Yi- hsing-hsien, near Shanghai. Two special books on vases were published toward the close of the Ming dynasty, in the beginning of the seventeenth century, which have been quoted in Chapter XVII, viz., the ^ ^, P^ing

CHINESE CERAMIC BIBLIOGKAPHY. 657

shih, " History of Vases," by Yuan Hung-tao, and the S ^ H§5 P^in(j liucL phiy a small treatise, in one book, on vases (^ij'ing) and the art of arranging cut flowers (liuob) in them, by Chang Ch'ien-te, already alluded to as the author of an introduction to his father's book on antiqui- ties entitled C King pi ts'ang, which was dated 1595.

The forms of the ritual vases used by the emperor in the various sacrificial ceremonies at which he officiates are all figured and minutely described in the various official books, such as the iJC S ^ ^^ ^ :ft @' Cli'in ting la Clbing Hui tien fou, the imperial illustrated edition of the statutes of the reigning dynasty, a voluminous compilation in eighty books, accompanied by 102 books of plates. For Buddhist and Taoist ritual vessels refer- ence must be made to the canonical books of the two religions. The principal Taoist writer, wdio has been quoted once, is Chuang Chou, who lived in the fourth century b. c, and left the work in ten books called ^ -f, Chuang Tzu, which has been translated into English.

The most important manual industries of the Chinese are rice-cultivation and silk-weaving, the former being the work of the men, the latter of the women. There is an annual ceremony celebrated at the Temple of Agricul- ture at Peking, during which the emperor plows a furrow, followed by the chief officers of state ; and the empress picks mulberry-leaves and feeds silkworms on a stated occasion each year, accompanied by the ladies of the court, before worshiping the tutelary Goddess of Sericul- ture at the temple which is consecrated to her inside the palace. The different processes of work have been fa- vorite subjects for artists of all periods. The Emperor K^ing-hsi, the second of the reigning dynasty, Avi'ote a preface and composed a series of verses to illustrate the two sets of drawings executed by Chiao Ping-chen, an official of the Astronomical Board, which are published

658 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

in the f P ^ ^ ^ 0, Yil chiJi King Chili Tou, " Imperial Edition of Illustrations of Agriculture {Keng) and Weaving {Cliili)^'' which has been referred to already, and which was published in the thirty-fifth year of his reign (1696). The plates, twenty -three in each set, are engraved in the finest style of Chinese art, and have the imperial verses on the page opposite each picture inclosed in a broad frame containing a pair of imperial dragons represented rising from the sea in pursuit of the flaming jewel of omnipotence. Apart from their artistic value they afford naturalistic scenes of ordinary Chinese life, and it would be interesting to compare them with the twenty illustrations of the ceramic industry described in Chapter XV, which seem to have been drawn up on the same model, should these last ever be recovered from their hiding-place in the palace libraries.

There is a little manual of Chinese industry called ^ HI ^ tp"? T'^kn hung hai \du^ illustrated with pic- tures, which was compiled by Sung Ying-sheng and pub- lished in the year 1637, toward the close of the Ming dynasty, and which gives a brief account of the various industrial processes, arranged in three books in the follow- ing order :

Book I notices agriculture, different kinds of cultivated corn, and processes of irrigation; culture of silkworms, silk-winding, and silk-weaving; dyeing of stuffs, manufacture of the colors employed, including indigo-blue, safflower-red, and yellow extracted from tlie flowers of the Sophora japonica; winnowing-machines and mills for grinding corn; salt from sea- and river-water, rock-salt obtained by mining; sugar, honey, and methods of preserving fruit. Book II refers to the work of the potter, to tile- and brick-making, and to porcelain; the metals and their different alloys used in the cast-

* There is a copy of this book, which is very rare, in tlie BibliothSque National at Paris. Some of the articles in it liave been translated by Stanislas Julien and published in the proceedings of L' Academic des Sciences and in the Journal Asiatique.

CHINESE CERAMIC BIBLIOGEAPHY. 659

ing of sacrificial utensils, images, cannon, mirrors, and money; boats and carts; axes, spades, files, knives, saws, anchors, needles, and gongs; mineral lime, lime from oyster-shells, coal; crj^stallized products, alum, iron-sulphate, copper-sulphate; sulphur, arsenic; mineral and vegetable oils; the manufacture of paper, paper from the mulberry [Broiissonetia pajyyrifera), paper from bamboo. Book III describes such metals as: Gold, silver, copper, including bronze, brass, and white metal, tin, iron, zinc, lead, white lead, and red lead. Arms: Bows, shields, gunpowder, saltpeter, cannon, fowling-pieces; mines, cinnabar, vermilion, ink, coloring materials; spirit distilled from corn; precious stones, pearls, diamonds, jade, agates, rock-crystal, and glass.

Some of the books that come under the class of miscel- lanies have occasionally been quoted when they touch on the ceramic art — for example, the ^ ^ ^ 3^, 8hih ivu han cku, a general miscellany of ajlfairs and things, by Huang Yi-cheng, which was published in forty-one books in the year 1591 ; and the -^ ^ j£, Ch\mg tvu cMh, a somewhat similar miscellany of rather later date. The 1^ "Olf, Lun Heng, referred to in Chapter XV, is a much earlier work, being a critical disquisition by Wang Ch'iing, one of the most philosopLical waiters of the Han dynasty, who lived a. d. 19-90.

Collected works of individual authors form one of the principal divisions of the fourth and largest class of Chinese literature, which is usually known as belles- lettres. The titles chosen for these woi'ks are often of a fanciful nature, so as to give the uninitiated no clew to the name of the author. In the account in Chapter VII of the porcelain of the reign of Che''ng-kua, for example, two authors are referred to. The first is Kao Shih-ch'i, a miscellaneous writer who lived 1645-1704; he is quoted under his literary appellation of Tan-jen, "The Tranquil," as Kao T'an-jen ; his collected works are en- titled f^ 31 >)^ ^, Kax) Chiang-ts'un cli% Chiang-ts'un chi being a favorite nom-de-plume of the author. The

660 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

collected works of the second author are quoted under their title of H^ ^ ^^ ^, P\i-shu fing chi, " Memoirs of the Pavilion for Sunning Books," which was the " hall- name," or libi'ary-name, of Chu Yi-tsun (1629-97), a cele- brated scholar and poet. He was the author of the Jih hsia cliiu wen, a fine historical and archaeological descrip- tion of Peking in many volumes, and was altogether a most voluminous writer, his literaiy works, which were published under the above nom-de-plume, filling no less than eighty books.

There are two illustrated books on the making of ink which should have been noticed before, as the woodcuts which were originally designed as models for the molds in which the cakes of ink were pressed are very finely €xecuted, and supply a rich fund of information on Chinese art motives. The authors, according to the edi- tors of the Imperial Library Catalogue, who notice both books at some length, were both good scholars and culti- vated artists, clever in writing all the ancient and modern styles of character, and their works are full of antiquarian and symbolical lore. For this reason they are most use- ful to the foreign inquirer into such subjects. The first of these two books is the ^ ^ S %» CKeng shili mo yuan, " Collection of Ink of the Ch'eng Factory," in twelve books, by Ch'eng Chiin-fang, of Hi-Hsien, in the province of Anhui. This is a large collection of cuts, exhibiting artistic designs for cakes of ink, drawn from many different sources, sacred and pi'ofane. There is a series of eulogistic prefaces at the beginning, one of which is by the celebrated Italian Jesuit priest Matteo Ricci, the founder of Roman Catholic missions in China. His preface, dated the thirty-third year of Wanli (1605), is signed with his Chinese name, "Li Ma-t'ou, of Ou-lo-pa {Europa), composed and written with a quill by himself." It includes a complete syllabary written in the Italian

CHINESE CERAMIC BIBLIOGRAPHY. 661

hand and reproduced in facsimile, and the worthy father has contributed, besides, three European woodcuts as designs for ink, one of which depicts the " Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah," by way of inculcating a moral lesson on heathen readers. The second work is the ~)^ &* S R^' Fang shih mo p'u, " Description of Ink of the Fang Factory," in six books, by Fang Yii-lu, a fellow- townsman and trade rival of Ch'eng, who was the imperial maker of the time, and accused Fang of stealing his secrets and pirating his ink. The work of the latter, however, is a fine specimen of xylography executed in the finished style of the Ming dynasty. It was published in six books, in the year 1588, and contains 385 cuts of cakes of ink of all sizes and shapes, exhibiting a large number of antiquarian, symbolical, and mythical designs, the same as those which are often used in the painted decoration of porcelain. Although fairly eclectic in his religious views, the author shows a certain predilection for Buddhism, and he gives in the fifth book, which is devoted to the Buddhist cult, an interesting collection of emblems and pictures, as well as a series of circular mir- rors and amulets containing inscriptions in ancient San- skrit and representations of old manuscripts written on palm-leaves tied together in bundles. One or two of the most sacred are inscribed with the quaint label Pu Vo mo, " Not to be rubbed," as if it were expected that the ink should be treated as a relic and not used in the ordinary way. The cakes of ink molded with his signature are cherished as works of art by collectors of the present day.

Having disposed briefly of the writers on other sub- jects who touch more or less cursorily on the ceramic art, or who throw indirectly some light on the question, we come at last to the special authors on pottery and porce- lain. These are, unfortunately, very few in number.

662 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

The subject is looked upon by the literati of the high school from two points of view : either that the ordinary bowls, cups, and dishes of every day are too common for their notice, or tliat porcelain vases and the like of elab- orate form and brilliant decoration are too meretricious^ and therefore unsuited to the simple tastes of a scholar. There is always a censor ready to remonstrate with an emperor who is inclined to patronize the art, on the ground of expense ; calling his attention to the ancient kings, Avhose sacrificial vessels ^vere recorded to have been of plain pottery, and who are said to have deemed glaze too great a luxuiy for their earthenware. The ancient sages, according to some modern commentators, knew everything, and they explain away the primitive character of rudimentary art, as shown by relics recov- ered from the ground, by such theories of voluntary abnegation on their part ; they were only afraid of exacting too much from the people.

The earliest memoir that we have on the ceramic industry treats it from an economic point of vmw, dep- recates the exactions of the mandarins of ihe^ Ytian or Mongol dynasty, who looked at it only as a source of rev e- nuej am remonstrates with them as squeezing the poor Chinese potters so remorselessly that they were driving away the industry from its old seat at Ching-te-chen. This memoir, under the title of f^ f£ Ji^-, T^io Chi LiJbo, " Abstract of Ceramic Records," by ^ )jiI5, Chiang Ch'i, has been preserved in the annals of the district of Fouliang ever since it was first printed there in the edition that was published in the year 1322. It has been translated in Chapter VI, and therefore requires no further notice here.

There is no special writer, as far as I know, during the Ming dynasty, and we have derived most of our infor- mation from the accounts of the imperial manufactory

CHINESE CERAMIC BIBLIOGRAPHY. 663

detailed iu the official geographical works, io connection with what has Vjeen gathered from contemporary writers on art subjects. These accounts are strikingly elucidated by the water-color drawings of the illustrated album J^ ft ^ fi il If , Li Tai Ming Tzu Tou Fti, " Illus- trated Description of the Celebrated Porcelain of Differ- ent Dynasties," by Hsiaug Yuan-p'ien, which dates from the latter part of the sixteenth century, and which has been fully described in Chapter V.

T'ang Ying, ^ ^, the most celebrated of the super- intendents of the imperial manufactory during the pres- ent dynasty, is the author of the P^ }^ Bl ^, T\io Yell T'o?</S'/m^(9, the description of the twenty illustrations of the manufacture of porcelain, which was translated. in Chapter XV. The other articles from his pen which have been referred to were mostly written as introductory to or as part of the accounts of the work of the imperial factory in the official books. The articles are entitled K )SL pS, T^(^ cKmg chiy "Records of the Ceramic Manufacture," or [5^ ^ 7p; f|^ ^, T\io cKeng sliili yu Ic'ao, " Leaflets of the Regulations of the Ceramic Manu- facture." They are doubtless included iu the collected works of T'ang Ying, which the author of the Ohing-te-chen T''ao Iu (Book VI, folio 3) refers to as having been issued with an introductory eulogistic preface by Li Chii-lai of Lin-ch'uan, in the province of Kiangsi, but which I have not had an opportunity of consulting.

The special work on the ceramic art that is alw^aya referred to Avhen the subject is discussed by the learned in China is the f^ ^, T'ao Shuo, a comprehensive description of pottery and jDorcelain by Chu Yen, which was first published in the thirty-ninth year of the reign of the Emperor Ch'ien-lung (1774). The author ^ J^, Chu Yen, whose literary ajipellation was ^ jl|, T'ung- ch'uan, was also known as ^ ^, Li-t'ing, the latter being

664 ORIEI!«^TAL CERAMIC ART.

his " hall-uame " or nmn-de-plu7ne, under which a selec- tion of his writings was published. He was a native of Hai-yen, in the province of Chekiang, and was a volu- minous writer, judging from a long list of his works given in the preface, which was composed by a relative of the author to introduce a new edition of the T''ao Shuo issued in the year 1787, which is the best edition. This list comprises twelve different works besides the present one, which is characterized as being the most important of all, and includes " A Commentary on the Shuo Wen,'''' the ancient dictionary of the second century A. D., '' Selections from old Prose Authors and Poets of the T^ang and other Dynasties," "Instruction for Playing the Lyre," " On the Art of Versification," etc., winding up with a " Collection of Verses of his own [Li T'ing's] Composition." He is described by his con- temporaries as a learned scholar and antiquarian, and when he was appointed in the year 1767 to a post in the secretariat of Wu Shao-shih, who was the governor of the province of Kiangsi from 1766 to 1771, he at once pro- ceeded to study the history of the ceramic industry, the porcelain of Ching-te-chen being the most important product of the province of Kiangsi.

The title T^ao Shuo means literally " Discussion of Pottery," the word fao being equivalent to " pottery " (la ceramique) in its widest sense, and made to comprise all kinds of clay objects fired in the kiln, so as to include the different varieties of earthenware, glazed and unglazed, faience and stoneware (g?'es), as well as porcelain. The form of the book consists of a series of extracts bearing on the subject gathered from the wide field of native literature, in the course of which nearly a hundred and fifty different authors are quoted. This is accomplished by a running commentary in the form of notes, which are distinguished by having the character an prefixed to

CHIKESE CERAMIC BIBLIOGRAPHY. 665

€ach paragraph, and by having the columns of type printed on a lower level, so as to leave a wider interspace at the top of the page. The general scope of the work will be indicated by a glance at the table of contents which follows :

Book I. Discussion of Modern Times. An account of the por- celain made at Jao-chou-fu during the present dynasty. The de- scription of the twenty illustrations of the porcelain manufacture from the Imperial Library, written in 1743 by T'ang Ying, director of the imperial manufactory.

Book II. Discussion of Ancient Times. The invention and early history of pottery. Researches on the productions of the different potteries, from the beginning of the T^ang dynasty, in 618, to the close of the Yuan dynasty, in 1367.

Book III. Discussion of tlie Ming Period. The Jao-chou-fu potteries and the porcelain produced at the imperial manufactory there during the Ming dj'nasty (1368-1643). The processes of manufacture during this dynasty under the headings: 1. Materials and Colors. 2. Departments of Work. 3. Coloring Materials and their Preparation. 4, Painted Decoration in Underglaze Cobalt- Blue. 5. Embossed Work, Incised Designs, Decoration in Gold and in Overglaze Enamel Colors, 6. The making of the Cases or Seggars. 7. Furnaces and the Methods of Charging them. 8. Rules for Firing the Porcelain.

Book IV. Discussion of Particular Ceramic Objects, Part I. 1. •Objects of the Thing and Yil (third millennium b. c), referred to in old books. 2. Objects of the Chou dynasty (b. c. 1122-249). 3. Objects of the Han dynasty (b. c. 206-a, d. 224). 4. Objects of the ^Vei dynasty (a. d. 221-264). 5. Objects of the Chin dynasty (a. d. 265-419). 6. Objects of the contemporary Southern and Northern dynasties (420-588), 7, Objects of the Sxd dynasty (589-617).

Book V. Discussion of Particular Ceramic Objects, Part II, 8. Objects of the T'ang dynasty (618-906). 9. Objects of the five dynasties (907-959). 10. Objects of the aSw/^^^ dynasty (960-1279).

11. Objects of the Ti^a^i dynasty (1280-1367).

Book VI. Discussion of Particular Ceramic Objects, Part III.

12, Objects of the 3Iing dynasty (1368-1643), Description of some sacrificial utensils made for imperial worship. Porcelain of the reign of Yung-lo. Porcelain of the reign of Ilsuan-tS. Por-

666 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

celain of the reign of CKeng-hna. Porcelain of the reign of Chia- ching, under the headings: (1) Specimens painted in blue on a white ground. (2) Blue specimens; being either decorated in white reserve on a blue ground, or coated with single-colored glazes, viz., in cobalt-blue of lighter or darker shade, or in tur- quoise-blue derived from coppei'. (3) Specimens decorated in blue outside, with the interior of the bowl or cup glazed white. (4) White porcelain; eitlier plain, or with decoration incised at the point in the paste under the white glaze. (5) Brown porcelain of the fond-laque or "dead-leaf" type; in two shades of dark brown or " old gold " tint, either plain or engraved, under the glaze. (6) Single colors, such as coral-red, green, and imperial yellow, and mixed decorations, not included in the other classes. Porcelain of the reign of Lung-ck'mg. Porcelain of the reign of W^an-liy including: (a) Specimens in bhie and wliite; {b) Specimens deco- rated in enamel colors; (c) 8]iecimens of single colors, and of complicated decoration not included in the other two classes. Reproductions of the ivory-white Ting-chou porcelain. The dawn- red wine-cups and the eggshell cups of Hao Shih-chiu, a celebrated potter of the reign of Wan-li.

In the 1787 edition of the T'ao Shuo, which is now before rae, there are no less than four eulogistic prefaces and appendices from different hands. One of them, dated in the cyclical year ehia-wu (1774), is by Pao T'ing-po, the learned editor and publisher of the large collection of reprints issued in the eighteenth century under the title of ^P ^ j^^ ^ ^ ^, CMhpu tsu chai tiling shu. Some Chinese books are to be found only in these vast collections of reprints, which are analogous to Bohn's Miscellany, only that all the works are published at the same time instead of being issued at intervals.*

The woi'k that has just been described is mainly literary and antiquarian in its character, and it is, besides^ more than a century old. For a more recent account of the ceramic art in China we must turn to the "Ml ^ Ift

*SeeWylie's Notes on Chinese Literature. The Appendix, pages 205-224, contains the titles of some of these collections and lists of their contents.

CHINESE CERAMIC BIBLIOGRAPHY. 667

I® ^j Cliing te clien T^io lu, " History of the Ceramic Industry at Ching-te-cben," which has been partially and somewhat imperfectly translated into French.* In the professed translation there is a complete rearrangement of the order of the books, and a short analysis of the plan of the original may not be out of place here. The author, Lan P'u, whose literary appellation was Pin-nan, Avas a native of Ching-te-chen, who lived, he tells us, in the midst of the porcelain works, and was constantly taking; notes of the various technical details with a view to publishing a book on the subject. But he died toward the end of the reign of CKien-lung, at the close of the eighteenth century, and his manuscript was put by for twenty years, his widow lacking funds to pul)lish it. In the sixteenth year of the reign of Chia-chHng (1811) a new governor, or chief magistrate, named Liu Ping, was appointed to Fou-liang-hsien, and he happened to engage, as teacher for one of his sons, Cheng T'ing- kuei, who had been educated as a scholar by Lan P'u. The professor introduced his old master's book to the notice of the new governor, who requested him to edit it, and it was finally published in the year 1815, with a preface by Liu Ping, and a post-face by the editor, Cheng T'ing-kuei. As explained in the appendix, the editor rearranged the manuscript and divided it into eight sections, which form Books II to IX of the printed work. Book I contains a map of the district, a plan of the imperial manufactory, and a series of fourteen illustra- tions of the different processes of work, which were sketched on the spot by Cheng Hsiu, a brother of the editor, and offer a fairly complete picture of the industry as it is carried on in the present day. The plates in the French translation differ considerably from these, being

* Histoire et Fabrication de la Porcelaine Chinoise. Ouvrage traduit du Chlnois, parM. Stanislas Julien, Membre de I'lnstitut. Paris, 1856.

668 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART,

squeezed laterally into half the space, and being, besides,, occasionally combined together, so as to confuse some of the details of the work, and they have even been com- pleted, when thought necessary, by the insertion of parts of pictures taken from Chinese albums of much older date. The descriptions of the fourteen illustrations are mostly abridged, as is avowed by the editor, from those of the famous twenty illustrations described for the Emperor GKien-lung by T'ang Ying. Book X, entitled " Supplementary Observations," is mainly the work of the new editor, assisted by a string of collahorateurSj. some with technical knowledge of the art derived from personal experience, whose names he gives at the end of the book.

The following is the original table of contents :

Book I. Illustrations of Technical Processes with Descriptions.

Book II. Records of the Imperial Porcelain Manufactory under the reigning dynasty. Origin of the various kinds of porcelain made at Ching-te-chen.

Book III. Technical Catalogue, enumerating the different fur- naces and the classes of firemen employed, the various branches of manual decorative and artistic work, the auxiliary branches of work, the forms and designs of objects, the various kinds of glazes and the coloring materials used in their preparation, etc.

Book IV. General Account of the Porcelain Manufacture as it is carried on in the present day.

Book V. Examination of the porcelain made at Ching-t^-ch^n during successive dynasties, beginning with the first year (583) of the period C hih-tS, in the reign of the last sovereign of the C h'en dynasty, and ending with the reign of C JCien-lung of the present dynasty (1736-95).

Book VI. Examination of the different kinds of ancient porcelain that are now imitated at Ching-te-chen.

Book VII. Investigation of ancient ceramic wares. Examination of the ceramic productions of the different provinces and districts, including those of the present day. Investigation of foreign pro- ductions, referring cursorily to Korean ceramic ware, and to painted

CHINESE CERAMIC BIBLIOGEAPHY. 669

and cloisonne enamels on copper introduced into China from tlie West.

Book VIII. Miscellaneous quotations on the ceramic subject from different authors, Part I.

Book IX. Miscellaneous quotations on the ceramic subject, Part II.

Book X. Supplementary observations on some points in the fore- going work by the editor, Cheng T'ing-kuei.

The first and last books are the additions of the new editor, who tells us that the other eight represent the original work, in his own words, of his old master Lan P'u.

The Too Lii is indispensable for an inquirer into the technology of the ceramic industry in China, and its statements may be relied upon as being generally taken from actual personal knowledge, but in the historical and critical accounts of the ancient productions it is decidedly inferior to the T\io Shuo. The author relies mainly on the Wen Fang Ssu K\io^ which has already been referred to as one of the least critical of those which relate to the apparatus of the scholar's study.

With the exception of mere manuals for the use of the curio-dealer, I have seen nothing of later date, so that we have no more recent work of authority on the subject, and, in truth, the decadence of the ceramic art in modern times is so rapid that it scarcely deserves a chronicler.

CHAPTEK XXIV.

KOREA.

Korea an intermediary between China and Japan. A class of early Japanese decorated porcelain wrongly attributed to Korea, Questionable existence of an indigenous ceramic art in the country. Notices in Chinese literature of early Korean pro- ductions. Ancient crackled and celadon examples in Korea. Korean Mishima ware and other early encaustic decorations. Relics dug up from tombs. Modern ceramic manufactures.

KOREA is situated midway between China and Japan, and derives its chief importance from having been the medium of the introduction of the arts and sciences from the mainland of Asia into the Japanese islands. The earlier ceramic relations of the three countries have been cursorily summed up in Chapter II, and it was noticed there how the Japanese traced back tlie source of each successive step in their practice of the cei'amic art either to Korea or to China. Korea would seem, however, merely to have played the part of an intermediary, and to have cari'ied on to Japan the knowledge of technical points which it had derived from China in the course of its traffic with the latter country. This traffic has been principally carried on by sea from the poi"ts of the prov- ince of Shantung. Korea has only recently been thrown open, but the country has been thoroughly explored dur- ing the last few years, and it is now known that no artistic pottery is produced there in the present day, and no indisputable evidence of any original skill in former times has been discovered.

Before the poverty of the land was laid bare it was possible, w^ith some show of probability, to attribute to it

670

KOREA. 671

the possession of unkuowii art treasures, and Jacquemart accordingly endowed Korea with a class of decorated porcelain of artistic beauty and perfect finish, which he styled Famille archaique de Coree, under the mistaken idea that the mixed Japanese and Chinese character of the desio-ns indicated an intermediate oris^in. We are indebted, however, to his artistic faculty for the separa- tion of this class from other Oriental porcelains, and for its correct designation as " archaic," for it seems really to have been one of the earliest productions in enamel colors of the Arita kilns of Japan. The porcelain of this class was among the fii'st brought to Europe from Japan by the Dutch, whose original trading establishment was at Hi- rado, not far from the Arita kilns. The importation of the artistic ware appears to have ceased before the end of the seventeenth century, so that specimens were eagerly sought for by the earlier collectors in Europe, who gave them a prominent place in their cabinets under the name oi premiere qualite coloriee du Ja'pon. The description of several pieces may be found in the Catalogue de la vente de M. Randon de Boisset, which ^vas compiled by the French expert Julliot in 1777, ^vho writes :

"The late collector, CTidowed with a delicate and severe taste, gathered together important examples of several kinds, and most particularly of the ancient Japanese porcelain called premihre qualite coloriee, for which, as a true connoisseur, he had a special predilection. This porcelain, of which the composition is now entirely lost, has always captivated the attention of amateurs by the fine grain of its beautifully white paste, the charming tints of its soft reds, the velvet}' tones of its clear greens, and its intense sky-blue. The merits of this class of porcelain are perfectly recog- nized, so that some of the best collections are, or have been, com- posed of it, which alone is its sufficient eulog}'."

This peculiar class, in fact, is readily identified by its fine compact paste of ivory-white tone, which has been

672 OKIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

justly likened to that of the Hirado blue and white por- celain, invested with a thin non-vitreous glaze, and simply decorated, in soft enamels, with a few formal flowers sym- metrically posed, or a clump of bamboos rising from behind a trellis fence of straw. The flowers are usually the iris, chrysanthemum, pink, or peony ; the light orna- mental borders are triangular or rectangular frets or zig- zags ; birds or symbolical animals are rarely seen, still more rarely figures. The designs, sketched either in black or in red, are lightly touched with soft colors, com- bined with the perfect harmony that distinguishes old Japanese art ; the decoration being sparingly applied, as if to display as much as possible of the perfectly white ground. The dominating color is a well-glazed iron-red of rich tone ; the other colors, applied in enamels so as to stand out in relief upon the surface, are a pale clear green, a pure sky-blue, a light yellow, and a brilliant black ; the gold is applied more solidly than usual ; blue under the glaze is excluded. The vases and jars are gen- erally small and of polygonal outline, of molded forms, and not fashioned upon the wheel ; the bowls and cups are fluted and flanged, and often provided with socketed stands. A typical example of this charming class is rep- resented by the sake-bottle of square section illustrated in colors in Plate XCVII, Fig. 1, which is reasonably attributed to the middle of the seventeenth century.

Some other specimens are illustrated in colors by Du Sartel, in La Porcelaine de Chine, to which reference has often been made.

Pieces of this peculiar type supplied the first models for many of the early porcelain works of Europe. At Meissen the imitations were very close, as may be seen in the Dresden Museum, where the originals and the copies are purposely exhibited side by side. They Avere also copied at St. Cloud ; at Chelsea, on pieces bearing the

KOKEA. 67 S

earliest mark — the raised anchor ; at Bow, on the plates decorated with quails, and elsewhere. There is a bowl of Bow porcelain in the British Museum decorated in the same style as the plates with quails, having an inscrip- tion upon it stating that it was " painted by Thomas- Croft in 1760 in the old Japan taste"; which shows, as Sir Wollaston Franks remarks, " that both in England and France this porcelain was recognized to be Japanese^ and of some antiquity." So it was in China, for it waa exactly reproduced in the factories at Ching-te-chen dur- ing the second half of the reign oiK''ang-hsi (1662-1722)^ under the name of Tung Yang Ts'ai or Japanese colors, so that some care must be taken not to confound these early Chinese copies with the originals, the main crite- rion being the different quality of the pate, besides the frequent occurrence of " spur-marks " * underneath the foot of the Japanese pieces.

This appears to have been the earliest decorated j)orce- lain brought in any considerable quantity to Europe from the East. It was imported into Holland in the ships of the Dutch East India Company and distributed by them under the title of porcelaine des Indes. The Dutch seem also to have exercised some influence over its decoration in Japan, according to an interesting passage quoted by Jacqueraart from the account of the embassy of the Dutch Governor who was sent by the company to Yedo in the year 1634, and who was rewarded afterward for the suc- cess of his mission by being given the monopoly of the valuable trafiic in porcelain. We are told there : f

* The slender projections of the paste designed to support the piece and pre- vent contact with the floor of the kiln are technically known as " cock-spurs." They are broken off afterward, and leave small rough marks on the glaze. They are found occasionally, although rarely, on Chinese pieces. The Chi- nese technical term is t'o-chih, or " supporting twigs."

f Ambassades Memorables de la Compagnie des Indes Orientales des Provinces Unies vera les Empereurs du Japon. Amsterdam, 1680, folio; IP partie, p. 102.

674 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

" While the Sieur Wagenaar was preparing for his return voyage to Batavia, he received 21,567 pieces of white porcelain; and a month previously a very large quantity had arrived at Disnia [that is, Desima or Deshinia], which, however, had not had a great sale because there were not flowers enough upon it. For some years past the Japanese have applied themselves to this kind of work with much industry, and they iiave become so skillful at it that not onl}'^ the Dutch, but even the Cliinese buy of them. The best por- celain is tl'.at which is made at Fisen (Ilizen), the earth at no other place being so white or so fine as it is here. The Sieur Wagenaar, a great connoisseur, and ver}^ clever himself at this kind of work, invented a flower design upon a bhie ground which was found to be so prett}^ that out of two hundred pieces on which he had it painted not a single one remained unsold, so that there was not a shop with- out some of it on display."

The first porcelain manufactory in the province of Hizen was founded in the beginning of the seventeenth century near Arita by Li San})ei (or Risampei), a Korean potter who was brought over in 1598 in the suite of Prince Nabeshima. He discovered the necessary mate- rials in the neighborhood in the Idzumi Mountains, and initiated the Japanese workmen in the new art. The earliest decoration is said to have been penciled in cobalt- blue under the glaze after the fashion of the faience that previously had been made there. The honor of acquiring for Japan the art of painting in enamel colors applied over the glaze is generally attributed to Tokuzayemou, a native of Imari in the same province, who is suj^posed to have learned it from a Chinese resident at Nagasaki about the middle of the century. But the clear vitreous enamel colors of the muffle stove which distinguish this class of porcelain were not known at this time in Chinese ceramic decoration, and when they were introduced into China, in the latter half of the reign of K''ang-hsi, their source was acknowledged to be foreign. In India they had been previously used for centuries in enamel painting

A

KOREA. 675

upou metal. Their introduction into Japan seems to have been due to the Dutch, at a time when tlie factories at Ching-te-chen were closed on account of the wars at the end of the Ming dynasty, and their usual supplies of porcelain from that source had failed. The influence of the Dutch in the further development of the ceramic art in Japan is shown in a more marked degree in the poly- chromatic "old Imari ware," which gradually supplanted the more artistic and simply decorated porcelain that has just been referred to. This porcelain, decorated in the style of the many-colored Chinese production of the Wan-li period with blue under the glaze in combination with overglaze enamel colors and gilding, became the established ware of the Hizen potteries by the year 1680. Fig. 381 shows a typical example of one of the more finely decorated pieces of the period. The foliated border and the interior of the dish, divided into panels by lines of underglaze blue, are filled with diapers of varied design, and the slope is encircled by a broad band with four-clawed dragons of Chinese type disporting in clouds. The overglaze colors are a full iron-red, brilliant green, yellow, and manganese-purple, the last three being in strong relief. The under surface of the rim is roughly painted in dark blue under the glaze with sprays of flowers and symbols in panels. There' are several spur- marks underneath.

This is a choice specimen of the riclily ornamented ware known in Europe ixir excellence as "Old Japan," which was fashioned and decorated expressly for the European market, and was imported in large quantities into Europe toward the end of the seventeenth century, when Augustus the Strong filled his Japanese Palace with the magnificent jars and beakers and the huge dishes which are still displayed in the museum at Dres- den. There is no longer any question here of sparse

676 ORLET^TAL CERAMIC ART.

decoration such as we are told made the older porcelain unsalable, the surface being covered with mythological monsters and gorgeously plumaged birds in the midst of profuse floral sprays of chrysanthemum and peony. There is no space in a modest Japanese interior for such monstrosities, and the native connoisseur can hardly be brought to acknowledge them as genuine productions of his own country, any more than he will accept the large vases decorated with armies of mail-clad figures or legions of saints that are painted in Yokohama to-day for the foreign market, and which figure in the West as fair representatives of the modern ceramic art of Japan.

This long digression is preparatory to the introduction of the vexed question of the existence of polychromatic decoration in Korea before the date of its introduction into Japan. The description of three remarkable speci- mens may be quoted from the catalogue * of the Brinkley Collection, which was exhibited at the Boston Museum of Arts in 1884, where they are described as "Korean Ware."

"Elephant, on stand. Height, five and a half inches; lengtli, seven inches. Heavy stoneware, covered with a cream-colored glaze slightly crackled. The trappings of the elephant are black; his feet, eai's, mouth, and howdah -cloth are of a reddish brown. Date, 1260."

"Vase, with narrow base and swelling body. Height, thirteen inches; diameter, twelve inclies. Stoneware, cream-colored glaze finely crackled. Round the base and shoulder are lines and a band of diaper. On the sides are three large medallions bordered by broad black lines. One medallion contains the figure of an old man seated ; behind him is a fir-tree with a gourd hanging from its branches; before him, conventional waves and a design intended to represent the constellation of ursa major {Sh'chiya no hoshi). The second medallion contains a stork fljnng down toward reeds

* Collection of Japanese, Chinese, and Korean Porcelain, Pottery, and Faience, illustrating all the Best-known Wares of the Three Countries, p. Ill, Nos. 779-781.

KOREA. 677

and lotus-plants. The third, an open lily, surrounded by leaves. All the decoration is in ver}^ dark brown, and the inside is covered with a glaze of that color. Date, 1300."

"Vase, with narrow base and swelling body. Height, eleven and a half inches; diameter, twelve inches. Stoneware, covered inside and outside with a cream-colored glaze. Round the neck are two bands of floral scroll in red and green enamels. Round the base a band of conventional leaves. Round the body are three large medallions. In one is a man seated on a fish swimming in green waves; in the distance are mountains and a castle. In another are two figures with trees, a hill, etc., in green and red. Date, 1300. [This is a very remarkable specimen. Korean ware decorated with colored enamels is exceedingly rare — so much so, indeed, that its very existence has been doubted. The present specimen has been preserved in the province of Kaga, in Japan, since 1598.]"

There is another archaic-looking ware often attributed by Japanese experts to Korea, which has crude designs lightly penciled in dull blue overlaid with a deeply crackled glaze of grayish tone. The paste is of open porous texture, like the old Tingchou productions of China, and the general aspect of the pieces reminds one of the ancient crackled wares of Chinese origin treasured by the Dayaks in Borneo and in other islands of the Eastern Archipelago. A specimen which was brought from Japan as a piece of ancient Korean ware is pre- sented in Fig. 134. It is a small globular vase roughly decorated in dark blue with a broad band round the body containing two lions sporting with filleted balls, and a narrow band of conventional ornament encircling the shoulder. The thick glaze, of ivory-white tone, is crackled with deeply fissured lines, and covers the base, only leaving the foot-rim exposed, which is white, of porous texture, but intensely hard ; there is no mark inscribed underneath.

With regard to the porcelain objects sent from Japan as old Korean it is necessary, first, to show that the

678 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

particular piece is not a modern reproduction ; sec- ondly, that it is not an old piece of one of the less kno\vn Chinese wares which may have been brought to Japan through Korea. There are two Chinese wares, for instance, which often figui-e as Korean upon the shelves of museums. The first is the Tz'u-chou ceramic ware of the Chihli province, which is decorated in shades of brown, and like the peculiar class of Satsuma known as '' Sunkoroku," to which reference will presently be made. The second is the ivory-white porcelain of the province of Fuchien. Ten pieces of so-called Korean ivory-white porcelain were exhibited at the Boston Museum of Arts in 1884. Captain Brinkley says, in regard to this ivory-white porcelain, that " it is often exceedingly difficult to distinguish it from Chinese ware, and, indeed, the question is still open whether the so-called Korean ivory-white is not porcelain of Chinese manufacture, which found its way to Japan through Korea. Japanese experts maintain obstinately that such is not the case. They profess to recognize without difllculty a difference between the Chinese and Korean paste, and by way of historical confirmation adduce the authenticated fact that from the time of her inva- sion by Taiko's armies (1596), and the consequent paral- ysis of all her art industries, Korea entirely ceased to send Japan any specimens of the beautiful ivory-white porcelain, though its great value to the latter country, as well as Korea's intimate relations with China, rendered such a traffic more than ever probable."

There is also an ancient brown stoneware attributed to Korea coated with a thick crackled glaze resembling very closely the old Chinese crackle of the Yuan dy- nasty (1280-1367), which has been illustrated in Fig. 3.

The only certain information that we have about old Korean porcelain is derived from Chinese sources. The

KOREA. 679

first Chinese author who alludes to it at any length is Hsii Ching, who wrote the Hsuan-lw feng shift Kao-li foil ddng^ an illustrated description of the country, customs, and institutions of Korea {Kao-li), in forty books, after his return from a mission to the country on the occasion of an accession of a new king, in 1125. The maps and illustrations which originally accompanied the manuscript were unfortunately lost before the book was printed for the first time, in the year 1167. The following is a literal translation of his notes upon the subject :

" There is a ceramic ware made in Korea of green color, wliich is called by the natives of the country 'kingfisher green.' In these latter years the pieces have been more skillfully fashioned, and the color of the glaze has also been much improved. There are Avine- pots [chiu tsun) molded in the shape of melons, with small lids at the top surmounted by ducks squatting in the midst of lotus- flowers. The Koreans are clever also in the making of bowls and dishes {tocm, tieh), wine-cups and teacups {pei, ou), flower vases {hua pHjig), and hot-water vessels for tea-drinkers [fang chan), which are all, generallj^ speaking, copied from the forms of the Ting-chou wares (of China), so that I need only allude to tliem and not illustrate them by figures, only giving the wine-pots, as being of novel and original design.

" In Korea the table vessels used at entertainments for eating and drinking are usually made of gilded metal or of silver, although they esteem green porcelain ware more highly than either of these two materials. They have incense-burners {hsiang lu) shaped like lions, which are also of ' kingfisher green ' color, the four-footed monster being represented seated upon a lotus leaf with tilted margin, which forms the stand of the urn. This is one of the most ingenious and striking of their ceramic designs; the other forms are for the most part modeled after the shapes of the ancient imperial porcelain of Yueh-chou, or from the modern productions of the kilns of Ju-chou.

" The pottery made by the Koreans includes also large water-jars [toing), with broad bellies and contracted necks ending in very

*See Notes on Chinese Literature, by A. Wylie, loc. cit., p. 46.

680 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

small rnoutlis, which are as much as six feet liigh and four and a lialf feet in diameter, and hold between fifty and one hundred gallons of water eacli. These are used for storing water on the boats passing upon the sea between islands wiien water is difficult to ])r()cure, so as to carry on board a sufficient supply."

The term "kingfisher green," used here, is intended to indicate the liglit blue-green tint of the plumes of the kingfisher's feathers, which are much used in the East for inlaying gold and silver oi-naments of jewelry. The clear emei'ald-green color of jadeite, which is so highly prized by the Chinese, has earned for it a similar title of " kingfisher stone " (^fei-ts'vi').

In ceramic parlance the term indicates the translu- cent emerald-green hue of the old celadon glazes, wdiich approach sometimes an olive tint. The color was ob- tained in China by the mixture of an iron mineral with the ordinary white glaze of the grand feu, dark- ened by the addition of a variable proportion of the cobaltiferous ore of manganese, and the term w^as adopted to distinguish the hew color from the deeper camellia-leaf green of the older wares, wdiich was derived from copper. The most ancient Korean porcelain of which we have any cei'tain knowledge is really a celadon monochrome of the characteristic tint of this beautiful variety of jadeite. A pair of bowls of this kind were j^i'esented l)y the King of Korea to President Carnot, of France, as " the most valuable of the ancient productions of his poor country," and are now j^re- served in the museum at Sevres. There is a similar bowl, gadrooned below with a border of lotus-petal design, in the Dana collection at New York, which was, I believe, originally given by the King of Korea as a present to an American physician who had been con- sulted by him.

The next notice of Korean ceramic ware is in the Ko

I

KOREA. 681

Jcu yao lun, the well-known book on objects of art by Ts'ao chao, published in 1387, which has been so often quoted. The short paragraph on " Korean Ceramic Manufacture " (^Kao-li Yao), in Book VII, folio 22, says :

"Tlie ceramic objects produced in the ancient Korean kilns were of a grayish-green color resembling that of the celadon ware of Lung-ch'uaii (in Cliina), There was one kind overlaid with white •spra\'s of flowers, but this was not valued so very highly."

These are the conclusions of a Chinese connoisseur of the fourteenth century. The second class which he refers to is a faience inlaid with encaustic designs in wliite clay, like the so-called Henri Deux faience in Europe, and it was, on the contrary, most highly valued in Japan, and formed the model of some of the early Japanese manufactures, like the Yatsushiro faience of the province of Higo, which was decorated with stoi'ks flying among clouds, in the Korean style, or with simple combinations of lines and diapers, the designs being traced in the paste and filled in with white clay before glazing. A typical vase of ancient Korean woi-k of this kind is illustrated in Plate CXVI. The decoration was occasionally varied by the execution of a portion of the encaustic designs in black.

The vogue attained in Japan by the tea ceremonies known as the cha-no-yu under the Ashikaga Shoguns was the chief cause of the gi'eat popularity of Korean pottery in that country. The first fixed rules for the cult seem to have been made under the patronage of the Shogun Yoshiniasa (1443-73), after he had retired to private life in this last year. The famous Taiko Hide- yoshi in 1594 appointed Sen-no-Rikyu, a celebrated vir- tuoso, to revise the old statutes of the cult, and the elaborate code of etiquette drawn up by him has hardly been varied since his day. Up to this time utensils of

682 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Korean pottery had been preferred to any others for the tea ceremonial, and the Korean experts of the craft who were brought over to Japan at the end of the sixteenth century, after the expedition to Korea in 1592-96, intro- duced their technique into several of the Japanese manu- factories. Nearly all Japan's chief potteries are said to have dated from that time, her teachers in the art of porcelain-making being Korean captives. In the follow- ing century a number of Korean potters settled at Yatsu- shiro, in the province of Higo, and the Japanese pottery produced there still preserves unmistakable character- istics of its Korean origin, the fine reddish pate being enameled with a diaphanous, pearl-gray glaze, uniform, lustrous, and finely crackled, overlying encaustic decora- ation in white slip.

One class of Korean tea-bowls is known to the Japa- nese by the name of Mishima ware, because the formal lines of its decoration resemble at a distance the printed columns of the almanac which is issued from a famous temple at Mishima on the Tokaido, the great route from Kioto to Yedo. There is a Mishima basin in the Franks collection in the British Museum, which was sent from Japan as Korean, but is considered by the learned curator to be more probably a production of the Yatsu- shiro kiln, and is described by him as follows :

" Basin. Gray glazed Japanese stoneware, with engraved de- signs, filled in with white clay. Inside, a chrysanthemum sur- rounded by similar flowers; and inside and out, borders of zigzag pattern with hatched lines. Mishima ware. Diameter, five and a half inches. No. 1185."

The shallow bowl illustrated in Fig. 380 (1), which is of the same diameter as the above, was also sent from Japan as an example of Korean Mishima ware, but is pro- nounced by Mr. H. Shugio to be a Japanese reproduction

KOREA. 683

of the old Korean style, judging from the peculiarities of the pate. This is of dark reddish-gray color, and is enameled with a white glaze of soft aspect, decorated in geometrical j^atterns with formal bands of vertical lines and encircling rings of diaper, which are lightly etched with a graving-tool, and filled in with black.

Among the other ancient Korean bowls in the collec- tion is the one illustrated in Fig. 382, which is of rounded conical shape with upright edge, and has a solid circular rim round the foot. It is coated with a smooth celadon glaze of buif tone, sparsely crackled, and is roughly scored in the paste underneath with ornamental lines both outside and inside, the pattern in the interior simulating a flower. The foot, and a portion of the exterior surface, where the glaze does not reach the bottom, show a light-red paste, which is roughened in crepe-like fashion. The bowl, broken into fi-agments, has been pieced together and cemented with gold lac- quer in Japan.

In former times it was the custom in Korea, as well as in China, to bury pottery with the dead, the pottery vessels employed for the purpose being a flask filled with wine and a set of bowls containing a provision of cooked millet and rice. In more recent times it has been cus- tomary in both countries to place the funeral meats upon an altar above the grave. It is a capital oft'ense for a Korean to dig up this potteiy, but specimens occasionally find their way into collections, notwithstanding.

The bowl illustrated in Fig. 380 (2), for example, was brought from Seul, the capital of Korea, by Mr. Walter C. Hillier, H. B. M. consul-general in Korea, together with a small saucer-dish of Korean ivory-white ware dug up from an old grave. It is of archaic conical shape, two inches high, five and a half inches in diameter, composed of a hard pale-colored faience, coated with a thin yel-

684 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

lowish glaze thickly flecked with darker spots. The foot, unglazed, exhibits many glistening points of mica, marks of an imperfectly triturated clay.

There is no mention of Korean pottery, so far as I know, by any more modern Chinese writer, and, in truth, the ceramic productions of the present time seem to be hardl}^ worthy of notice, being»of the crudest kind pos- sible, and quite devoid of any artistic interest. The few authentic specimens in the museum at Leyden and The Hague are of the most common description, and all recent travelers confirm the accounts of M. Billequin, who col- lected some pieces at Peking for the museum at Sevres, and recorded his experiences in the Gazette des Beaux- Arts,1877, page 230. Japan certainly owes many of the technical methods of the different varieties of the old Satsuma faience to Korea, and Korean potters were the first instructors in the early productions of most of its porcelain kilns, but the stroke of genius which converted a manual handicraft into a new branch of art was due entirely to the innate artistic faculty of the Japanese themselves. There is no evidence of anything of the kind in Korea.

I

CHAPTER XXV.

CERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

Introduction. Bibliography. Table of the principal centers of the ceramic industr3\

IT is witli some difficlence that I approach the subject of the ceramic art of Japan, not being so intimately acquainted with it as with that of China, and having, moreover, a very superficial knowledge of the language and literature. I have been fortunate in having had the opportunity of i-eferring any doubtful points as to the date of a piece, or its origin, to Mr. Henry Walters and to Mr. Sliugio. At the outset I acknowledge my indebtedness to them. Much more has been written in Europe upon Japanese porcelain and pottery than upon Chinese, and the former is, consequently, far better and more generally known, so that a lengthy disquisition is not necessary here, even did space allow. There are several books, both English and French, available for further reference.

The early relations of Chinese and Japanese ceramics have already been alluded to, and it has been shown how the Japanese acknowledge their debt to China at every step. Chinese is the classical language of the Japanese, and many of the technical books of the latter are written almost entirely in the Chinese script, only the order of the characters being changed, in obedience to the new construction and grammar of a different language. Most of the ceramic terms have been adopted directly from those current in China, and are employed in the same sense, differing only in pronunciation ; a few have be-

685

686 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

come obsolete, being used only in books, and being replaced in ordinary parlance by colloquial equivalents. This last is the case with the Chinese fe'-?/, " porcelain," which occurs constantly in the text of Ninagawa Nori- tane's work, and is used by him to include the ancient fine white kaolinic potteries coated with camellia-leaf green and ash-colored glazes, of which he figures two fragments, in the same way as it is by the Chinese, although we should question the right of such wares to be called " porcelain," on account of their want of traus- lucence. It survives also in the Japanese name of celadon porcelain, which has always been highly es- teemed by them under the name of seiji,^ according to their peculiar pronunciation of the Chinese cKmg tz^u, literally " green porcelain." The ordinary term for porce- lain in Japan is 8etotno7io, "Seto-ware," Seto being the place in the province of Owari where the first fine glazed pottery was made after a Chinese model, in the thirteenth century of our era, and the term is now used in Japan in the same way as chinaware or china is commonly used by us.

The classical term for " pottery " in its widest sense is tdhi, the Chinese fao-ch^i [t'ao-k'i], which comprises in

* With regard to the pronunciation of Japanese letters, in the system of orthography which has been generally followed here, the vowels are to be pro- nounced as in Italian, the consonants as in English: e. g., a as in father; e as in prey; i as in machine; « as in no; m as in rule; when a horizontal line is over 0 ov u the sound is prolonged; diphthongs are ai, as in aisle; au, with the sound of ow in now. Care must be taken to pronounce the vowels separately; in cha-ire, " tea-jar," the second word is read eeray, and is consequently some- times written ire; in Ninsei, the name of the celebrated Kyoto potter, the second syllable, pronounced say-ee, may be written se'i. N at the end of a word has the sound of final n in French; in the middle, when followed by b, m, or p, it is m; and t, in combination, is d. Consonants often become soft, chi or slii becoming Ji- ho, bo; tsu, dzu; su, zu; /cu, gu, etc. The native dialectal variations and the different orthographical systems of foreigners make consistency difficult, if not impossible, and the efforts of the Romajikwai, a society founded in Japan for the purpose of securing a uniform system of transliteration, have not yet met with the success they deserve.

CERAMIC ART IN JAPAN. 687

Japan, as it does in China, all kinds of ceramic ware, common earthenware (Japanese tsuchiyahi), and the dif- ferent varieties of stoneware (Jaj^anese isJdyaJci), as well as true porcelain. Yahi means " baked," and yahimono, " baked ware," is more commonly used in Japan as the general term for jDottery, including all kinds of Avare fired in a kiln. The productions of the province of Hizen, for instance, are grouped under the term Iniari- yaki\ those of Kyoto are known as Kyo-yahi^ and the fine faience of the province of Satsuma, Satsuma-yaki, is so called, as well as the worse stoneware of the pi'ovince of Bizen, Bizen-yaki or Imhe-yahi. In this sense " yaki " generally takes the place of the Chinese yao, although the latter character occasionally occurs among Japanese marks upon porcelain in the compound hwan-lco (Chinese huan-yao), "imj^erial ware," and hin-ho (Chinese cltin- yao)^ "brocaded j^o^elain," as it does also, rarely, in its primitive sense of " kiln " in the potter's mark of Fu-ji-yo^^ i. e., " Matchless Kiln." The Japanese name of the brocaded silk that has just been referred to under the name of chin is nishihi, and this is given, by an analogy, to porcelain decorated in enamel colors, which is, however, known also as go-sai, the equivalent of wu-tiai, "five-colored," the technical Chinese name. ^' Blue and white " is commonly known in Japan as sometsuhe, which means simply " figured " ; " crackled porcelain " is called hihiyaki^ " hibi " being the equiva- lent of the Chinese wen, " a crack in crocker)^"

The ceramic wares of Japan exhibit great differences in their composition, texture, and appearance, but may be roughly classed under three principal heads : 1. Com- mon pottery and stoneware, coarse or fine, ornamented by engraving the sui-face, inlaying with colored clays, and coating it with glazes. 2. A cream-colored faience,

* See the Franks Catalogue, loc. cit., Japanese marks, Plate XIV, Fig. 175.

688 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

with a glaze, often crackled, and delicately painted in enamel colors. 3, Hard porcelain.

To tlie first of these classes belong the wares of Bizen and Takatori, old Seto, Shigaraki, and other small fabrics, and it includes the Kaku wares of Kyoto. The texture varies from that of the ancient wares of Shigaraki and Iga, which are fashioned in an earth almost as coarse as fine gravel, to that of the Banko- yaki, made in the province of Ise, which has been com- pared to Wedgwood, the material being a fine brown clay of remarkable toughness, so that it can be molded into extremely light and thin forms. The Baku ware of Kyoto is somewhat soft and tender, while the products of the Bizen province have an almost metallic hardness. The Japanese take advantage of the different qualities of the paste in the fabrication of objects according to the use to which they are intended to be put. The soft paste of the Baku bowls makes them feeble conductors of heat, so that they are preferred by the votaries of the Cha-no-yu to bowls of porcelain or any other material, as they retain the heat in the tea for a longer period^ and, moreover, do not burn the hands, as they are clasped in both palms when the tea is sipped in the orthodox way. The remarkable hardness and refractory quality of the Bizen stoneware make it especially suit- able for incense-burners, hand braziers, and charcoal stoves, and its fineness and toughness render it a good medium for modeling, to which use it has been put with great success, so that in the pottery of Bizen are to be found the choicest masterpieces of Japanese plastic skill.

The principal factories of the second class are those of Satsuma and Awata, and the more modern establish- ments at Ota, near Yokohama, and elsewhere, where the recent imitations of the Satsuma ware are produced.

CERAMIC ART IN JAPAlSr. 689

Both the Satsuma and the Awata wares, the latter of which are made in one of the suburbs of Kyoto, are made of a kind of porcelain clay of very refractory nature, which does not undergo a partial fusion like the genuine porcelain mixture, or, at any rate, not to the same degree. The glaze is composed of feldspathic materials and lixiviated wood-ash, without any addition of lead or borax ; when cooled it is always crackled with a fine network of superficial lines. The final simul- taneous baking of the body and the glaze takes place in a temperature much higher than that to which the so-called biscuit is submitted in the preliminary firing. The soft-looking glaze of ivory-white tone forms an admirable background for the decoration in enamel colors, which is painted on subsequently and fixed by a third firing in the muffle stove. This last is an easy process, so that Satsuma ware is often imported in a plain state, to be painted by artists in the ateliers of Kyoto or Tokio. The Awata ware is distinguished from the slightly buff -colored Satsuma ware by a more marked yellow tint, which has earned for it the name of ta- mago-yahi, or " Qg^ pottery." The material of both these Avares may be considered to be a kind of semi- porcelain.

The third class comprises the true porcelain wares, of which the coarsest are included in the productions of Kutani and Awaji, while the most celebrated fabrics are in the province of Hizen, at Seto in Owari, and Kiyo-. midzu near Kyoto. A full and detailed account of the materials and technique is given in the second part of Le Japan a V Exposition JJniverselle de 1878, published at Paris under the authority of the Imperial Japanese Commission, which has been reprinted in Japan under the title Z/es Zaques et La Ceramiqne du Japon, Yoko- hama, 1879. The processes, in the main, are very similar

690 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

to those followed in China, with the exception of the preliminary firing at a low temperature to which Japanese porcelain is submitted before it is either painted or glazed, which is often conducted in an ordinary malt oven. The clays are evidently less tenacious than the ordinary Chinese kaolins of Ching- te-cheu, hence Japanese specimens are frequently slightly out of shape, and they seem to require numerous supports in the kiln, which have left the scars on the glaze known as " spurmarks," which are rarely found on Chinese pieces.

One of the chief charms of Japanese pottery consists in the simplicity and marked originality of the old potter, who was not content with a slavish imitation of the Korean or Chinese model on which the technique of his art was professedly based, but always succeeded in imparting a peculiar cachet to his productions, which are not to be confounded with their prototypes. He was truly, in his palmiest days, an artist-potter, and not a mere machine working for the glorification of his brother of the brush. This is shown in the pleasing quaintness of form in which he fashioned the pieces intended for the personal use of his daimyo pati'on, and in the loving care which he devoted to their finish, rude as they look at first sight to an un- trained eye. The Japanese artist is not ashamed of his hands or his tools, and just as he delights to show the marks of the brush in a rapid sketch or a line of bold calligraphy, so does he prefer to re- tain the natural prints of the fingers impressed on the soft clay as the piece is being molded, or even to accentuate the marks of the spatula with which it is being roughly shaped and decorated. The simpler the decoration of this rustic pottery the better, and the greatest triumph of the artist is to suggest a pine wood

CEEAMIC ART IN JAPAN. 691

on the seashore or a silhouette of the sacred volcano of Fiijisan (Fiiji-no-yama), in a single curved line. As a people, the Japanese are singularly free from ostenta- tion, and their homes exhibit a simplicity and refinement in all their surroundings which render them unique. They are devoted admirers of Nature's art. As in woodwork the ornamental value of the natural grain or the rugosities of the bark are considered of such high interest that remarkable specimens are accorded the most honorable place in the house ; as in metal-work the natural patina is looked upon as its chief beauty ; so in earthenware the earthiness of earth has to them a charm which should not be hidden, but developed by the work of the artist. The art of it lies in the eloquence it dis- plays of its earthy nature, Just as the art of old Vene- tian glass lies in the witness it bears of its vitreous nature.

I am following here the argument of Mr. Charles Holme, the author of the sympathetic chapter on Pottery and Porcelain, in the excellent work on Japan and its Art by Mr. M. B. Huish, the well-known editor of The Art Journal, in which periodical the articles first appeared that are now collected into a small volume that ought to be in the hands of every student of the subject. Mr. Holme speaks with some authority, having devoted much time to the question both in England and in Japan, and from the producer's as well as the artistic point of view. He is defending the simple taste of the native school of connoisseurs and of those who follow them against the views of the European collectors, who reserve their highest admiration for such examples of the ceramic as display a more florid and elaborate style of decoration painted in rich colors with a profuse use of gold and silver.

692 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Mr. Holme's account of the colored glazes used in decoration may also be quoted with advantage : *

" Tosliiro, a Japanese potter of the early tliirteeiitli centiuy, made a special visit to China to perfect himself in his art, and on his return to his native town of Seto, in Ovvari, he introduced great improve- ment in the character of the wares made there. Although the glazing of pottery may have been practiced in Japan at a much earlier date than the time of Tosliiro, there is no doubt that it was •owing to his exertions that a great impetus was given to the art. He not only improved tlie quality of vitreous enamels, but he introduced new and aitistic methods of their application. From his time onward great attention was paid to tliis branch of the potter's art, of which it soon became one of the most important and interesting features. To know something of Japanese glnzes is to be familiar with the soft greenish grays of the Sanda Seiji ware, the dull leaden blue or the metallic sheen of the brown glaze of Bizen, iridescent blacks, reds, browns, and bottle-greens of the Raku wares, the lustrous 3'ellow-brown of Old, the splashed Oribe wares, the thick opaque overglazes of Shigaraki, the delicate gra3'S and salmon shades of Hagi, the heavy brown and yellow glazes of Tamba, or the speckled graj^s and browns of Soma. These and many others of like interest and beaut}^ as the}' are better known and their characteristics better understood, have an ever-increasing charm to the earnest and sympathetic student, who soon ceases to wonder, as perchance he may at first have done, at the artistic value in which the}' are held by the Japanese connoisseur."

There has been much discussion as to whether the rus- tic simplicity of the Japanese pottery was due to the innate taste of the people or to the artificial cult of the Cha-no-yu affected by the feudal nobles, who were the special patrons of the industry in its early days. In these discussions it has been usual to assume that the tea clubs were a peculiar institution of Japan. But we have seen that the cult was practiced in all its details in China, and that there are illustrated books on the

* Japan and its Art. By Marcus B. Huish, LL. B. Second edition. London, 1893. Chapter XIV, p. 230.

CEKAMIC ART IN JAPAISr. 693

subject dating from the early part of the ^ng dynasty (960-1279), with pictures of tlie apj^aratus, and a full account of the proceedings at the competitive tea meet- ings at which the comparative viitues of decoctions made from the powdered leaves of various brands of tea, as well as of the frasfrant fumes of the different kinds of incense imported from the shores of Arabia and Africa, were tested with the same ceremonial rules that we find afterward adopted in Japan. Prose authors and poets of this dynasty in China descant alike on the merits of the speckled black cups which they liken to the plumage of the gray partridge {Perdrix cinered) and the " leveret-streaked " or " hare's-fur " glazes of the pro- ductions of the kilns of Chien-chou, which were dark brown or black streaked with lighter spots of yellowish tinge. There are the kilns at which Toshiro, the " father of pottery" in Japan, acquired the rudiments of the art toward the close of the Sung dynasty, and his produc- tions and those of his immediate successors, figured by Ninagawa Noritane, seem to be exact copies of the Chi- nese originals as described above. The archaic shapes are similar, and the pi'imitive technique is the same, the way in which the glaze runs down outside and gutters below, so as only partially to cover the bowl, leaving the lower margin, as well as the foot, bare. The Japanese in their estimation of the dift'erent kinds of pottery place the Chinese or Korean specimens first, and their own early reproductions next ; the tea-jars and tea-bowls are wrapped in padded bags of silk brocade, inclosed in lacquer boxes protected by outer cotton covers, and are brought out by their ownei's only on special occasions, to be handled with the greatest care.

The shapes and uses of Japanese vases are well de- scribed by Sir Wollaston Fi-anks in liis introduction to the native report on Japanese pottery which forms one

694 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

o^ the art handbooks of the South Kensington Museum. The pottery utensils used in the tea ceremonies are a furnace, water-vessels, jars to hold powdered tea, a pan for ashes, and a tea-bowl. The furnace (fu/'o) is generally a globular vessel on three legs, with openings in the upper part to create a draught. Into this upper part fits the vessel in which the water is boiled, a smaller repeti- tion of the same form, with two handles and a lid. The water-vessels comprise a vase or pitcher (midznrSasJii\ with a supply of fresh water for washing the utensils, and a slop-basin (^nidzu-hohoshi) ; they are usually rudely made, and often with lacquer covers. The tea-jars (clta-ire), of which specimens are illustrated in Plates CXIV and CXV, are generally small oviform vases of hard pottery, with no decoration beyond the mottled glaze, and with flat lids of ivory ; they are all of small size, as the green tea is powdered and very strong, besides being very costly. The tea-bowl (cha-wan) is purposely very rudely made, and varies in shape. Some tea-bowls are round shallow dishes, others tall and nearly cylindrical ; the tea is not only made in the bowl, but drunk out of it, and great care is taken to make the edge smooth to the lips. The ash-pan (JioroJcu) is a shallow pan of unglazed ware, with incurved rim. It holds the charcoal ashes with which the brazier or fur- nace is partly filled, as well as the urn in which the incense is burned.

Incense-burning formed part of the tea ceremony, and it was also a favorite pastime among the Japanese nobles of old times, the incense game consisting of guesses of the names of the perfumes that were being burned, with forfeits, etc. The incense-boxes' (kogd) are of the most varied shapes, generally small in size. The incense- burner (hd)'o) also varies considerably. Some incense- burners are modeled after old Chinese forms, others

CERAMIC ART IN JAPAN. 695

quaintly fashioned as men, animals, or birds, like the urn of Hirado porcelain illusti-ated in Plate CX, which represents a pup squatted on the ground, the head of which, detached, forms the cover of the censer; others are intended to be hung from the ceiling, like the old Imari censer decorated in red and gold which is figured in Plate CVI. The lower part of the censer is filled with fine white ashes, with a piece of lighted charcoal on the top on which the tablet of incense is placed ; on this account the old incense-burners in collections sho^v no marks of fire on the lower part, although begrimed with smoke above and underneath the lids. They are used occasionally as clove-boilers {clwji-huro) to perfume the room with the aromatic odor of cloves.

A small earthenware hand brazier (shiti-rd) is used for warming the hands, which is usually pear-sha23ed, with an aperture in the side, and is modeled in many quaint forms. A small charcoal burner of pottery is fitted inside the iabakii-bon or portable tobacco-box, from which the smoker lights his pipe, a miniature Jar of cylindrical shape.

The objects intended for use on the writing-table are generally fashioned after Chinese models, and we find similar cylinders for holding the brushes, vases for water to dip them in, brush-rests and ink-rests, paper-weights of varied design, and small screen pictures mounted on stands, miniature water-droppers for the ink-pallet, boxes for the vermilion used for seals, small flower-vases, etc.

The flower- vases Qiana-ike) form a large class. Some are adapted to stand upon the shelves of the recessed alcove of the living-room, known as the tohonoma, others to hang against one of the pillars, or to be suspended by cords from the ceiling. These last are fashioned in all kinds of designs, a gnarled branch of a fir-tree or a jointed section of bamboo, a bunch of wistaria-blossom,

696 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

an old pine-cone, a gourd, a firefly, or a swallow beating against tlie wall. Among ornamental pieces (ohimond) made by the artist potters there is another long series of figures of men and animals and other forms generally taken from Nature.

Teapots and cups for ordinary tea-drinking, sake ket- tles, bottles, and cups, water-bottles, and other domestic articles, were also made by celebrated artist potters ; but, as a rule, such articles as these, being for general use, have been produced in the way of trade by less renowned potters ; the great majority of domestic utensils for table use are made of lacquered wood.

With reoard to the multitudinous modes of decoration of Japanese porcelain, the subject motives of the pictures, sacred and profane, and their relations to the art of China and of the farther west, the w^orks on Japanese art are so many, and generally so well illustrated, that a short sketch of the bibliography may be the best way of directing inquirers to the available sources of informa- tion. The expedition of Commodore Perry in 1853, and the treaty negotiated by him on behalf of the United States, opened Japan to foreign intercourse, but it was mainly by means of the great international expositions that its wealth in art treasures was made known to the outer world. The first collection was made for the Lon- don International Exhibition of 1862 by Sir Kutherford Alcock, Avho was then British minister to Japan, the au- thor of the Capital of tJie Tycoon, an illustrated narrative of a three years' residence in Japan (two volumes, 1863), and also of a small volume on Japanese art industries.* More comprehensive collections were sent to Paris in 1867, and to Vienna in 1873, under the direction of the Japanese Government, who appointed special commis-

* Art and Art Industries in Japan. By Sir R. Alcock, K. C. B. 8vo. London, 1878.

CERAMIC ART IN JAPAN. 697

sioners to represent tLem. Mr. W. T. Walters was offi- cially connected with the Vienna Exposition, and availed himself of this occasion of acquiring an interesting series of objects of Oriental porcelain sent from Persia by Prince Ehtezadesaltanet, an uncle of the Shah, of which some of the Chinese pieces with Persian mounts of chased metal have been illustrated in these pages.

A still more important display of Japanese ceramic art appeared in 1876 at the Great Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia, and there is a certain amount of authen- tic information on the ceramic industry to be gathered from the catalogue,* although the details are not so full as in the official catalogue of the Exposition Universelle of 1878 at Paris, which was also published under the direction of the Imperial Japanese Commission, and to which reference has already been made. It gives a sketch of the history and technique, with lists of the various materials with their Japanese names, that are used at the different factories, and is a fund of exact knowledge. The display of Japanese porcelain in the Chicago Exposition of 1893 that was admitted into the fine-art section was chiefly remarkable for showing some indications of a recent renaissance in the art. The chief representatives of the new school, according to the offi- cial catalogue, are Seifu, Kozan, and Takemoto. Seifu Yohei of Kyoto is placed in the very foremost rank of Japanese potters, whether of ancient or modern times, and called the Yeiraku of the Meiji era. His chief special- ties are celadons, ivory-white and coral, but he also pro- duces Jewelry ware showing vitrifiable enamels as pure and brilliant and as perfectly applied as the best work of former days, and canary-yellow glazes with reserved

* International Exhibition, 1876. Official Catalogue of the Japanese Section and Notes on the Industry of Japan. Philadelphia : Published by the Japanese Commission, 1876.

698 ORIENTAL CEEAMIC ART.

designs in rich blue of tlie K''ang-hsi type. Miyakawa Kozan, better known as Makuzu, has his kiln at Ota, in. the suburbs of Yokohama, and there is hardly anything, in old Chinese ware that he can not reproduce. The astute Chinese dealer is said to inclose Kozan's peach- blooms, for example, in the traditional silk-lined box of his countiy, and to sell them to trustful Occidentals at figures commensurate with the magnitude of the deception. The greatest success of the third potter,, Takemoto Hayata, a resident of Tokyo, is declared to have been his copies of the ancient Chien Yao, of the Simg dynasty, characterized by a glossy black glaze,, sometimes showing tints of raven's-wing green, striated with hairlike lines of silver and dappled with golden, brown, which he mounted with silver rims in traditional fashion, but which, judging from the description, must have far outshone the originals. In addition to these three, Higuchi Haruzane is easily first among the Hirada potters of the present day. He is distinguished espe- cially for his success in the Chinese "rice-grain" per- forated work of the last century.

The vase which was exhibited at the time as his mas- terpiece is now in the Walters Collection, and is illus- trated in Fig. 318. It is a beaker-shaped vase (liana-ike)^ nine and a half inches high, with a bulging body of depressed globular form on a circularly rimmed foot, and a wide neck spreading in a graceful curve into a slightly flaring mouth. The decoration is painted in three shades of uuderglaze cobalt-blue of soft tones, contrast- ing admirably w^ith the milk-white surface of the piece, and this again throws out effectively the pale-green, waxlike translucency of the glaze with which the pierced designs on the neck of the vase are filled. Three kylin {cKi-liii) are displayed on the body in darker and lighter shades of blue, drawn in the traditional Chinese style^.

CERAMIC ART IN JAPAN. 699

with the bodies of deer, unicorn dragon heads and flow- ing tails, and with flames proceeding from their shoulders indicative of their supernatural origin. A ring of orna- mental fret encircles the foot of the vase, and a band of paulownia sprays of conventional design winds round the base of the neck. The pierced designs on the neck represent two phoenixes coiled in medallions underneath a fringe of scrolled clouds. The mark penciled under- neath in blue in two columns of the tiniest characters reads, Bai-hwa do Go Hei sei — i. e., " Made by Go Hei of the Plum Blossom Hall."

To the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia we owe the representative series of the olden ceramic wares of Japan which is now in the South Kensington Museum, having been transferred at the close of the exhibition in accordance with an arrangement previously made with the Japanese authorities, as explained in the catalogue * which forms one of the museum art handbooks. A still more valuable selection is contained in the special Franks Collection, which was first exhibited on loan for some years at the Bethnal Green Branch Museum, when the catalogue f which has been so often quoted was issued. The collection, with many additions made since the pub- lication of the catalogue, is now in the British Museum, having been presented by Sir Wollastou Franks, K. C. B., the accomplished collector and curator.

The first large special work on the subject published in Europe was the ponderous and gorgeously illustrated Keramic Art of Japan^X in which the more ornate vari- eties of the decorated wares are reproduced in colors.

* Japanese Pottery. Being a Native Report, with an Introduction and Catalogue. By A. W. Franks. 8vo. London, 1880.

I Catalogue of a Collection of Oriental Porcelain and Pottery lent for Ex/iibi- 4ion hy A.. W . Fr&nks. Second edition. 8vo. London, 1878.

I Keramic Art of Japan. By G. A. Audsley and J. L. Bowes. Folio, 1878, 1879. Imperial 8vo. London, 1881.

700 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

But in tliis, as the authors confess afterward, " some quite modern works of Ota ware and Shiba decoration were described as old Satsuma," although some of the errors were corrected in the large octavo edition of the book which was published later. Uniform with this is the volume on Marhs and Seals,^ by one of the joint authors of the Keramic Art, which is a valuable com- pilation, as the marks are given in exact facsimile^ although not always correctly deciphered. The same industrious author has also published a special work on Enamels,^ and, more recently, another large illusti'ated volume of 576 pages on Japanese Pottery % with a de- tailed description of the productions of the different kilns, followed by interesting notes on the chief motives of decoration.

The art of Japan has been studied with much success during recent years in America as well as in Europe, its chief exponents being M. Louis Gonse in France, Mr. William Anderson in England, and Professor Fenallosa in the United States. The large work § of M. Gonse, which is a veritable edition de luxe, is enriched by a chapter entitled £tude snr La Ceramique, by M. J. Bing, a well-known authority on the subject, who was good enough to go through the Walters Collection with me one day, with much profit to myself. A small handbook by M. Gonse was issued in Paris in the following year, under the same title of L^Art Japonais, as one of the volumes of the BihliotTieqne de V Enseignement des Beaux- Arts, with a section on La Ceramique which gives such an excellent and succinct view of the artistic side of the

* Japanese Marks and Seals. By J. L. Bowes. London, 1882.

f Japanese Enamds. By J. L. Bowes, printed for private circulation, 1884, and published in London, 1886.

X Japanese Pottery . With Notes on its Decoration and Illustrations from the Bowes Collection. By J. L. Bowes. Liverpool, 1890.

§ L 'Art Japonais. Par Louis Gonse. 2 vols. gr. in 4to. Paris, 1885.

CERAMIC ART IN JAPAN. 701

industry that it lias been translated and reproduced in the next chapter.

The excellent work of the German Professor J. J. Rein may also be referred to for notes on the technique of the ceramic industry taken on the spot. An English edition* has been published in London, as Avell as one of the general work by the same author on Japan. These two works are the result of several years of travels and researches in the country undertaken on behalf of the Prussian Government.

The native literature of Japan upon the subject of ceramic art is not so extensive as of China, partly because in the latter country it has been more directly fostered by the state, since the imperial manufactory was founded at Ching-te-chen in the beginning of the eleventh cen- tury, whereas in Japan the development of the industry was left to private potters under the patronage of the feudal nobles, who were wont to keep their methods to themselves with the utmost secrecy. The first precise details of the porcelain manufacture in Japan "were pub- lished in 1856, as an appendix to Julien's book on Chinese Porcelain, iii a short article on Imari-yaki, translated by Professor J. Hoffmann, of Leyden, from an encyclopaedia of the productions of the country printed in five volumes at Osaka in 1799. Among the older books the one most frequently quoted is the Man-po zen-sho, a general book on art subjects in fourteen volumes, published in 1694. A valuable recent record of the arts is the Kbgei Sliirio, a compilation from older w^orks by Kurokawa Mayori and Murayama, published in 1878, which is said to have formed the basis for the government reports issued by the commissioners of the international expositions already referred to, and of most of the essays published in

* The Industries of Japan. By J. J. Rein, Professor of Geography in the University of Bonn. London, 1889.

V02 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Europe. Mr. Bowes says, in the j^reface to his Japanese Pottery :

"I have availed myself of this work for much of what 1 have written about the earlier wares, witli which it chiefly deals; l)ut it is singularly deficient in information about the brilliant develop- ment of the artistic taste of the country which occurred under the rule of the Tokugawa fainil}^ during the seventeenth and eight- eenth centuries, when, without a doubt, the most exquisite exam- ples of Japanese art were produced."

The same strictures might be applied to the illustrated work ou pottery (tdhi) by Ninagawa Noritane, the late archaeologist of the museum at Tokyo, which has been quoted as the special native work on the subject, and which has been partially and somewhat impei'fectly translated into French. This forms Parts II to V of the Kwam ho dzu setsu, " Illustrations of Antiquity, with Plates and Descri^^tions," Part I being devoted to city walls and fortifications, accompanied by photograj^hs, and it was published in the tenth year of Meiji (1877). If one turns, for example, to the section ou Satsuma Yaki in Part III, one finds three specimens illustrated ; one of these three (Fig. 25) is a narrow-necked vase (tsifbo) of archaic form, ornamented with only a few parallel rings round the gloljular body, and coated with a green glaze, guttering below so as to leave an inch or more of russet-colored paste exposed ; the other two (Figs. 26, 27) are plain tea-jars (clia-ire) with small loop handles, invested with yellowish-brown and dark- brown glazes, the copper-colored feet of which are figured separately to show different forms of the itoguiri or concentric thread-marks. One would think that deco- rated Satsuma hardly existed for the Japanese archae- ologist, who, however, figures an interesting rice-bowl of old Kutani ware in Part V, Fig. 74, and a more

CERAMIC ART IN JAPAN. V03

modern teacup of decorated Awaji crackled ware in Fig. 30, tlie last plate of bis woi-k.

The latest book * from a Japanese hand has recently been published in Paris, as one of the volumes of the Petite Bihliotlieque d''Art et d'' Archeologie, piihliee sous la direction de M. ICaempfen, Directeur des Musees nationaux et de VJ^cole du Louvre. It is a compilation from native sources, with the names of the authorities generally appended to the quotations, and more care has been taken with the dates than is the case with some other Japanese books — the native report on which the South Kensington Catalogue is based, for example. The ceramic wares are arranged in tabular form according to the places of production in the diffe^'ent provinces, with the names of the first makers, when known, their dates, and a sketch of their principal productions. The table, with a few modifications of what seemed to be misprints, and slight changes in transliteration, is given here (see the next page), as a most useful summary of the indus- try. The book takes the form of notes attached to the Leadings of the table. The author's methods may be gathered from a translation of his account of the Raku ware of Kyoto :

"Raku-Yaki. — Tlie Raku-Yaki, one of the varieties of the Kyo- Yaki, owed their origin to a Korean, a naturalized Japanese, of the name of Anieya Yeisei (1504-1520). After his death his widow continued his industr}-, becoming at the same time Ama ('bonzesse' or Bnddliist nun), and lier ware was consequently given the name of Ama-Yaki. Choyu, their son, made here, after a model given to him by Senno Rikiu (1517-1591), the celebrated chajin who reformed the code of the tea ceremonies, some cups with a black glaze for Ota Nobunaga (1533-1582), who was then the real head of the Shogun's Government, In the sixteenth year of Te)isJw

* La Ceramique Japoi^aise. Les principanx centres de fabrication ceramique au Japan. Par Oueda Tokounosouke ; avec une preface par E. Deshayes, conservateur-adjoint au Musee Guimet. Paris, 1895.

704 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

(1588), llideyoslii, who had become dictator at the death of Nobunagu, and is better known under tlie name of Taiko-Sama, ordered him to .make a set of cups of a reddisli-black color, with which he was so thoroughly pleased that he gave him a gold seal inscribed with the character Haku, part of the name of the palace of Ju-Raku at Kyoto, where Ilideyoshi was then residing. Cho3^u marked with it afterward all his pieces. It is starting from thi& period that the name of Rakii was given to the ware made by him and by his descendants. His cups were called Raku-oha-wan. In the period Keicho (1596-1014) the gold seal was replaced with a common seal.

"The Raku-Yaki are composed of a white clay without resist- ance; it appears red when it is coated exteriorly with a 3'^ellow earth which becomes red in the kiln; it appears black when a glaze is used in the composition of which enter pebbles from the Kamo- gawa (Kyoto) reduced to powder. The Raku-Yaki consist only of Tezukune (articles fashioned by hand), and were all made without the help of the potter's wheel or of the mold. This is why one finds among the pieces that infinite variety of form which justly constitutes their superiority over similar articles derived from other sources."

The following is the genealogy of the Raku. They are all called by the personal name of Kichizayemon :

1. Chojiro choyu (f 1592). 2. Chokei (f 1642). 3. Doniu (t 1657). 4. Ichiniu (f 1696). 5. Soniu (f 1716). 6. Saniu (t 1739). 7. Choniu (f 1759). 8. Seitoku (f 1778). 9. Riyoniu (end of eighteenth century). 10. Tanniu (beginning of nine- teenth century). 11. Keiniu. 12. Kichizayemon, our contem- porary.

The interest that has constantly been taken by the ruling classes of Japan in the ceramic art is proved by an appendix attached to M. Oneda's work, which is entitled " Maecenases and Grand Personages who are cited in the Foregoing Notes as having patronized the Ceramic Industry." It is a chronological list extending over eleven pages, beginning with the Emperor Yuriaku

CERAMIC ART IN JAPAN. 705

(a. d. 457-476), who is recorded to have had earthenware vases made for his own use at Fiishimi near Kyoto, and ending with Senno Sohitsu, a master of the " Cha-no-yu," who ordered, in 1864, services of utensils for the tea ceremonies from Zoroku, a celebrated potter of Kyoto, and. rewarded him with a new name beginning with the same initial as his own.

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CHAPTER XXVI.

A GENERAL SKETCH OF THE CERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.*

I.

. A MONGr all the arts of Japan, the ceramic art JTJl. remained, down to the most recent times, the least known to Europeans, and the one on the subject of which the most erroneous ideas had become current. It can not be said that this was because it had not already attracted much attention. Considerably before the first and timid essays of Albert Jacquemart there had been long discussions about its history and about its pro- ductions. Since the early part of the eighteenth cen- tury collectors of Chinese porcelain have eagerly sought for what was called in the lano-uasie of the dealers the vieilles qualites du Japon. But, having started from the outset upon a wrong track, it seemed that criticism w;a8 bound to be involved for an indefinite period in its own errors. It required the thorough opening up of Japan after the revolution of 1868, the points of contact brought about by the great exhibitions of Paris, Vienna, and Philadelphia, and the perseverance of two or three collectors, to throw some light upon the real facts of the ceramic history.

It is to M. Bing, the great Parisian importer of Japanese objects, a scholar and at the same time one

*Thi3 chapter is a literal but slightly abridged translation of the article on La Geramique in the manual of the Bibliotheqne des Beaux-Arts, entitled L' Art Japonaia, by M. Louis Gonse, the author of the larger book witli the same title referred to in the preceding chapter. It gives the latest views of the accomplished author, and is a charming compendium of the subject from an artistic point of view.

708

GENERAL SKETCH OF CERAMIC ART OF JAPAN. 709

of the most distinguished of collectors — it is to the rigor of his methods, to the patieuce of his inv^estigations begun at Paris iu 1878, pursued iu Japau itself, and continued without intermission during the formation of one of the most beautiful and most curious collections that could possibly be seen — that we owe the first and true clearing up of the question. To-day, thanks to him, one can say that the history of Japanese ceramics is made, the canvas is sketched in solid outline ; it will be possible certainly to fill in details, but not to modify essential lines.

The study of the questions which touch on the history and on the classification of the ceramic productions of Japan would demand developments which neither the nature nor the extent of this volume allow. I shall content myself with a rapid sketch of the question, and shall refer those who are more specially interested in the subject to the fine and very complete study by M. Biug, which I have published in full iu my large work.*

As I have said elsewhere, Japanese pottery occupies, in the family of the ceramic art, one of the first places, if not the first. I say purposely "pottery," for it is principally by their work in earthy clays, upon which the varied play of enamel colors produces the liveliest, the most sumptuous, and the most unexpected effects, that tiie artists of Nippon have proved their superiority. It is sufficient to remark in general terms that hard porcelain occupies a secondary rank in Japan when com- pared with that of the soft clays, the faience, and the ordinary pottery. The kaolinic productions of the Japanese, perfect as they are occasionally as examples of successful kiln- work, are only in reality more or less clever imitations of the admirable porcelains of China. Tlie Chinese are the ])orcelainiers par excellence, the

* L'Art Japonais. Par M. Louis Gonse. Paris: Quantin. 2 vols. gr. in 4to.

710 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

uncontested masters of kaolin. The Japanese are potters without rivals. With the former the interest of the decoration is often subordinated to the beauty of the materials or to the excellence of the workmanship ; ^vith the latter, on the contrary, it remains always the domi- nant aim. The picturesque effect, the advantage to be gained from the splendor, the transparency, and the vivacity of the enameled glazes : these are the preoccu- pations of the Japanese potter. A marvelous instinct for the laws of decoration has revealed to the Japanese the fact that pottery, with its forms, its resources, its infinite methods, offered an incomparable field for the development of their imagination.

A disregard of this fundamental character of the ceramic art of Nippon has been one of the most serious obstacles to Europeans in their study of its history. On no other question has there been a greater number of prej- udices to be uprooted ; a priori, it has been necessary on almost every point to take a stand against preconceived views. The Japanese porcelains which had been the delight of our fathers, the dishes and the jars from the factories of Imari and Arita, decorated in blue, or with a decoration in blue, red, and gold — all those pieces called old Hizen, Avith which the Dutch had inundated Europe during the course of the seventeenth century — were in the eyes of the pure Japanese only second-rate productions intended for commercial export. Down to these later years, the true ceramic art of Japan, that I shall call the national ceramic art, has remained absolutely unknown to Europeans. It was with difficulty that a few rare pieces from Kyoto, known to collectors as vieux truitS, were brought over with the lacquer that came from that city. Among the centers of the ceramic industry we knew only the least interesting, those least appreciated by the natives of the country, and those least endowed with any per-

GENERAL SKETCH OF CERAMIC ART OF JAPAN. 711

Bonal characteristics. It will be sufficient for me to remark that the vast collections at Leyden, The Hague, and Dresden, where Hizen pieces are to be counted by thousands, do not offer for the visitor's notice a solitary specimen from Kutani, from Kyoto, from Satsuma, from Bizen, or from Owari — that is to say, not a single piece to give him a glimjjse of the originality of Japanese taste in ceramic matters. It is hardly credible, but it is so not- withstanding. A stranger who knew nothing of Kouen, of Nevers, or of Moustiers, or of the soft pates of Sevres, would be in the same situation vis-d-vis France. The worst of it is that these false opinions have the resistance of the most obstinate prejudices ; it will require many years still to make amateurs and dealers of the old school understand that their empirical admirations have no value from the Japanese point of view.

II.

The ceramic industry of Japan is divided, therefore, into two thoroughly distinct branches : porcelain and pottery.

The principal center of the porcelain manufacture is the province of Hizen, where important deposits of kaolin are found, especially on the skirts of the mountain of Karatsu, which has in consequence given its name to the primitive ceramic production of this province. The pieces of Karatsu ware, dating back to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, that I have had before me for inspection, were of a barbarous type ; they were uni- formly coated with a gray enamel, rather coai'se, thick and always crackled, after the fashion of the Korean pot- tery of which they are simply an imitation.

It was a potter of the name of Gorodayu Shonsui who brought from China, about 1520, the elements of the

Vl2 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

making of porcelain. The village which rose up round his first kiln took the name of Arita. There is every reason to suppose that the pieces that came from the hand of Shonsui were timid copies of Chinese porcelain, probably of small dimensions and of blue and white. His two pupils, Gorohichi and Gorohachi, were already more skillful. The pieces of theirs that I have seen, and notably a bowl decorated with sprays, after the Persian style, in blue upon a finely crackled gray ground, testify to progress in the art, which was already at its highest point at the close of the seventeenth century. Kakiye- mon introduced at Imari, in 1647, the art of decorating porcelains by means of vitrifiable colors relieved with gold (Fig. 389). The Dutch, established at Nagasaki, gave a vigorous impulse to the new productions ; the exportation rapidly increased and created an almost inexhaustible source of riches for the Prince of Hizeu ; the town of Imari became the principal center of the manufacture, and Europe was literally inundated with its productions. The finer pieces of Imari may possibly rival in technical execution the works of the Chinese ceramic artists, but their decoration is a little mouoto nous. They are generally mere productions of the w^ork shop, on which, with rare exceptions, the personal invention of the artist is not apparent. The best known type, with a decoration of chrysanthemums and j^eonies, in blue, red, and gold, has been classed by Albert Jacque- mart under the name oifamille chrysantlierao-fceoni&Rne. This is essentially an article of commerce, exempt from any element of the unforeseen. The pottei's of Delft, in Holland, devoted themselves to the imitation of its gen- eral characteristics. Another type, the peculiar inven- tion of Kakiyemon, is of a more delicate order. The creamy and soft white of the enamel plays the principal role here. The decoration, fired in the muffle stove, is

GENERAL SKETCH OF CERAMIC ART OF JAPAN. 713

composed generally of scattered blossoms, painted on sparingly, of graceful birds, and of gardens with flowers, which brinf out in its full value the exquisite finish of the glaze. The paste is of the finest grain. It is from the study of this type that the productions of Saxony and of Chantilly were started. The pieces of this sort have always been eagerly sought for by the aristocracy of Japan.

In the course of the eighteenth century the same prov- ince gave birth to the porcelain centers of Okawaji, of Hirado, and of Mikawaji. The two last were particu- larly devoted to the making of objects in pure wliite without any decoration, or in blue and white (Fig. 391). Fine pieces of Hirado are very highly esteemed. Their white enamels have never, however, been able to attain to the incomparable softness of the old white porcelains of China. On the other hand, they excel the similar Chinese things in the finish, variety, and grace of their form. The incense-burners fashioned in the shape of birds, pigeons, mandarin ducks, and other animals, or of persons, are objects fit to figure in the most select of collections.

Many potters of the other provinces have tried their hands in kaolinic productions ; pieces of high artistic interest and of great technical perfection have come from the workshops of Kutani and of Kyoto ; but it is only in the ceramic centers of Hizen that the art attained a complete and continuous development.

III.

It is certain that the origin of pottery reaches back in Japan to the highest antiquity. Japanese authors admit generally that it was the ancient Korean productions of Shiraki, Kudara, and Koma that supplied the first mod-

714 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

els for tlieir own indigenous productions. It is, on the otlier Laud, no less certain that the primitive pottery of Ja[)an 2)reserved during long centuries an absolutely embryonic and barbarous character, approximating some- what to the archaic pottery of the Troad and of Mexico. In the fifth century kilns w^ere established in different provinces ; but it is not till the seventh that we can arrive at any precise indications. A Buddhist priest of the name of Gryogi who had come from Korea and is celebrated for the foundation of the temple of Todaiji, where the treasures of the ancient emperors of Nara are to be found preserved to the present day, gave a great impulse to the ceramic industry ; he passes as having been the inventor of the potter s wheel. A certain num- ber of pieces made under his direction exist among the treasures of the temple, and would give an idea of the progress realized. One can also see in my work VArt (Taponais (tome ii, page 249) the reproduction of a Gyogi piece belonging to the magnificent collection of M. Bing.

The knowledge of the process of enameling dates in Japan only from the ninth century. The first enameled pieces called Seiji, AV'ith a glaze of neutral gray, recall the ancient celadons. It is starting from this epoch that the direct influence of China intervenes.

A curious fact to be noted is that the development and progress of tjie ceramic industry in Japan coincide precisely with the inti'oduction of the use of tea. The necessity of obtaining vases w^ell adapted for the pres- ervation of the pow^dered tea led the potters to decisive researches. It is to a potter of the village of Seto, in the province of Owari, that one owes the first tea-jars called cha-ire, those little vases coated with beautiful thick enamel colors, with ivory stoppers, which Japanese amateurs keep tenderly wrapped up in silken cases in- closed in double boxes. Toshiro had made the voyage

GENERAL SKETCH OF CERAMIC ART OF JAPAN. 715

to China in tlie beginning of the thirteenth century. His works, so ardently souglit by collectors, justify tlieir reputation by the remarkably fine grain of their paste and by their warm and harmonious glazes. The imme- diate successor of Toshiro ^vas Tojiro.

In reality, all Japanese pottery is derived, when its origin is traced back, from the first workshops of Seto. Hence the consecration of the term setomono (Seto articles or objects) to denote ceramic ware generally. The productions of Seto dominate the ceramic industry down to the beginning of the seventeenth century, the moment of the appearance of Ninsei, an artist of genius, who was the veritable creatoi* of the national ceramic art, and who even down to the present day remains the greatest ceramiste that Japan has ever produced.

The three elements, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese, are blended together in him ; and from their union springs an original art armed at every point, the national art, in one 'svord. An admirable logic, a powerfully inventive spirit, a refined and exquisite taste preside over the work of Ninsei. Not only does he invent and bring to perfection the technical details, but he frees the decoration little by little from Chinese conventionalities a,nd endows it with grand ornamental laws after the Japanese genius. He creates, so to speak, fundamental forms of objects so perfectly adapted to their destination that they have remained in current use ever since. The work of Ninsei is marked with a popular character ; it flows from an inexhaustible and charming fancy. His researches opened up for his successors the boundless field of polychrome decoration by means of vitrifiable colors.

Ninsei was a native of Kyoto. The date of his birth, as I have already said, is not known pi-ecisely, but it must have been during tlie last quarter of the sixteenth

716 OEIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

century. He worked during the whole of tbe first half of the seventeenth century, and died about 1660. Before he devoted himself to the ceramic art he had already acquired great renown as- a painter. He traveled in succession through different provinces of Japan, and visited the principal ceramic centers ; but it was at K3^oto that he established his domain and founded there, in the suburbs of Kyomidzu, Avvata, Mizoro, Seikanji^ Otawa, etc., his kilns, the chief of which exists down to the present day, and still carries on his traditions. It is to Niusei, and to Ninsei alone, that the glory belongs of having made of the ancient capital the most energetic and the most brilliant center of the ceramic art.

The works of Ninsei offer examples of the most varied styles ; it seems as if each piece which came from his hand were the fruit of a j^ai'ticular stroke of invention, of a careful study of the art. The most popular creation of Ninsei is that of a pottery with a fawn-colored, finely crackled glaze, decorated with flowers in which blue and green enamels enhanced by gold predominate. This^ industry, which is carried on at the present time in the suburbs of Kyoto, principally at Awata, at Kyomidzu and at Iwakura, is known to us under the general name of "old Kyoto" ware. There are no ceramic produc- tions that I prefer to it ; only the suj^erb faiences of Persia appear to us capable of rivaling these pieces in harmony and brilliancy. It is hardly necessary for me to remark that authentic works of the great ceramic artist are of extreme rarity. Care must be taken not to confound with them the many pieces of later date which bear his seal, and which are only the productions of his workshop. The ancient specimens are recognized by the fine texture of the paste, by the neatness and suppleness- of the outline, by the warm transparency of the glaze,, and by the opalescent reflections of the enamels.

GENERAL SKET(^II OF CERAMIC ART OF JAPAN. 717

The teachiiio-s of Ninsei had the most fruitful results. Two artists of great renown, Kinkozan and Kenzan, made Kyoto illustrious at the close of the seventeenth century.

The type created by Kinkozan is very remarkable ; it is a nearly black " biscuit " of a very close and veiy homogeneous texture, which sei'ves as a ground for enam- els laid on in regular designs of marked relief, the prevail- ing color being a dark blue, discreetly interspersed with yellow, white, and green.

Ogata Kenzan, who lived from 1663 to 1743, was the younger brother and pupil of the celebrated lacquer- painter Koriu. His works are distinguished by an ex- traordinary freedom in the decorations, laid on in large masses, of powerful tone, among which emerald greens give nearly always the predominant note with their glowing reflections. They show "svell all the advantage that can be gained from a simplification of the deco- ration. With Kenzan this apparent artlessness is only the result of profound technical skill. His fine pieces are able to compete in the eyes of amateurs with those of Ninsei. The originality of the forms, of the methods, and of the designs is no less great. The sense of color is even superior in Kenzan. From the standpoint of a full, vibrating, and harmonious richness of enamel coloring, he still remains without a peer. The matei'ial of Kenzan's pieces is usually rather coarse, or at any rate light and friable, and is consequently very inferior to that of Nin- sei's ; their value consists in the splendid vesture with which the artist envelops them. The originals can be distinguished at a glance by a transparency and delicacy in the enamels which no copyist has been able to imitate.

At the close of his life Kenzan migrated to Yedo, where he founded the kiln of Imado. As M. Bing has very justly observed, this ware presents beauties of a differ- ent order, and constitutes a very marked evolution in

718 ORIEISTAL CERAMIC ART.

tlie research of color effects. In the place of the neutral grounds on which liis brilliant sketches were first dis- played, we have here luminous glazes of a highly vitreous composition which enhanced the bold freedom of the coloring.

Parisian collections contain very beautiful and very numerous examples of the different styles of Kenzan's ^vork.

The history of the Kyoto factories gives us next the names of Ogata Shuhei, who distinguished himself in the modeling of little figures full of life and spirit ; of Moku- bei and Kokubei, skillful in the finish of small miniature objects, of boxes in the shape of animals for pei"fumes or unguents ; of Dohachi ; and lastly of Yeiraku, the most astonishing 'pasticlieur that the ceramic art has produced. Yeiraku is in truth a surprising practitioner. His bowls for the preparation of tea ai"e marvels of decorative inge- nuity and of technical perfection. He is the last of the great ceramists whose works are worthy of exciting the passion of collectors.

Let us cite, in conclusion, among the special produc- tions which have remained apart, away from the influence of Ninsei or of Kenzan, the pottery of Raku, with mono- chrome glazes becoming generally red or orange, blend- ing with very friable pates, and the miniature figures in terra-cotta of Ikakura Goyemon which are the Tanagra of Japan.

Outside the province of Hizen, the only kilns in which porcelain, properly so called, has been produced in at all ancient times are those of Kaga. The center of the indus- try, founded in the middle of the seventeenth century by a potter named Goto Saijiro, who had gone and found out the secrets of the manufacture at Arita, is found in a locality called Kutaui. But the productions of Kutani have never had, like those of Arita, a commercial charac-

GENERAL SKETCH OF CERAMIC ART OF JAPAN. 719

ter ; they were destined for the Prince of Kaga, for the Shogiin, or for some of the celebrated cliajin. This is what explains their great rarity and the high price that they have alwa3's I'etained. They deserve, moreover, in all regards, their celebrity. An artist of the school of Kano, of the name of Morikage, was the inventor of the artistic decoration at Kutani, and freed it from archaic imitations.

At the end of the seventeenth century the art had acquired a definite character which it has never since lost. The type is well known ; its beauty resides in the almost exclusive play of three tones of enamel color, the effect of which in combination is admirable — green, yellow, and violet. Fine pieces of Kutani, with their thick and translucid glazes, have a brilliancy which can vie with that of real jewels. The association of these three colors, the intensity of which is multiplied by the transparency of the glaze, produces upon the eyes a voluptuous sensation, as it were, at least equal to that of certain pieces of old Kyoto, Even the jlamhes of China would almost pale before picked specimens of Kutani.

But of all the branches of the ceramic art of Japan, the most celebrated, perhaps, is that of the faience of Sat- suma; it is the one best kno^vn in Europe, thanks to the productions imitated or painted with overglaze decora- tions at Tokyo which have flooded our markets fraudu- lently ticketed as Satsuma. All of those large vases, flower-receptacles, and dishes of gorgeous aspect, loaded with gold in relief, were for a long time taken for authentic Satsuma. At first the dealers all became enriched by this easy commerce, selling for a thousand francs at Paris what they had paid fifty for at Yokohama. The secret has been pretty well kept, so that even to- day a number of people allow themselves to be taken in. The pieces that came out of the Tokyo workshops are

720 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

at the same time extremely brilliant, and lend themselves with marvelous effect as adjuncts in the furnishing of our rooms. The best are made at Satsuma and decorated at Tokyo ; these have a certain value in themselves.

One can lay down the general rule that all the pieces that have come out of the prince's factory at Satsuma are of small dimensions. One of the largest that is known is the incense-burner in the form of a cat, executed about 1780, presented by the Prince of Satsuma to the Prin- cess Tayasu-Tokugawa, and acquired since and brought to Paris by M. Wakai. This classic specimen of Sat- suma presents to us, like all the other pieces made for the use of the Daimyos and of the Shoguns, a very dense pate of extremely fine texture. The glaze, in play of color, ranges from creamy white to the gilded tones of old ivory ; upon this harmonious and soft ground, lightly crackled, stand out enamels of tender and airy color, in marked relief, in the midst of which shades of dead gold marble blend with the most delicious effect. As M. Bing has remarked, old Satsuma has the properties of jewelry fully as much as of ceramic ware.

This artistic pottery owes its origin to the expedition which the famous Taiko Hideyoshi made in Korea. It is Prince Shimadsu Yoshihisa who brought back from that country, in 1598, seventeen families of ceramic workmen whom he established in the village of Nawa- shiragawa. At first they contented themselves with copying the Korean productions with a gray glaze, orna- mented with regular designs in black or brown. It is only from the beginning of the eighteenth century that the delicately and niinutely crackled faience that has become so renowned under the name of Satsuma dates, and the first decoration of this was designed by potters summoned from Kyoto for the purpose.

Apart from the production of this type the kilns of

GENERAL SKETCH OF CERAMIC ART OF JAPAN. 721

this province attempted also monochrome pieces, which j)resent no decoration other than the exquisite colors of their glazes. These exceptional productions are of the greatest beauty and of the greatest rarity.

Among the other centers formed by the Korean potters of 1598, or sprung directly from their influence, it is necessary to mention the kilns of Yatsushiro, Agano, Takatori, Odo, Hagi, Idzumo, Tamba, and Zeze, each of which, in its own style, has produced some remarkable types.

The potteries of Owari, illustrated by the ancient kiln of Seto, had little by little fallen into decadence ; we see them rise again for a moment in the seventeenth century under the influence of two eminent artists, Shino and Oribe. Their works present a character of remarkable grandeur and simplicity. Shino has modeled statuettes decorated in enamels of the grand feu which attest his profound knowledge of sculpture.

The stoneware (gres) of Bizen are productions apart, and their sj^ecial character does not attach them to any of the types of which I have just been speaking. The origin of these productions is purely Japanese, without any trace of foreign influence, and appears to mount up to the highest antiquity. The fine productions of this princely faVjric, especially those of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, are particularly appreciated by European amateurs. The baking of the j^^ste of the Bizen ware is effected by a very violent fire, Avhich imparts to it a beautiful brownish red and covers it, by the fusion of the vitreous particles, with a sort of metallic glaze. Bizen pieces bear no other decoration ; they are generally personages or animals modeled with singular power. The center of this industr^^ has been for cen- turies past fixed at Imbe.

It is necessary to add to the list of these principal

722 OEEENTAL CERAMIC ART.

centers of the industry the names of those of less antiquity, or less importance, of Soma (province of Iwaki), of Akahada (province of Yamato), of Minato (province of Idzumi), of Awaji, made illustrious in the last quarter of the eighteenth century by a skillful and ingenious artist of the name of Mimpei.

Some potters have practiced their art in an altogether independent fashion, and have created kilns which have disappeared immediately after their death. Such a one is the old Banko, a pupil of Kenzan, who established himself at Kuwana, in the province of Ise, and produced there works of masterly skill and originality, often rival- ing those of his preceptor. Such, again, is the celebrated lacquer-painter Ritsuo, whose incrustations of faience upon lacquer rank among the rarest and most precious objects that Japan has ever produced. Such, finally, is Koren, the lady modeler in clay, who is still living, and whose works, instinct with spirit, are highly esteemed in Europe.

Toshiro, Gorodayu Shonsui, Kakiyemon, Ninsei, Shino, Kenzan, Banko, Kinkozan, Yeiraku, and Mimpei, these are the names it is important to remember as dominating the whole history of the ceramic art in Japan.

Modern productions are only a more or less adroit imitation of the types created by those great artists. The technical skill is always extremely high, of which the elegant pottery wares of Kyoto, and the Kutani, Sat- suma, and Imari pieces of modern days are a proof. The current industry yields still to commerce some charming productions, of exceptional cheapness when compared with our own ; but it creates and invents no longer any- thing that is worthy of comparison with the art-work of the finest epochs.

1

CHAPTER XXVII.

THE PRINCIPAL CERAMIC WARES OF JAPAN. OWARI POT- TERY AND PORCELAIN. KYOTO WARES. HIZEN PRODUC- TIONS : OLD IMARI PORCELAINS, HIRADO BLUE AND

WHITE, ETC, SATSUMA FAIENCES, KUTANI OR KAGA

WARES.

I. OWARI.

THE collectors of Japanese ceramic wares and the writers on tlie ceramic art of Japan may be divided broadly into two schools. The one school is devoted to the archaic and rustic potteries, coinciding in their views with native connoisseurs, who prefer antique simplicity and quaint originality of design to any other qualities. Tlieir claims have been ably urged by an enthusiastic advocate in the preceding chapter. The other school is more attracted by the artistic decoration and harmonious coloring of some of the old Hizen porcelains, by the sub- dued tones and technical finish of the Hirado blue and white, and by the soft shades of the enamel colors of decorated Satsuma faience enhanced by the finely crackled background on which they are displayed. The latter school is fully justified by the beautiful specimens of these classes exhibited on the shelves of the cabinets in the Walters collection, as may be seen by the examples which have been selected for colored illustration in these pages.

The wares will be noticed in the order of the " Table of the Principal Centers of the Ceramic Industry " given on pages 706 and 707. The list is too long to allow of a discussion of all the different kilns in the limited space

723

724 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

available here, so that reference will only be made to those represented in the illnstrations. For the rest, one may refer to the books the titles of which have been given in the bibliographical section of Chapter XXV.

The first province in the list is that of Owari, which is one of the earliest seats of the industry, and which was so noted in early times that the name of its productions — " Setomono " — has become a synonym for all kinds of ceramic wares in Japan, in the same way as china with us has become a common synonym for porcelains. It is recorded in the official annals that three potteries of this province were attached to the court of the Mikado in 816, and there are lists, under the years 905 and 1114, of the articles of earthenware which were furnished at the time for the use of the emperor. The first real progress in the art is attributed to Kato Shirozayemon, a native of the village of Seto, whose name is generally abbreviated to Toshiro. He traveled to China in 1223, with a Bud- dhist monk named Dogen, and stayed there five years, studying the Chinese processes of manufacture. The most highly appreciated ware at the tea-testing pai'ties which were very fashionable in China at this time, as we have seen, was the dark-colored pottery of the province of Fuchien {Gliien Tz'u) flecked or dappled with lighter spots, the tea-bowls of which were known to Chinese vir- tuosos as " hare's-f ur bowls" or "gray partridge bowls," from the spotted aspect of the glaze. These wei'e the manufactories, no doubt, that Toshiro visited, and the tea-bowls and jars for powdei-ed tea made in the kiln which he set up in his native village after his return were fashioned, after the pattern of the old Chinese pottery of the Sung dynasty, of a reddish-brown stoneware coated with dark chestnut-colored mottled glazes, sometimes sprinkled, we are told, with flying yellow spots. His successors lightened up the russet and bronze-colored

THE PRINCIPAL CERAMIC WARES OF JAPAN. 725

grounds with a translucent overglaze of golden }ellow, or with viscid enamels of transmutation type wliicli became streaked with hviWmut Jlcwihe tints as they gut- tered down in the kiln over the surface of the jar, but they always left part of the surface of the piece bare, so that the perfect potting of the material might be appre- ciated. Tea-jars (eha-ire) of a similar type were prodnced in tnrn at the other kilns throughout Japan, and large collections are made in the present day by the initiated, who classify them with infinite pains according to the texture and shade of coloring of the glazes, and according to the microscopic structiu'e of the paste from different localities examined with a magnifying lens.

Specimens of these tea-jars from different kilns are to be found in Plates CXIV and CXV, and the coloi-ed illustrations give an excellent idea of some of the differ- ent forms, with their ivory lids, and of the varied coloi-ing of the glazes, contrasted with the soft shades of the old brocaded silk bags in which the little jars are wrapped. The tea-jar in Plate CXIV, 3, is a ])roduction of the Seto kilns in Owari which we are now discussino;. The water- bottle (shahu-date) beside it (Plate CXIV, 1), made of a similar brown stoneware of fine grain, coated with an olive-brown glaze flecked with lustrous yellow spots and overlaid with splashes of crackled oi'ange-yellow, is a more recent production of the Fujina kilns in the prov- ince of Idzumo, attributed to the beginning of the nineteenth century. A marked improvement in the manufacture here was due to a skillful potter named Zenshiro, who, according to Oueda Tokonnosouke (loc. cit, page 91), established himself at Fujina in the period An-yei (1772-80), after an invitation from Matsudairo Harusato, the daimyo of the province of Idzumo, and made for him, after his designs, pottery for the clia-no-yiij of which cult this prince was a great amateur. He was

726 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

succeeded liere in turn by Zenshiro II, Zenroku III, and Zenroku IV, aud the fifth of the Hue, whose personal name is Dentaro, is mentioned as still carrying on the \vork in the present day. A tea-jar from the same kilns of somewhat earlier date is exhibited in Plate CXV, 3, and is described there.

The two tea-jars which are illusti'ated in the same plate come from two other kilns, being specimens of Shigaraki ware from the province of Omi, aud o"f Takatori ware from the province of Chikuzen. The Shigaraki potteries date from the Ko-an period (1278-87), but at first only jars for storing grain and ordinar}"^ domestic utensils were made, of a very hard, dense stoneware of grayish color with a large admixture of sand, which is known as Ko- Shigarahi, Ico meaning ancient. The first articles for the cha-no-yu were made in the period Yei-sho (1504-20), and the names of several of the celebrated masters of the tea cult have been attached to varieties of this gray stone- ware made under their instructions. In 1828, according to the Franks Catalogue (loc. cit, page 41), the Shogun of the Tokugawa family ordered the manufacture of tea- jars called Koshishiro-TsuJceminii, since which the factory has become still more noted for its jars, which are said to preserve the flavor of the tea remarkably well on account of the peculiarly hard, impervious quality of the j^wfe.

The Takatori-yaki is yet more famous. In Captain Brinkle3^'s words :

" If popularity be any criterion of excellence, the first place among the achievements of Taiko's imported artisans belongs to the ware made by Shinkuro and Hachizo (natives of the ceramic district of Ido in Korea) at Takatori in the province of Chikuzen. Their earliest productions were after the Korean style, having only one thin coat of diaphanous glaze, but subsequently, with the assistance of Igarashi Jizayemon, a skillful potter of Seto, they began to imitate the Chinese fiambe, glazes, and succeeded so admirably

THE PRINCIPAL CERAMIC WARES OF JAPAN. 727

tliat their pieces wei-e unanimously pronounced the chefs-d''c/eicvres of their times (1624-44). Something of tiiis esteem was no doubt won for tliem b^' the patronage of the celebrated art critic Kobori Masakadzu, Earl of Yenshiu, who at the request of Tadaynki, Duke of Chikuzen, instructed * Shinkuro and Hacliizo in the shapes and technical details of the pottery which best accorded with the aesthetic code of the Tea Clubs, and afterward, selecting certain of their best productions, gave them names indicative of their peculiar merits. It is scarcely possible to overestimate the value attaching to pieces distinguished by the approval of such an amateur."

At a subsequent period of its history cleverly modeled figures of mythological personages and imaginary animals were turned out by the Takatori workshops for use as incense-burners, alcove ornaments, and so forth, which were coated with a thick, lustrous glaze of a jlarnhe character, the general color being gray or buff passing into green, chocolate, brown, or sometimes blue. The large temple vase (Jiana-ike), eighteen inches high, shown in Fig. 383, is of a more archaic type, being enameled with a pale-green crackled glaze mottled with clouds of olive tint, which only partially covers the surface, so that the paste, of light-red color, is left unglazed round the base. Outside the vase, modeled in slip in slight relief, are the figures of three Buddhist saints, with halos in the form of wide rings encircling their brows. One is seated upon a rock in the attitude of meditation ; another is elevating with both hands an alms-bowl, from which a spiral column of water is ascending — the special attribute of Ndgasena ; the third, apparently Vajra- buddha, is leaning upon a long and knotted pilgrim's staff. The mark stamped in an oblong panel is in-

* Hacliizo figures in our table as the founder of the Takatori factory. He was the son-in-law of Shinkuro, according to Mr. Oueda, wlio says that it was Hachizo and his son Hachiyemon who were sent by the dainiyo to receive the orders of Masakazu in the period Kwaiujei (1624-43). According to him, the principal glazes of the Takatori-yaki were white, light blue, and ash-colored.

728 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

scribed Taka (short for Takatori), iu a circle, and Arashi Tanemune^ the uame of the potter.

To return to the province of Owari : One of the minor productions of the kihis of Nagoya is tabulated as Gempin-yalci, the name being that of a Chinaman who became naturalized as a Japanese and established himself there. He is wrongly called a Korean in most Japanese books, even in tlie official reports of the Phila- delphia Exposition. Indeed, one of the difficulties in the discussion of ceramic art is the loose way in which the Japanese writers on the subject apply the term Korai^ properly Korea, to northern China, and Kochi, properly Kochin-China or Annam, to southern China, so that the influence of China on the industry is often apt to be lost sight of for the moment. In this con- nection the story of Gempin is worth relating, as told by Captain Brinkley. In the year 1640, when the Ming dynasty of China was on the point of overthrow by the Manchu Tartars, four Chinese nobles came to Japan to pray for aid against the northern invaders. The Japanese were at first disposed to entertain the request, but reflecting that they would be supporting rulers who fifty years before had sent an army to oppose Hide- yoshi's generals in Korea, they ultimately decided to let the Ming fight their own battles. The fugitive nobles were, however, treated with all courtesy. Con- fided to the hospitable care of Japanese barons, three of them seem to have passed the remainder of their lives in uneventful seclusion, while the fourth, Gempin, resid- ing at Nagoya, devoted his leisure to painting and pottery-making. As an artist he possessed considerable ability, but his ceramic efforts are not very creditable, though much valued by the Tea Clubs. His pieces consist of a crackled faience, decoi-ated sometimes with archaic designs iu blue under the glaze, and sometimes

THE PRIXCIPAL CERAMIC WARES OF JAPAN. 729

with arabesques in relief. Genuine specimens are gener- ally marked with his name in blue under the glaze.

Down to the beginning of the nineteenth century nothing but faience was made in the province of Owari, although it is to-day the principal center of porcelain manufacture in Japan. The introduction of porcelain was the work of Kato Tamikichi, a descendant of the celebrated Kato Shirozayemon, the " father of pottery," who went to China in 1223. Tamikichi was sent to Hizen in 1804 to study the processes of fabrication there. It is said that he found the secrets of the manu- facture so jealously guarded at the various potteries, that it was not until his marria<2::e with the widow of an Arita potter and the birth of his child seemed to afford a sufficient guarantee of good faith, that his new connections consented to instruct him. After he had learned all he could, Tamikichi left his wife and child to shift for themselves, and hastened back to Seto to impart his knowledge to his old comrades, whom he rejoined in 1807, after nearly four years' absence. He was rewarded with a hereditary title of nobility by the Prince of Owari, who belonged to the Tokugawa family, and given the privilege of wearing two swords, a rare distinction for a plain potter. The new industry flourished apace, and within fourteen years some two hundred potters had abandoned their old work to take up porcelain. From the first, decoration in blue under the glaze (sometsulce) has been a specialty of this prov- ince, and its blue and white production fifty years ago is said to have been second to none in Japan. It is famed to-day for colossal dishes over five feet in diame- ter, slabs for tables mounted upon baluster stands, and temple lamps nine feet high ; but the cheaper smalt imported from Europe has usurped the place of the old cobaltiferous ores of China, and scarcely a memory re-

730 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

mains of the pure, rich blue of former times, blending so softly with the fluescent paste.

The decorators of Owai'i porcelain, however, have not confined themselves to the use of blue under the glaze. Since 1820 enameled ware has been made at Inazi in the old Chinese style of the Ming dynasty, a white porce- lain painted with designs roughly executed in red and green enamels with an occasional addition of blue under the glaze. Another variety is decorated with figure subjects in red and gold upon a white ground, so as to resemble in general effect modern Kaga porcelain. Of late years the Owari potters have developed consider- able skill in the use of colors of the grand feu, and many pieces decorated in sea-green, maroon, and blue are exported. Celadon monochromes are also made, and a species of jlanihe ware in which chocolate color predominates. There is hardly anything that is not atten^pted in the jiresent day, but the methods are rough, and it would not be a great loss to art if the potters confined themselves to the making of household utensils, which seems to be their proper field. A large quantity of their ware is taken to Tokyo to be deco- rated in enamel coloi's, so that the two places in com- bination have been fitly styled the Stoke-upon-Trent of Japan.

Seto itself produces all the materials necessary for the making of ordinary pottery, but most of the ingredients required for porcelain have to be brought from Kamo, in the adjoining province of Mikawa.

The Toyosuke ware was first made by a potter of this name at Aichi, in Owari, about 1825. It is a ci"ackled faience thinly coated outside with lacquer delicately painted in gold. Of less, if an}^, ai'tistic value is the cloisonne enameling upon porcelain as a base, which dis- credited the workshops of Nagoya for a few^ years subse-

THE PKINCIPAL CERAMIC WARES OF JAPAN. 731

queiit to 1870, before the liappy renaissance of the ceramic art which has since appeared.

II. KYOTO.

The origin of the potteries of Kyoto, the old capital of Japan, is lost in antiquity. Tradition ascribes to the celebrated priest Gyogi, about the Tembio period (729- 748), the fabrication of earthenware vases at Chawan- saka (Hill of Cups), where the present village of Sei- kanji, near Kyoto, is situated, which is still the pi'incipal center of the manufacture of the Kyomidzu wares. There were gradual improvements in the technique of the ware as time went on, but it was the celebrated potter Ninsei, in the seventeenth century, whose work brought it to the prominent position, from an artistic point of view, which it has since enjoyed. He has been justly given the same place in Japanese ceramics as that occupied by Bernard Palissy in Europe, and a short sketch of his career, as given by Oueda Tokounosouke, may not be out of place here.

Nonomura Ninsei, whose proper name was Seibei. later Seizayemon, was a native of the province of Tamba. In his youth he learned the ceramic art from a naturalized Korean potter of the name of Butsuami. Having come to Kyoto in the Gemva period (1615-23), he continued his apprenticeship at the atelier of an artist of Seikanji. He was attached afterward as potter to the imperial Prince of Ninwaji, who authorized him to adopt his own initial, Nin. Hence the name of Ninsei, which is com- posed of this initial {Niii) and of the initial of his own proper name {Sei). Ninsei received later from the same prince the honorary title of Harima no Daijo (a high official grade of the province of Harima). He died at Omuro in the period Manji (1658-60).

732 OKIENTAL CEKAMIC ART.

Ninsei established a succession of kilns in the vicinity of Kyoto, at Mizoro, Omuro, Iwakura, Awata, Seikanji^ etc., where he adopted the different processes of Seto, of Hagi and Matsumoto, in the province of Nagano, of Shigaraki, in the province of Omi, etc., as well as the methods imported by the first Korean potters. He excelled especially in making objects for use in the Tea Ceremonies, of ndchii-sashi (water-bowls), dishes, plates, and such like; a great mnnber of his pieces were painted, and their designs are the work of the celebrated painters Kano Taniu and Kano Yeishin, his. contempoi'aries.

This celebrated potter, who enjoyed a very great renown, had numerous imitators even during his own lifetime. In his later years, during the Meireki period (1655-57), he succeeded in producing pieces decorated in several colors (I^isJiilcide), which were much admired^ thanks to secrets of technique revealed to him by a merchant of Kyoto named Chawanya Kiubei, who had learned them himself from Aoyama Koyemon, a native of Arita. The Arita potter was afterward prosecuted, and, it is said, crucified in his own province for having divulged the secrets of the Hizen kilns, and the Kyoto dealer became a lunatic at the neAvs of the execution of his friend.

After the death of Ninsei the Kyo-yaki was divided into tw^o main branches, the Aioata-yaki and the Kyo- midzu-yciki. The names of his principal successors have been given in the preceding chapter.

One of the cleverest of the Kyoto potters, in the esti- mation of his own countrymen at least, ^vas Mokubei, who flourished at the beginning of the nineteenth cen- tury. This is said to be an abridgment of the name of Aoki Yasohachi, a native of the province of Owari. In his later vears he became deaf, and took the name of

THE PRINCIPAL CERAMIC WARES OF JAPAN. 733

Robei, TO meaning deaf. From liis youth lie showed a great taste for art and antiquity, and his imitative ability procured for him the title of the best artist of modern times. He afterward embraced the career of a potter, and succeeded in rivaling by his talent the works of Ninsei and Kenzan. He is credited Avith the introduc- tion of molds into Japan, and of many other novel processes derived from a study of Chinese works on the ceramic industry, and he also published a work of his own on the subject. There was nothing that he did not succeed in reproducing, and so perfectly as to deceive the greatest cei-amic experts of his time. The enameled stonewares of southern China, the ordinary decorated porcelains and celadons of China, the encaustic inlaid pottery and the ivory-white porcelain of Korea, aie said to have been copied by him with success. In the fifth 3^ear of the period JBunsei (1822) he constructed private kilns for the imperial Prince Seiren-in, and made sets of utensils for the personal use of the princes of Kii of the Tokugawa house. He died in the year 1832.

The vase {liana-ike)^ seventeen inches high, in Fig. 397, is an example of his work, being decorated in bright enamel colors, with gilding in Chinese style. The colors comprise red, green, black, and a light translucent blue of turquoise tint. The three figures inclosed in three lai'ge oval j^anels represent the Buddhist Trinity, Sakyamuui, Samantabhadra, and Manjusri, displayed upon a back- ground of variegated clouds, their heads encircled by golden halos. The Buddha is seated on a mat of leaves upon a rock, his forehead marked with the sacred urna, and a gilded lishnisha projecting in the midst of the close black curls of his hair, his hands folded under his robe, which is brocaded with lotus-flowers. Samantabhadra, as seen in the picture, is seated upon an elephant, reading from an open book. Manjusri, upon a grotesque lion,

734 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

holds a rolled scroll in one band, a coral scepter {ju-i) in tlie other.

The panels are framed by green bands of fi-et, and bands of similar design encircle the upper and h)\ver rims of the vase. The space between the panels is lilled with a close reticulation of floral scrolls of lotus pattern, extending up to the middle of the neck, which is marked by a sunk ring containing panels of lotus-blossoms penciled in gold. The upper part of the neck is dec- orated with three conventional phoenixes displayed in colors on the same red backo^round as the lotus scrolls below.

The mark, written underneath in red within a double red ring in two columns, is Ko-ki-kwan Mohu-hei tsuhunt, "Made by Mokubei at the Hall of Ancient Wai-e."

III. niZEN.

The province of Hizen contains many porcelain manu- factories, and has from tlie first occupied the foremost rank in Japan for its artistic productions in that material, Kyoto being moi'e famous for its art work in ordinary pottery than for its porcelain. Tradition can-ies bnck the origin of the ceramic industry in this province to the time of the Emperor Kotoha^ who reigned from 645 to 654.* A few specimens of the primitive pieces made here hav^e been pi'eserved, vases made of an intensely hard refractory clay, uncoated with glaze. The earliest kilns were in the vicinity of the harbor of Kai-atsu, where the first glazed pottery was made in Japan, and where gradual improvements were introduced into the

■*It was in the reign of this monarcli that the old method of counting years by the reigns of the emperors was abandoned in Japan, and the Cliinese sjstcm of counting by periods called Nien-hao (in Japanese Nen-go) was adopted. The first period (645-49) was called Tai-kwa. — Editor's Note.

THE PRINCIPAL CERAMIC WARES OF JAPAN. 735

manufacture under the influence of the early Korean teachers. Tlie first of them was naturalized under the name of Koji-ro Kwauja, and there is a temple dedicated to him in one of the adjoining mountains at which the pottei's still offer incense. In the beginning of the Keicho period (1596-1614) the daimyo of Karatsu transferred the Avorkshops, which had previously been within the walls of his castle, to a locality called Kara- bori (" Chinese canal "), in a quarter of the town named Tojin-machi ("Chinese quarters"), where he established a number of potters who were brought over at that time from Korea. Many kinds of Karatsu-yaki are de- scribed, but they are all stonewares of primitive type, comprising principally articles of ordinary domestic use and utensils for the tea ceremonies. The factory is now in a state of decay.

The other ceramic productions of the province of Hizen are all grouped together under the heading of Imari-Yaki, Imari being the name of the seaport at which they are shipped to be distributed to other parts of the empire. There are many different factories, but the three principal productions from an artistic point of view are those of Ai-ita, Okawaji, and Mikawaji (Hirado). Arita is the most important center of porce- lain manufactui-e in Japan. It is about fifty miles to the north of Nagasaki, and its potteries were the source of the "old Japan" porcelain which the Dutch imported into Europe in such large quantities during the seven- teenth and eighteenth centuries ; the first export of pieces ornamented with colored enamels, in gold and silver, etc., having been, according to the official Japanese report, in the second year of SJio-lw (1645). Okawaji is about eight miles to the north of Arita. It Avas the seat of the private factory of the princes of Nabeshima, established there in the middle of the ei2:hteenth cen-

736 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

tiiiy, their previous locality, close to Arita, having been found to be unfavorable to the maintenance of the required secrecy. The porcelain made here was in- tended for presentation to the Shogun or to the friends of the daimyo, the rest being reserved for his own per- sonal use, so that specimens are comparatively rare in private collections. The third factory at Mikawaji was under the special patronage of the house of Hirado, and produced the plain white ware of finest texture and the soft-toned blue and white of perfect technique, which ai-e usually given the first j)lace among the porcelains of Japan. •

The introduction of real porcelain-making into Japan is attributed to Gorodayu Shonsui, who went to China to study the art, and returned to his own country in the year 1513. After his return he settled in Hizen, and succeeded in making a ceramic ware decorated in the Chinese fashion with cobalt under the glaze, although authorities differ as to the kaolinic structure of the material. A specimen of porcelain said to have been made by him in China and marked with his name, as inscribed below, is preserved in Japan at Nara. The small brush cylinder in the Walters Collection which is inscribed with his mark is shown in Fig. 396, although it would be rash to guarantee its authenticity. It is a little cylinder, five inches high, with a serrated rim, painted under the glaze in dull blue with flowering trees and storks. Through the large oval perforation which is pierced in one side is seen the mark, penciled in blue, of Go-ro-da-yu go Slion-sui ts'ukuru, " Made by the honor- able Gorodayu Shonsui." *

* No Japanese collection seems to be complete without a specimen with this mark. Cf. Franks's Collection of Oriental Porcelain (Plate XIV, Fig. 183), and Bowes's Japanese Marks and Seals (Hizen Pottery, No. 81). In the latter case it is strangely deciphered Go-ro-ta-narabini Slio-zui sin-zo, "Made by Gorota and Sho-zui together."

THE PRINCIPAL CERA^JIC WARES OF JAPAN. 737

The first of the Arita kilns was founded in the period KeirchO (1596-1614) by the Korean Li-Sanpei, one of the many potters brought over to Japan by Nabeshima Naoshige on his return from the exj^edition to Korea. After many researches he discovered the necessary materials in the Idzumi Mountains near the village of Tanaka, which was afterward called Arita. Damaged pieces of his fabrication found on the sites of the old kilns, and preserved in collections under the name of horidashite, "dug up from the ground," have a white kaolinic paste. Li-Sanpei, after his naturalization, took the name of Kane, the Japanese pronunciation of Kin- Ko, the name of the place where he was born. Several branches of his descendants are still living, and carry on the same industry, having changed their name from Kane to Kanegae.

We may follow Oueda Tokounosouke again in his account of the Arita kilns. In the seventeenth century the development of the ceramic industry in the domains of the princes of Nabeshima was very considerable. One consequence of this was the destruction of the forests round all the centers of the industry, and about 1610 orders were issued by the prince prohibiting eight hun- dred Avorkmen from carrying on their business as potters, and giving the monopoly of the industry to the Koreans. In spite of this prohibition, however, a certain number of Japanese potters succeeded in getting the permission of the authorities to continue their work. The interdict, instead of arresting the progress of the industiy, con- tributed to its prosperity by giving the monopoly of the manufacture to a certain number of families. Skillful artists appeared in succession, who distinguished them- selves by the production of true objects of art. It was not, however, till the Sho-lw period (1644-47) that a native of Imari, Toshima Tokuzayemon, learned from a

738 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Chinese traveler at Nagasaki tlie method of decorating porcehiin with metal.* The process was indicated to Sakaida Kakiyemon of Nankawarayama (who had, it is said, served his apprenticeship in the workshops of Goroshichi, a potter of the house of Hideyoshi), but he failed in his first attempts. It was not till the aid of Gosu Gombei had been enlisted, and after many years of research and repeated experimental trials, that Kakiye- mon succeeded. The productions of this novel fabrica- tion, very similar to those of the same class made in China, were exported afterward in their turn into this last country from the port of Nagasaki.

In the period Kuam-Jmn (1661-72) a Prince Date, of Sendai, sent to Arita a porcelain dealer of Yedo, of the name of Imariya Gorobei, to order some things to be made thei'e. He took back with him, after two years' stay in this place, some articles made by Tsuji Kizaye- mon, who had the reputation of being a clever potter. The articles were offered by Prince Date at the court of the emperor, and Kizayemon was afterward a[)pointed imperial purveyor and commissioned to send an annual supply to the court. The vases sent to Kyoto for the personal use of the sovereign were painted with chrys- anthemum-flowers, the arms of his house, and decorated with flying storks, emblems of longevity according to- Japanese symbolism. The grandson of Kizayemon, Ki- heiji, who became in his turn court pottei', was honored with the official title of "Hidachi no Daijo." It was he who is said to have accidentally discovered the use of seggars. He employed two kinds, the ordinary cylindri- cal cases piled in columns, in which the more common pieces were fired, and sepai-ate seggars covered with lids,

* It is uncertain whether the term " metals" {kane) used here refers to gold and silver only, or comprises other metal oxides as well, so as to denote enamel <5olor generally.

THE PRINCIPAL CEKAJIIC WARES OF JAPAN. 739

the joints of which were luted so as to be hei'metically sealed, and which had to be broken when the baking was completed. Tsiiji Katsuzo, a descendant of Kiljeiji, is one of the cleverest manufacturers of the present day, and is specially skilled in pierced work, specimens of which have been shown by him in the international exhibitions. He is also one of the court purveyors, and is besides a leading member of the " Koransha," a com- pany recently founded at Ai'ita to encourage foreign ex- port. There is now a technical school at Arita, which was established in 1880, to teach the ceramic art in all its branches, and to foster the so-called modern improve- ments, which threaten to replace the individual touch which has always been the chief charm of Japanese art, by mechanical perfections of machinery and plaster-of- Paris molds, and by the use of the most recondite chemi- cal colors of the grand feu of Sevres.

The situation of the province of Hizen, immediately opposite the coast of Korea, made it the chief medium of the introduction of improvements in the ceramic art of Japan at a time when dii-ect intercourse between Japan and China was interrupted. Its ports have, at the same time, been the means of its export from Japan to the outer world. The Portuguese made their first appear- ance there in the year 1542, but we hear nothing of the import of porcelain into Europe by them, or by the Spaniards. The Dutch came in 1609, sent a deputa- tion to Yedo to the Shogun lyeyasu, and were given authority by him to trade. They established their first factory at Hirado in the following year, and after the expulsion of the Portuguese a few years later the mo- nopoly of the foreign trade remained in their liands, with occasional interruptions, until Commodore Perry's expedition in 1853. The Dutch were established at Nagasaki in 1640, when they occupied the small island

740 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

of Deshima, and Av^ere allowed some miuor facilities for trade. This, together with a like limited arraugemeiit with the Chinese, was the sole foreign intercourse al- lowed by Japan for more than two centuries.

China was devastated by the inv^asion of the Manchu Tartars in the middle of the seventeenth century, and the porcelain factories at Ching-te-chen were practically closed for more than fifty years, which cut oft' the sup- plies which the Dutch wanted for Europe. This led them to foster the new industry in Japan, and Imaii became the chief source of the export of porcelain till the Ching-te-chen factories were opened again in the early part of the reign of K'ang-hsi (1662-1722). The porce- lain made under their auspices in Chinese style was decorated with Chinese subjects and inscribed very often with marks of the Ming dynasty of China.

Typical specimens of this " old Japan " Imari class liave been illustrated in colors in Plates XCV, XCVII, XCVIII, XCIX, and CV, and need not be further de- scribed. Two more examples are shown in Fig. 398, a large circular dish with a floral decoration of the kind that has earned for the class the name of famille clirysan- tJiemo-peonienne, and a tall jar (Fig. 399) decorated ^vith figure subjects and panels of pierced trellis-work.

Round Dish, twenty-two inches in diameter (Fig. 398), deco- rated with underglaze cobalt-blue in combination with enamel color and gilding. The center is filled with a basket standing upon a railed balcony containing a formal bouquet of peonies and cherry- blossom flanked by two birds. The border is decorated with sprays of chrysanthemums, interrupted by lambrequins containing alter- nately peonies and butterflies displayed in colors upon backgrounds of mottled blue. The under edge is decorated with three sprigs of plum-blossom. There is no date inscribed underneath, but a num- ber of large " spur-marks " are visible on the glaze.

Jar, with coyer, thirt\'-otie inches high (Fig. 399), of ovoid form with rounded octagonal section, painted in underglaze cobalt-blue

THE PRINCIPAL CERAMIC WARES OF JAPAN. 741

of full tone filled in with enamel colors and gilding. The shoulder of the jar and tlie vault of the cover are pierced with alternated lozenges and medallions of trellis-work, interrupting mottled blue bands, overlaid with scrolls penciled in gold. The rims are encircled by similar bands of blue and gold, three in number, interrupted by smaller panels of the same shape painted alternately with sprays of peony and storks. The blue bands are succeeded by narrower bands of floral sprays upon a white ground. The floral bands inclose the main decoration of the jar, which consists of four panel pictures of Japanese execution in Chinese st\de. Two of these panels contain outdoor scenes, with figures standing on a balcony and horses in a meadow; the other two are filled M'ith formal vases of flowers.

The two smaller pieces sliown in Figs. 400 and 401 are still more markedly inspired by Chinese models, the first being shaped in the form of the fish-dragon (ifii-lung), the AN'-ell-knowu symbol of literary genius and success ; while the second, although, of more modern date, might almost be mistaken for a specimen of the old famille verte of the IVang-lisi epocli.

Water- Vessel for the writer's table (Fig. 400), seven and a quarter inches high, molded in the shape of a fish with a two- horned dragon's head, its tail curved as if leaping from the water. Additional support is afforded by one of the posterior fins, and by a tassel suspended from a cord which passes through the dragon's mouth. The details are painted in dark cobalt-blue; the project- ing fins of the fish-body, as well as the bullock-like horns and the long mustachios of the dragon head, are enameled black overlaid with gold. There is a mark written in the same underglaze blue within the throat with the inscription Ta Ming Ghia-ching nien chih — i. e.,"Made in the reign of Chia-ching (1522-66) of the Great 3fmg [dvnast}^]," but this piece is evidentl}'^ a Japanese pro- duction of the fifteenth century.

Sake-Pot, of quadrangular section (Fig. 401), eight inches high, enameled in colors. It is covered with a scrolled ground of dark green penciled with black lines inclosing cJi'i-lin conch-shells, and scattered plum-blossoms, filled in with deep red, pale yellow, and

742 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

manganese purple. A border of crested waves extends in wliite reserve round the bottom, and the rims are touched with yellow- brown. Tliere is a mark penciled in blue underneath in Japanese style, with the inscription Fu ki cJio mei, "Riches, rank, and long life! " a reproduction of the common Chinese mark Fu kuei cICaug rning.

The next kilns to be noticed in the province of Hizen are those of Okawaji (or Okochi). This was the private factory of the princes of Nabeshima. The kihis were first established at Iwayagawa, close to the Arita, in the period Kio-hio (1716-35), but were moved afterward to their present site, and their productions were ordered to be reserved entirely for the prince's own use or for pres- entation purposes, their sale being strictly prohibited. Great care was taken in the refining of the clay and in the enamel decoration, which is distinguished by the prevalence of clear pale tones contrasting excellently with the pure white paste, a light red color, almost orange, being especially characteristic. There is never an excess of ornament, and the style closely resembles that of the earlier Imari productions which have been referred to under the name of fmnille artistique, and are sometimes know^n as the genre Kakiyemon. The designs are generally somewhat stiff and conventional, but charm- ing medallions are found with well-drawn birds and ani- mals and delicately executed floral sprays. Among the productions of this factory selected for especial notice are a variety of tea-bowls and sake-cups of delicate texture known as hushite, " comb-teeth-" because they were orna- mented with decorative borders composed of closely set parallel lines resembling the teeth of a comb.

The example of Okawaji ware shown in Fig. 390 is of rough type and more rustic aspect. It is a sake-bottle {tokuri) nine inches high, of oval bladder-like form with irregularly compressed sides, coated with a glaze of

THE PRINCIPAL CERAMIC WARES OF JAPAN. 743

greenish celadon color, deeply crackled throughout with a network of dark-brown lines. The foot-rini is iron- gray of a reddish tint. It is decorated in enamel colors of subdued tone, in combination Avith touches of gold, with a maple-tree in autumn-tinted foliage, and an old man standino; on a walk underneath, holdino; iu his hand a screen fan mounted upon a long handle. The date is said to be about 1750.

The celebrated Hirado ware ranks as another of the ceramic productions of the province of Hizen. It is also known as Mikawaji-yaki, from the name of the district where it is made, some fifteen miles south of Arita. The kilns, which are still working to-day in the village of Oriose, were originally called HiroAlo-gama, or " Hi- rado kilns." They were founded by Sannojo and his son Jo-en, who established themselves at Oriose, in the Keicho period (1596-1614). Sannojo was a son of one of the Koreans who followed the Prince of Hirado of the house of Matsura on his return from the Korean expedi- tion, and who had previously set up kilns at Nakano, in the district of Matsura, under the patronage of this prince. Jo-en made a " blue and white " (so7iietsuke) faience from materials which he discovered at Eo^ami. Several of his descendants moved afterwaixl to Kiwara and Enaga, which became known, with Oriose, as the "Three Porcelain Hills" of Hirado.

The industry made great progress in the period Shotohu (1711-15^, thanks to a native of the locality named Yokoishi Toshichibei, who made the first fine })orcelaiu by mixing the earth previously used with another kind obtained by him from Amakusa.

It took a new stride in advance after the establishment in the period Horehi (1751-63) of new kilns, which the Prince of Matsura reserved exclusively for the making of articles intended for his own use, or for presents to the

744 orip:ntal ceramic art.

ShogUQ at Yedo, or to his dainiyo friends. Among the pieces made at these private kihis, a favorite decoration was a sketch of Karako (" Chinese boys ") playing around pine-trees. These are described by Japanese connoisseurs as real works of art, the finest representing a group of seven children, the others either five or three. Anotlier class of pieces decorated with relief work of marvelously delicate execution are not less appreciated by Japanese collectors.

An illustration of the Karako decoration is presented in Fig. 402. It is a cake-dish (^Kashizard)^ nine and a half inches across, of quadrangular outline with the corners beveled oft", and a nearly flat surface gently sloping from the straight rim, painted in soft tones of grayish-blue, with the sketch of a garden scene dis- playing a group of seven boys, in Chinese dress, quarrel- ing over an interrupted game of go under the shade of a spreading pine. Fig. 386 may be referi-ed to as another instance of the same decoration. It represents a small incense-burner with a pierced outer casing, through the interstices of which can be seen a picture of five children playing in a garden, painted in blue upon the inner cylinder, while a pine-tree spreads its branches in solid relief across the open grating of the cover.

The blue of the Hirado porcelain is a soft grayish-blue, specially attractive from the purity and perfect harmony of its shaded tones. It excels in these respects the productions of all the other Japanese kilns, in which European smalt is often used, the result being a darker and more solid color, but one with little gradation of tone. The Chinese mineral, a cobaltiferous ore of manganese, was imported for use in the Hirado kilns, that found in the province of Chekiang being preferred by the Japa- nese, as it is by the Chinese, to any other. The nod- ules, imported in the raw state, were roasted in the

THE PRINCIPAL CERAMIC WARES OF JAPAN. 745

furnace, and iniich depended upon the skill of the expert whose duty it was to pick out the best pieces after roasting. Although the same material is used in Japan as in China, there is generally a peculiar difference in tone in the blue of old Japanese porcelain, which seems to be partly absorbed into the glaze instead of being under it, while the glaze itself looks softer. The blue, though put on, as in China, before the glaze, was painted in Japan on the clay after it had received a preliminary firing, the principal firing taking place after the glaze had been added. The different appearance, distinguish- ing it from the Chinese, is probably caused by the materials being less hard and more absorbent, the same cause necessitating the first slight firing, which Japanese porcelain always undergoes.

Hii'ado porcelain and its different processes of decora- tion are well represented in our colored plates. The ordinary blue and white is illustrated in Plate CX, Fig. 1, and Phites CXI and CXIII ; in combination with relief work in slip in Plate CX, Fig. 2 ; in combination with more salient molding in relief and with delicate pierced work in the beautiful censer on Plate CXII. This last piece exhibits the ordinary style of the mark, being inscribed underneath in minute script with the potter's name and that of the locality, " Made at Mikawaji in Hirado." The quaint originality of Japanese fancy is seen in some of the forms. The wide-mouthed beaker, for example, in Plate CXIII, is a molded version of the familiar fable of the frog, the Japanese emblem of per- severance and success, its two handles being fashioned in relief as frogs leaping up from the waves which curl round the bowl of the vase, into the branches of willow which sweep down from its upper rim. AVho but a Japanese would make a censer in the shape of a pnppy with a movable head for the introduction of the incense.

746 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

as shown on Plate CX ? He has substituted this for the Buddhist canonical form of a lion, which figures as a guardian of the law, in the spirit of ridicule which leads him so often to caricature his deities in pictorial art.

An example of white Hirado porcelain is presented in Plate CIX, a gourd-shaped sake-bottle with chrysanthe- mum sprays worked in slight relief in the paste and finished with the graving tool under soft-looking glaze. Among the most cherished productions of these kilns are the small globular incense-burners, with pierced outer casings and openwork covers, of w^hich one is illustrated in Fig. 403. It is a miniature hbro tw^o and three quar- ter inches high, delicately carved in a trellis pattern of charming design and wonderfully minute workmanship, enameled with a pale celadon glaze of gray-green tones. Inclosed in a trellis-work are two circular medallions containing a crest of three converging mallow-leaves, the badge of the famous Tokugawa family which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868, under the title of Shogun, and, be- sides, supplied daimyos for many of the feudal princi- palities. The porcelain trellis-W'OJ-k cover is surmounted by a tiu}^ bow. A companion incense-burner, which is illustrated in Fig. 391, has the trellised casing interrupted by three spra3^s of chrysanthemum-flowers modeled in slight relief, instead of crests, and an open^york lid of silver.

The statuette of Sakyamuni Buddha, which is illus- trated in Fig. 404, is a production of the Hirado kilns of the close of the eighteenth century, and is painted in blue with touches of brown and black. It is a standing figure, eleven inches high, modeled in the traditional lines, dressed in long, flowing robes with wide hanging sleev^es which are painted in blue of lighter and darker shades, with the head encircled b}'' a sweeping halo which is colored yellow-brown, and holding an alms-bowl of the

THE PRINCIPAL CERAMIC WARES OF .TAPAX. 747

same tint. The face, the neck, and the bare feet are reserv^ed en biscidt, the ears are characteristically en- larsfed, and the forehead has the urna mark of a Bod hi- sattva. The hair, which is arranged in close spiral curls, is gray-black, ^vhile the iishnislia which projects in the middle of the hair is enameled white. Tlie pedestal is molded in two pieces in the form of a lotus thalamus, surrounded by rings of petals worked in relief, and marked above with a circlet of seeds, and is coated ^vith a whiter glaze of slightly greenish tone. The story is told in Nao'asaki that one of the hereditary daimyos of Hirado, who lived over a hundred years ago, was cured ■of a malady by a pilgrimage to a shrine at the top of Fujiyama, and that each year for the rest of his life he sent a party of his retainers to the sacred volcano with an ex-voto offering of one of these figures, which he ordered to be made for the purpose at his porcelain factory at Mikawaji.

Colored enamels were occasionally employed in the decoration of Hirado porcelain, either in combination with the blue, or by themselves. The usual colors are of subdued rather than brilliant tints, comprising a rus- set-brown, a pale clear green, and a straw-yellow. The vase shown in Fig. 405 is a production of these potteries, and is referred to their palmy period, the second half of the eighteenth century. It is a flower-vase (liana-il'e), €leven inches high, with a floral decoration relieved by a russet ground broken by a broad band of white round the middle. This band, which is enameled white of greenish tone, extends round the lower half of the wide cylindrical neck, and from the two sides project loop handles springing from the mouths of grotesque unicorn dragons, the parts of the neck to which the handles are attached beins; modeled in slio-ht relief under the o-laze with a wavy pattern mingled with scrolls of clouds.

748 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

The floral decoration consists of foliated scrolls starting from two large conventional flowers, one of which is dis- played npon the front, the other upon the back, of the globular body of the vase. The idealized blossoms rep- resent those of the sacred Indian lotus (^Hsi Fan lieri) of Chinese art, which the Japanese call ICara-husa — i. e., " Chinese plant." Light cliains of rectangular fret define the borders of the floral bands and complete the decora- tion. The bottom is overlaid with a black silver plate ; the mark, if there be any, is concealed.

IV. SATSUMA.

Whatever title to ceramic celebrity Japan may base upon her porcelain productions, it is for her pottery she will be longest remembered, and of that pottery the first place belongs incontestably to the Satsuma faience. The word Satsuma is nearly as well known to us as the word Japan, and it is familiar not so much for its brilliant achievements in the past, for the grand part it took in the war of restoration, or for its tragic rebellion after- ward, as for the peculiar type of faience which it pro- duces. Its soft-looking ivory-colored glaze with its deli- cately crazed surface provides the most charming back- ground for decoration in enamel colors that can be conceived, while the texture of the. pate \^ so close and fine that it can hardly be distinguished from ivory. No collection is considered complete without a shelf of "old Satsuma," but the pieces commonly seen abroad differ essentially from the beautiful faience which is so highly prized by Japanese connoisseurs. The latter consists generally of small pieces, cups, incense-burners^ tea-jars, figures, and the like, richly but chastely deco- rated with a spra)^ of flowers or foliage, occasionally with a phoenix, Chinese lion or unicorn, in combination with

THE PKINCIPAL CERAMIC WARES OF JAPAN. 749

delicate diapers and lightly penciled fret borders. The materials were carefully selected and prepared, the pot- ting of each piece was perfect, and its decoration was executed with skill and precision, so that the ware has been justly called " jeweled." The ordinary " old Sat- suma," on the contrary, is usually of indifferent manu- facture, it rings with a dull note, and although all the resources of ingenuity and patience may be lavished upon its decoration, the pains are often lost, as the imperfectly enameled pigments do not last, and the thin wash of alloy which is substituted for pure gold soon becomes tarnished. Elaborate combinations of diapers, bouquets of brilliant flowers, armies of gorgeously appareled saints, peacocks with spreading tails, aud dragons environed by golden clouds — all subjects, in fact, that can help to achieve gaud and glitter — are employed by painters who have long since abjui'ed the aesthetic creeds of their country. The Japanese themselves scorn the preposterous jars and huge beakers which find no purchasers in their own country. They represent neither the spiiit nor fashion of true Japa- nese art, but simply the wonderfully adaptive genius of Japanese artists. Just as in the seventeenth century the Arita potters covered the " old Japan " ware of that time with Chinese figures and mythological monsters, interwoven with garlands of peonies and chrysanthe- mums, when their patrons complained that their own artistically decorated vases had not flowers enough for the Dutch taste, so do the Satsuma decorators to-day crowd their " old Satsuma " with mail-clad warriors and long Buddhist processions to satisfy the taste of the American and European collector.

But much of this " old Satsuma " is not even Satsuma at all. It is Awata faience from Kyoto painted in con- ventional Satsuma style, or some other modern ware,

750 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

fraudulently painted at the Sliiba kilns in Tokyo, at the Ota kilns near Yokohama, or elsewhere. If it is a piece of real old Satsuma, decorated subsequently in enameled colors at one of these kilns, the deception is not so trans- parent. One of the most daring frauds of recent times was attempted in London in 1879, when a heterogeneous collection of modern Ota and Shiba pieces, vases, kdro, and so forth, w^ere sold by auction under the description of "rarest old Satsuma." A group of some fifty, de- scribed as " The Papal Pieces," were stated to have been " prepared for the Jesuit priests' expedition from Japan to the Holy City, under special auspices of the Prince of Bungo, in 1582. Francis Xavier himself assisted in the selection of these papal offerings, but it is well known that the collection never left Japan, but was retained by the prince of Bungo in his fortress during the mission slaughter, after which it was publicly shown as relics of Catholic devoteeship." Some of the pieces were stained to give an appearance of age ; others, which had been broken and mended, were catalogued as " bear- ing evidence of having undergone much vicissitude and hiding," and so on.

It would be tedious to refer further to the many mis- conceptions that have arisen on the subject. For the first exact information ^ve are indebted to Sir Ernest Satow, K. C. M. Gr., now H. B. M. minister at Tokyo, who visited the kilns in 1877,* and whose conclusions on the vexed question of the period of introduction of the nisliihi style of decoration in enamel colors are worth quoting. Speaking of the discovery of white clay in 1624-40, he says that the manufacture of white Satsuma crackled ware dates from then, but for a long time, he adds, the wares appear to have been ornamented very

* The Corean Potters in Satsuma, by E. Satow, a paper read February 20, 1878. Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan, vol. vi, part ii, Yokoliama.

THE PRI]SrCIPAL CERAMIC WARES OF JAPAISr. 751

sparingly with color, and lie considers that the nisliihi style of decoration was originated in the period of Kwan-sei (1789-1800) by Narinobu, who is reported to have sent two of his artists to Kyoto to learn the art of painting figures, landscapes, and set patterns in this particular style. Another view is that the use of vitrifiable enamels and gold was commenced shortly after the discovery of the white clay, about 1630, that the manufacture subsequently deteriorated for want of patronage, and that its revival at the end of the eight- eenth century, although often erroneously described as the origin, was in reality only the renaissance of Satsuma enameled faience.

The history of Satsuma faience is au epitome of that of the ceramic industry of Japan generally, beginning with the introduction of Korean potters, who discovei'ed the necessary raw materials and taught the technical elements of a handicraft which only gradually became artistic under the inspiration of Japanese genius. Mr. Oueda (loc. cit., pages 62-74) gives a summary account of it, which we will follow. The kilns of the Satsuma- yaki are dispersed at different points throughout the province. The largest center of fabrication is at Nawashiro, where there is to-day a very considerable production. Like the productions of other factories which abound in the island of Kyusiu (the southern- most island of Japan, of which the provinces of Satsuma and Osumi form the southernmost extremity), the Sat- suma wares date from the time of the Japanese expedi- tion to Korea {B'unroku^ 1592-95). Shimazu Yoshi- hiro, daimyo of Satsuma, brought back Mitli his army seventeen Korean potters, two of whom were named Hochu and Boku-Heii. Some of the potters established themselves with the first named in the quarter Korai- Machi (Korean Street), at Kagoshima, the capital of the

752 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

province; the others at Kushikino, under the direction of the second. Tliey all came afterward to settle at Chosa, in the adjoining province of Osurai, having been snnnnoned to this place by Shimazu Yoshihiro, who had his i-esidence there. This prince, a devoted amateur of the Cha-no-yu, ordered from the Korean potters a large number of pieces to be made after his taste. They were composed of a fine-grained clay, with a glaze colored in shades of blue, yellow, and black ; the most precious had a variegated glaze, called " Jakatsu," which is defined in the " Man-po-zen-sho," published in 1694, as a lizard-colored enamel. The pieces are called Golionde (articles with the honorable seal), which Yoshihiro appreciated most, and which he marked with his personal seal. When the daimyo changed his residence to Kajiki, in another part of the province of Osumi, he sent for Hochu to come to Tatsu no Kuchi, built a factory for him there, and charged him to ti-ain the w^orkmen. Kihei, the son of this potter, adopted by order of the prince the surname of Kawara (i. e., bank), from the situation of Tatsu no Kuchi on the bank of the Kuro-Kawa. After the death of Yoshihiro, which occurred in the Genwa period (1615-23), Hochu con- tinued to carry on the work and to superintend the potters. His family divided into two branches — Tobei, the younger son of Kihei, surnamed Kawara; and Kozayemon, his elder son, Yamamoto. Both established themselves in the second year of Kwanbun (1662) at Tatsumonji. The Yamamoto are to-day represented by only a single family, while the Kawara count as many as twenty-four.

Tobei had a son named Juzayemon, who settled at Oyamada. His son, who called himself Juzayemon Hoko, was a potter of great merit. In the fifth year of Meiwa (1768) he worked in the private factory of the

THE PRINCIPAL CERAMIC WARES OF JAPAN. 753

princes of Shimazu at Tateno, in Kagoshima, which he left ten years later. Commissioned by the prince of this house to go to Arita to finish his studies there, he resumed his industry on his retui-n to Oyamada in the eighth year of Anyei (1779) with great success. In the fifth year of Kxoansei (1793), after having visited in succession the prin- cipal ceramic districts of the provinces of Hizen and Chikuzen, he went to Kyoto, and from there to the province of Owari, where he studied the fabrica- tion at Ofukei in Nagoya. Returning again to Kyoto, he formed an intimate friendship with Kinkozan Sobei, and studied with him the processes of manufacture of the Kyo-yaki, especially of the Raku wares. The travels of Juzayemon resulted in an immense progress in the industry at Oyamada. The origin of the fabrics called Same-yahi (Sharkskin ware) dates from the time of this celebrated artist.

Boku-Heii and his companions, who settled at first, as we have seen, at Kushikino, moved their workshops in the eighth year of Keiclio (1603) to Nawashiro. In the nineteenth year of the same period (1614) Boku-Heii explored by order of Yoshihiro his territories in Satsuma and Osumi and discovered new materials required for the fabrication. The kilns of Nawashiro produced thence- forward articles resembling the work of Komogawa, in Korea, which acquired great renown. While Boku- Heii was the director of the factories, Yoshihiro showed a vivid interest in the industry, and he frequently visited the Avorks, which under his patronage ra})idly became important. Here, as at Chosa, he marked \s\\\\ his per- sonal seal those pieces which he found to his taste, and they are also called Gohonde. The artisan population of Nawashiro rapidly increased, and they turned out suc- cessfully their novel vases of white translucent materials

754 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

aud re[)r()(luctious of the genres known as Hakeme, Misliiina, and Siinkoroku.*

The factoiy of Nawasliiro, when it was first founded, included in its personnel the Korean Chin-Tokitsu, a potter full of talent. His son aud successor, Toju, had a son Tokitsu, the second of the name, who earned by his great merit the name of To-ichi (the first of potters) and a pension bestowed by one of the Shimazu princes. The present fabricator, Cliin-Jukwan, is a descendant in the twelftli generation of Tokitsu I. He was appointed in 1857 the director of the factories at Nawashiro, -with several hundred workmen un^er his orders, and the es- tablishment prospered under his direction. The loss of its domains by the house of Shimazu, after the fall of the feudal regime in 1869, paralyzed the industry for the moment and threw the workmen into misery. Chin- Jukwan succeeded by his praiseworthy efforts in rescuing them from their difficulties, and in assuring independence for the enterprise and regular work for the potters. The name of Gyoku Kozan is that which he has adopted since this epoch.

The factory of Tateno, at Kagoshima, was founded in the period ^w6l^7^;y6^ (1624-43). This was another pri- vate establishment of the princes of Shimazu." The most skillful artist of this factory was Kono-Sanyemon, who

* In 1878, according to the official report of the Paris Exposition, the Korean potters at Nawashiro numbered five hundred families, including fourteen hun- dred and fifty individuals, all carrying on the industry of their ancestors. Never having married any but Korean women, they are said to have retained their distinctive type and language and many of their old manners and cus- toms. The Hakeme and Mishima wares are of Korean origin, and both are of the pate sur pate class. In the Hakeme the designs, usually iu white slip upon a gray body, look as if executed with a brush (hake). The Mishima, which has already been referred to, was chased and inlaid with encaustic sprays of white, gray, or black color, and was so called because it reminded the Japanese of the lines of idiographs in one of their printed almanacs. The Sunkoroku decoration was painted in browns of different shades in simple floral and diapered patterns. Tlie origin of tlie name is obscure.

THE PRINCIPAL CERAMIC WARES OF JAPAN. ToO

lived in the period Meiwa (1764-71). Plis processes of mainifacture were those of Hochii. His productions Avere crackled, the glaze being either white or of different colors. In the Kwansei period (1789-1800), Narinobu, prince of the house of Shimazu, had gold employed in the decoration, and the new productions obtained a great success under the name of " Nishikide," or " brocaded ware." They were superior to those of Hochu, which are valued only from an antiquarian point of view. It was the artists of Tateno who taught, in the eleventh year of the period Tempo (1840)^ the fabrication of the Nishikide to Boku-Sokuan, son of Boku-Shoki, of Nawa- shiro, where this decoration was heretofore unknown. Sokuan was appointed afterward by his prince, in the first year of Kohwa (1844), the director of the new fac- tory of Iso, which owes its beautiful productions to this artist. He spent one year there, and then returned to Nawashiro, where he continued to carry on with success the fabrication of the " brocade-painted wares."

The decorated Satsuma was never made in large quan- tities. It was from the first an article de luxe, intended for the personal use of the daimyo, or as presents to those he wished to honor. The finest enameled pieces were the work of the artists of the Tateno factory.

The productions of the Satsuma kilns are represented in the colored illustrations in Plates C, CI, CII, CVII, and CVIII, where nine specimens are figured. The compara- tively small size of the finer and older pieces is shown by the fact that there is room for two side by side upon each page, except in Plate CII, and this last vase, deco- rated with storks flying among clouds in enamel colors with touches of gold and silver, relieved by an intensely black ground, is certainly the most recent of the series. The pictures give a good general idea of the soft, creamy tones of the finely crazed grounds, ranging from old ivory

756 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

to vellum ; of the artistic style of the chaste decoration with graceful floral sprays and lightly penciled borders of conventional ornament; of the harmony of coloring and technical finish which distinguish the productions of the artists who worked for the princes of Shimazu at the end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth. Not a single figure is to be seen, and thei'e is no sign of the mail-clad warriors and Buddhist pilgi-ims, or of the profusion of gorgeous colors, such as mai-k the " old Satsuma " which is painted in the present day in Japan in such quantities for the export ti'ade.

The earliest piece is the archaic-looking teapot in Plate CI, where the crackled ground is left undecorated, only clouded and stained by use in a way that reminds one, it has been aptly said, of a tobacco-stained meerschaum pipe, and Avhicli the Japanese collector is fond of bringing out and polishing with a soft cloth which he keeps for the purpose. The teacup on Plate C is also undecorated, except for a splashed line of overglaze round the rim, of deep amber tint, laid on in one of the monochrome enam- els used at Nawashiro in the eighteenth century. The rest of the pieces, which are decorated in the JSfishihi or brocade-painted style, are sufticiently described. They all belong to the palmy period of the Satsuma factories.

The other Satsuma pieces shown in Figs. 392, 393, 395, 406, 407, 408, and 410 are all of a type similar to the above, and are generally referred to the same period — circa a. d. 1800.

1. Sake-Bottle {Tokuri), eight and a half inclies liigh (Fig. 393), of cylindrico-ovoid form, tapering to a thin neck with a prominent rounded lip. Decorated in subdued enamel colors with formal sprays of the kiri Qow ev {Pauloivnia i?nperialis) with grace- fully waved tendrils. A ring of slender foliations spreads down from the neck, alternately greenish-blue and coral-red touched with gold. The flowers are of the imperial type, with a spike of

THE PllINCIPAL CERAMIC WARES OF JAPAN. 757

seven florets rising in tlu> middle flanked by two spikes of five florets; and the stopper, wliicli is of silver, is molded in tlie shape of a kiku flower (chrysanthemum), the imperial crest of Japan.

2. Tea-Jar [Cha-tsubo), three and a quarter inches high (Fig. 406), of regular oval form witli rounded lip, painted in enamel colors and gilding, with a floral brocade ground of checker pattern interrupted bv two foliated medallions containing bunclies of scarlet cherry or Pi/rus japonica blossoms enveloped in conventional scrolls, a gadroon band round the foot, and a light floral scroll round the neck completing the decoration. The old cover of oxi- dized silver is fashioned in the shape of a peltate lotus-leaf with the stalk at the top.

3. Small Figure {Okimo7io), two and a half inches high (Fig, 395), of Hotel, one of tiie seven beneficent beings of the Japanese Pantheon, decorated in enamel colors Avith gilding. Hotel, the Japanese transcription of the Chinese Putai, represents Putai Hoshang, the " Monk with the Hempen Bag," of Chinese ]3uddhist lore, who is to reappear as the Buddha of the coming age, so that he may be styled the Buddliist Messiah. With shaven head, broad, smiling face, and large j)endul()us ear-lobes, his cloak looseh' thrown back so as to leave the abdomen as well as the right shoulder bare, he is modeled here in the traditional Chinese lines, holding the jewel of the law in his left hand, and seated beside the caj)acious bag wliich is his special attribute. Hisi-obesare richl}' embroidered with gold brocade, and his bag is emblazoned with the takara-mono, or " precious things," as symbols of the gifts he has to bestow upon bis votaries.

These symbols are as frequent in Japanese art as the po kuj or hundred antiques, are in Chinese art, and many objects are common to the two lists. The things which occur most often in Japan are : The anchor, an emblem of safety ; a branch of coral in a vase, symbol of rank and honor; rolls {maki?)W7io), either a crossed "pair" rolled up, or one partially unrolled to show the writing; a couple of bridges for the lyre, emblems of harmony; the hammer of Daikoku, which, wielded diligently, pro- duces wealth ; the spindle-shaped weight with which the

758 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

tradesman weighs his silver ; a pair of keys of the go- dowu ill which precious possessions are stored ; two rolls of brocaded silk, or nishilci ; an orange, on a leafy twig, emblem of fruitf illness ; manifold symbols of M^ealth, such as the cowry, or ancient shell-money, the copper cash with a hole in the middle, the hotsubo, a jar full of precious things to be buried for security, a pile of gold hohan, a chest labeled " a thousand gold pieces," bag- purses of money, etc. Articles of fairy lore are the invisible rain cloak, the wide hat which also renders its wearer invisible, and the feather robe of supernatural l)eings. Buddhist symbols include the three precious jewels of the law emitting eifulgent rays, a pile of sacred jewels heaped upon a stand, a lion with its forepaw upon a jewel (^8 hishidanict) as guardian of the faith, and the palm-leaf fan of the pilgrim saint. The rhinoceros horn libation-cups of Chinese symbolism have become in Japan choji, or " cloves," although their shape often belies their new name.

4. Miniature Figure ( Okiinono) of Chinese boy {KaraJco), with partly shaven liead (Fig. 407), the hair left in a topknot and two side tufts, in a richly brocaded dress, holding up a sacred jewel. A companion Figure, with a palm-leaf fan in one hand, is shown in Fig. 392.

5. Vase [Hana-ike), six and a quarter inches high (Fig. 393), decorated in enamel colors and gold, with borders of conventional ornament round the rims, inclosing a selection of the takara-mono enumerated above in the description of Hotel, mingled with floral sprays of chrysanthemum and plum blossom, and with branches with twin peaches, the symbolical fruit of long life.

6. Small IisrcEXSE-BuRNER {Koro), two and one eighth inches high (Fig. 408), of bowl-shaped outline mounted upon three scrolled feet, with an outer casing painted with a minute diaper of flowers inclosed in interlacing circles, interrupted by three pierced medal- lions containing a spray of bamboo, a stork, and a bear supporting a

II

THE PEINCIPAL CERAMIC WARES OF JAPAN. 759

leaf -shaped shield, and with a dentated rim molded as three tiers of leaves.

V. Incense-Burner {Kdro)y six and a lialf inches broad (Fig. 410), of flattened form, with a large cover modeled in the shape of an 'ancient Japanese court hat. The "base" is encircled with a diaper of triangular fret pattern; the " cover " is pierced with floral designs and decorated in the intervals with sprays of scrolled flowers enameled in colors with gilding.

V. KUTANI.

The last ware which remains for consideration is that of Kutaui, a name almost as familiar to collectors as those of Imari, Hirado, and Satsuma. Kiitani is in the province of Kaga, on the west coast of the main island of Japan, and its ceramic productions are called Kaga-yaki and Kutani-yaki indifferently. The exact date of the ori- gin of the factory is not known. Mr. Oneda gives in the table (see pages 706 and 707) the period Kivanyei (1624-43), although in his notes, which we will follow, he says that the origin of the Kutani-yaki dates back to the period Keian (1648-51). It was Mayeda Toshiharu, daimyo of the town of Daishoji, who had the first kilns constructed in the village of Kutani by two of his vassal Samurai named Goto Saijiro and Tamura Gonzayemon. The materials employed in the early wares resembled those of the stoneware productions of Seto, in Owari, but the objects, crude and ungraceful in form, were far from equaling those of this great ceramic center.

Toshiaki, the son and successor of Toshiharu, with a view to developing the industry in his territory, sent Goto Saijiro to Arita, in Hizen, in the period Manji (1658-60) to study the processes of manufacture in use there. The Arita ^vorkmen were very loath to impart their secrets to a stranger, but he served as a hired menial in the house of a potter for more than three years, and

760 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

became initiated in all the details of the art. As soon as he had learned all he could he fled by night, and his return made a new era for the ceramic industry of Kutani. The materials found at Suizuka were used by him in the fabrication of his finest vases, and there is still to be seen in that village a porcelain pedestal in the form of a lotus thalamus, with a seated statue of Buddha upon it, which is one of the objects modeled by the artist at this time.

The celebrated painter of Kyoto, Hisazumi Morikage, happened at this time to be on a visit to Kanazawa, the chief city of the province of Kaga, and he was intrusted with the execution of the designs, and contributed materiall}- to their beauty and renown. Hence the name of Morikage-shitaye — i. e., " Morikage Sketches " — by which they are still known.

The early wares, known afterward as ICo Kutani (ancient Kutani), are of two almost distinct varieties. The first, of a grayish pate, faience rather than porcelain, was coated with lustrous, full-bodied glazes of the denii- grand feu, green, yellow, and purple, the former pre- dominating ; the decoration usually consisting of large flowers, in the midst of fret grounds and diaper of archaic pattern, which are penciled in black so as to show through the green or yelloAv enameled surface. This style is compared by the Japanese to the productions of China and Kochi (Annam), and it was evidently inspired by the former country. The second variety of old Kutani is a milk-white porcelain which is compared to old Imari ware, and may almost be mistaken for it some- times. The most characteristic examples are to be distin- guished, however, by the prevalence of a peculiarly soft russet-red, which differs essentially from the hard, full, brick-dust red of the old Imari ware. The Kaga potters used silver much more,freely for decorative purposes than

THE PRINCIPAL CERAMIC WARES OF JAPAN. 761

the Hizeu potters, while they relegated underglaze blue, on the contrary, to a more subordinate position.

Tradition says that the perfection of their results was due mainly to the great care and patience devoted to the preliminary preparation of the materials, that the mixing and braying of the coloring materials was the daily task of the women and children at the Kutani potteries, and that the rich deep red of the older periods was ground for six months under the pestle befoi-e it passed into the hands of the painter.

Although the early Kaga productions were so highly appreciated, the manufacture fell into decay afterward, and the kilns of Kutani were abandoned some sixty or seventy years after their foundation. The industry was revived in the seventh year of Btmikwa (1810), by Yoshi- daya Hachiyemon, a merchant of Daishoji, who rebuilt the ancient factories and reproduced the different varie- ties of the old productions. This was the renaissance of the ceramic industry of Kutani. In the eleventh year of the same period (1814) the kilns were moved to Yama- shiro, a locality which offered greater facilities of trans- port ; but the necessary materials were still brought there from Kutani and Suizuka. The new fabrications are called Yoshidaya-yaki, after tlie name of the merchant who revived the industry that had almost disappeared. They rank in quality innnediately after the Ko Kutani,

Yoshidaya was succeeded by Miyamotoya Kiyemon in the sixth year of Tempo (1835). The new director was assisted by the painter lidaya Hachiroyemon, who revived tlie art of decorating in gold upon the red ground in the characteristic Kutani style. He was the first to intro- duce the NishiM style of decoration into these potteries. The porcelain made to-day in the district of Nomi and at Kanazawa is, generally speaking, very similar to lidaya's.

During the last years of the feudal period the house of

762 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

Mayeda, of Daishoji, encouraged tlie local industry by large grants of money, and engaged Yeiraku Zengoro, the twelfth of the famous family of hereditary potters of Kyoto, to come to Yamashiro to superintend the work. This potter, whose personal name w^as Hozen, arrived in 1863, and during the five years that he remained a num- ber of objects were made in the Mnrande, or " gold- brocaded," style, of finished form and decoration, and fired in the kilns that were called after him, Yeiraku-gama. But the Yeiraku kilns were closed at the time of the revolution in 1868.

Porcelain commonly known under the name of Kutani- yaki is made in several other localities of the province of Kaga, within the districts of Enuma and Nomi. The ceramic productions of these two districts are generally classified under the headings of Enuma Kutani and Nomi Kutani. The names of many celebrated potters are recorded who have worked in these factories, but there is no space for them here. Potteries exist in the present day at more than twenty localities in the district of Nomi alone. It is in these that the porcelain so well known abroad as Kaga- Ware is made. It is painted with a profusion of designs of the red and gold type, often executed with the delicacy and accuracy of a minia- ture painting, but the gaudy glitter of gilding and massing of red pigment pall after a time upon the least fastidious taste. The Japanese themselves have never appreciated it, and the potters, fearing the inevitable consequences of the monotony, are now reviving with some success the richer and more varied methods of the older Kutani dec- orations in polychrome enamels. One of the Kaga pot- ters, Watano Kichiji, sent to the Chicago Exposition in 1893 a pair of large vases illustrating this revival. They were covered with an elaborate and boldly designed decoration of hydrangea flowers and leaves in full-toned

THE PRINCIPAL CERAMIC WARES OF JAPAN. 763

and brilliant enamels, purple, blue, and green on a yellow ground. Their decoi-ative effect was fine, and they were highly praised.

Kutani porcelain is illustrated in Plates CIII and CIV, and the pictures give a good idea of the peculiarly soft tone of the red ground in the old pieces, which forms such an effective background for the decorative scrolls painted upon it in gold and silver. This is the hinrande or "gold brocade" decoration of ceramic writers, and it is evidently inspired by the silk stuff's interwoven with designs in gold and silver thread, which have been made on the looms of the far East from time immemorial, and of which one of tlie favorite grounds is a soft vermilion. The ceramic designs, too, are those of the old silk brocades of China and Japan : dragons winding through crested waves, phoenixes travers- ing scrolls of the tree-peony, conventional bands of sacred lotus, and medallions of formal flowers, with borders of fret pattern, 'encircling rings of lotus-petals, chains of beads with tassels, and the like.

No large vases nor purely ornamental pieces seem to have been made in the Kutani kilns in the early days, only incense-burners and incense-boxes, sake-bottles and wine-cups, bowls and dishes, and other ai-ticles of daily use. The small censer in Plate CIII and the first rice- bowl in Plate CIV are decorated in the tyj)ical style, with gilded and silvered designs upon the red ground ; the rice-bowl in Plate CIII is decorated besides with touches of enamel colors of subdued tone, including a pale green. The three pieces are referred to the same period, about the middle of the last century ; they have a buff"-colored or grayish pate, and are enameled red underneath the feet as well, one of the bowls being so completely coated that none of the pate is visible. The third bowl (Plate CIV, Fig. 2) is somewhat older, being attributed to the

764 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

beginning of the century. It is of thinner, more translu- cent material, and is molded in the interior with intri- cate floral scrolls and fret borders, after the technique of some of the ancient Chinese porcelains, while the rim is mounted Avith a silver collar in the fashion of ancient Chinese bowls of the Sung dynasty. The ground between the red medallions with which it is decorated outside is filled in with the so-called yorakude or " neck- lace" designs of the Japanese painted in enamels.

Two other specimens of Kutani ware have been se- lected for illustration. The censer (Fig. 409), w^hich is decorated in enamel colors, is attributed to the middle of the eighteenth century. The bowl (Fig. 411), which is artistically decorated in brilliant harmonious colors upon a characteristically milk-white ground, is of earlier date, and may Avell be ascribed to Morikage, who, we have seen, was working at these kilns toward the close of the seventeenth century.

Incense-Burner i^Koro), five inches high, seven and a quarter inclies broad, with a rounded body, bulging below, mounted upon three short legs with scrolled feet, and with two handles project- ing from the sides molded in the shape of grotesque lions' heads with gilded tongues protruded and curled at the tips. The surface of the bowl is painted in i-ed, green, and gold, with tiers of mallow- leaves {cioi) spreading alternately upward and downward so as to cover the ground. The upper rim is defined by a line of pale green, succeeded by a band of curved scrolls in colors, and the lower border is encircled by a ring of rectangular fret. The base is unglazed, with no marks inscribed. The cover is made of lac- quered metal.

Large Bowl [Domhiri), six and a half inches high, six and three-quarter inches in diameter, shaped with tall, upright sides slightly swelling at the rim, and a bandlike foot gently spreading outward. It is boldly and artistically decorated with sprays of iris (^shaga) springing from the base outside and sweeping upward to extend over the rim and ornament the interior as well as the exte-

THE PRINCIPAL CERAMIC WARES OF JAPAN. 765

rior of the bowl with large, brilliant blossoms and broad purple- tinted green leaves. The decoration is completed by a ring of lozenge fret of svastika pattern penciled in red round the foot. Mark, Faku, " Happiness," in black, in a small square panel, over- laid with a patch of translucent purple enamel.

The painting, sketched in black outline, is executed in overglaze enamel colors of finely crackled texture, won- derfully intense in tone and of marked iridescent luster. They include a brilliant green, a purplish blue approach- ing turquoise in some of its translucid tints, and a soft red derived from iron peroxide, in combination with a few touches of black. The general effect of the coloring is magnificent, and one is almost inclined to enshrine this beautiful bowl as a perfect flower of the ceramic art of Japan.

II

APPENDIX.

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

I. COLORED PLATES.

The original water-color drawings from whicli the lithographic plates were reproduced were executed by Messrs. James and J. C. Callowhill, of Boston, artists whose experience as color-designers in one of the great English potteries gave tliem special qualifica- tions for the work.

Beaker-shaped Vase [Hua Jvu), 16^ inches high, enameled with the crackled glaze of the s<i.ng-de bceuf mottled tints of the celebrated Lang Yao. It exhibits the rich, full tones of the cop- per-red, deepening almost to black upon the shoulder of the vase. The interior is coated with the same rich red glaze. The lip is defined by a prominent line of white, and the foot by a rounded rim of purest white, projecting be3'ond the " biscuit " edge below.

The base is invested with an apple-green enamel, mottled with clouds of typical "ox-blood" color. Period IPang-hsi (1662- 1V22). L

Plum-blossom Jar [Mei Hua Kuan), of globular form, with a bell-shaped cover, decorated in brilliant cobalt-blue of the K''ang- hsi period (1662-1722), with blossoming branches and twigs of the floral emblem of the New Year. The branches spread alternately upward and downward on the four sides of the jar, so as to display their white blossoms and buds, reserved upon a mottled back- ground of pellucid blue, which is covered with a reticulation of darker blue lines to represent cracking ice, a symbol of the coming spring. The rim is ornamented by a castellated border ; a plain band of white defines the edge of the overlapping cover. The outer surface of the lip surrounding the mouth is unglazed, show- ing the fine white " biscuit," and its inner side is onlv partially glazed — one of the " points" of the best " hawthorn jars " of this

767

768 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

period. The Chinese offer presents of fragrant tea and preserved fruits at the New Year in jars of this kind, and tlie plum is the floral emblem of the season. II.

Flower- Vase [Jlua PHng), enameled with the typical "peach- bloom " glaze, and displaying a characteristic play of color, so as to resemble as far as possible the velvety hues of the bloom of the rind of the ripening peach. A ])erfect idea of the charming con- trast of soft shades of red is given by the artist, who has repro- duced the vase in the size of the original, and has attempted to represent tlie finished polish of the surface as it reflects the picture of an outside scene. The reverse of the vase exhibits a splash of apple-green in the midst of the other colors.

The "mark" underneath, beautifully written in underglaze cobalt-blue, consists of six characters in three columns, Ta ChHng K''ang-hsi nien chih — i. e., " Made in the reign of K'ang-hsi (1662-1722), of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." III.

Vase (PHng), 10| inches high, with solid spreading foot and tapering above to a slender tubular neck, enameled with a mono- chrome glaze of darkest green color, the gros vert of the French, the ta lu of Chinese ceramists. This intense ground color is mot- tled with clouds of varying shade. The texture of the glaze is " bubbly," and the surface is pitted at places, especially round the base, where it lias collected in superfluous drops which have been ground down on the lathe after the piece had been fired. The base is coated underneath with the pure white enamel distinctive of the K\mg-hsi period (1662-1722), and this peculiarly strong green occupies a foremost rank among the ceramic productions of this unrivaled reign. IV.

Jar {Kuan), nine inches high without the cover, enameled with a monochrome glaze of imperial yellow. The faint horizontal line in the middle indicates that the jar was originally fashioned upon the wheel in two pieces. There is a mark underneath, written in underglaze cobalt-blue in large, bold characters, Ta ChHng K''ang- hsi nien chih — i. e., "Made in the reign of K'ang-hsi (1662-1722), of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." V.

Club-shaped Vase {Pang-chih P^ing), \S\ inches high, richlj' decorated with the most brilliant enamel colors of the K'ang-hsi period (1662-1722).

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 769

The decoration is arranged in four panels, tlie two upper oblong with rounded indented corners, the lower shaped like iicus-leaves, displaj^ed upon a ground profusely brocaded witli flowers. The front panels contain pictures of a pomegranate-tree with a couple of birds perched upon it, labeled Tan Huo, "The Vermilion Flower," with the artist's studio seal, Wan shih chu, " The Myriad Rock Retreat," appended ; and of a spray of chrysanthe- mum labeled (Jhiao Hua, " Fresh Flowers." The two panels behind contaiti pictures of the tree-peony, with birds and butterflies, and a similar floral spray with appropriate stanzas of verse signed with the same seal.

The floral ground is composed of lotus-flowers, with coral-red blossoms, purple buds, and green leaves, mingled with leaves of other Avater-plants, on a pale-green background dotted with black. This ground is overlaid below with grotesque figures of a lion guarding the wheel of the Buddhist law, and an elephant laden with sacred books ; above, the characters/"?/ (" happiness ") and he (" rank "), in black, relieved by sprays of prunus flowers in shaded red. The character shou (" longevity ") is penciled in red on the two sides of the neck.

A band of diaper, interrupted by foliated panels containing censers, and a light spiral scroll in red round the lip, complete the decoration. VI.

Flower- Vase [Hua PHtig), fashioned on the lines of the peach- bloom vases (see Plate III), with the same two white rings in relief round the base of the neck, and a similar mark underneath. It is covered with a celadon monochrome glaze of purest sea-green tint varying in tone according to the depth, so as to bring out the decorative details underneath, which are worked in low relief in the paste. This decoration consists of a fringe of scrolled and crested waves round the lower part of the vase, from which project the tails and a pair of three-clawed feet of two dragons, the remainder of the bodies of the " sea-serpents " being concealed, as it were, under the surface of the rough water. The mark written underneath in cobalt-blue, in three columns, is Ta ChHng K''ang-h,si nien chih — " Made in the reign of K'ang-hsi (1662-1722) of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." ^ VII.

Plate-shaped Dish [Kuo P\in), 14 inches in diameter, with a broad rim and a prominent boss in the middle, painted in brilliant shaded cobalt-blue of the K\mg-hsi period (1662-1 T22).

770 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

The raised medallion in the center is painted with a summer scene, a group of four ladies on a terraced veranda, gathering lotus-flowers from the lake below. This is surrounded by a rocky landscape, with the fir, bamboo, and blossoming prunus on one side, palms and jasmine-flowers on the other, canopied by a bank of clouds above, with the sun, moon, and stars, including the con- stellation of the Great Bear.

The border of the plate is filled with four garden scenes separated by rockeries, representing the four seasons, with their appropriate floral emblems. Spring is figured by two damsels witli book and fan, under the shade of a weeping willow; summer, by a party in a boat culling lotus-flowers; autumn, by ladies gathering Olea fragrans', winter, by its special emblem, the flowering prunus.

Underneath, the foot is encircled by a ring of conventional folia- tions, and the rim is painted with the eight Buddhist symbols of happy augury. VIII.

QuADRANGULAK Vase {Fang P''ing) one of a pair, 19^ inches high, with the oblong sides rounded above and gently tapering downward, decorated with the typical flowers of the four seasons; the shoulders with four medallions of fruit, and the neck with mythical monsters in two foliated panels. The decoration, sketched in black, and filled in with green, yellow, and manganese purple, is relieved by a background of brilliant black, with a pur- plish iridescent surface, passing into olive-brown at the edges.

The Moutan peony, emblem of spring, is accompanied by a Magnolia yulan tree, with birds in the branches; the lotus of summer witl) other water plants, storks, and mandarin ducks; the chrysan- themum of autumn with birds and butterflies; and the flowering plum of winter has a couple of birds in its branches. The sprays of fruit include peaches, melons, persimmons, and Buddha's-hand citrons. The chH-lin on the neck of the vase, with scaly bodies, horned dragon-heads, lions' tails, and deer's hoofs, seated upon a rocky floor, are relieved by a yellow background.

The vase is modeled after a form of the Ming dynasty, but is probably not earlier than K''ang-hsi (1662-1722). IX.

Deep Seven-bordered Plate (Tieh), of eggshell porcelain, decorated in brilliant enamel colors with gilding, and enameled of a ruby tint in roiige d'or at the back. In the center is a large leaf- shaped panel, surrounded by a floral diaper, displayed upon a gold

DESCKIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 771

grouiul; it contains a picture of family life — a lady seated in a chair, witli two small boys playing beside lier, one holding a lotus-flower, the other a gilded ju-i scepter; two large jars stand on the ground, and there is a table behind with vases, books, and pictures upon it, the accessories of a cultured Chinese interior. The slope of the plate is encircled by three borders, a band of pink with dragon scrolls, interrupted b}^ medallions of floral scrolls in blue, between narrower diapered bands of green and yellow ground. Upon the border is another pink diaper, studded with four dragon medallions, and interrupted by four trellis-bordered panels of white ground painted witli sprays of peony, aster, chrysanthemum, and Rosa sinensis; this is succeeded inside by a foliated diaper of pale lilac, outside by a gilded belt of lotus sprays encircling the rim of the plate.

This beautiful plate is known as the "plate with the seven bor- ders," the gold brocade round the leaf being counted as one. X.

Octagonal Lantern (Teng), of elongated oval outline, molded of eggshell porcelain, enameled over the glaze with the brilliant colors and gilding of the best ICcoig-ksi period (1662-1V22).

The lantern is decorated with a procession of the eight Taoist Immortals crossing the ocean (Pa Hsien kiio hai), and with sym- bols of longevity round the borders. The pieced openwork railing at the top and bottom is carved with cloud scrolls inclosing circular sho^l characters, worked in slight relief in the paste under the celadon glaze. The sloping edges are painted with large sJioii characters, alternately green and gold, enveloped in clouds; and the receding shoulders are also covered with clouded scrolls upon a background dotted with black.

The floor of the lantern is covered with rolling crested sea- waves, painted green; the top is studded with constellations of gilded stars, a flying stork, and the gilded solar disk. The Taoist figures occupy the eight panels, represented, with their various attributes, floating across the sea. Beginning with the principal and proceeding from right to left, we see:

1. Chung li chHlan, standing upon a large gourd and holding up a monstrous peach.

2. L'ii Tung-pin, dressed in official robes, with a scroll j)icture in his hand, and his supernatural sword slung upon his back, stamping upon a gnarled willow with its green branches waving overhead.

3. Lan Ts\d-ho, on a floating lotus-leaf, carrying a wicker basket filled with lotus-blossoms and reeds.

772 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

4. Han Hsiang Tzu, playing upon his flute, uiounttHl upon the head of a gigantic shrimp.

5. Chang Kuo, riding upon his famous mule, with the magic double gourd slung to his girdle, and a bamboo drum and sticks in his hand.

6. TIs-'ao Kuo-cli'm, standing upon a carp, holding a pair of castanets.

7. Li THeh-kuai, standing upon a panicled reed supported bjr his " iron crutch," a gourd in liis left hand, with the smoke issuing from it unfolding to show the lame and crooked beggar into which his spirit passed.

8. Ho Hsien-ku, a slender damsel with a short cloak of leaves, supported upon a lotus-petal and carrying a lotus-leaf.

The last four figures are seen in Fig. 2 in the text, from a pho- tograph of the opposite side of the lantern. XL

1. Teacup {CJi'a Wan), of the Hang-chou imperial ware {Kuan Yao) of the Southern Sung dynasty (1127-1279), of semiglobular

form, curving in at the lip, with a circularly rimmed, slightly spreading foot, which has a pointed projection in the middle un- dei-neath; invested with a minutely but deeply crackled glaze of grayish-blue color, becoming of more pronounced lavender tint in- side the cup. The rim of the foot, where it is not covered by the glaze, shows the characteristic brownish iron-gray color of the paste, and the lip is reddish gray at the edge, where the glaze is thin. It is mounted on a carved stand of dark wood, and is of thick, solid material, in order to retain heat, as prescribed in the ceremonial of the tea clubs of the period. XII.

2. Vase for Flowers [Hua Tsnn), of tj^pical Yuan dynasty porcelain {Yuan Tz'ti, 1280-1367), of rounded quadrangular form, with two tubular handles, modeled after an archaic bronze sacri- ficial design. The glaze, which is spread on thickly, runs down in an unctuous mass, which does not completely cover the foot, and shows a grayish buff -colored paste of intense hardness; inside the mouth of the vase it runs down for about an inch, and ends also in an irregularly convoluted line. It is of grayish-blue color, with a shade of lavender, crackled with an irregular reticulation of deep lines, becoming pale brick-red round the upper rims of the vase and handles where the glaze is thin. The surface is stained in two places with mottled clouds of warm red passing into purple at the edges.

Clouds of this kind, the result of some fortuitous oxidation

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 773

during a firing, are highly valued by Chinese collectors; sometimes they are fancied to take the form of a bird or butterfly, or of some other natural object. XII.

1. Wine-Pot ( Chiu Ho), of ivorj^-white Fuchien porcelain (Chien Tz'ii), modeled in the shape of an inverted pomegranate, and of about the natural size of the fruit, thedentated apex of which forms the foot. The handle is modeled as a branch which sends off two twigs to supply a relief decoration for the bowl as it winds up to make a loop on the cover, which it envelops in a crown of leaves. A line of verse is engraved on the back of tlie bowl.

XIII.

2. Cylindrical Teapot ( CA'a JTu), of the same ivory-white porcelain, in the form of a joint of bamboo bound around with a knotted cord, with a pair of bearded dragons of archaic lizard- like design with spreading bifid tails attaclied to it; the one crawling downward with its back bowed to make the handle, the other lifting up its gaping mouth as the spout. The round cover is surmounted by the tiny figure of a grotesque lion. The design, freely and artistically treated, is clotlied with a soft-looking lus- trous glaze of the cliaracteristic ivory-white tone of the finest old porcelain of the province of Fuchien, and the base, unglazed, shows the smooth, even texture of the paste. XIII.

1. Tall Two-handled Cup and Cover (Kai Wan), with each loop handle fashioned in a form of two dragons' heads grasping a round jewel between their gaping jaws, and a bulging cover surmounted by a metal knob shaped like an acorn of European design. The cover, as well as the cup, is decorated in pale blue of pure color, with conventional borders of foliated panels brocaded with white flowers on a blue ground. The intervals on the cup are filled with groups of the paraphernalia of the scholar and artist, books on tables, brushes in vases, water receptacles, and scrolls pictures, all enveloped with waving fillets, and mixed with tasseled wands and double diamonds, symbols of literary success.

xlv.

2. Small Jar [Hsiao ICuart), painted in bright blue in tlie early K^ang-hsi style (1662-1722), with lotus-flowei's and reeds growing in water, flying insects, and lightl}' sketclied floral spra3^s. The front of the vase displays, in an interval left in the floral decoration, a quatrefoil medallion containing the sacred Cliristian monogram

774 DESCKIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

I. H. S., with a cross above, and tliree nails meeting in a point below. XIV.

Brush Cylinder {J*i T^ung), 9 inches higli, of tall, slender form, modeled in the sliape of a section of bamboo, witli a double ring worked in relief in the paste near the foot, between two lightly etched bands of scrolled design. A ChHh-lung, the dragon of archaic bronzes, is represented in salient relief as coiled around the tube, with scowling head and bristling mane, having flames proceeding from the shoulders and flanks. The cylinder is enameled with a celadon glaze of grayish-green tint, contrast- ing with the dragon, which is invested with a white enamel. The bottom is also celadon, leaving a wide encircling rim where the grayish biscuit is visible. Period ICajig-hsl (1662- 1722). ' XV.

Transmutation Splash Vase (PHtig), of regular ovoid form, slightly tapering below, where it is excavated to make a cir- cularly rimmed foot, and rounding in above toward the mouth, which is surmounted by the form of a coiling dragon. The ChHh-lung, of three-clawed archaic design, is modeled in salient openwork relief so as to grasp the rim with its claws, and nearly to envelop it with its serpentine body and long, clinging bifid tail. The vase is enameled with a grayish superficially crackled glaze, exhibiting a r'lchflambe investment vertically splashed with mottled stripes of varied changing tint, passing from light blue through purple and intermediate sliades of red into brilliant crimson where the glaze is thickest. The dragon is colored red, and partially splashed with the same fianibe, glaze. The foot is enameled olive- green, with no mark inscribed. The technique and style of dec- oration indicate the CKien-limg period (1736-95), during which this Yao-pien or "furnace-transmuted" glaze was much in vogue. XVI.

Club-shaped Vase i^Pang-chih PHng), 17|^ inches high, dec- orated in the brilliant enamel colors, with touches of gold, of the best period of the reign of K^ing-hsi (1662-1722). The deco- ration is arranged in two large oblong panels and four larger circular panels, displayed upon a ground of floral brocade. The scrolled coral-red ground is studded with chrysanthemum-blos- soms, alternately tinted apple-green and celadon. The large panel in front has a picture of a gayly plumaged bird perched upon

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 775

a branch of blossoming prunus, penciled in brown, with red flowers touched with gold, mingled with sprays of bamboo having tlie leaves filled in with bright green and overglaze blue. The disk of the rising sun is seen above, partly hidden by the clouds of dawn tint, indicated in pale coral-red. The corresponding panel at the back has a bird on a branch of hydrangea shrub, interwoven with sprays of Hibiscus rosa sinensis. The circular panels contain landscapes below, insects above, the Mantis religiosa, with millet and wild pinks in front, the grasshopper perched on a spear of grass with trifid panicles, and single chrysanthemums behind.

The shoulder slope of the vase is decorated above with a band of scrolled chr3^santhemum, with large red flowers and green leaves studding a purple ground, which is interrupted with four foliated medallions containing butterflies. The colors of the gadroon border around the foot, and of the diverse rings of conventional fret and diaper which encircle the upper part of the vase, are perfectly shown in the illustration. XVII.

Club-shaped Vase [Pang-chih P''ing), 18|^ inches high, with a ground of souffle cobalt-blue, in which are reserved panels, decorated, on a white ground, in enamel colors of the K'^ang-hsi period (1662-1722), including emerald-green, buff, vermilion, red, and black. The blue ground was originally overlaid with a rich decoration in gold of conventional floral scrolls and hanging chains of symbols, of which only traces now remain.

The reserves are outlined in the shape of the Chinese characters for happiness and longevity, interrupted in the middle by medal- lions containing the figures of the corresponding Taoist divinities. The character Fa in front, with a diapered ground, has a circular medallion in the middle, with Fu Using, the star-god of happiness, an aged personage leaning up&n a gnarled staff, attended b}' two sprites carrying a palm-leaf and a fly whisk. The character Shou at the back, filled in with a similarly colored diaper, is interrupted by a peach-shaped panel, with a picture of Shou Using, the star-god of longevity, inside, in the guise of an aged figure with wrinkled fore- head and long beard, a branch of his miraculous peaches over his shoulder, speeding across a rocky landscape, with a conspicuous spreading pine on one side of the picture. XVIII.

Iridescent Iron-bust Vase (P'my), egg-shaped, with a small round mouth and a circularly rimmed foot, enameled with a dark- brown monochrome glaze, thickly speckled \vith minute points of

776 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

deep metallic lustrous aspect, and irregularly flecked all over with clouds of vermilion color, the lip being covered with a ring of the same red.

It is a striking example of the fieh-hsiu yu, or " iron-rust glaze," of naturalistic color and inimitable metallic luster. The foot is enameled underneath with a dark olive-brown monochrome glaze of rugose " bubbly " appearance. There is no mark inscribed, although it is evidently an early ChHen-lung piece (1736-95).

XIX.

Buddhist Ecclesiastical Vase {PHng), one of a pair, 16f inches high, of hexagonal section and complicated outline, elab- orately decorated in brilliant enamel colors with gilding, for the altar set of a Buddhist temple ; each altar set consisting of a tripod cen- ser and two pricket candlesticks, flanked by a pair of vases, five pieces in all.

The body of the vase, of reversed conical form, is modeled in the shape of a ddgaba, or relic shrine, with a sunk panel in each of the six sides containing a vase, which stands out i>i relief from the floral background, displaying the sacred wheel of the law surmounted by the trisula symbol. The edges and borders are filled with floral brocades and bands of conventional flowers, sprays of fruit, and birds, relieved by grounds of different color. The neck of the vase, channeled externally, and correspondingly fluted inside, is painted with pendant chains of flowers and jewels, relieved by a red ground. The foot is painted in green, with rings of palmetto foliations on a yellow ground, and with gilded chrysanthemum sprays upon a red ground around the rim. The interior of tlie vase and the under surface of the foot are enameled pale green. A small panel is reserved in the middle, underneath, in which is inscribed the seal in underglaze blue, Ta ChHng Yung-cheng nien chih — i. e., "Made in the reign of Yung-cheng (1723-35), of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." XX.

Vase (^PHng), 17 inches high, of cylindrical form, slightly en- larging upward and receding at the neck, painted in the brilliant enamel colors of the Yung-cheng period (1723-35).

There is a group of figures on the vase, the three principal of which represent the Triad of the Taoist cult, called Fu Lu Shou San Ilshig, or " The Three Star-Gods of Happiness, Rank, and Longevity," the other smaller figures being attendant sprites. Lu Using, the " Star-God of Rank," has the place of honor in the

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 777

middle, clad in imperial robes, representing Shang Ti, tlie superior ruler of the Taoist pantheon, whose throne is the Great Bear, round which all the other stars revolve in homage ; he holds a baton of rank, and has a peony, the " mandarin's flower," stuck in his winged hat. On his right is Shou Hsing, the " Divinity of Longevity," an aged, bent figure, with wrinkled, smiling face and bald, protuberant brow, leaning upon a gnarled staff, dressed in robes brocaded with sprays of peach-blossoms, and carrying a peach, tlie "fruit of life," in his hand. A stork is flying overhead, and a tall pine, another of his emblems, covered witli flowering bignonia, rises in the background. He is attended by three play- ful sprites, dancing under the flowers and striving to reach the peach. On tlie left stands Fu Hsing, the personified " Star of Happiness," liis head covered with a blue hood, his girdle em- broidered with the sacred fungus and bat, while two other bats, his special attributes, are flying in the air above ; he holds a child in his arms, and another is dancing behind. The neck of the vase is decorated in front with a gi*oup of fruit, composed of a little bi'anch with twin peaches upon it, surrounded b}'^ twigs of water- caltrop, Buddha's-hand citron, pomegranate, olive, melon, and lotus. Tlie foot, excavated to make a circular rim, is unglazed.

XXI.

Openwork Lantern {Teng), of oval hexagonal form, 10^ inches high, with panels carved in openwork designs, decorated in brilliant colored enamels of the famille rose, belonging to the ChHen-lung period (1736-95).

The six sides of the lantern have oblong panels pierced with trelliswork of two different patterns, surrounding solid circular medallions in the middle, which are painted with pictures of Taoist saints or hermits, each accompanied by an attendant sprite. They are figured in landscapes filled in with appropriate surround- ings, pines, dryandra-trees, the sacred fungus, and spotted deer, and ■carry the usual attributes, such as ling-chih, peaches, baskets of flowers and herbs, hoes, or pilgrims' gourds ; one of the attendants holds up a double gourd from which a cloud of smoke is issuing at his master's behest, which unfolds above to display a flying crane. The upper and lower receding rims are also pierced with six smaller panels. The borders and edges are all richly decorated with painted diapers of diverse pattern with floral grounds.

A similar lamp is figured by Du Sartel in La Porcelaine de Chine, Plate XXXL XXH.

778 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

Oblong Crackled Vase {Fang P^ing), 10^ inches bigh, of square section, with a circular rim at the base, cuhninating in a short neck leading to a round mouth, and having the corners projected in the form of broken, dentated ridges. The sides are molded in relief, with the creative monad symbol {yin-yang) four times repeated in the middle, and the series of eight mystic trigrams {pa hud) above and below. The glaze which invests the whole surface is superficially crackled, and colored with thin splashes of grayish mottled purple and olive-brown tints. The foot, somewhat roughly plastered with grayish purple and olive-brown,, has a rim showing a gray paste of comparatively coarse texture.

XXIII.

Deep Eggshell Plate ( Tieli), decorated in brilliant enamel colors of the familU rose with gilding. Of the same eggshell texture and artistic style as the " rose-back " plates, it is decorated, instead, underneath the rim, with three floral sprays, boldly painted in overglaze cobalt-blue. The plate is painted inside with a garden scene containing a group of figures, representing an emperor and empress surrounded by courtiers. The emperor, identified by his robes brocaded with dragons, by the tassels of red silk on the trappings of his white horse, and by the oval banner screens embroidered with gold dragons held up by attendants behind him, has just mounted upon horseback ; the empress, fol- lowed by court ladies holding dragon-centered processional fans of peacocks' feathers, is in the act of mounting a piebald horse with the aid of a stool, supported by a lady attendant, while a cour- tier holds the gilded stirrup hanging on the off side of the saddle.

The borders of the plate are filled with ornamental diapers of different pattern; that on the slope inside is interrupted by blue dragon-scrolls, and the broad blue band that succeeds is overlaid with dragon-scrolls in gold; the rim is encircled by a gilded quatrefoil diaper upon a black ground. XXIV.

Tripod Censer {Ting Lit), of depressed globular form, round- ing ill to a wide, circular mouth, supported upon three feet of scrolled outline, which spring from the gaping mouths of gro- tesque lions' heads projecting from the lower surface of the bowL It is invested with a glaze of brownish-yellow color, mottled with clouds of darker brown toward the bottom; the glaze, extended over the molded feet, is paler in the relief parts, deep brown in the recesses where it is thicker. The base is unglazed,,

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 779

with the exception of a round patch of the cafe-au-lait enamel in tlie middle.

The censer dates, doubtless, from the Ming dynasty. Vessels of this form are used in Chinese temples for burning " joss-sticks," made of fragrant woods, before the images of the deities. This one must have come from some Taoist temple, as the openwork cover of rosewood is surmounted hy a Taoist figure carved out of red agate, representing an acolyte of the god of longevity, with a peach in his hand, leaning upon a deer. XXV.

Coral-Red Vase {Hua PHng), with globular body and slightly spreading neck, decorated in enamel colors, with an imperial dragon pursuing the jewel of omnipotence, relieved by a monochrome iron- red ground of pure vermilion tint, of the CKien-lung period (1736- 95). The outlines of the decoration are penciled in underglaze blue. The five-clawed dragon coiled round the neck of the vase is colored green, with the enamel laid on thickh', so as to stand out in slight relief, the jewel being depicted on the shoulder as a yellow disk with a green spiral coil inside emitting bluish flames. The rim of the foot shows a paste of grayish tint; the glaze underneath, of pale-green color, is crackled. XXVI.

Crackled Green Vase [PHng), 16^ inches high, bottle-shaped, with globular bod}^ and wide tubular neck, invested with a monochrome glaze of pale " camellia-leaf green " color, minutely •crackled throughout. The foot is enameled underneath with the same glaze, which is also partially spread on inside the mouth so as to leave some of the buff-colored paste visible. The rim of the mouth is lightly touched with a ring of brown tint. The fine orackle is sometimes known as truitee, from its resemblance to the scales of the trout; the Chinese call it T/il tzH wen, or " fish-roe crackle," as distinguished from the coai-ser reticulation of the pitig lieh men, or "fissured ice crackle." The color approaches ** apple-green." The period is CK'ien lung (1736-95); it is enam- eled sur biscuit like the fitiely crackled turquoise vases of the time, and the paste is of similar character. XXVII.

Club-shaped Vase {Pang-chih P''ing), 17| inches high, painted in overglaze iron-red of darker and lighter shade, with touches of gold and spots of black to define the eyes of the ■dragons, executed in the vigorous style and coloring of the reign of K^ang-hsi (1662-1722).

V80 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

The body of the vase is decorated in panels of different shape, surrounded by a red ground diapered with clirysantliemum scrolls. Two large oblong panels contain four-clawed dragons disporting among clouds, in pursuit of the jewel of omnipotence, which is de- picted as a gilded disk with spiral center, as if whirling in the air. At the sides there are two rectangular panels with flowers and fly- ing insects, branches of pomegranate fruit and blossoming peach and sprays of bamboo, and two panels of foliated outline below, with carp swimming in the midst of water plants. The shoulder is encircled by a brocaded ground of diamond pattern studded with peach-blossoms and broken by four foliated medallions with chrys- anthemum-flowers inside; the neck is painted with four circular shou characters in a graceful floral scroll; the elaborate decoration being completed by a band of false gadroons round the foot, a ring of spiral scroll on the upright lip, and a castellated border at the base of the neck. XXVIII.

Vase (P^ing), 12f inches high, covered with a monochrome glaze of an intense and rich sapphire-blue color, minutely and uni- formly crackled throughout. It is a cobalt-blue, the gros bleu of French ceramists, the pao-shih Ian, or "sapphire-blue," of the Chinese.

It invests a buff-colored paste, exhibited under the foot, which is unglazed. The vase is probably not older than the Cfi'ien-lung period (1V36-95). XXIX.

Flower-Vase {Hua PHng), 10^ inches high, of solid make, bottle-shaped, with a slightly tapering neck, enveloped in the folds of a dragon modeled in salient relief with openwork. The vase is enameled with a mottled glaze of gray ground streaked with pale purple. The dragon, a three-clawed monster of archaic design, with a spirally curved tail, is enameled crimson with a rouge-ffor glaze; one of its long horns, accidentally broken off, has been replaced in gold. It is marked underneath, below the coat of purplish-gray glaze, with a seal, very lightly etched in the paste, containing the inscription Ta ChHng CKlen-htng nien chih, " Made in the reign of Ch'ien-lung (1736-95) of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." XXX.

Large Vase {PHng), 23^ inches high, decorated with a pair of five-clawed imperial dragons in the midst of clouds, enameled green, displayed upon a monochrome ground of yellow. The de-

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 781

tails of the design are etched in the paste with a style under the green enamel. One of the dragons is emerging from the sea, the rolling waves of which surround the base of the vase ; the other is descending, its tail reaching to the top of the neck. They are enveloped by scrolls of clouds, the rifts of which are occupied b}' flying bats. A formal band of foliations pointing downward en- circles the foot, and a ring of spiral ornament surrounds the upper rim. The foot is enameled yellow underneath, with no mark; the period would be that of CKien-lung (1736-95); the design is of imperial character, and the yellow ground of the typical shade re- served for the use of the emperor, known as " imperial yellow."

XXXI.

Flower- Vase [Hua P''mg), with a wide circular mouth, the upright rim of which is surmounted by the head of a five-clawed dragon, its body, projected in salient relief, being modeled in open- work upon the shoulder of the vase. The surface of the vase is covered with a deep monochrome glaze of " iron-red " of dark coral tint and undulating aspect. The dragon is enameled green, the details are touched in black. The mouth is covered inside with a greenish-white glaze partially crackled with brown lines, and the same glaze covers the base, underneath, inside the rim, which ex- hiljits a paste of grayish tone. It is not older than the reign of Ch'ien-lung (1736-95). XXXII.

Vase {PHng), 11 inches high, of bottled-shaped outline, with a tall neck, enameled with a thick opaque glaze of grayish tone, mottled and streaked with amethyst, passing into splashes of deep purple shade. The glaze is extended over the lip and for about an inch downward inside the mouth. Underneath the foot it is coated with an opaque ivory-white glaze, slightly crackled. The rim exhibits a rather coarse buff-colored paste resembling that of stoneware, but paler than that of the ordinary Kuang Yao, the production of the province of Kuangtung, which is illustrated in Plate XLI. XXXIII.

Plum-blossom Jar {Mei Hua ITiiati), 10^ inches high, of glob- ular outline, with rounded cover, decorated with an interlacement of floral sprays, springing upward from a rockery on one side, and downward from the rim of tlie jar on the other, so as to cover its surface as well as that of the cover. Two pairs of magpies are perched among the branches. The intervals are studded with

782 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

single flowers and buds. The colors are manganese-brown of purplish tinge, green, and yellow, i-elieved by an enameled ground of intense black, which becomes shaded with a greenish tone at the edges. The interior of the jar and the foot are glazed with a greenisli-white enamel, and the paste is of somewhat gray porous texture, differing from the perfect technique of the blue and white " ginger jar " of Plate II, but resembling the well-known large vases of the K''ang-hsi period, painted with the same colors re- lieved by a similar black ground. XXXIV.

Vase (P'inff), 14^ inches high, of somewhat thick, solid struc- ture, with the neck buttressed with two vertical ribs, encircled above by six tubular handles, and the shoulder studded with a ring of six prominent bosses. It is enameled with a crackled glaze of grayish celadon color, reticulated with fine lines of reddish brown, mottled all over with clouds of copper-red of strawberry hue, flecked with darker shades of brown. The inside of the mouth and the under aspect of the foot are also crackled, but of plain celadon color without mottling. The circular rim of the foot is touched with a coating of iron-gray, to cover the rather coarse buff- colored paste, which is accidentally left bare at one point where one of the handles springs from the neck. It belongs, probably, to the Ch'ien-lung period (1736-95). XXXV.

Bowl for Goldfish ( Yii ICang)^ 7 inches high, 10 inches across, modeled in the form of a large lotus-leaf turned up at the edge, so that the folded margin of the peltate leaf makes the irregularly convoluted rim of the bowl, which is etched inside and out to rep- resent the natural venation of the leaf. The two handles which project at the sides are fashioned in full relief in the shape of lotus- flowers, one of which, fully expanded, shows the cup-shaped fruit in the middle. These blossoms, which are colored maroon, are each flanked by two buds of the same color in similar relief. Two more flowers are painted in maroon to decorate the front and back of the bowl ; all the tuberculated flower-stems are represented curving up from below. The rest of the surface of the bowl is enameled inside and out with a celadon glaze of greenish tint, which darkens in the etched parts of the design and becomes nearly white over the relief parts. The bottom is unglazed, only super- ficially coated with a thin wash of brown color. Period CJCien- lung (1736-95). XXXVI.

I

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 783

Six Snuff-Bottles {Pi yen Hu). 1. Of cylindrical fonn, dec- orated with a dragon pursuing the jewel in the midst of clouds, painted in black upon a ground of deep mottled yellow; sea- waves at the foot, lambrequin round the upper rim. Mark underneath, in blue, Yung-cheng nien chih, " Made in the reign of Yung-cheng " <l723-35).

2. Of flattened globular form, decorated with landscapes in maroon-red, with the distant hills and water shaded in the same copper-red of greenish tint. The stopper, with gilded rim, is enam- eled of a crackled apple-green to simulate turquoise. Mark under- neath, in one line of "seal" characters, Ta chHng Tao-kuang nieti chih, "Made in the reign of Tao-kuang (1821-50) of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]."

3. Of baluster shape, enameled with a crackled monochrome glaze of purplish -gray color. No mark. The spoon is mounted on metal stopper inlaid with coral.

4. Of pilgrim-bottle shape, made of copper invested with Soo- chow cinnabar lac, carved with scrolls of peonies, fret borders, and dragon-head handles. Intaglio mark underneath, a monogram meaning " myriad-fold longevity and happiness."

5. Of flattened oval form, decorated in enamel colors with a mountain landscape extending all round, with a figure in the fore- ground standing in front of a pavilion, an old fisherman on a rock angling, a rustic behind carrying a plow, and a bo}^ with brush- wood. Stopper, with gilded rim, enameled to represent coral and turquoise. No mark.

6. Carved out of clouded agate, sliowing the natural veining of the stone, supposed to resemble a dragon concealed by clouds. The stopper, with a rim of turquoise, is mounted with a coi-al bead. XXXYII.

Etched Celadon Vase {P^ing), 17 inches high, bottle-shaped, with a bulging body of globular outline, ornamented with bats fly- ing among scrolled clouds, worked in slight relief in the paste and etched so as to cover the body and neck of the vase, tlie intervals being filled in with ornamental borders. Plainly paneled boi'ders encircle the body above and below, a broad chain of rectangular fret defines the base of the neck, and a band of diamond-pattern fret encircles the mouth, interrupted by four floral studs, and suc- ceeded by a ring of trefoil foliations. The whole surface is in- vested with a celadon glaze of typical color, which varies in shade according to its depth, thereby enhancing the effect of the etched

784 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

decoration underneath. Tlie base is enameled white underneath, without any inscription. The period would be Yung-cheng (1723— 35) or CJCien-lung (1736-95), the vase being a fine example of the celadon tone of this period called by the Chinese tung-cKing. The tint resembles that of the vase of the preceding reign, illustrated in Plate VII, but the glaze is not quite so rich and translucid.

XXXVIIL

White Bottle- shaped Vase (P'm^), with double ring worked in slight relief in the middle of the long neck under the thick white glaze tinged witli a shade of green, which covers the whole surface, reserving the decoration, which is etched in the paste with a grav- ing-tool and left en biscuit, showing the natural color of the mate- rial after it has been fired. It consists of a four-clawed dragon, winding round tlie shoulder of the vase in pursuit of the jewel of omnipotence enveloped in flames of effulgence. The mark under- neath, penciled in underglaze cobalt-blue, is Ta Ming CKeng-hua nien chih, " Made in the reign of Ch'eng-hua of the Great Ming [dynasty]," but the form, style of decoration, and technical details, seem to be those of the reign of K^mg-hsi (1662-1722).

XXXIX.

Pea-geeen Celadon Vase {Tsuii)^ of antique form and design, modeled with a band of lotus-petals rising in slight relief round the foot, and with three prominent ribs encircling the upper part. Upon the shoulder is crouched the monstrous form of a dragon, worked in salient relief and undercut, so as nearly to envelop the circumference of the vase within its massive folds, the interval being occupied by the jewel, with its effulgent halo, which the dragon is pursuing. Of the usual conventional form, it has two branched horns and a bristling mane, the feet are five-clawed, and flaming processes issuing from the shoulders indicate its super- natural character. It is boldly modeled and finished with engrav- ing. The glaze with which the whole surface is enameled is of tou-ckHng, or pea-green celadon color, and is not crackled. It darkens somewhat in the recesses of the molded decoration.

The foot is coated underneath with the same celadon glaze, and has no mark attached. The piece may perhaps be referred to the reign of Yung-cheng (1723-35). XL.

KuANG Yao Figure of Bodhidhaema {Ta-mo Hsiang), the famous Buddhist pilgrim, who came from India to China in the

DESCEIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTEATIONS. 785

year 520, and was the first of tlie Chinese Buddhist patriarchs. The statuette, 13^ inches high^ is fashioned in the peculiar red- disli-gray stoneware of the province of Kuangtung {Kuang Yao)y exhibited at the base and in the liollow of the figure, whicli are unglazed. He is standing in tlie attitude of religious meditation, dressed in flowing robes, witli the hands folded in the sleeves ; the poll is shaven, and the ears have the traditional large lobes of the Buddhist saint. The breast and face show the natural red color of the fired clay; the hair, left long behind so as to fall over the shoulders in curls, is colored dark brown; the rest of the figure is invested with a thick, lustrous crimson glaze of mottled flmnhe character, overspread with a reticulated cloud of olive-brown tint. XLI.

Blue and White Brocaded Vase {PHng), of Persian form, with bulging body and slender, tapering neck, decorated in pale blue of pure tint with floral grounds and foliated panels of floral brocade.

There are four lozenge-shaped panels on the bod}^, of foliated outline, filled with floral designs in white on a blue ground, con- nected by straps and linked chains. Leaf-shaped panels of similar design spread upward and downward; the intervals are studded with tiny blossoms. The neck has two leaf-shaped paiiels spread- ing up from the base, and two narrow foliations at the lip ; the rest is covered with an overlapping floral pattern. Bands of angular fret round the rim and a ring of conventional ornament to define the shoulder complete the decoration, which is of aj-abesque character. The mark inscribed underneath is a leaf, outlined in blue, a common sign of the K^mg-hsi period (1662-1'722), to which this little vase is to be attributed. XLII.

Pomegranate Vase [Shihliu JP'ing), being fashioned of a curi- ous shape simulating a pomegranate crowned with its permanent calyx. The body, of six-lobed section, is alternately ribbed and fluted, and drawn in above to a short, slender neck, whicli flares into a recurved mouth with an irregularly indented rim. The lip is tinted with a line of dark-brown color, and the foot is invested underneath with a dark-brown glaze, so that the material might be mistaken for a dark stoneware, did not a slight flaw in the glaze at one point lay bare the whitish paste. The vase is coated outside with a mottled glaze of dull purplish or lavender color, crackled with a network of dark lines. The interior of the mouth is enam-

786 DESCKIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

€led with a lustrous glaze of grayish white more superficially crackled. It appears to be a reproduction, to be attributed to the Yung-cheng period, of the famous Kuan Yao of the Sung dynasty, which is described as having had an "iron-colored foot" and " copper-red mouth." XLIII.

Beaker-shaped Vase {Hua Ku), of slender, graceful form, modeled after an ancient sacrificial bronze, with a prominent band round the middle, a spreading foot, and a trumpet-shaped mouth. The surface is covered with molded and etched designs of archaic bronze character, with an ornamental band of scrolls, proceeding from dragons' heads, round the middle, between two rings of inter- rupted rectangular fret, and witli palniations, spreading upward and downward, outlined in spiral curves. It is entirely covered with a minutely crackled glaze of pure turquoise tint, which changes in tone according to its depth, thereby enhancing the effect of the relief and chiseled work. There is no mark under- neath, but a similar piece in the collection is engraved with the seal Ta Ch'ing GlCien-lxing nien chih, and this vase must be referred to the same reign of Ch'ien-lung (1736-95). XLIV.

Beaker-shaped Vase [Hua Ku), of slender, graceful form, with slightly spreading foot and trumpet-shaped mouth, modeled after an ancient bronze design on lines similar to those of the vase figui'ed in Plate XLIV, but differing in having a perfectly plain surface. It is enameled with the same finely crackled glaze of mottled tones of the purest turquoise tint, which extends over the rim inside the mouth, and invests the base of the foot, with the exception of the cii'cular rim, which is unglazed, and shows the grayish texture of the paste. It must be referred to the same period, the reign of Cli'ien-lung (1736-95). It is a pale bluish variety of the glaze which Chinese ceramists call Wung-chuo-lu, or "peacock-green."

XLV.

Brilliant Flambe Quadrangular Vase {Fang Tsun), 12 inches high, of antique design, with two wide-open scroll handles pro- jecting from the sides of the neck. The mouth has the rounded corners indented, and the indentations are continued downward as grooves, which gradually disappear about the middle of the vase. A pointed ovoid panel is outlined in slight relief on the front and back, to break the uniformity of the surface. The vase is enam- eled outside with a gray, superficially crackled glaze, overlaid with vertical streaks and mottled clouds, so as to exhibit splashes of

\

DESCEIPnVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTEATIONS. 787

brilliant transformation colors of varied tints, passing through brilliant shades of crimson aiid purple into deep olive-brown. The upper rim and the interior of the mouth are coated with the same yao-pien, or " furnace transmuted " glaze. The enamel under the foot is yellow, and not crackled ; the paste is very white, as shown by a slight accidental chip. Period, ChHen-lung (1736-95),

XLVI.

Large " Pilgrim-Bottle " Vase, or Pao-yueh P''ing, literally "full-moon vase," 16 inches high, with floral decoration in enamel colors of the Yung-cheng period (1723-35).

The scrolled openwork handles, which connect the neck and slioulders, are fasliioned in the form of grotesque dragons. The base of the neck is encircled by a band of fret, succeeded above by a formal palmate ring of foliations, below by a scroll border, and a ring of scroll ornament surrounds the foot. The body of the vase is decorated on both sides with flowering branches springing from a point near the foot and spreading over the surface. On the side illustrated we see scarlet pomegranate-flowers and branches of the white prunus and pink Pyrus japonica, mingled with twigs of bamboo and sacred fungus. On the other side narcissus-flowers, with white petals and yellow bells in the middle, spring from rocks clad with fungus, with bamboo sprays, and there is a bunch of red nandina berries waving above. A pair of butterflies is flying across the field, and bees are hovering around the plum- blossoms. The seal penciled underneath in underglaze blue is Ta CKing Yung-cheng nien chih — i. e., " Made in the reign of Yung-cheng, of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." XL VII.

Large Round Dish {Ta Kuo P''an), 20 inches in diametei-, with a floral decoration, painted in the brilliant enamel colors of the Yicng-cheng period, extending from the base over the rim and along the sides, as well as filling the interior of the saucer-shaped dish. The decoration consists of branches of the blossoming plum {mei-htca) mingled with sprays of pomegranate (shih-lin), both of which send off twigs before they wind over the rim to orna- ment the under border of the dish Avith the same white and red flowers. A clump of the branching sacred fungus (ling-chih), with its scrolled heads of diverse colors, is sprouting from the branch of the prunus. The mark penciled underneath in cobalt- blue inside a double ring of the same color is Ta CJi'ing Yung-

788 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

cheng nien chih — i. e., " Made in tlie reign of Yung-cheng (1723-35), of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]."

The companion disli, of the same size, style, and mark, is deco- rated, still more effectively, with branches of the tree-peony (mou- tan), Magnolia yulan, and Pyrus japonica (hai-t^ang), and has trailing sprays of the three flowers extending round tliree-fourths of the lower border. The large, conspicuous blossoms of the peony are nearly white, tipped with pink, and the magnolia-petals are filled in with the same white enamel. XLVIII.

Large Globular Jar [Kang), painted in deep brilliant blue, of the tone of coloring and archaic decorative st3'le characteristic of the Chia-ching period of the Ming dynasty. The body is divided into four panels of foliated outline, which are filled with landscape pictures of familiar life in China. In front, a poet is seated in a pavilion composing, while a boy attendant holds up his ink-pallet, and two others carry wine-pot and cup. Two men are working in the garden below, the trees of which are the symbolical pine, bamboo, and plum. The scene on the left depicts a scliolar on horseback riding to visit a friend in his mountain retreat, at the door of which an attendant is knocking to announce his arrival. Similar scenes occupy the other two panels. The recesses are filled with alternate sprays of peony and chrysanthemum, and the decoration is completed by a band of sacred fungus round the shoulder of the jar, and another of beaded gadroon pattern round the base. Underneath, boldly written in dark underglaze cobalt- blue, is the mark Ta Ming Chia ching 7iien chih — i. e., "Made in the reign of Chia-ching (1522-66), of the Great Ming [dynasty]."

XLIX.

Tvs^o Vases {JSua PHng), of the "peach-bloom" type. The first is invested with a grayish-green glaze variegated with streaks and mottled clouds of intense emerald-green, passing into olive at the lower edges as they "run " down over the field. A blush of " crushed-strawberry" tint is seen near the rim at the base. Tlie magnificent coloring seems to bean accidental success of the potter, due to prolonged firing of a glaze unusually rich in copper. The usual mark of Ta ChHng K'^ang-hsi nien chih, " Made in tlie reign of K'ang-hsi, of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]," penciled under- neath in cobalt-blue, has also "run," the characters being much blurred. The lip has been replaced in gold.

The second piece is clad in a rich, smooth glaze of charmingly

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OP^ THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 789

uniform color, a pinkish pearl-gray, reminding one of the hue of the opening bud of the lavender. It is flecked witli a few olive- brown spots in the receding hollow of the neck. It is of perfect technique, with the lip defined by a rounded edge, and tlie foot enameled pure white underneath, but not inscribed. The interior of the mouth exhibits a mottled glaze, displaying the most beauti- ful *' peach-bloom " tints. Period, /l^'a??^-As^ (1662-1722), L.

Flower- Vase [Ilua PHng), of graceful shape, exhibiting in typical form the mottled play of colors characteristic of the celebrated " peach-bloom " glaze. The three tints distinguished by the Chinese connoisseur are all seen in the illustration — viz., the chiang tou hung, or " haricot-red," of the ground, the mei Jcuei pan, or " rose spots," and the clouds of p''ing-kuo ch'mg, or " apple-green." The glaze ends below in the usual sharply cut straight line, so as to leave a rim of biscuit round the foot, which is deeply hollowed out underneath. The mark penciled in brilliant underglaze blue is composed of six minute characters arranged in two columns, reading, Ta Cli'ing K''ang-hsi nien chih, " Made in the reign of K'ang-hsi (1662-1722), of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]."

LI.

Ovoid Vase {Hua PHng), one of a pair, of the same period as the last, and with the same mark underneath written in still more minute blue characters, covered with a monochrome glaze of pale sky-blue tint, a charming example of the rare ?/weA ^:)a^, literally *' moonlight white," or clair-de-hme glaze. LI.

Flower-Vase {Hua PHng), 7|^ inches high, with a ring of upright foliated panels molded in slight relief in the paste round the base. The upper part of the neck, which had a slightly flaring mouth, has been ground down and mounted with a silver collar of Japanese workmanship. The vase is enameled with a " peach- bloom " glnze of " cruslied-strawberry " tint, flecked with spots of darker red, and mottled with clouds of apple-green passing into a bright grass-green in the middle. The mark written under- neath in cobalt-blue under a white glaze is Ta ClCing K''ang-hsi nien chih, "Made in the reign of K'ang-hsi (1662-1722), of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]."

The companion vase in the collection, 8 inches high, of a similar form, and with the same mark underneath, has a " crushed -straw- berry " ground, flecked with reddish-brown spots, and onl}^ slightly

790 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

clouded, at one spot, with apple-green. The glaze has run down in thick drops and partially enfoliated, leaving bare places, which have been filled in with tiny petals of gold lacquer. The upper rim is capped with a silver mount etched with a floral pattern, and the neck is encircled by scrolled clouds and a gold dragon of Japanese design. LII.

Flower- Vask {Haa PHng), 9 inches high, of eggshell thinness,, invested with a soft monochrome glaze of pink color, belonging to the Yung-chefigr (1722-35) or early C^'^ew-Zw/^^ (1736-95) ^period. This beautiful and rare tint is the same as that with which the backs- of some of the delicate eggshell dishes of the time are enameled. It is a variety of the rose <Vor, being derived from gold ; different shades of pink were produced by combining the " purple of Cas- sius," which gives a pure crimson tint, with graduated doses of white. The pink, illustrated here, is called hai-fang hung, or " Pyrus japoniea red," by the Chinese, from its resemblance to the petals of that flower ; the deeper crimson of the " ruby-backed "" dishes, one of which is illustrated in Plate X, they call yen-chih hic?ig, or "rouge-red." LIII.

Flower-Vase [Hua P''ing), with the "peach-bloom" glaze of the JCang-hsi period (1662-1722). The illustration, in the size of the original, shows the gracefull}'^ curved lines of the form and the perfect technique of the piece. The swelling lip is defined by a line of white, and two white rings in slight relief encircle the neck as it springs from the shoulder. The rest of the surface is covered with a rich glaze of velvety aspect, exhibiting the beautiful play of colors which distinguishes the "peach-bloom" or "crushed- strawberry " vases. The neck is coated inside with a glaze of bright apple-green tint, sprinkled with a few dark-red spots, and tipped at the edge with a ring of mottled "peach-bloom." The mark underneath, Ta ChHng JCang-hsi nien chih, " Made in the reign ofK'ang-hsi, of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]," is beautifully written in underglaze cobalt-blue, the six characters arranged in three columns. LIV.

Wine-Pot ( Ghiu Hu), of somewhat rough paste and antique style, enameled with colors and touches of gold, of the ICang-hsi period (1662-1722). Of oblong form, with the corners I'ounding inward, it has an upright arched handle which is painted with black lines on a yellow ground, to simulate basketwork. The

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF ITIE ILLUSTRATIONS. 791

decoration is in panels, with the typical flowers of the seasons on the four sides ; the plum of winter, with a bird perched in the branches, and an evergreen bamboo growing from tlie rocks beneath ; the tree-peony of spring, with butterflies flying around ; the lotus of summer ; and the chrysanthemum of autumn. The intervals are filled with bands of floral diaper, interrupted on the shoulder by two medallions containing sprays of peony, and formal sprigs of the same flower are painted on the curved spout. The foot is glazed white underneath, with no mark attached. LV.

Bottle-shaped Vase {PHng), 16|^ inches high, of good form and finished technique, enameled with the celebrated red glaze of the Zang Yao of the reign oiK^mig-hsl (1662-1722). The surface of the glaze exhibits a superficial network of crackled lines, and its depth reflects the richly mottled tints of sang-de-bceuf tj'pe, streaked with lighter shades below. The upper edge of the tall neck is defined by a rounded rim of white. The foot is apple-green underneath, not crackled, mottled with undefined rings of pale red.

LVI.

Vase {PHng), 18 inches high, of the celebrated Lang Yao of the reign of K''ang-hsi (1662-1722). Bottle-shaped, with swelling body and tall, wide, cylindrical neck ; the rich deep glaze, crackled throughout, exhibits the characteristic crimson tints of sang-de- bceuf in its darkest mottling. The base is covered underneath with a gray, " rice-colored " glaze, slighth^ mottled with brown.

LVII.

Flower- Vase {Hua P^ing), 8^ inches high, covered with the crackled sang-de-boenf glaze, the characteristic colors of which are well represented in the lithograph. The mottling of apple-green crackle exhibited near the foot is still more marked on the opposite side of the vase. The base underneath is coated with a crackled white glaze, barely tinted with green. It belongs to the reign of K'ang-hsi (1662-1722). LVIII.

Large Vase {PHng), 21 inches high, of the celebrated Lang Yao of the reign of K^ing-hsl (1662-1722), covered with the characteristic crackled monochrome glaze of sang-de-boenf color. The colors, of varied tone, pass from apple-green to deepest crimson, through all intermediate shades, according to the degree of oxidation of the copper silicates in the glaze. The vase

792 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

is green toward the edges, where the network of crackles is most clearly visible ; red on the body, where the glaze runs down toward the foot in richly mottled streaks ; and of dark, sanguin- eous tint on the shoulder, where the glaze is thickest. The rims are defined by lines of white glaze ; the base is covered under- neath with a crackled glaze of pale apple-green color. The plate shows well the vertical play of colors, the crackled texture, and the stippled ground which mark this glaze — one of the most brilliant achievements of the Chinese potter. The reflections give a touch of contrast to the tone, and indicate the finished radiance of the surface lit up by the sun. LIX.

Statuette of Kuan Yin [Kuan Yin Hsiang), 1*7 inches high, mounted upon a pedestal, representing the Chinese goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist divinity, the special " hearer of prayers," as the name signifies. Modeled in a dignified pose, she stands upright with braceleted hands crossed in front, her robes, with broad and loose sleeves, hanging gracefully down so as to cover all but the tips of her bare feet. The face, with calm, complacent features, is marked between the eyebrows with the illumianting urna, characteristic mark of a Buddha, and the ears have the tra- ditional pendulous lobes of a Buddhist saint. The hair is crowned with a tiara of lotus design ; a lotus-flower is suspended upon the breast by a jeweled necklace, and another hangs down from the girdle. A short brocaded cloak covers the shoulders and forms a hood, which projects forward in a point above the head-dress. The pedestal is fashioned in scrolled outlines to represent the waves of the sea, with the two-horned bristling head of a dragon emerg- ing in front, flanked by two four-clawed feet, the hinder part of its serpentine form being seen behind.

The figure is enameled with a crackled glaze of soft grayish tone with reticulating brown lines. The decorated parts are painted in the brilliant colors of the old famille verte ; the hair is jet-black, the eyebrows are outlined in black, and the lips touched with coral- red. The hood is brocaded with scrolls of lotus-flowers ; the upper border of the robe is encircled by shou characters alternating with flowers. Period, K'ang-hsi (1662-1'722). LX.

Tall Vase {Hu-lu P'm^), 28 inches high, of threefold outline, fashioned in the form of a double gourd with broad, swelling waist, and decorated in enameled colors of the K''ang-hsi period (1662-1722).

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 793

The middle section is decorated on a white ground with two grotesque lions enveloped in flames, and brocaded balls, looking like wheels, suiTounded by waving fillets. The balls, outlined in un- derglaze blue, are painted partly in the same blue, partly in colors, coral-red and green predominating ; the lions, painted in similar colors, have the curly manes and spreading tails touched with an overglaze blue enamel. The borders are filled in with a band of floral diaper in colors. The upper and lower segments of the vase are glazed with a monochrome ground of brilliant " mirror-black." This was once profusely painted in gold, and traces remain on the iower part of the vase of floral and diapered grounds, inclosing panels containing rocky scenes with deer, Jc'ilin, and monstrous quadx'upeds, surmounted by a ring of symbols, including the double -fish, lozenges, and "cash"; and of panels containing landscapes with temples on the upper segment. LXI.

Floweb-Vase [Hua PHng), 10|- inches high, of the reign of ICang-hsi (1662-1722), decorated in panels with cobalt-blue of brilliant mottled tone, and in the intervals with floral sprays on an enameled black ground. The body of the vase is decorated with three quatrefoil panels containing vases filled with bouquets of lotus-flowers and reeds, pots of sword-grass, and writing apparatus set on low tables ; the neck, with two leaf-shaped panels below, having sprays of chrysanthemum inside, with alternate svastika and jewel symbols round the bulb, and with rings of formal foliations round the base and rim. The ground between the panels is filled in with sprays of plum blossom, painted in delicate green and yellow, relieved by a background of intense iridescent black. There is no mark underneath. LXII.

Saucer-shaped Dish (Tieh), of delicate eggshell porcelain, -decorated with brilliant enamel colors of the Ytmg-chenff period ^1723-35). The graceful figure, supported by a scrolled bank of many-colored clouds, represents one of the female divinities of the Taoist cult, as shown by her attributes, and seems to be Ho Ssien- ku, the virgin member of the band of inunortals who, the story says, occasionally appears to her worshipers in a cloud of diverse colors. The goddess is dressed in long, flowing robes, with a short -cloak of lotus-leaves thrown across her shoulders and a long black scarf with the ends floating loosely down, and has her jet-black hair ornamented with a pink flower ; a pilgrim's gourd hangs sus-

794 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

pended from her girdle, and slie carries in lier hands a large blue jar, tied round with pink silk, containing, doubtless, the beverage of immortality — tlie magic elixir vitce. LXIIL

Quadrangular Vase (JPh/u/ P''ing), 13 Indies high, with ver- tical openwork railings of scrolled outline projecting from the four corners, richly decorated in enamel colors, with gilding, of the ChHtn-lung period (1736-95).

The vase is decorated with foliated panels framed in a blue ground brocaded with bats in gold. The large oblong panels on the body are painted on a white ground with landscape pictures of the four seasons. The picture representing spring is a mountain scene, with temples half hidden by trees, and a river spanned by a plank bridge on which a traveler is standing, admiring the peach-trees with their pink blossoms ; a Pyrus japonica is flowering near a temple, and the willows on the river-bank are clad in the rich ver- dure of spring. The summer scene is a similar picture, with pines and poplars in full foliage and reeds waving over the water. The picture of autumn, seen in the illustration, has also a mountain background, with temples and pillared pavilions on the shore of a river swollen by the torrents of the rainy season, and foliage show- ing bright autumnal tints. A snow scene follows for winter, even the fisherman seated in his boat in the foreground being covered with snow, and showing out white upon the sepia-tinted water. A grove of pines surrounds the temple buildings ; all the other trees are bare, sketched in the same neutral shades that darken sky and water.

The neck of the vase has four small square panels filled with colored clouds. The shoulder is decorated with bands of conven- tional floral scrolls issuing from the mouths of two bats displayed upon a yellow ground. The borders and the openwork railing are enameled of soft coral-red, overlaid with gilded scrolls, succeeded by bands of blue with scrolls of gold peonies round the upper and lower rims. The seal underneath, penciled in red on a white panel reserved in the middle of the pale-green enameled grounds, which characterizes the finest imperial porcelain of this period, is Ta ChHng ChHen lung nien chih, — i. e., " Made in the reign of Ch'ien- lung (1736-95), of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." LXIV.

Flower- Vase {Hua PHng), of graceful ovoid shape, with tapering neck and expanded rim, enameled with a pure mono- chrome glaze of delicate citron-yellow tint. The yellow ground is

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 795

interrupted on both sides of the vase, to be decorated by little pic- tures sketched in sepia upon a white ground. The pictures are represented as if painted upon scrolls, partially unrolled so as to sliow the brocaded mounts at the sides ; one is a mountain land- scape with a pilgrim in the foreground on the bridge leaning upon his staff, the other a rustic scene with a cottage in front. The rim of the lip and the interior of the mouth are white, with a tinge of green, and the foot of the same color, underneath, with no inscrip- tion. It is a choice specimen of a monoclirome glaze which seems to have been produced in such perfection only in the reign of Tung-cheng (1Y23-35). LXV.

Saucer-shaped Dish (Tie/i), of eggshell porcelain decorated with brilliant enamel colors of the /amille rose and gilding. The motive of the decoration is a screen fan, laid down, as it were, in the dish upon a bed of flowers. The screen is painted with the picture of a pheasant perched upon a rockery, with daisies and grass and a branch of shan-li-hiing berries in the background. It has a curved bamboo handle tinted red, gilded mounts, and black tassels attached by silken cords. The flowers are sprays of peony And chrysanthemum, displayed in bright colors upon the sepia ground of diapered pattern, which is seen lining the rest of the interior of the dish. The rim is encircled by a wavy band of con- ventional floral sprays studded with alternate peony and chrysan- themum flowei's, penciled in sepia and filled in with gold. Period, Yung-cheng or ChHen-lung (1723-95). LXVI.

Bowl ( Wan), molded after a characteristic design of the reign of Ykmg-lo, with spreading sides and a gently everted rim nicked at regular intervals in six places. Of eggshell texture and marvel- ous transparence, it has yet, in addition to the painted decoration, a complicated pattern molded in relief in the paste inside, consist- ing of an interlacing scroll of lotus lifting up eiglit blossoms to support the eight Buddhist emblems of happy augurj'^ [pa chi hsiang), which form a circle round the rim of the bowl, surrounded by waving fillets; this ornamentation, too fugitive to be illustrated, has the effect, under transmitted light, of watered satin or water- marked paper. The decoration, painted in coral-red over the glaze, ■consists of nine four-clawed dragons — two pairs inside and two outside — speeding round the sides in pursuit of whirling jewels, all enveloped in forked flames, and the ninth coiled in a ring in the

796 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

bottom of the bowl. This is one of the exclusive designs sacred to- the emperor, and the dragons are all four-clawed, a special mark of the K''ang-hsi period (1662-1722), to which this bowl belongs. It is thinner and more perfect in technique than a ChHen-lung bowl,. with a glaze of softer tone, although not so brilliant nor so vitreous in aspect, and is of the same style and date as the vase figured in Plate XXVIII. LXVIL

1. Rice-Bowl {Fan Wan), 7f inches in diameter, of the IT^atig- hsi period (1662-1722), artistically decorated in shaded blues with a lake scene, a group of storks standing in a clump of lotus, rocks and panicled reeds in the background ; a medallion of lotus-flowers is painted inside in tlie bottom of the bowl, and a band of sprays of the same flower round the inner rim. The mark underneath is a six-spoked wheel encircled by a waving fillet with dots, simulating a flower ; an identical mark occurs on a brilliant "hawthorn-spray '^ plate in the collection dating from the same period.

2. Water Receptacle (Shut Ch'eng), 2\ inches high, for the writing-table, in the form of an ordinary teapot, decorated in soft- toned blue under a crackled, soft-looking fen-ting glaze of ivory- white tint. It is decorated with the paraphernalia of the scholar : a censer, a book, and a water-pot with ladle inside on a palm-leaf,. in front ; a lyre in its brocaded case and 2iju-i scepter tied with fillets, behind ; and with four symbols on top — a musical stone, a Buddhist wheel, a lozenge, and a " cash " — and two on the cover, with cloud scrolls between the symbols. The mark underneath is yu, " jade," the period that of K''ang-hsi. LXVIII.

3. Miniature Vase [Hsiao PHng), 3 inches high, delicately painted in blue, the depressed bulging body covered with interlac- ing scrolls of Indian lotus, the neck, which is marked near the base by a prominent white ring, encircled by conventional bands of spiral and triangular fret and foliated design respectively. The mark underneath, in well-written characters, penciled inside a double ring, is Ta Ming Hsiian te nien chih — i. e., " Made in the reign of Hsiian-te (1426-35), of the Great Ming [dynasty]."

LXVIIL

Plate {P''an tzfi), \0\ inches in diameter, painted inunderglaze cobalt-blue of lighter and darker shades, in the free, artistic style and tone of coloring characteristic of the K''ang-hsi period (1662— 1722). The interior of the plate is decorated with a four-clawed

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 797

dragon emerging from the waves with flames proceeding from its shoulders and flanks, while two fishes, one a carp, are swimming in the water which covers the ground with curling crest, dotted with foam. The border of the plate is encircled by scrolled waves ; its under surface is ornamented round the rim with six emblems tied with fillets, including a couple of books, a round jewel, a diamond {fang sheng), an umbrella, a conch-shell, and a palm-leaf. The mark underneath, inscribed within a double ring, is Ta Ming Ch'eng- hxia nien chih, " Made in the reign of Ch'eng hua, of the Great Ming [dynasty]," but the form and style of decoration indicate certainly the reign of ICa/ig-hsl. The fabled metamorphosis of the " Fish Dragon " ( Yii Lung) is symbolical of the scholar's success at the state competitive examinations, LXIX.

Beaker-shaped Vase [Hua Ku), 11'^ inches high, of solid material and somewhat arcliaic form, with a flat base not glazed ; decorated with etched borders and painted blue designs, executed in the style of the Wan-li period (1573-1619). Three bands of wavy conventional scrolls, lightly etched in the paste under the glaze, encircle the vase so as to divide its surface into two parts, which are decorated in brilliant cobalt-blue of shaded tones. The body represents a combat between a tiger, the king of land ani- mals, and a dragon, prince of the powers of the air. Tlie tiger is in the foreground, crouching upon the reedy bank of a lake, from the waves of which a dragon has just emerged and is seen ap- proaching on the right, with its huge scal}^ form half hidden by clouds ; rocks and clouds fill in the background. The neck of the vase is painted with a rocky landscape with palms rising in the background ; a kH-lin is seated in front, with flames issuing from its throat and body, indicative of its supernatural attributes ; it has a scaly skin, a two-horned dragon's head, the hoofs of a deer, and the spreading tail of a lion. A phcenix is flying in the air above. LXX.

Ovoid Vase, of the Buddhist form, called Kuan Yin Tsioi, be- cause it resembles the ritual vase carried by the goddess of Mercy, 18 inches high, decorated in shaded tones of brilliant blue, in the characteristic style and coloring of the K^ang-hsi period (1662- 1722).

The body of the vase displays the grotesque forms of three lions of the traditional Chinese type, sporting with brocaded balls, the wheel-like balls being tied with broad fillets, which fill in all the

798 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

intervals with their spirall}'- waving folds. The neck of the vase, marked with three ribs faintly worked in the paste, is painted in blue with an encircling band of " scepter-head " ornament above a liglit ring of spiral fret. The mark underneath is a large double ring, penciled in blue, such as frequently occurs at the time referred to, when the potters were forbidden to use the imperial title. This decorative motive is always called Shih-tzU, k''un hsiu chhi, " Lions sporting with brocaded balls," and the lions, by a pun on the word sfiih, which also means "generation," are often said to be symbol- ical of three generations of the same famil3\ The original ecclesi- astical signification of lions guarding the sacred wheel of the Bud- dhist law seems to be quite forgotten, although one can almost detect the spokes of the wheel in tlie picture before us. LXXI.

Tall, Vase {Hua-Ku), 33 inches high, of archaic form, with six prominent serrated ridges projecting vertically from the bulging center, and extending down to the gently spreading foot, and two handles fashioned in the shape of grotesque lions' heads, channeled for rings, on the neck. It is painted in cobalt-blue of characteris- tic tone, under a rich lustrous white glaze slightly tinged with blue. The decoration consists of conventional scrolls of peonies arranged in vertical panels. A band of sea-waves stretches round the base, two undulating rings of foliated scrolls define the bor- ders of the body, a band of sacred ling-chih fungus winds round the shoulder, and two horizontal bands of conventional ornament mark the borders of the neck. Inside the mouth there are two encircling bands of formal flowers, succeeded by a ring of palmated design pointing downward. The mark, inscribed in a framed panel near the upper border, is Ta Ming Wan li nien chili — i. e., "Made in the reign of Wan-li (15'73-1619), of the Great Ming [d3'na8ty]." The bottom is unglazed. LXXII.

Vase (PHng), of gracefully eloiigated ovoid form, decorated in brilliant blue, in the style and coloring of the best ICang-hsi period (1662-1722). The picture represents, apparentl}-, a dra- matic scene. A traveler in official dress is kneeling in the foi"e- ground on a river-bank, to which the boat is moored from which he has just landed, his umbrella and bundle thrown on the ground near. A martial figure stands in front with his hand upon the hilt of his sword, the hero of the piece, indicated by the long pheasant plumes in his helmet, who is attended by two soldiers armed with long halberds. The background is filled in with rocks and waving

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 799

willows, enveloped in clouds of mottled blue. The neck of the vase is painted with a few light spraj^s of bamboo. The mark underneath, penciled in blue within a double ring, of Ta Ming Chia ching nieii chih, " Made in the reign of Chia-ching, of the Great Ming [dynasty]," is evidently fictitious. LXXIII.

Vase (P''i>ig), 10 inches high, with a decoration of floral bands and ornamental borders, worked in slight relief in the paste, under a monochrome glaze of pale grayish-blue color, derived from the native cobaltiferous ore of manganese. This is the Vieii-ch'ing, or " sky-blue," of Chinese ceramists, which resembles somewhat in tint the turquoise glaze illustrated in Plate XLV, although this is, on the other hand, derived from copper, and differs from the cobalt glaze in being minutely crackled. The decoration consists of con- ventional scrolls of .peonies round the body, with a baiid of false gadroons below and a border of scrolled " scepter heads " above. The rim of the foot is encircled by a continuous rectangular fret, and the shoulder is defined by a chain of similar design. The neck has a ring of palmations, alternatelj^ longer and shorter, ascend- ing from the base. The rim of the lip is marked with a line of brownish-yellow color. The foot is enameled underneath with the same grayish-blue glaze as the vase, without any inscription. It may be attributed to the early part of the K''ang-hsi period (1662- 1722). LXXIY.

Crackled Turquoise Flower-Pot [Hua P^en), of rectangular outline and oblong section, with the rim incurved, resting upon four scrolled feet. The interior is strengthened by six vertical ribs ; the bottom is perforated by two round holes. It is enameled out- side with a rich translucent glaze of deep turquoise tint, which is minutely crackled throughout with a network of well-defined lines. The interior and the under surface, both for the most part unglazed, exhibit a paste of whitish texture resembling that of the vase figured in Plate LXXXIV, and this flower-pot is also to be referred to the Ming dynasty. It is probably a production of the reign of Wan-li (1573-1619). LXXV.

Vase, with Cover {A'a^ PHng), one of a pair, of broad ovoid shape, composed, as it were, of two vases coalesced into one, with the line of junction indicated b}'^ vertical grooves, surmounted by a double composite cover crowned by two gilded knobs. It is painted in the finest enamel colors with gilding of the CKien-lung period,

800 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

tones of red predominating, and is a brilliant example of the /amille rose. The body of the vase is filled with groups of playing boys painted upon a translucently white ground. On one side there is a group of children playing upon musical instruments, and carry- ing branches of peach-blossom, gathered round three goats, the special emblem of the creative energies of spring, indicated by the punning name of the design, " San yang Mai tai.'''' On the other side the boys surround a central figure holding a vase from which a cloud is issuing as it unfolds to display five flying bats, symbols of the five kinds of happiness. The receding neck and the hollow of the foot are filled with broad bands of ruby-red, with the rose- d^or ground etched with scrolls and overlaid with chains of symbols painted in colors, fringed with narrower bands of yellow and sepia color diapered with flowers. The cover has a similar scrolled ground, with foliated rings round the knobs. The base^ enameled pale green, is inscribed, in overglaze blue, with one line of antique " seal " characters, reading Ta Ch'hig (JlCien lung tden chih, "Made in the reign of Ch'ien-lung (1736-95), of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." LXXVL

Vase ( Tsun), modeled in the form of an ancient sacrificial wine- vessel of the Han dynasty, with encircling bands worked in slight relief in the paste, and three solid handles fashioned in the shape of rams' heads projecting on the shoulder. The glaze with which it is enameled is of gra3dsh tint, crackled throughout with a close network of reddish-brown lines. Upon the shoulder of the vase^ where the glaze is thicker, it is pale blue, and the crackled reticu- lation becomes almost colorless ; also upon the spreading rim of the foot, where the conditions are similar. The same crackled glaze extends into the interior of the vase, and invests the base, which is marked in the middle, under the glaze, with the " seal "^ in dark cobalt-blue, inscribed 7'« ChHng CKien lung nien chih — i. e., "Made in the reign of Ch'ien-lung (1736-95), of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." LXXVII.

Vase (PHng), enameled with a monochrome glaze of green of the color of cucumber-rind (the kuap'i I'd of Chinese ceramists), minutely and uniformly crackled throughout. The glaze exhibits an undulating surface, and the green color takes on a mottled aspect in places, becoming slightly paler on the shoulder in one spot which happens to be more thinly covered. The finely crackled or truit'e surface of this bottle offers a typical example of the

DESCEIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 801

yii tzH teen, or " fisli-i'oe crackle." The foot is invested underneath with a similar crackled green enamel. The upper rim is touched with brown, which is concealed in the illustration by the ebony stopper. Period, CJi'ien-hotg (1736-95). LXXVIII.

Vase i^Tsun), modeled after an archaic bronze form, with bulg- ing body, upright rim, and two tubular handles. Composed of grayish paste, it is invested with a thick brilliant enamel of trans- lucent eraerald-green, uniformly crackled with a network of brown lines. Reflected light produces a marked iridescent effect, which the artist has indicated in the illustration. The enamel, which thins to a straight edge toward the foot, is stained below by a line of olive-brown at the point of junction with the ferruginous paste. The foot, unglazed underneath, and showing the circular marks of the wheel, is of dark color, almost black. LXXIX,

Tall Vase [P^i/tg), 18|^ inches high, enameled with a mono- chrome glaze of very dark olive color, becoming black in some parts where the glaze is thickest, as it collects, for instance, upon the shoulder and round the edge of the foot. It was originally richly decorated in gold, with a pair of dragons rising into the air from the sea, traces being still visible, on close inspection, of sea- waves below, and of the forms of large four-clawed dragons pursu- ing jewels in the midst of clouds, extending over the bulging body and slender neck of the vase. Although there is no mark inscribed underneath, the characteristic shape, coloring, and decorative style all indicate the reign of K''ang-hsl (1662-1722). LXXX.

Vase (PHng), 12 inches high, with a bulging body and a solid circularly rimmed foot enameled with a brilliant Kua-p'i lii, or " cucumber-green " glaze, minutely crackled throughout. The color ranges from apple-green to dark olive, the slirface of the vase being vertically streaked with deep mottled tints of olive, where the glaze has collected as it ran down in the furnace. The same glaze extends down inside the mouth, but the foot is unglazed and has no mark inscribed underneath. If not older, it is an early speci- men of the reign of ChHeii-liing (1736-95). The lip is mounted with a silver collar. LXXXI.

Vase {P^ng), 17 inches high, bottled-shaped, with bulging body and wide neck, painted with a floral decoration of shaded black, invested with a monochrome iridescent glaze of deep-camel- lia-leaf green. The decoration consists of a boldly designed pic-

S02 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

ture of peonies, with sprays of other plants, growing from rocks in the foreground, and a single leafy spray behind. It has run in some parts so as to be hardly visible under the overglaze, which, paler above, collects as it flows down the vase in unctuous masses, becoming of wonderfully deep, metallic-like luster where it absorbs and mingles with the black underneath. The rim, which has been broken, has been mended in Japan with gold lacquer. The foot is enameled pale green underneath, with no mark attached. The specimen belongs to the reign of K^ang-hsi (1662-1722), which is famous for the variety of its green glazes, one of which is called she p^i III, or " snake-skin green," because it resembled, in its deep luster, the beautiful iridescent hue which distinguishes the scaly skin of some serpents. LXXXII.

Vase (PHtiff), 15 inches high, with a globular body poised upon a swelling recurved foot, having a pair of dragons incised in the paste under a monochrome glaze of " eel-skin yellow " {shan-yu huang), of the reign of K''ang-hsi (1662-1722). The dragons, of the typical four-clawed design of the period, are represented in pursuit of tlie jewel of omnipotence, a disk with spiral center emit- ting rays of effulgence; the form of one is half concealed by the rolling waves which are engraved round the base of the vase; the other is fully displayed in the midst of etched scrolls of clouds and forked flames, filling in all the intervals. The investing glaze, of yellowish-brown tint, deepens into olive-brown to enhance the effect of the incised decoration, and collects in brown drops as it runs down over the rim of the foot. The base is coated underneath with the same glaze. The tints resemble precisel}'^ those of the shan yiX, the common brown eel of north China ; the glaze was introduced into the imperial manufactory by Ts'ang Ying-hsiian, who was sent to Ching-te-chen by the Board of Works in the year 1683. LXXXIII.

Vase {Tsun), 9^ inches high, of somewhat archaic form and design, with the details of the decoration worked in relief in the paste and finished with the graving tool.

The body is encircled by a belt of rings connected by double links, between two lines of rope pattern; a ring of studs surrounds the base between similar lines of rope, and there is another ring of studs at the top above a single rope line. An interrupted chain of rectangular fret defines the base of the neck, and the everted lip is ornamented with a chain of the same fret; the lower part of the

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 805

neck has a band of spiral foliations embossed with studs. I'he vase is enameled with a crackled glaze of the deep turquoise tint that is called by Chinese ceramists k''ung-chuo lu, or " peacock-green,'^ which enhances the effect of the relief decoration by the brilliant play of its richly mottled tints, varying according to the depth of the glaze. The interior of the mouth, and the foot underneath, are invested with the same turquoise glaze. There is no mark, but the solid, very white paste and the general technique resemble those of the imperial turquoise bowls and plates of the Ming dynasty, which are usually marked, so that this vase must be referred to the same period. LXXXIV.

Robin's-egg Gray Vase {PHng), 10 inches high, of egg-shaped outline, with an archaic dragon modeled in full relief, with open- work, upon the shoulder of the vase, so as to envelop half of the rim of the circular mouth with its coils. It is two-horned, with indistinct claws and a bifid, spirally curved tail, like the cJi'ih- lung of ancient bronzes. The dragon is colored maroon on a gray ground; the vase is invested with a thick glaze of bluish-gray tone, flecked with copper-red spots and streaks of mottled maroon tints.

The rim of the foot is iron-gray; the middle is plastered with a yellowish-brown enamel, covering the seal, which is impressed un- derneath the paste, inscribed Ta CliHng Yung cheng nien chihy "Made in the reign of Yung-cheng (1723-35), of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." LXXXV.

Vase {PHi^g), 7| inches high, of depressed, bulging form, with a pair of handles projecting from the shoulder fashioned in the shape of lions' heads with rings in their mouths. It is enameled all over with a pellucid glaze of grayish celadon color, crackled with a wide reticulation of brownish-red lines, connected by a few superficial colorless lines within the meshes. The foot is invested underneath with the same crackled glaze, so as to leave the rim uncovered, which is tinted iron-gray. The upper rim and the han- dles are touched with brownish-red.

There is no mark. It is probably a production of the Yung- cheng period (1723-35), emulating the ancient Ko Yao of the Sung dynasty, which is described as having had iron-colored feet and copper- red mouths. LXXXVI.

Vase {P^ing), of ovoid form, swelling toward the shoulder, which is defined b}"^ a line in slight relief as it recedes into the

804 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

neck. The tliin lip of the gently flaring mouth is encircled by a ring of black enamel, and the two solid handles which project from the sides of the vase, modeled as grotesque lions' heads and perforated for rings, are invested with a brilliant bronze-black glaze of metallic aspect. Tlie rest of the surface is enameled with a bright yellow monochrome glaze of slightly greenish tone, crackled throughout with a fine network of superficial lines {trui- tee). The foot is invested with the same glaze. Period, ChHen-lung (1736-95). LXXXVII.

Furnace-Tkansmutation Vase {Yao Pien P''ing), of hexag- onal section, with two open looped handles projecting from the neck, roughly fashioned in the shape of elephants' heads. The enameled surface, superficially crackled with a wide reticulation, exhibits a mottled investment of olive-brown, overlaid with thick splashes of brilliant crimson shades streaked with purplish grays, produced by varied oxidation of the copper silicates of the glaze as it ran down in the kiln in massive drops. The inside of the mouth shows the substratum of pale-green tint, flecked with a few Jlambe spots. The foot is of mottled olive -color, leaving a broad rim unglazed, where the dark, yellowish color of the paste is ex- posed. Period, (7A'2e?i-?Mn^ (1736-95). LXXXVIII.

Double-Gourd Vase {Hu-lu P''ing), of Fen-Ting porcelain, with a grayish- white paste of fine texture, and an ivory-white glaze of purest translucence, delicately crackled throughout with a wavy network of light-brown lines. The decoration, worked in the paste in slight relief, consists of two broad bands of floral scrolls, com- posed of sprays of the lotus, peony, and lily, designed in a conven- tional or idealized style, with formal borders of gadroon bands and *' scepter-head " scrolls, and a girdle of rectangular, interrupted fret round the waist. The base is invested with a similar crackled glaze. It is an admirable specimen of perfect beauty and finish, to be referred, probably, to the IC^ang-hsi period, when the potters of Ching-te-Chen emulated, and surpassed, the makers of the ancient Ting-chou ware of the Sung dynasty. LXXXIX.

Flower Vase [Sua PHng), of fine form and finished tech- nique, with molded and chiseled designs invested with a white glaze of perfect purity and translucence. Tiie body is ornamented with a broad band worked in relief, composed of a pair of the archaic, one-horned, lizardlike dragons called chHh-lungy winding through interlacing scrolls of the miraculous fungus of longevity (ling-chih).

DESCREPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 805

This is succeeded above and below by an etched band containing symbols encircled by waving fillets, with cloud scrolls in the in- tervals, the symbols represented being a pair of rhinoceros-horn cups, and the fang-sheng^ or double lozenge, above, the conch- shell and the palm-leaf below. Round the lip a ring of triangular fret is lightly etched. There is a mark of the Sung dynasty penciled on the foot in underglaze blue — Hsuan ho nien chih — i. e., "Made in the period Hsiian-ho (1119-25)," a time when the pro- ductions of Ching-te-chen are said to have rivaled the finest white /^jade. This piece, however, is a reproduction, and, from its perfect technique, is to be attributed to the reign of K^ang-hsi (1662- 1722). XC.

Vase [PHng), of white Fen-Ting porcelain of the K''ang-hsi period (1662-1722), with a rich, pellucid glaze of pure tone, crackled with a wide network of superficial, colorless lines. The charac- teristic translucence of the surface is well represented in the illus- tration. The foot is enameled underneath with a similarly crackled glaze, and has no mark attached. XCI.

Bottle-shaped Vase {Ilua P^mg), enameled with a mono- chrome coral-red glaze of perfect purity, displaying a remarkably uniform vermilion tint. The lip is defined by a line of white. The foot is coated underneath with a white glaze of greenish tone, leaving exposed a ring of paste of grayish color. There is no mark attached; it belongs, probably, to the CKien-lung period (1736-95).

XCII.

Vase {P^ing), 15f inches high, with a bulging body and slender cylindrical neck, exhibiting the souffle cobalt-blue glaze of mazarin tint in its most brilliant tone of coloring.

There is no mark underneath, but the vase, without doubt, is to be referred to the reign of JT^ang-hsi (1662-1722). The process of ch'ui chHng, or " insufflation of the blue," on the unburned clay before glazing is fully described by P^re d'Entrecolles in his second letter written from Ching-te-chen in the year 1722.

XCIII.

Ancient CH^tJN-CHOu Flower-Pot [Hua-P^eyi), 8 inches across, of depressed globular form, with slightly spreading feet, per- forated at the bottom with five holes. The bowl is enameled with a rich glaze of finely mottled aspect, in which the prevailing tone of bluish gray is flecked with purple and crimson spots; it becomes

806 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

Stone-gray on the upper rim, and is broadly splashed with crimson at the back near the foot, vvliere it has run down more thickly. In the hollow of the foot is a brown of olive tint. The paste, where it is exposed at the top, shows tlie material to be a dense, hard stoneware of yellowish tint. The upper rim is mounted with a wooden collar, and the stand is also elaborately carved in rose- wood, and incised underneath with the cyclical character chiay indicating that it came from the imperial collection at Peking^ where the stands are marked in this way. There is a companion flower-pot in the collection, of the same size and shape, enameled with a glaze of darker tint, and more thickly flecked with crimson, passing into purple. They are both specimens of Chun Yao from the Chun-chou potteries of the Sung dynasty. Modern reproduc- tions of the Chbien-lung period are distinguished by the finer and whiter texture of their paste and by a more finished technique.

XCIV.

Tall Imari Vase [Hana-ike), 23 inches high, of cylindrical, beaker-shaped form, swelling into a prominent ridge near the foot, and flaring above at the mouth. It is decorated in blue and white in combination with enamel colors and gilding. The floral ground, painted in blue with interlacing sprays of peonies, is interrupted by two long panels of foliated outline, which contain flowers growing from rocks, painted in enamel colors upon a white ground. The blue floral ground is overlaid with fillets of deep verrailion-red tied in bows which inclose flowers, and the foot of the vase is encircled by a ring of foliations filled with stiff upright flowers. The inner rim of the mouth is decorated in plain blue with a band of peony sprays; tlie foot is glazed white underneath, with no mark in- scribed. Period, 1650-1700. XCV.

Statuette, of Tokyo porcelain invested in white enamel, with the face and right hand reserved en biscuit, representing the famous general and statesman, Take-nouchi no Sukune, who was the leading spirit in the celebrated Korean expedition under the Empress Jingo, and prime minister under three succeeding em- perors, and who is said to have attained the great age of two hun- dred and fifty years. The figure is boldly modeled, with bearded face and beetling eyebrows, the furrowed brow surmounted by a winged hat of ancient Chinese style. The flowing robes are brocaded with dragon scrolls and ornamental borders worked in relief under the glaze, and the figure of a stork flying among

I

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTEATIONS. 807

clouds is emblazoned on the breast. The right hand is lifted up as if gi'asping tlie official badge of his high j-ank. The mark incised underneath is Dai Nippon Tokyo Eaouye Riosai tsukuru — i. e., *' Made in Great Japan at Tokyo by Enouye Riosai." It is said to have been specially made for the Philadelphia Centenary Exposition. XCVI.

1. "Old Japan" Imari Sake-Bottle (Tokuri), of square section, with a bulging body gracefully tapering upward to a slender neck, ending in a square thin-rimmed mouth. Invested with a glaze of pure ivory-white tone, it is decorated in a formal archaic style with floral designs painted in delicate enamel colors with gilding; the four sides of the body with a gnarled plum-tree bearing red and gilded blossoms, alternating with a conventional spray displaying three bundles of starlike flowers; the neck with long, foliated panels of floral scrolls relieved by coral-red and white grounds. The base is flat and unglazed underneath, showing a fine paste of finished technique; the date would be circa 1650.

2. " Old Japan " Imari Sake-Bottle ( Tokuri), of circular sec- tion, with an ovoid body and a long, slender neck with eveited lip, decorated in a bold, free hand, after the Chinese style of the

Wan-li period, partly in cobalt-blue of two shades, painted sur -biscuit partly in overglaze enamel colors, with profuse gilding. A rocky outdoor scene is represented Avith two aged figures in Chinese costume in the foreground, one carrying a crooked staff, standing under the trees; the rocks are clad with bamboos, and there are palms rising in the background, and an open rockery with peony shrubs beside it. No mark underneath. Period, about noo'. XCVII.

Tall " Old Japan " Imari Vase {P''iug), 2b inches high, painted partly in cobalt-blue, partl\' in enamel colors with lavish gilding. It is decorated with panels containing pictures painted upon a white ground, irregularly distributed upon a blue ground richly bro- caded with flowers. Two large panels, of indented oval outline, contain identical pictures of landscapes, executed in conventional Chinese style, with lake scenes and waterfalls, temples and pago- das; two minor panels, which thev partly hide, are filled with droop- ing wistaria-flowers; and the two indented panels below display tlie same outdoor scene, with a traveler in Chinese dress attended by two boys, one holding a gilded umbrella over his head, the other pointing to a waterfall. The blue ground which covers the

808 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

remainder of the vase, with tlie exception of a few floral reserves and a band of white around the shoulder, a deep cobalt color of mottled brilliant sheen, is overlaid with gilded sprays of chrysan- themum-flowers, at) occasional blossom of which is penciled in red; the neck is decorated in gold with a pair of three-clawed dragons among clouds and flames; the shoulder is gilded with a band of conventional flowers on white; and chains of spiral and rectangular fret and heavily gilded rims complete the decoration, with small square patches of gold-leaf applied at irregular intervals inside the mouth.

Tliere is no mark underneath. The vase dates from the middle of the seventeenth century, and is a fine example of the richly ornamented porcelain produced in Japan at this time for export to Europe. XCVIII.

"Old Japan" Imari Sake-Pot (Choshi), of hexagonal form with rounded top, the handle of which is the overarching seal}'" body of a dragon, which protrudes its head through the side of the pot to form the spout. The dragon, which has a two-horned head and four-clawed feet, with red flames proceeding from its flanks, is modeled after the Chinese type. The enamel colors used in the decoration are deep " iron-red," overglaze blue of greenish tint, pale green, and gold. The top of the sake-pot, being the firma- ment in which the dragon is disporting, is gilded with cloud scrolls and flames upon a red ground; the cover is painted witli similar designs and crowned with a floral knob. The six panels are enameled with grounds of different color; the central panels at the front and back have a circular medallion reserved in the middle of the red ground, which contains a gilded floral crest; the side panels display the three jewels of Buddhistic lore enveloped in flames, and two identical pictures of crested sea-waves and distant hills. The feet are three floral buttons. There is no mark, but the date would be about 1750. XCIX.

1. Teacup (Cha-wan), of Satsuma faience, covered with a finely crackled glaze of pale, mottled-brown tint, invested round the upper rim with a line of light olive-brown, which runs down inside the lip in deep, coloi-ed drops, becoming almost black. This rare example of Satsuma decorative treatment is referred to the middle of the eighteenth century.

2. Flower-Vase (Hana-ike), of Satsuma faience, modeled in the form of a four-lobed beaker, and chastely decorated in soft

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 809

colors with gilding. It is molded with a prominent ring encircling the base of the neck above four panels bordered in spiral relief, which spread downward and are painted inside with red peony- tiowers encircled by green leaves, all outlined in gold. The rest of the decoration consists of three narrow bands of conventional ornament, tilled in witli the same three colors — red, green, and gold. Date, about 1800. C.

1. Incense-bubner (ICdro), of Satsuma faience, finel}'^ decorated in delicate enamel colors with gilding. The body is divided by bands of spiral fret into three broad panels, which are filled with formal sprays of peonies; conventional foliations surround the shoulder and spread down over the three feet; the neck is encircled bv the eight mystic trigrams {pa kua) of Chinese philosophy. The dome-shaped cover, decorated with an ornamental band round the rim, is perforated by six round holes, and surmounted l)y the figure <»f the Chinese lion couchant. The rims, both of the censer and of the cover, are strengthened by a silver casing. Date, close of the eigiiteenth century.

2. V E WOT {Choshi), of Satsuma faience, of somewhat archaic design, four-lobed in outline, with a short spout, and overarching handle, invested with a minutely crackled glaze of ivory-white tone. It has been used for sake, and the surface is dulled by wear and stained brownish in some places by the liquid. Pei'iod, 1700- 1750. CI.

Vase {IJana-ike), \\\ inches high, of Satsuma faience, ovoid in form, bulging above, with two handles fashioned in the shape of lions' heads projecting from the shoulder. It is decorated with storks flying among clouds, relieved by an intensely black ground, which fills in all the intervals of the decoration. The details are painted with red and green enamel colors in combination with gilding and silvering, some portion of the cloud scrolls being left untouched, so as to sliow the natural finely crackled surface of the ivory-white glaze. The borders are encircled by ornamental bands of geometrical design, defined by lines of gold. The base is eiiajnele<l plain black underneath, with no mark affixed. Date, 1800-1850. CTI.

1. Japanese Kutani Incense-burner {Koro), of circular sec- tion, with three small feet, enameled with an iron-red glaze of deep vermilion tint, overlaid with gilded and silvered decoration.

810 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

On tlie bod}^ a three-clawed dragon outlined in gold is winding^ round the side, above a floor of crested waves painted in silver; a band of lotus petals, touched in silver with gilded outlines, encircles the upper rim. The paste, buff inside, is enameled white round the edge and underneath the foot. CIII.

2. Rice-Bowl {Meshi-wa/i), of Japanese Kutani ware, enameled with the same deep vermilion glaze, and decorated in colors, includ- ing a pale green, in combination with the gold and silver. A con- ventional scroll of the sacred lotus extends round the bowl, studding it with four formal flowers, bordered above by a broad band of ornamental fret, alternately gilded and silvered below, with a ring of lotus-petals. The foot is red underneath, as well as the lower rim, leaving none of the paste visible; the interior of the bowl is coated with a white enamel of pitted texture. Period of both pieces, about 1750. CIII.

1. Japanese Kutani Rice-Bowl [Meshl-%oa)t), enameled with a monochrome iron-red glaze of deep vermilion tint, with gilded rings to define the borders, and decorated in gold and silver, with a pair of phoenixes with long, trailing tails, traversing scrolls of the moutan peony wound round a paling, indicated convention- ally in the intervals. The rim of the foot is painted with lozenge- shaped symbols, separated by light scrolls of clouds. The foot is red underneath, the interior of the bowl a greenish white. Date, about 1750.

2. Japanese Kutani Rice-Bowl {3Ieshi-ioau), of thin, trans- lucent porcelain, with the interior molded in the style of ancient Chinese Tingchou ware, with sprays of lotus, chrysanthemum, aster, and other flowers inclosed in panels, six of foliated outline surrounding the circular panel beneath, and with an encircling chain of rectangular frel^— all molded in slight relief under a glaze of pale celadon color. The exterior of the bowl is decorated in enamel colors, with gilding, with four round medallions containing peonies, alternately green and gilded, in a red ground, and with floral designs in the intervals, connected by a network of beaded strings hung with sjnnbols and tassels. The foot is enameled red underneath, with a wliite rim; the lip is strengthened b3^ a silver collar. Period, 1700-1750. CIV.

" Old Japan " Imari Incense-burner {Koro), modeled in the form of a rounded bowl, mounted upon three small scrolled feet,, with two molded handles projecting from the shoulder, fashioned

DESCEIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. Sll

in the shape of grotesque lions, and a cover fitting inside tlie rim of the bowl, surmounted by an elaborate superstructure, delicately modeled in openwork relief, consisting of a hollow chestnut-tree with prickly fruit upon it, burst open so as to show the gilded nuts inside, and having a spray of chrysanthemum and a bunch of scarlet- berried fruit attaclied. The rim of the bowl is encircled b}' a band of fret; the surface, as well as that of the neck, is ornamented with floral scrolls on a vermilion-red ground. This floral ground is interrupted, on the bowl, by panels of dentated outline, which are painted in delicate enamel colors, green, buflF, pale purple, red, and gold; a broad panel in front with the picture of a mountain scene, with two aged figures in Chinese costume resting under a spread- ing pine; two panels, side by side, at the back, one containing peonies growing behind a reed fence, the other a rockery and a blossoming plum-tree. The foot is only partiall}' glazed under- neath, with no mark attached. Period, about 1700. CV.

.Japanese Imari Hanging Censer (JiTdro), of regular oval form, with a gilded loop-handle at the top for suspension, and an opening of indented oval outline in front for the introduction of the incense, which is closed b}' a movable silver lid, pierced in the middle with a kiri-mon, or Paulownia crest. The censer is dec- orated outside, in shaded vermilion-red and gold, with panels of brocaded design, both on the front and back, which are decorated with jewels emitting efl^ulgent rays poised upon clouds, and with cloud scrolls, outlined in gold upon a mottled red ground. The panels hang from dragons' heads at tlie upper corners, and are encircled by gilded foliations; the intervening ground is spx'inkled with sacred jewels and conventional flowers. Date, about 1700.

CVI.

1. Sake- Pot (Choshi), of Satsuma faience, with a minutely crackled glaze, decorated in enamel colors — blue, red, and green — with gilding. Of square outline, with a spout curving upward from below and a scrolled handle, it has a cover fashioned in tlie form of a chrysanthemum, and a second ring of petals encircling the rim of the mouth, below a dotted blue band which intervenes. The upper surface of the sake-pot, and tlie four side panels, are filled with sprays of the fir, plum, and bamboo — the three floral emblems of long life; the panels are framed in blue and studded with gilded flowers.

2. Flower- Vase [Hana-ike), of Satsuma faience, enameled

812 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

with a similar finely crackled glaze, and decorated in delicate colors with gilding. The body is covered witli gracefully waving sprays of the Paulownia imperialis, displaying large conventional flowers; the neck is encircled b}^ formal foliations of pointed shape in two rings, spreading upward and downward. The mottled brown staining of the surface indicates that the vase has been used as a sake-bottle. The two pieces are referred to the same period — the end of the eighteenth century. CVII.

1. Teacup ( CAa-toa/i), of Satsuma faience, decorated in colors^ covered outside with a trelliswork pattern oi svastika design painted in bright green, outlined with gold, so as to stand out in slight relief upon the white background, which is finely crackled with brown lines. Tlie fretted ground is broken on either side by a badge or crest, tlie one in front being composed of a double garland of wistaria-flowers, with three leaflets at tlie top, the other of a formal spray of Paulownia, with a central flower of five florets and lateral flowers of three, springing from three gilded leaves, representing the official and private crests of the owner. Bands of diaper penciled in red and gold encircle the rims. Date, 1800-1850.

2. Flower- Vase (Hana-ike), of Satsuma faience, of graceful ovoid form, with two handles composed, as it were, of plain and brocaded fillets tied in knots. The surface, of the usual finely crackled texture, is decorated with delicate scrolls of a vine with many colored leaves and curling tendrils. Waving spirals encircle the foot, which is partly gilded, and the rim of the lip is defined by a heavy line of gold. Date, 1750-1800. CVIII.

Sake-Bottle (Tokuri), of Hirado porcelain, modeled in the sliape of a gourd, with a slightly compressed waist, and drawn in above to a small mouth, which is closed by a round stopper. The aperture is tightened by a cap of yellow silk, the fringe of which is seen in the illustration. There is a floral decoration outside, executed in white slip, worked in slight relief, and finished with the graving tool; it consists of sprays of chrysanthemum-flowers,^ intermingled with a few ])lades and a single penciled head of grass. The investing glaze is of soft, white tone with a tinge of green. There is no mark attached. The date is 1750-1800. CIX.

1. Sake-Bottle (Tokuri), of Hirado porcelain, modeled in the form of a vase, with a bulging, globular body tapering into a slender, upright neck. It is decorated in soft-toned cobalt-blue^

DESCKIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 813

with a miniature garden-scene, a sketcli of a rockery and a paling, with a palm, peonies, and other flowers, behind the fence. At the back there is a group of five small boys dancing round a couple of fighting-cocks. Date, 1750-1800. The Sometsuke, or blue and white, decorated at this period with Chinese boys playing, was made especially for the use of a prince of the Matsu-ura family residing at Hirado, and its sale was prohibited.

2. Incense-burner [Koro), of Hirado porcelain, molded in the form of a puppy squatting o*. the ground, its head, which is detachable, being the cover, the line of junction being the lower edge of the ribbon which is represented as tied round the neck. The flanks are decorated with chrysanthemum-sprays, which have the flowers worked in white relief, the leaves penciled in blue; on the back is a panel similarly ornamented with a carp leaping from waves, and a foliated patch with a blue ground is painted between the ears. No mark. Period, 1750-1800. CX.

Water-Jar (3Iidsu-sashi), of Hirado porcelain, of bowl-like form' with upright sides; of circular section below, it becomes gradually quadrangular, with rounded corners toward the upper rim. It is decorated with bamboos painted in underglaze cobalt- blue, shaded in soft tones of grayish tint; a small clump of bam- boo rises in front, with three-jointed stems, from which branches of foliage spread over the bowl, while the other side is painted with a hanging spray of foliage extending along the upper rim. Date, 1750-1800. CXI.

Hirado Blue and White Censer {Jloto), of depressed globu- lar form, with a pierced outer casing and a rounded openwork cover, poised upon a pillar with a square base, which is mounted on a square pedestal with four scroll feet — all molded in one piece. There are two projecting loop-handles of scrolled form proceeding from the mouth of monstrous unicorn heads, and the pillar has a pair of two-horned, three-clawed dragons coiled round it, mod- eled in salient openwork relief, with the scaly spinous bodies enam- eled white. Through the outer casing of the censer, which is pierced in a trellis pattern, the decoration is seen penciled inside in delicate blue, consisting of a flock of sea-birds on one side and a pair of butterflies on the other. The rims of the bowl and cover are encircled by borders of conventional ornament, painted in the same grayish blue; the intervals of the dragon forms are filled in with cloud scrolls, and the base of the pillar enveloped in rolling

814 DESCEIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTEATIONS.

sea-waves; tlie pedestal is surrounded by a cliain of rectangular fret, and the feet with spiral bands. There is a mark painted in minute blue characters under one of the feet, of which the first character of the potter's name is blurred and illegible. It reads: Hirado san Mikawachi . . . Jake sei — i. e., " Made by . . . Jake at Mikawachi in Hirado." CXII.

t

Hirado Blue and White Vase [Hana-ike), 12| inches high, of round beaker-shaped form, with a widely flaring mouth, and two solid handles molded in the guise of frogs crawling, as it were, up the neck. It is decorated, inside and out, in underglaze cobalt-blue of grayish tone with a water scene. Two trunks of drooping wil- low-trees rise from the interior of the vase, decorating its surface with a mass of foliage, and sending, besides, several branches over the rim to cover the upper portion of the exterior with gracefully" curving s})ra3'S. The lower portion is painted with scrolled waves to indicate the water fi'om which the frogs are supposed to spring. The scene depicted on the vase, it is suggested, reminds a Japanese of the famous calligraphist and poet, Ono no Dofu, who lived dur- ing the tenth century a. d., and who is always represented watch- ing frogs leaping out of a stream into willow-trees — illustrative of successful perseverance. There is no mark. It is to be referred, probably, to the beginning of the nineteenth century. CXIII.

1. Japanese Hot-water Bottle {Shaku-date), used with a ladle {shakii) inside at tea-ceremonies; brown stoneware, invested with an opaque olive-brown glaze, flecked with minute yellowish spots of lustrous aspect, terminating in an irregularh' undulating line before it reaches the base, so as to show the natural color of the fired clay; near the top it is overlaid with splashes of deep yellow color with crackled surface, becoming reddish as they min- gle with the surrounding ground. Idzumo ware, made at Fujina, in the province of Idzumo, in the beginning of the nineteenth centur}'.

2. Japanese Tea-Jar (Cha-rre), made of folds of translucent paper, gilded in the interior, and coated externality with lacquer to imitate glazed pottery, from which it can hardly be distinguished. The cover is made of ivory, the bag of brocaded silk.

3. Japanese Tea-Jar {CJia-ire), of cylindrical form, tapering upward to the shoulder; made of dark-brown stoneware, covered with a brilliant yellowisli-brown glaze of mottled aspect and par- tially crackled surface, invested round the top with a layer of dark

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 815

olive color, wliich runs down behind in a vertical streak, mingling with the other glaze. Seto-ware, made in the province of Owari about IVOO. CXIV.

Japanese Tea-Jars ( Cha-ire).

1. Of oval form, with a sharply ridged slioulder contracting to a small mouth. A paste of light graj^isK material, invested with a yellowish-brown glaze of brilliant tini, overlaid with a splash of verdigris color which runs down on one side in two finely crackled green streaks, ending in olive drops. Shigaraki pottery, made in the province of Omi about 1850.

2. Of wide, depressed form, with a prominently ridged center, simulating a covered bowl. Composed of a red clay and covered with a brown glaze, over which is spread a thick enamel of mottled gra}^ tone passing into brilliant olive tints, running down irreg- ularly in unctuous drops. Takatori stoneware, made in the prov- ince of Chikuzen about llbO.

3. Of oval shape, with a horizontally ridged surface, and two slightly projecting strap handles. A paste of light-brown material, covered with a yellowish-brown glaze, overlaid on either side of the shoulder by an irregular splash of paler yellow with a brilliant crackled surface. Idzumo stoneware, from Fujina, in Idzumo province, about 1750. CXV.

Vase (JP^ijig), 12 inches high, of ancient Korean faience, dating from the thirteenth century a. d., covered with a gray-brown glaze, crackled where it is thick as it collects round the neck and above the circular rim of the foot. It is decorated with floral designs and diapered grounds, inlaid in an ivory-white slip of brilliant crackled texture. The bod}", defined by encircling rings, is inlaid with two boldly designed sprays of formal flowers, with flying insects like wasps filling in the intervals of the floral decoration, and a bird of rough archaic outline perched upon one of the flowers. The remainder of the surface is filled in with simple diapers, two broad bands extending round the neck and shoulder of the base, two nar- rower bands round the base. The bottom, curioush^ wrinkled un- derneath, is only partially — for about half of its surface — coated with a gray-brown glaze, so as to expose the material, which is a drab-colored faience. CXVI.

816 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

II. TEXT CUTS.

Baluster-shaped Vase {Mei P''mg), of good form, vertically grooved so as to be of five-lobed section. The decoration, which is lightly etched at the point in the paste, consists of birds and grace- ful sprays of bamboos, with lambrequins round the neck studded with single blossoms, and rings of palmations encircling the rims above and below. The finely crackled turquoise glaze, which in- vests the whole, varies in soft translucid tints, according to its depths, so as to enhance the effect of the engraving underneath. French mounting of the most graceful and artistic style. Height, 6^ inches.

Pair of Vases ( Yi Tai P''ing), of hexagonal outline, with spread- ing feet, and slender necks f urnislied at the side with two open loop handles emerging from projected heads of dragons. The spring of the foot is encircled by a fillet, binding rings of leaves, which spread upward and downward, worked in slight relief in the paste. The finely crackled monochrome glaze of rich and translucent turquoise tint, together with the form and technique, indicate the reign of Wan-li (1573-1619), of the Ming dynasty. Tlie mounting is French ormolu work of the eighteenth century. Height, 12 inches.

No. 1.

Octagonal Eggshell Lantern {To-faiTetig), of the K''a7ig-hsi period (1662-1722), decorated in brilliant enamel colors with the eight Taoist immortals {Pa Hsien) crossing the sea in procession. The other side of this lantern is illustrated in Plate XI, where it is described in full detail. Height, 13 inches. A full account of each of the Pa Hsien is given on pages 579-581. No. 2.

Yuan Dynasty Bowl ( Yuan Tz'ti Wan), a small bowl of hard dense ware of grayish fabric, invested with a thick lustrous glaze of ivory-white tone, minutely crackled with a network of dark lines. It is only partially enameled underneath, the lower third and the foot being left bare. Diameter, 4^ inches.

Jar, of archaic iron-gray stoneware, with a crackled glaze of stone-gray celadon color; Kioang-yao of the Yuan dynasty.

Bowl, of Yuan dj'nasty ware, of reddish-gray body, with crackled purplish glaze, mottled with brown. No. 3.

Square Bottle {Fang PHng), one of a pair, of the K''ang-hsi period, enameled with a remarkably iridescent ground of coral-red

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 817

of intense tone, with reserved ineilallfons painted in enamel colors with gikling upon a white ground. The panels on the front and back, shaped like finger-citrons, are filled with pomegranates and asters, witli a cock crowing; the panels on the sides, shaped a8 begonia-flowers and plum-blossoms, jontain goldfish and moss, crabs and shrimps. Tiie bottoms are unglazed. Louis XVI mounts. Height, 14 inches. No. 4.

Large Vase (PHng), of Lang Yao porcelain of K\i)ig-hsi date, with a brilliant scmg-de-hoeuf glaze of crackled texture, displaying tlie characteristic mottling and streaked play of color. The base is coated underneath with a grayish "rice-colored" {mi-si) crackled glaze, mottled with brown. A rare example of the class, with an old European mounting. Height, 20 inches. No. 5.

Ovoid Vase ( Yuan PHng), one of a pair, coated with brownish- red monochrome glaze of K''ang-hsi date,which have been cut across horizontally and mounted in silver in Europe as bowls with covers. The enamel, of deep rich tone mottled with darker spots, is finely pitted on the surface. Tiie bases are enameled pure white. Height, 8 inches. No. 6.

Large Vase {Ta PHng), of the Ming period, coated with a cela- don glaze {Lixmg-cKiXan yu) of darkest green tint, not crackled, but dotted all over with minute bubblelike points. The decoration, which is boldly worked in the paste in slight relief under the glaze, consists of a pair of phoenixes flying through a floral ground of sprays of the tree-peony {Pceonia moiitan). The foot is encircled outside by a band scored with crossed lines. It is unglazed at tlie base, showing a paste of grayisli-yellow color. Height, 2 feet 5 inches. No. 7.

Vase (PHng), coated with a minutely crackled turquoise glaze of pure soft tone, over a delicately etched decoration of dragons and bats enveloped in scrolls of clouds. A gadroon band extends round the vase, succeeded by a chain of rectangular fret at the foot, also incised at the point in the paste under the glaze. There is an etclied seal underneath, inscribed Ta CkHng Chla cKing nien chih, "Made in the reign of Cliia-ch'ing of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." The openwork mounting is of modern French work, executed in gold. Height, 8 inches. No. 8.

Fruit-Dish (Iluo P''an), one of a pair of rare type, of K^ang-hsi date, which are molded in the shape of leaves with convoluted

818 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

folded Miargins, and decorated sur biscuit, in colored enamels. The dish is enameled with a tniit^ ground of apple-gi'een; the handle, a knotted branch of primus, colored purple, passes over the rim of the dish, to decorate the interior, in relief, with sprays of flowers and buds which are colored red, dark blue, and gold.

The companion disli is overlaid inside with branches of fruit, instead of flowers, which are painted in similar colors. The stands are designed in gilded bronze as graceful mermaids of classical form, seated with their fish-legs intertwined, and supporting the dishes with extended arms. Diameter, 10 inches. No. 9.

Gourd-shaped Vase [Hu-la PHny ), one of a pair of old stone- gray crackled gourds that have been mounted in Europe, witii scrolled liandles of graceful design springing from classic masks. Height, 10| inclies. No. 10.

Vase {P''ing), one of a pair, of Khing-hsi porcelain painted sur biscuit in delicate enamel colors, the base being unglazed, only marked with the cross-lined pattern of the stuff on which the paste was pressed. They are molded with ribbed surfaces as if composed of a series of jointed bamboo-stems, the joints of which are used as panels for the decoration of floral sprays. The flowers, including the lotus, chrysanthemum, aster, peony, peach, plum, magnolia, pink, iris, and narcissus, with palm-leaves and twigs of bamboo, are relieved by enameled grounds of white, yellow, purple, and two shades of bright green. At the base of tlie neck a ring of lotus- petals modeled in slight relief is tinted red and bound round with a green strip of reed. Height, 8^ inches. No. 11,

SxuFF-BoTTLE {Pi Yen I£u), decorated in enamel colors and gilding with groups of the varied paraphernalia of the liberal arts known as Po Ku, or the " Hundred Antiques," displayed in salient relief upon a pale-green background of lozenge-pattern fret. Marked in red underneath with a seal similar to that described in No. 25. No. 12.

Small Jar with Cover {Hsiao Kuan), enameled with a pale pea-green glaze {tou-chHng yu), the typical celadon of the ChHen- lung period. It is decorated in relief in the paste with archaic designs taken from ancient bronzes, bands of fret of different pat- tern, rings of scrolled palmations, and other foliated designs of conventional ornament, which show out in pale relief in the parts less thickly coated with glaze. There is an impressed seal under-

DESCEIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 819

neath — Ta CWing ChHen lung nien chili, " Made in the reign of Ch'ien-lung of the Great Ch'ing [d^Miasty]." The jar is elaborately mounted in metal, parcel gilt, and inlaid with colored enamels. An openwork floral scroll extends around the foot, inclosing bats and peaches, linked chains are attached to the upright looj)-han- dles, a lizardlike dragon is coiling up the shoulder, and a lion with one of its fore feet upon a ball surmounts the cover. Height, with mount, 6 inches. No. 13.

Tall Vase i^Hua P'^ing), one of a pair, artistically decorated in brilliant blue and white of the Khiitg-hsi period, with idealized floral scrolls consisting of encircling bands and upright sprays of graceful arabesquelike design. The broad band round the body of the vase is interrupted by four circular medallions inclosing phoe- nixes in the midst of clouds, the intervening sprays displaying blossoms like asters and lilies with anomalous buds and leaves of diverse form, all springing from the same stalk, the general effect of which is highly decorative. Mounted in bronze of old European work. A similar unmounted vase in the Walters Collection shows the mark underneath — a double ring. Height, 16 inches. No. 14.

Bottle-shaped Vase {P''ing), one of a pair, of J^ien Yao of the Yung-cheng period, enameled with a monochrome glaze of ruby-red tint derived from copper. The glaze, of a beautiful uniform tone, exhibits the characteristic stippled texture which is due to its soufie method of application. They are mounted with an artistic setting of the Louis XV period as ewers, with the lip formed of the out- spread wings of a swan alighting upon a clump of bulrushes. Height, 16^ inches. No. 15.

Porcelain Pillow {Tz'il Chen), decorated in bright enamel colors of the K''an.g-hsi period, with a foliated diamond-shaped panel of floral brocade composed of scrolls of peonj^ relieved by a yellow^ ground, and with bands of formal diaper and fret round the two ends. The colors, all overglaze, include a bright green, nan- kin-yellow of primrose tint, manganese-purple, coral-red, and black, with a sparing addition of gold. Length, 19 inches. No. 16.

Saucer-shaped Dish (^Kuo PUin), of the K\ing-fisi period, painted in blue under the white glaze with conventional scrolls of lotus spreading over the interior and covering the under border with a symmetrical arrangement of large blossoms, which are fully expanded, so as to display in each flower the cup-shaped fruit

820 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

studded with the seeds in the midst of a whorl of petals. Round the base of the dish, underneath, a groove is left unglazed, so tliat it has a second sharply prominent inner rim, a characteristic of some of the finest large dishes of the time. In the middle the mark is penciled in blue, encircled by a double ring, Ta ChHiig ICang-hsi nien chih, " Made in the reign of K'ang-hsi of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Diameter, 15 inches. No. 17.

Wine-Cup (Chiu (Jhwig), of eggshell thinness and bell-like form with upright rim, translucidlj'' white, with the exception of a formal scroll of underglaze blue penciled round tlie foot outside, which shows clearly through inside when the delicate fragile cup is held up to the light. The mark, written in minute characters, almost requiring a lens to read them, within a double ring, is 2\t ChHng K^ang-hsi nien chih, " Made in the reign of K'ang-hsi of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Diameter, 2^ inches.

Wine-Cup [Chiu Pei), one of a pair, of delicate eggshell fabric, with a white glaze having a slight tinge of blue. The decoration is lightly molded, or impressed in the paste, in the interior of the cups, so as to show through in shaded tones when held up to the light, like a Avater-mark in paper. It consists of a pair of five- clawed dragons in the midst of flames and scrolled clouds, pursuing effulgent jewels. The mark, boldly written in underglaze blue, in an oblong double-lined panel, is Ta Ming Wan li nien chih, "Made in the reign of AVan-li (1573-1619) of the Great Ming [dynasty]." Diameter, 2^ inches. No. 18.

Tall Cylindrical Ewer [Thing Hu), of the K''ang-hsi period, modeled in the shape of a three-jointed section of bamboo, with the rim projected upward in front in the form of a tiara; there is a short curved spout on one side, and on the other there are two studs fashioned as grotesque lions' heads and perforated for the copper handle. It is enameled, inside and outside, as well as over the base, with a finely crackled monochrome purple glaze of rich aubergine tint. The elaborate mounts are in French metal-work of the Louis XVI period. Height, 19 inches. No. 19.

Tall Vase {Hua P''ing), of perfect form and beautifully soft turquoise tint, dating from the finest period of the reign of K''ang- hsi. A crested dragon (chHhlung) of archaic form, with waving scrolls of mane and long mustaches, projects, in full undercut relief, upon the shoulders of the vase, with its branching tail coiled closely round the neck. The ground color is a pure turquoise of finely

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF TTIE ILLUSTRATIONS. 821

crackled texture, collecting as it "runs" in greenisli drops, and mottled witli brownish tints over the dragons. It is magnificently mounted in tiie most artistic Frencli work of the seventeenth cen- tury. Height, witli mount, 22 inclies. No. 20.

Small Balustkr Vase {Hsiao Mei P''ing), enameled with dark- brown, almost black, monoclironie glaze, thickly flecked with iri- descent spots of metallic aspect. A typical specimen of the " iron- rust " (<'ie/t-As^^<) glaze of the Ciiinese. It has been mounted in Europe with flowing handles, a spreading open foot, and a cover in ormolu. Height, with mount, 8| inches. No. 21.

Large Vase {PHng), one of a pair, of ovoid form, bulging in the midtUe, alternately lidged and grooved in vertical lines so as to be of foliated section. Tliey are coated with a monochrome glaze derived from cobalt of pale-blue color, the Chinese " sky blue '' {fien-chHug), which is of grayish tone, and becomes nearly white over the prominent ridges. Dating from the K''ang-hsi period, they are mounted in ormolu of Louis XVI work, with handles of fish having garlands of oak witli acorns hanging from their mouths, tied together at tlie ends with bows. Height, 21 inches. No. 22.

Snufp-Bottle {Pi Yen Hn), of Yi-hsing "boccaro" ware, being made of fine red faience, enameled outside in soft colors with a miniature mountain landscape of temples, pavilions, and bridges.

No. 23.

Bowl ( Win), one of a pair, of the IC^a7ig-hsi period, enameled siir biscuit with a finely crackled monochrome purple glaze of auber- gine tint. The base is partially coated with a wrinkled grayish enamel. European mounts of bronze. Diameter, 7 inches.

No. 24.

Snuff- Bottle [Pi Yen. Tin), with an outer pierced casing carved with nine lions sporting with brocaded balls, between borders of conventional scrolls, and with a fret band etched round the rim, enameled white. The mark umler the foot is a red seal inscribed Chid chHug tiien chili, " iNIade in the reign of Chia-ch'ing (1796- 1820)." The stopper, mounted with a button of glass and ame- thyst, has the usual miniature s})oon of ivory attached to it inside for ladling out the snuff. No, 25.

Vase {PHng), coated with a deep rich glaze of greenish celadon color, crackled throughout. A band is reserved in the glaze round

822 DESCEIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

the shoulder of the vase and filled in with a ring of rectangular fret succeeded by formal scrolls, all worked in relief in slip and colored iron-gray. The handles are oval garlands of rosettes in the same relief-work. It is elaborately mounted in ormolu of old European Avorkinanship. Height, with mount, 14 inches. No. 26.

Transmutation Vase ( Yao-jylen J^Ung), one of a pair, of Euro- pean form and design, festooned, as it were, with curtains gathered np b3^ ribbons in front and hanging in knotted folds at the sides, and coated with a transmutation glaze of early CJi'len-lnm/ date, exhibiting all the characteristic brilliant tints as it runs down in heavy drops, streaked and mottled with ci"inison, purple, and brown, in variegated clouds. European mounts. Height, 14 inches.

No. 27.

Vase (P^hif/), of JVien Yao of the Yung-chtng period, of the same ruby-red monochrome glaze as the pair described under 15. The neck of the vase has been cut down, and it has been mounted in Europe in gilded bronze as a cistern, placed in an elaborate stand supported by three dolpliins, and perforated for a tap, which is fashioned in the shape of a griffin. Height, with mount, 12 inches.

No. 28.

Square Bottle {Fang P''ing), one of a pair, with powder-blue grounds of the K''ang-hsi period, enameled over in gold with flowers and birds. Bottoms unglazed, European mounts of the eighteenth century. Height, 8|^ inches. No. 29.

Vase {P''ing), of decoration similar to the pair described under No. 11, and mounted in the same style, to form a center-piece of a set, intended to figure as a garniture de cheminee. The artistic set- ting, which is beautifully executed in gilded openwork designs of Oriental scrolls, is signed " F''' Boucheron, Paris." Height, 10 inches. No. 30.

Little Covered Bowl [Hsiao Kai Wari), one of a pair, of finely crackled turquoise enamel of CKien-lung date, mounted in European metal-work, and placed upon square pedestals of German porcelain which are marked F., probably for Fiirstenburg. Height, with mounts, 7 inches. No. 31.

Snuff-Bottle {Pi Yen Hit), of rounded vaselike form, molded in a basket-work pattern, with lions'-head liandles, and enameled with a minutely crackled turquoise glaze of the usual mottled tone.

No. 32.

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 823

^ Shell {Lo-ssti), one of a pair, fashioned of pure vihite pdte in the shape of whelks, and enameled sur biscuit with a finely crackled turquoise glaze of uniformly blue tint. The round covers are molded in the form of lotus-leaves, with conical shells on the top as handles. One of tlie shells is marked in the interior, which is unglazed, with the Chinese numeral 3 penciled in black; the other is incised with a line surmounted by a dot. The mounts are French work of the eighteenth century. Height, 1\ inches. No, 33.

Mug ( Chill Pet), of the K''ang-shi period, painted in brilliant blue, with a formal mountain landscape containing temples and open pavilions on wooded hills and houses on the banks of a wide river. The base is encircled by a ring of conventional foliations, and the upper rim b}' a band of chrysanthemum-sprays. The bottom is unglazed. Mounted in Europe, with a silver lid engraved with a crest. Height, 18 inches. No. 34.

Cylindrical Vase ( Thing PHng), of K\(ng-hsi porcelain, bril- liantly decorated in enamel colors in the same style as the vase described under No. 268. It has been cut down and mounted in Europe as a mug, with a coronet and coat of arms etched upon the lid. Height, 9| inches. No. 35.

Vase (P^ing), of white enameled porcelain of ancient bronze form and design, with two loop handles springing from grotesque heads, and archaic designs worked in slight relief in the paste under the white glaze. The seal, impressed in the paste underneath, is Ta ChH7ig Ch'ien-lung nien chih — i. e., " Made in the reign of Ch'ien-lung (1736-95) of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." The mounting is European. Height, 9J inches. No. 36.

Bowl ( Wan), enameled with a pale souffle glaze of sky-blue {tHen- ch'ing) derived from cobalt, mounted in Europe upon a pedestal representing a clump of bulrushes, together with a pair of fish of finely crackled turquoise, the "peacock-green " {kung-cliiio lu) glaze of the Chinese ceramist. Height, 1\ inches.

Cup with Cover {Kai Wan), of the Fen-Ting class, painted in blue after the early style of the Ming dynasty. The handle of the cover is fashioned in the shape of a phoenix and colored blue. Both the cup and the cover are decorated outside with a pair of five-clawed dragons pursuing jewels in the midst of clouds and flames, painted in soft-toned shades of blue under the soft-looking glaze, which is of ivory-white totie and finely crackled throughout —

824 BESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

ill the interior of the piece as well as outside. Height, with cover, 4^ inches; diameter, 3 inches.

Flower-Vase [IFua PHng), molded in the form of a growing Shantung cabbage {Brassica chhiensis, L. ; in Chinese, Po-ts'ai), mistaken for an opening Nelumbo, with a sprout springing from the base, making a smaller receptacle for a separate tiower. The leaves stand up in duplex tier, shaped in naturalistic detail with finelj' dentated margins, and colored outside in two shades of green etched over with the natural venation in black, the stalks being left white. The interior is enameled with the soft, pale-green Uionochrome glaze characteristic of some of the finest vases of the Cfi'ien-lung period, to which, no doubt, this quaint specimen be- longs. Height, 4f inches. No. 37.

AViNE-Cup [Ohm Pei), of swelling, bowl-like form and most delicate texture, decorated over the white glaze in gold with sprays of chrysanthemums. The hall-mark of Ching SsU T''ang Chih is penciled underneath in red. Diameter, 2| inches.

WiNE-PoT ( CJiiu Hu), a miniature square vessel of the Mmg period, fashioned in the shape of an old bronze casting. Of solid make, with an arched handle on the top, and a short hexagonal spout projecting from one side, it is enameled turquoise-blue over- laid with splashes of aubergine-purple, both these glazes being of minutely crackled texture.

Wine-Cup [Chiu Pei), decorated in soft enamel colors with the eight propitious symbols {pa-chi-hsiang) of Buddhist origin, arranged in four pairs encircled by waving fillets, and with borders of conventional scrolls round the rims. The mark, penciled in red underneath the foot, is 7'ao kuaiig keng hsu nien chih, " Made in the year keng-hsii (1850) of the reign of Tao-kuang." Diameter, 2f inches. No. 38.

Gourd-shaped Bottle {Mu-lu P''m.g), one of a pair, of the K''ang-hsi period, decorated on a white ground with convention- alized scrolls studded with formal cruciform flowers, painted in mottled blue of very brilliant tone. European mounts, the cover representing a bee in the middle of a garland of flowers. Height, 10 inches. No. 39.

Fish-Bowl ( YiX Kong'), one of a pair, of depressed globular form, the traditional shape of the alms-bowl of Buddha, enameled with a finely crackled turquoise glaze of mottled hue, of the same date as the vase illustrated in Fig. 20. The two bowls are elabo-

I

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 825

rately mounted in artistic French work of style similar to that of the vase. Diameter, 9 inches. No. 40.

Pilgrim Bottle (Pei Hu PHtig), with a central l)oss, a chan- neled foot, and four looped handles at the sides. The surface is worked in slight relief witli white flowers and butterflies, etched with the graving-tool, and brought out by a monochrome ground of pale cobalt-blue. Artistically mounted in Europe for suspension. Height, with mount, 12 inches. No. 41.

Vase (PHng), one of a pair, painted in brilliant blue of the K''ang-hsi period. The body is decorated with figures of Chinese ladies standing, or seated on barrel-shaped seats, arranged in oouples, beside pots of peonies, and holding flowers in their hands. Palms fill in the intervals, and a formal band of blue defines the base of the neck, which is covered with sprays of blossoming prunus. The mark, penciled in blue underneath, is a leaf encircled by a fillet, inclosed within a double ring. Height, with mounts of European work, 1^ inches. No. 42.

FivE-NOzzLED RosADON ( Wu Tsui P''ing), enameled with a pea- green celadon glaze [tou-ch'ing yu) of the Yung-cheng or early GhHen-lung period. Artistically mounted in Europe with grape- knobbed covers, connected by chains, and with garlands of vine stretched round the necks. Height, with mount, 12 inches.

No. 43.

Large Celadon Dish [Liaig-ch'''uan P^an), of circular form, with vertically ribbed sides and foliated rim, decorated with floral designs etched in the paste under the rich glaze, which is of green- ish tone. The large medallion occupying the bottom inside is filled with branches of a fruit tree, apparently the JVephelium litc/ii. The slope is chased with upright sprays of peony-flowers, sixteen in number, of identical design, in panels corresponding to tlie folia- tions of the border. The panels on the convexity underneath are worked with leafy sprays in slight relief. The rim is lightly etched. Under the foot there is a wide ring of paste uncovered with glaze, with regular edges, as if ruled by a compass, the bare field of which, 1^ inches broad, is of brick-dust color. Diameter, 22 inches. No. 44,

Covered Bowl (ICoi Wau), pierced with trellis panels and deco- rated in enamel colors of the best It^ang-hsi period. The sides, pierced with six panels of hexagonal trellis-work inclosing sprays

826 DESCEIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

of flowers, are painted with bands of diaper and with borders of dotted green studded with priinus-blossorns alternately white and overglaze blue of purplish tone. The cover, which is sur- mounted by a blue lion, is encircled b}' a belt of trellis, succeeded by a band of floral pattern similar to that on the bowl. It has been artistically'' mounted in bronze in Europe as a flower-basket raised upon a four-footed stand. Height, with mount, 7^ inches.

No. 45.

Oblong Vase {Fang PHng), of lozenge-shaped section, enam- eled with a pale monochrome glaze of K''ang-hsi date of pure cela- don tint [Tung cJi'lng). It is molded with symbols under the glaze, displaying the yin-yang emblem between the eiglit trigiams {pa kna) in sunk panels on each of the four sides. Height, 11 inches. No. 46.

Vase {PHttg), enameled with a coral-red monochrome glaze of beautiful color, the charming effect of which is enhanced by the European ormolu mounts of light sprays and festoons of grapevine which wind round the vase. The graceful form, with spreading foot, indicates the Yung-cheng period, and the white enamel with which the foot is coated underneath is of pale greenish tone. Height, with mount, 9| inches. No. 47.

Snuff-Bottle {Pi Yen IIu), with carved decoration filled in with enamel colors of the ChHen-lung period. The two panels contain the star-gods of happiness, rank, and long life, with their attributes, mounted on cloud pedestals, displayed upon a back- ground of scrolled sea- waves. The framework is carved in pierced work, with the symbols of the eight Taoist immortals {Pa Ilsien) inclosed in scrolls. The upper rim is gilded. No. 48.

Vase {P^ing), of ancient brownish-red stoneware of the JIan dynasty (b. c. 206-a. d. 220), coated with a thin but lustrous glaze of camellia-leaf green. The bottom, only partially enameled over about one third of its surface, shows the color of the material. Height, 9J inches. Diameter, 10 inches. No. 49.

Pilgrim Bottle {Pao Yueh P''huj), with two open flowing han- dles fashioned in the form of archaic two-horned dragons {cKih- lung), decorated in enamel colors and gilding of the Gh?ie7i-lung period, in connection with details previously outlined in underglaze blue. The dragon-handles are in shaded red touched with gold. Round the neck and in the hollow of the foot are bats displayed in

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 827

tlie midst of clouds. Tlie body is emblazoned on each side with a central shou (longevity) monogram, surrounded by the eight Taoist emblems {pa ati-hsien) tied in pairs with waving fillets, inter- mingled with floral sprays and cloud scrolls, inclosed in a wide panel by a circular line of blue and gold. The convexities of the vase between tlie panels are occupied by the eight Buddhist symbols {pa chi-hsiang) with scrolls and flowers. The seal pen- ciled in blue underneath has the ordinary seal-character inscription of the reign of CKien-lung (1736-95). Height, 19| inches.

No. 50.

Large Jar with Covke {Mei Hua Jvuan), of the K^ang-hsi period, decorated in brilliant hue with blossoming branches of prunus {mei hua) alternately rising and descending to cover the surface of the jar as well as the top of the cover. The flowers are reserved in white upon a mottled blue background, which is penciled with a reticulation of darker blue lines. A band of triangular fret defines the upper and lower borders of the jar, and another encircles the projecting rim of the cover, which is surmounted b}' a globular knob colored plain blue, A band of conventional foliations, extend- ing midway up the neck of the jar, completes the decoration. The mark under the foot is a double ring. Height, with cover, 17 inches. No. 51.

Large Deep Plate {Kuo J*''ati), of Chinese porcelain of early K''ang-hsi date, with designs painted in underglaze cobalt-blue, filled in with enamel colors — blue, green, yellow, and red, with gilding. The rim is gilded. The brocaded grounds of diaper round the border are in underglaze blue, as well as the outlines of the diversely shaped panels, which are painted inside with pictures in colors. The field is filled witii birds flying through spraj's of chrysanthemum and peony, with a coronet near the top, under which is a shield emblazoned with the heraldic lion of Holland. Diameter, 18|- inches. No. 52.

Small Oval Jab {CJi'a Kua7i), one of a pair, decorated with a pale-blue monochrome ground etched in darker blue with floral designs. The sides are vertically ribbed, interrupted by three circular medallions. Of the K^ang-hsi period, the mark under- neath is a palm-leaf inclosed in a double ring. The mounts are European, and the covers, of Oriental powder blue, are not original. Height, without cover, 5\ inches. A tliird little jar in the collec- tion, with a similar decoration and mark, only with symbols pen-

828 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF ITIE ILLUSTRATIONS.

ciled aiouiid the neck instead of sprays of flowers, is mounted witlr a Persian cover of chased copper. No, 53.

Blue and White Garniture of the famed Lange-Eleizen pattern; period, K''ang-hsi. The mark on the foot — Chia-ching nieft chih — is apocryphal. Height, \1\ inches. No. 54.

Vase [PHiig), with flanged lip, of white enameled porcelain, of the C/i'ien-lu?ig period, coated with a rich glaze of somewhat greenish tint over a decoration molded in slight relief in the paste. This consists of four encircling bands of conventional floral sprays, defined by prominent rings; the neck is surrounded by two rings of formal scroll design, and the foot by a continuous chain of rec- tangular fret, succeeded by a spiral gadroonlike border. Height, 15 inches. No. 55.

Brush-Pot {Pi T^img), of wide cylindrical form, swelling at the mouth, with the decoration partly worked in relief in " slip," painted in underglaze blue and in overglaze enamel colors, includ- ing coral-red, yellow, greens of varied shade, and black. The pictures of a scholar dreaming are intended to be an illustration of the half stanza of verse — Meng pi sheng hua, "Dreaming the pencil blossoms into flowers." The seal, inscribed underneath in underglaze blue, is Ta (JKing Yung-cheng nien chih, " Made in the reign of Yung-cheng (1723-35) of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Diameter, 8 inches. No. 56.

Libation-cup {Chiieh), of white Fuchien porcelain [Chien Tz'ii). Of hornlike form, it is fashioned in the outline of a knotted branch of prunus, giving off a blossoming twig, which is worked in relief outside near the rim. The rest of the surface is decorated in the same salient relief with other archaic designs — a flying stork on one side, a four-clawed dragon, half hidden in the clouds, on the otiier, and a fish emerging from waves underneath; a deer is out- lined near the foot in front, and floral lozenges project on either side. The glaze, of satiny texture, blends intimately with the ivor\'-white paste. Height, 2| inches. No. 57.

Seal ( Yi7i), one of a pair, of oblong form and square section, with lions mounted upon the top as handles, seated upon brocaded squares of rich floral pattern, painted sur biscuit, in brilliant enamel colors of the famille verte, dating from the ICang-hsi period. Height, 3 inches. No. 58.

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OV THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 829

Inscriptions, on the two seals witli lions as handles, of which one is represented in V\g. 58. That on the left is engraved, the characters appearing in white reserve. The other is carved in relief. No. 59.

Wine-Cup {Chiu Pel), one of a pair, of ivory-white Fuchien porcelain {Chien l^z'ii), molded of floral form, with everted rim, and supported by three small feet. The stanza of verse etched in the paste upon the side is 7'sid hou liu chiXn, cho raiug yueh, " When drunk with wine, save a little, as a libation to tlie briglit moon." Diameter, 3|^ inches. No. 60.

Hanging Wall.- Vase {Kua P''htg), with flattened back perfor- ated for suspension, a stand molded in porcelain as part of the piece, and two open-scrolled handles. It is decorated in delicate enamel colors and gilding with foliated panels, surrounded by floral designs, and with conventional palmated borders. The larger panel is painted with the picture of a hunting scene; the smaller panel above contains an ode in praise of hunting, signed by the Emperor CKien-lutuj. The back of the vase and the interior of the mouth are coated with the pale-green enamel which dis- tinguishes the imperial porcelain of the time, and the base is coated with the same, reserving a white panel for the mark of Ta CKing GhHen-lung nien chih, " Made in the reign of Ch'ien-lung of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]," which is penciled in underglaze blue in one line of antique script. Heiglit, 8^ inches. No. 61.

"Hoof-shaped" Y&.s,^ {Ma-fi PH)ig),\\a,\mg a dome-shaped body rounding in to a cylindrical neck, decorated in delicate enamel colors of the GKien-lung period, with a picturesque landscape representing the woody islet Yen yii shan, in the Western Lake at Hangchou, with temples and pavilions on the hillside, pine-trees and willows, waterfalls and bridges, and a boat crossing the lake. A descriptive ode in four stanzas of rhyming verse is penciled in black on the other side of the vase, which is also illustrated. Height, 7 inches. No. 62.

Bowl ( Wan), Mith flanged brim, of the Tao-kiiang period, decorated on one side with sprays of flowers, hung with an endless knot — a Buddhist symbol of longevity — painted in colors, and relieved by an enameled monochrome background of coral-red. On the other side a verse is inscribed in white characters reserved in the red ground. The seal, enameled in red on a pale-green

830 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

ground under tlie foot, is Ta ClCing Tao-kuang nien chih — i. e., "Made in the reign of Tao-kuang (1821-50) of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Diameter, 7 inches. No. 63,

SxuFF-BoTTLE {Pi Yen IIu), of flattened form, decorated on one side in enamel colors with a little garden scene, a rockery and peonies and a boy witli a basket feeding a hen and chicken. On the other side an ode upon the ceramic art, written by the Emperor Cfi'len-lung, is penciled in black, with the imperial seal attached in red. The mark inscribed underneath in red enamel is CKien lung nien chih, "Made in the reign of Ch'ien-lung (1736-95)." No. 64,

Snuff-Bottle, same as that represented in Fig. 64, but greatly enlarged in order to show the inscription, a poem by the Emperor Chbien-lung in praise of the ceramic art. A translation is given on page 31. No. 65.

Censeb {Hsiang Lh), of archaic aspect, dating from the K''ang- hsi period, with a decoration roughly painted in cobalt-blue under a crackled glaze of grayish tone, traversed by deep brown fissures. The decoration consists of a pair of four-clawed dragons grasping the effulgent jewel of magic power, with cloud scrolls atid forked flames filling in the intervals. Diameter, 5 inches. No, 66.

Bowl ( Wan), designed in the form of a lotus-blossom, with an outer ring of eight petals molded round the foot, and the rim of eightfold foliated outline. It is enameled with a monochrome ground of coral-red, with a decoration painted upon it of two five- cl-awed dragons pursuing effulgent jewels; and with a tiny floral spray on each of the foliated panels round the foot, depicting in order the prunus and bamboo, narcissus, begonia, chryKanthemum, jasmine, orchid, convolvulus, aster and lilac, and plum blossoms. The foot is enameled, like the interior, pale-green, with a white panel reserved in the middle, which is penciled in red, with the seal Hsieh Chu Tsao, in antique script. Diameter, 7 inches. No. 67.

Teapot {CKa Hit), of the finest K%i Yueh Hsaun type, deco- rated with two broad panel pictures of landscapes penciled in bright overglaze cobalt-blue enamel. The rest of the surface is covered with bands of floral design, containing tiny sprays of many different kinds of flowers, delicately painted in enamel colors. Tlie cover is ornamented with a similar floral ground, painted in the same characteristically translucid enamels, and the knob is made to simulate a chrysanthemum. There is a seal penciled underneath in

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 831

overs^laze blue enamel inscribed Yimg cheng nien cJiih, " Made in the reign of Yung-clieng (1723-35)." No. 68.

Quadrangular Vase [Fang P''i)ig), of fine dark-colored paste, invested with two coats of glaze, in the style of the ancient imperial productions of the Sung dynasty. The base, which is thinly glazed, is incised in the middle with the two characters HsiXan ho, which are filled in with the same grayish-white enamel tliat forms tlie overglaze of the vase. Height, 3^ inches. No. 69.

Eggshell Bowl {To-fai Wan), of light fragile structure, with a small base, spreading sides, and a wide rim notched at regular intervals with six indentations. Invested witli a pellucid glaze of slightlv grayish ivory-white tone. The decoration, lightly incised in the paste in the interior of tlie bowl round the sides, so as to show in transparency when it is held up to the light, consists of a pair of five-clawed imperial dragons pursuing a flaming jewel enveloped in clouds. The inscription, which is also faintly en- graved in the bottom of the bowl, inside, in a bold archaic style, is Yung lo nien chih — i. e., " Made in the reign of Yung-lo (1403-24)." Height, 2| inclies; diameter, 8^ inches. No. 70.

Wine-Cup ( Chiu Pei), of eggshell thinness, decorated, partly in underglaze blue, partly in enamel colors of the K''ang-hsi period, with a pair of mandarin ducks in a lake with lotus and other water- plants growing in it and a kingfisher flying above. The stanza of verse at the back and the peculiar mark are explained in Chapter IV, page 73. A precisely similar cup, painted entirely in blue, with the same stanza inscribed at the back, has the ordinary mark written underneath of Ta CKing IPang hsi nien chih, "Made in the reign of K'ang-hsi of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Diameter, 2| inches. No. 71.

Eggshell Bowl ( To-fai Wan), decorated in the artistic style of the " rose-backed " plates with the soft brilliant enamels and gold of the faniille rose. The richly brocaded floral grounds inclosing foliated medallions of fruit, and the varied diapers sur- rounding the panel picture of a Chinese family scene, with a lady seated and two children playing, which fill the interior of the bowl, are well shown in the illustration. The exterior is decorated with similar minutely painted diapers and floral designs, with four cir- cular medallions of antique dragons on a dark-blue ground, and with four large foliated panels containing charming sprays of

832 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

peony and clirysantlieniutn. It derives additional interest from being dated, which very rarely occurs on pieces of the class. The mark underneath is the ordinary six-character inscription of the reign of Yung-cheng, which is penciled under the foot in under- glaze blue written in stiff archaic style, encircled by a double ring. Diameter, 7| inches. No. 72.

Medallion Bowl ( Yueh-kuang Wan), decorated in enamel col- ors with a brocaded floral ground interrupted by four circular medallions. The ground, outside, etched with a scroll pattern, is crimson (rouge (Por), and is covered with sprays of conventional flowers painted in delicate colors ; the medallions display fruit and flowers on a white ground, pomegranates, peaches, and longan fruit, peonies, China rose, narcissus, and daisies. The interior is painted in underglaze blue with a basket of flowers surrounded with four sprays of fruit, flowers, and branched Polyporus fungus. The seal, penciled under the foot in the same blue, is Ta Ch^lng Too huang nien ehih, " Made in the reign of Tao-kuang of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Diameter, 6 inches. No. 73.

RiCE-BowL {Fan Wan), decorated outside with butterflies, painted in delicate enamel colors, and relieved by an enameled monochrome ground of coral-red. The rim is gilded. The mark, penciled in red under the foot, is Shen Te T''ang Chih, which is said to be an imperial hall-mark of the reign of Tao-kuang. Diameter, 5\ inches. No. 74,

Teapot {Gh\i Hu), of the JC ang- hsi Y>Gr'wd, decorated in blue and white, with the borders and rims enameled pale yellow, and the overarching handle penciled in black upon a yellow ground in imitation of basketwork. The panels on the side are filled, two with pictures of domestic scenes, and one with bamboo growing from rocks. The upright rim has small jjanels with sprays of the emblematic flowers of the four seasons. The knob on the cover, carved in openwork with the character hi, "rank," is encircled by a four-clawed dragon painted blue. The bottom is en biscuit with the exception of a sunk panel in the middle, which is inscribed sous couverte, Yl Yil T''ang chih, " Made at the Hall of Ductile Jade." Height, 9 inches. No. 75.

Vase {P''ing), of the CKien-lung period, with a decoration, etched at the point in the paste, of a pair of five-clawed imperial dragons in the midst of cloud scrolls and lightning-flames, pursuing

I

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 833

the magic jewel, which is represented as a round disk emitting a spiral efiFulgent ray from its center. It is invested with a turquoise glaze of charmingly soft mottled tones and minutely crackled texture. There is a hall-mark engraved in the paste underneath, Ssfi Kan Ts'ao T''ang. The mounting is European work of the eighteenth century. Height, with mount, 12 inches. No. 76.

Wine-Cup ( Chiu Pei), one of a pair, of four-lobed form with indented rim, painted in enamel colors, with a procession of the eight Taoist immortals {Pa Hsien) crossing the sea. The interior is sprinkled with a few white jasmine-flowers {nio-ll hua), touched with the same delicate tints. There is a mark under the foot, Hsieh Chu Tsao, penciled in red, in antique script within a square panel. Diameter, 2^ inches. No. 77.

Wine-Cup {Chiu Pei), of perfect form and technique, painted outside in pure colors upon a translucently white ground with a floral decoration. This consists of a clump of bamboos with dianthus pinks growing from the ground beneath, and a bat with a propitious emblem hanging from a ribbon in its mouth flying above. There are butterflies at the back, and a half stanza of verse penciled in black, "Vows for good fortune and a thousand fruitful years !" A blossom and a bud of the fragrant jasmine are painted inside the cup at the bottom. The hall-mark, Chih Ilsiu Ts'ao T^mg, is penciled in red under the foot. Diameter, 2^ inches.

No. 78.

Wine-Cup {Chiu Pei), decorated upon a white ground in deli- cate enamel colors with a floral group composed of the three emblems of longevity, the evergreen fir {sung), the graceful leafy bamboo {chu), and the blossoming winter prunus (^we^). The hall- mark of Pao Sha7i Chai is penciled in red under the foot. Diam- eter, 2{ inches. No. 79.

Wine-Cup ( Chhi Pei), one of a pair, each painted in shaded red with fifty bats, covering the ground inside and outside, as emblems of hundredfold happiness. The circular form of the longevity character {Shotc) is outlined in red on the bottom of the cup, filled in with gold. The hall-mark under the foot is J^u Ch^ing T^ang chih, " Made at [or for] the Hall of Happiness and Good Fortune." Diameter, 2^ inches. No. 80.

834 DEscRipnvE list of the illustrations.

Tall Ewer (Chiu IIu), of blue and white porcelain of the Wan-li period. It has a flowing bandlike handle, and a long curving spout attached to the neck by a spiral buttress; the slender neck swells into a bulb near the mouth, wliich has a six-sided cover crowned with a knob. It is decorated with phoenixes and storks flying in the midst of clouds, and with scrolled bands and foliated borders round the rims. The mark, penciled in blue under the foot witl)in a double ring, is ClCang vting fu kuei — i. e., "Long life, happiness, and honor! " The handwriting, as well as the style of decoration of the wine-pot, indicate the Ming dynasty. It is studded all over with uncut turquoises and garnets arranged alter- nately in gilded settings of Oi'iental work. The rims show traces of gilded rings, and are mounted in chased metal. Height, 13| inches. No, 81.

WiNE-PoT {Chiu Hit), tnolded in the form of the character /'«, " happiness," and decorated sur biscuit in the tj'pical " three colors" {sail ts^ai) of the IT^ang-hsi period — viz., yellow, green, and purple. The rims and borders are colored light green; the spout has a pale yellow ground with diverse forms of shou (lon- gevity) penciled upon it, alternately pale purple and green; the rest of the surface is covered with l)ands of lotus-scrolls, with white and purple blossoms and green foliations, relieved by a pale-yellow ground outlined in purple, interrupted by panels of foliated outline in the middle, which are framed in green relief. These panels are painted with s^'mbolical pictures in the same soft colors; on one side a pine, ling-chih fungus, and grass growing from rocks, an axis-deer, and a stork; on the other side a peach-tree, rocks with bamboo, a couple of birds flying together, and a tiger. The base, unglazed, is cross-hatched with the lines of the stuff of wliich the paste was molded. Height, 9 inches. No. 82.

Vase (P'ing), decorated in blue and white of the ICang-hsi period. The body displays two groups of symbols around oval panels in the middle, which are inscribed in antique script, ChHen, *' Heaven," and /SAom, " Longevity "; in front is a palmleaf fan, ending in a fly- whisk, and a branch of peach-blossoms; behind, a rolled-up scroll and a spray of chrysanthemum. Light chains of fret encircle the shoulder and the rim of the mouth. There is no mark underneath. Height, 8 inches. No. 83.

Vase {PHjig), modeled in the form of a tall bowl with a vaulted cover, the line of junction being indicated by a prominent ridge.

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 835

It is enameled with a crackled glaze of light gray-brown color, interrupted by transverse bands worked in the paste and colored black, a gadroon band round the foot, and two basketwork bands overlaid with circular longevity {shou) characters filled in with crackled glaze. The two loop-handles, roughly shaped as elephant heads, are colored black, also the rim of the mouth, and tlie under surface of the foot. Height, 6 inches. No. 84.

Gourd-shaped Vase {Hu-lu jP'ing), richly decorated in enamel colors of the K^ang-hsi period, with no gilding. The two segments are hung with lambrequins of floral brocade, in which chrysan- themum-flowers are conspicuous, tied with hanging bows of red ribbon; the intervals being filled in with medallions of storks. The neck is studded with four large circular shou characters in yellow, accompanied by four smaller svastika symbols in red. Encircling bands of floral brocade and formal ornamental scrolls of diverse pattern complete the decoration of the vase, which is a striking example of brilliant coloring, as well as of artistic decora- tion. Height, 18 inches. No. 85.

Figure of K'uei Hsing {Khiei Hsing Jlsiatig), the Stellar God of Literature, painted in enamel colors. Poised with one foot upon the head of a fish-dragon, which is swimming in waves, one hand is uplifted to wield the pencil-brush, while the other grasps a cake of ink. The cloak waving loosely above his head and hanging down in long ends, and the general pose of the figures, are intended to give the impression of movement. Height, 14| inches. No. 86.

Eggshell Vase {To-fai PHng), of delicate texture and undula- tory surface, decorated over the translucently white glaze with a spray of cluysanthemuin and a single head of spiked millet, beauti- fully painted in a neutral sepia tint. The one touch of color is the vermilion outline of the seal, which is attached to the stanza of verse, quoted from an ode written upon the chrx^santhenium b}' an old poet of the T''ang dynasty, which is inscribed on the back of the vase. Height, 8^ inches. No. 87.

Vase {P''ing), of the K''ang-Jisi period, with a swelling domelike body and a tall c^'lindrical neck, resembling somewhat in shape a Buddhist ddgaha. The body is a pale-blue monochrome derived from cobalt, the shoulder is surrounded by a ring of cofi'ee-brown, and the neck is painted in dark blue, with a two-horned dragon of archaic design pursuing a jewel disk. Old European mounts. No

836 DESCRIPllVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

mark. A pair of similar vases, from the Marquis Collection in Paris, not mounted, have the dragons on the neck painted in maroon and blue, and the light-blue body of the vase penciled in darker blue with lotus medallions and shou characters. They are marked underneath Shou Fa, " Longevity and Happiness." Height, 10| inches. No. 88.

Wide-necked Vase {Iliia 7'sun), with slightl}'- spreading foot, decorated in enamel colors of the K^ang-hsi period without under- glaze blue or gold. It is modeled in relief with foliated panels and spirally waving scrolls painted with brocaded bands and chains of fret, and the field, thus divided into panels, is delicately painted with landscapes, sprays of iiowers, birds and butterflies, vases and censers, symbols and emblems, and the varied apparatus of literary culture in China. Among the symbols the eight Buddhist emblems of good fortune (pa chi-hsiang) occupy a conspicuous position, and the apparatus of the four liberal arts of the scholar, viz., writing, painting, music, and chess. The base is plainly enameled, with no mark inscribed. Height, 19 inches. No. 89.

Ritual Wine-Pot ( Chiu Hu), of ancient bronze form, with a rounded body mounted on four cylindrical feet, a wide loop-handle, and a straight spout; the cover wanting. Painted in blue, with conventional scrolls of sacred-fungus design, and with sprays of Indian lotus supporting the eight Buddliist symbols of happy augury {pa chi-hsiang) encircled by waving fillets. A chain of interrupted rectangular fret round the shoulders and a ring of spiral fret at the base of the spout complete the decoration. The mark underneath, outlined in blue, is the seal Ta GKing CKien lung nien chih, "Made in the reign of Ch'ien-lung of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Height, 7 inches. No. 90.

Snuff-Bottle {Pl-yeJi-hic), with Buddhist symbols [pa chi- hsiang), molded in relief. No. 91.

The Mark on the foot of the tall vase shown in Fig. 93. It consists of the sacred ling-chih fungus enveloped in tufts of grass.

No. 92.

Gourd-shaped Vase (Hu lu PHng), one of a pair, of the K''ang-hsi period, painted in pure full tones of shaded blue. It is decorated in two sections with a floral ground of interlacing peony scrolls inclosing panels of diverse form. The three quatrefoil medallions on the upper section contain sprays of blossoming

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 837

prunns, and birds. The three panels on the lower section contain quadrupeds displaj^ed in white upon a mottled-blue background, an elephant in a panel of pomegranate shape, a lion with one forefoot on a ball in a ficus-leaf, and a dCi lln in a palm-leaf. Bands of chrysanthemum scrolls round the rim, above and below, and two double chains of triangular fret, sepai*ated by encircling rings, in white relief, complete the artistic decoration. The mark (Fig. 92) is a sacred fungus with tufts of grass inclosed in a wide double ring. Height, 16J inches. No. 93.

Large Plate [Kuo P^an), decorated in brilliant enamel colors of the K''ang-hsi period. The rim is gilded over coffee-brown, and the slope of the plate is encircled by a red sci-oll and a chain of fret in overglaze blue between plain rings of yellow, pale purple, and apple-green. The broad band of peony scrolls round the border has red and purple blossoms tipped with gold, springing from a wavy, slender, black stem, relieved by a ground of pale green dotted with black, and five archaic dragons are wending their way round through the floral scrolls. The field is occupied by a tall, graceful vase, of Ming dynasty style, filled with a bouquet of peonies, surrounded by a varied selection from the paraphernalia of the liberal arts, which have been described in Chapter IV under the name of Po Ktc, the "Hundred Antiques." Diameter, 18 inches. No. 94.

Vase {PH?ig), richly and profusely decorated in brilliant enamel colors of the K^atig-hsi period. The body is decorated in panels, displayed*upon a ground of lotus scrolls, with the slender forms of two dragons winding through, relieved by a background of coral- red. Two of the panels contain mountain scenes: one shows four old men plajnng (70, with the board placed upon a rock; the other, a man on horseback, with an attendant carrying a lyre, on his way to visit a friend who is awaiting him at the door of his mountain retreat; a third panel has a tiger standing in the foreground; another a clump of chrysanthemums growing from rocks. The remaining two contain pictures of the Po Kv.^ or "Hundred An- tiques." The neck is covered with a svastika pattern brocade, interrupted by two panels of water scenes — an old man fishing with a rod in one, a man poling a boat in the other. The shoulder is encircled by a broad band of floral brocade, with medallions con- taining the apparatus of the four liberal arts — the case of books of the scholar, the bundle of scroll pictures of the artist, the folding

838 DESCEIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

board ami boxes for wliite and black men of the ^d-player, and the lyre in its brocaded case of the musician. A chain of rectangular fret, penciled in overglaze blue round the rim of the moutli, and another, black upon a green ground, round the foot, complete the decoration. No mark attached. Height, IQ^ inches. No. 95.

Vase (I£ua P''lng), of the K''ang-hsi period, decorated in red and pale green, with touches of gold. The neck and foot are encircled by successive ornamental bands of fret brocade, diaper, and gadroon of varied design; the shoulder has a broad band of brocade interrupted by medallions containing clirysanthemum- blossoms. The body of the vase is decorated with four panels separated by a ground of chrysanthemum scrolls richly worked in red and gold. The panels, which are illustrated in succession in Figs. 97, 98, and 99, are filled with the apparatus of the liberal arts and the materials of the scholar, which have been described in Chapter IV. Height, 15 inches. Nos. 96-99.

Ornamental Vase {Hua P''lng), of imperial porcelain of the reign of Gfi'ien-hing, richly decorated in enamel colors, with gild- ing, with no underglaze blue. It has two handles on the neck, of open scroll design, fashioned as dragons, on which hang suspended gilded movable rings; and rims of gold define the lip and the foot, as well as the top of the neck and of the body. The fret borders, above and below, are penciled in light blue upon a pale vermilion ground. The vase is decorated in panels filled with flowers and butterflies and various emblematic designs, the spaces between the panels being decorated with conventional floral sprays, relieved by a plain yellow enameled ground. The flowers represented in the four large panels on the body of the vase are emblematic of the four seasons. In the first panel (spi'i'ig) which is illustrated in the picture we see the Magnolia yulan and Poeonia moutan^ growing from rocks, and a pair of butterflies flying in the air. The next panel (summer) contains hydrangea shrubs, with pinks (dianthus) and flags (iris). The next (autumn) an oak with acorns and russet-tinted leaves, overshadowing chrys- anthemums of varied tint. The last (winter) displays a leafless pi-unus-tree in full blossom (rnei hua), and the monthly rose [yueh chi), which flowers in China the whole year round.

The seal, penciled underneath in blue on a white panel reserved in the pale-green ground, is Ta Gh'ing Cli'len lung nien chih, " Made in the reign of Ch'ien-lung of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Height, 11^ inches. No. 100.

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 839

Large Circular Dish {^Ta Kuo Jt^hin), of the finest imperial por- celain of the reign of Yung-cheng, artistically decorated in enamel colors, on a white ground, a companion piece to the disli wliich has been illustrated in colors in Plate XLVIII, and inscribed with the same mark underneath. The floral decoration consists of sprays of peony {Pmoma mouta/i), magnolia {Magnolia yulan), and "liait'ang" {Pgras spectabilis), Avhich throw off branches to decorate the under border as they spring from the foot and then spread over the ritns to decorate the interior of tlie disk. The pyrus-blossoms are pink, the large peonies nearly white just tipped with pink, and the magnolia-flowers snow-white, being filled in with an opaque enamel of a different tone in the white of the translucent ground. Diameter, 19| inches. No. 101.

Snuff-Bottle {Pi-yen-hu), inscribed with the character shou, " longevity." No. 102.

Circular Dish (P^a/i Tzti), of saucer-shaped form and eggshell texture, decorated with scrolls of Arabic writing (for a translation of which see page 72, Illustrated Edition) penciled in black and filled in with gold. The outer rim is encircled by a light band of floral scrolls composed of alternate sprays of peony and chrysanthe- mum, relieved by a gilded ground. Diameter, 8 inches. No. 108.

Wine-Flask {(Jhiu P^big), of Tz'u-chou ware, fashioned in the shape of a small pilgrim bottle, with two loop-handles for suspen- sion, and a mouth drawn in to a fine point. It is painted on one side with a spray of flowers in darker and lighter shades of brown. Height, 6^ inches.

Gourd shaped Bottle (IIu-lu PUng), of Tz'u-chou ware, dec- orated in two shades of brown, with the character/V/, "happiness," on the upper segment, and a spray of prunus-blossom, as the floral emblem of longevity, on the lower segment. Height, 7J inches.

Twin Genii of Peace and Harmony [Ho Ho Erh IIsie7i), the merry genii of the Taoist cult, molded together in white Tz'u-chou ware, and painted in brown of two shades. They are intended to hold an incense-stick before a Taoist shrine, the joss-stick being inserted in the tube which is seen projecting from the shoulder of one of the figures. Height, 6 inches. No. 104.

Large Rice Boavl {Fan Wan), of the K^tng-hsi period, with a fretwork design involving the svastika S3^mbol carved in relief out- side and enameled white, the recesses being inlaid with a grass-

840 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

green iiioiioclirome. The fretwork is interrupted by four eirculur medallions, which are decorated, in delicate enamel colors and gilding, with small pictures of flowers and insects. A band of spiral fret is penciled in red round the rim of the foot, and the upper border is gilded. The mark is a lotus-flower modeled under- neath in slight white relief. Diameter, 7} inches. No. 105.

Small Water-Bowl [S/ml Kamj), modeled after the form, and decorated in the style, of the large garden fish-bowls of the Ming dynast^^ The sides are ornamejited with four foliated medallions, filled alternately with flowers and rocks, and with fruit and birds, painted in brilliant colors, the intervals being brocaded in blue, with a diapered ground inclosing small single blossoms painted in enamel colors, and the rims encircled by gadroon and foliated bor- ders in colored enamels. The seal, penciled in blue under the glaze, within a double circle, is 7^a Ming Wan li nien chih, "Made in the reign of Wan-li of the Great Ming [dynastyl." The silver cover, of pierced floral design, is Japanese. Height, with mounts, 5^ inches. No. 106.

FiSH-BowL ( Yu Kang), of rounded shape, with the lower part vertically fluted outside and enameled with a monochrome glaze of pale-green celadon tint, while the shoulder is decorated with a pair of three-clawed dragons of archaic type enveloped in clouds, under a pure translucidly white glaze. The scrolled clouds are worked round in relief in the paste, so tiiat the forms of the dragons are partially hidden; the parts that appear being painted in greenish celadon touched with maroon, and having brownish-red flames issuing from their bodies. The technique is probably that of the Yung-cheng period; the bottom is unglazed, and there is no mark. Diameter, 10 inches. No. 107.

Vase {P''ing), of imperial porcelain of the CJi'ien-limg period, richly decorated in enamel colors of i\\e fandlle rouge, with gilding. Of regular ovoid form, it has two solid handles fashioned in the shape of elephants' heads projecting from the gracefully receding neck. The neck and foot are covered with floral scrolls painted in delicate colors relieved by a ground of critnson [rouge cVor) etched all over with spiral foliations. The swelling bod}'^, defined by two bands of conventional scrolls worked in relief, is enameled with a pale monochrome glaze thickly strewn with tiny rings of darker tint, looking like minute bubbles, of souffle color, and overlaid with a vertical rain of crimson flecks, sprinkled on evidently from the

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 841

point of a brusli. This is one of the so-called Chun Yti, or " Chiin glazes" of the period, artificial facsimiles of the celebrated Chun- chou glazes of the Siuuf dynasty, aitliough these were really mottled productions of X\\e grand feu, and not fired in the muffle stove like this vase. The foot is enameled pale green underneath, with a panel reserved in the middle for the seal, which is penciled in underglaze blue, Ta CJCing ChHen lung nien chih, " Made in the reign of Ch'ien-lung of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Height, 15 inches. No. 108.

Vase with Flaring Mouth [Ling-chih P''ing), modeled in the form of the sacred fungus Polyporus lucidtts, swelling into a large head at the top, and having the stem covered with a number of branchlets, bearing smaller fungus blades, all roughly worked in relief in the paste. The whole is enameled with a crackled glaze of gra^'ish tint, overlaid with irregular splashes of two kinds, a dull purplish blue and a variegated ^amJe glaze of mottled olive- brown and crimson tints. The ground color is seen in the inter- vals of the splashes, and it also covers the foot, which is not marked. Height, 13 inches. No. 109.

Double Gourd-shaped Vase {flu-lu PHng), enameled with a finely crackled turquoise glaze of grayish tone over a floral decora- tion worked in the paste underneath, in the style of the Ming dynasty or early K''ang-hsi period. The low^er section is worked with a broad band of freely designed scrolls of the ])olyporus fungus mingled with blades of grass traversed b}" a dragon of archaic type. The upper section is decorated with a band of pe- ony scrolls, from the upper border of which springs a line of spiral clouds encircling the base of the neck. The base is coated with a truite enamel of ivory-white tint. The mounts are of old bronze work etched with similar floral designs. Height, 8 inches.

No. 110.

Cylindrical Vase {Hua T^tmg), with the rim of the mouth marked with four slight indentations, and the sides molded with two prominent handles fashioned as lions' heads with oval rings sus- pended from their tnouths. It is enameled inside and out, as well as under the foot, with a celadon glaze of bluish tint, which is known as ,/u Yu, being the traditional shade of the ancient Ju-chou wares of the Sung dynasty. The glaze is traversed irregularly by crackled lines, which are colorless in some parts, as under the foot.

842 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

and become reddisli brown in otliers. The rim of the foot is plastered brown, simulating the natural color of the pdte of the old Sioif/ dj'nasty ware, which was a ferruginous faience. Height, 15 inches. No. 111.

Vase {P^ing), of the CKien-luny period, decorated in blue and white with archaic dragons of conventional design, carrying sprays of flowers in their mouths, which spread over the surface to cover it with formal scrolls, enveloping the large longevity {sliou) char- acters, which are penciled on the body of the vase. A chain of con- tinuous rectangular fret runs round the shoulder, and borders of scrolls and foliations surround the rims. The broad everted lip i& painted with a circlet of four pairs of small dragons. Height, 13 inches. No. 112.

Vase {P''ing), with a two-horned, four-clawed dragon modeled upon it in full relief, bestriding the shoulder and enveloping the neck within the scaly, snakelike coils. The dragon is coated with a purplish-brown mottled glaze, the eyes and other small details being touched witli dark brown. The rest of the vase is enameled with a grayish, white ground, mottled wnth cloudlike splashes of olive-brown passing into bluish variegated tint as they fade into the surrounding ground. The foot is coated underneath with a similar glaze mottled with brown. Height, 19 inches. No. 113.

Cylindrical Vase [Thmg P''ing), of K'^ang-hsi blue and white,, artistically decorated with sprays of lotus and peony and with foliated borders, of similar design to the pair of jars described under Fig. 178, and mounted in the same style to form 2^ garniture de cheminee with them. The mark under the foot is a double ring. The elaborate European mounts make it appear as a slender-necked vase with ring handles. Height, without mounts, 12 inches.

No. 114.

Gourd-shaped Vase {Kua P''ing), of regular oval shape, modeled in the form of an ordinary melon {kua), with eight vertical grooves, and coated with a turquoise enamel of finely crackled texture and mottled greenish tone, the typical "peacock- green " {Kxing-chuo Id) of the Chinese. Elaboratel}'^ mounted with a pedestal and cover of European work of the last century. The piece is to be attributed from its technique to the early part of the seventeenth century. Height, 15 inches. No. 115,

•DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 843

Vase {P''ing), of tall arcliaic form, with the bulging part of the body encircled bj'' two prominent ribs, a horizontally ridged neck, and a swelling mouth, the rim of which is held in the jaws of two horned crested dragons, with their necks curving upward and ■downward to form the flowing handles, which are ornamented with a row of studs in their outer surface. Below the point of attachment of each handle an oval foliated boss projects from the surface, engraved with cloud scrolls, and a ring of similar knobs is embossed round the shoulder of the vase. The enamel is a crackled glaze of clair-de-lune ( Ykieh-jxxi) tint, deepening to azure blue in the thicker parts. The crackled lines are reddish brown. The foot is coated underneath with the same crackled glaze, and inscribed with a seal, penciled in underglaze blue, Ta ChH?iff Yung chhig nien chih, "Made in the reign of Yung-cheng of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]," Height, 21 inches. No. 116.

Bottle-shaped Vase {P''ing), with the neck curving over to •end in a duck's head; an ancient bronze design. There is a cir- cularly rimmed aperture in the convexity' of the neck at the top. It is invested with a celadon glaze of tj^pical sea-green tint. Height, 1\ inches. No. 117.

Vase {P''ing), of form somewhat similar to that of the vase shown in Fig, 163, with a mouth swelling into a broad recurved lip of indented outline worked with conventional scrolls, enameled with a brilliant transmutation {yao-jnen) glaze of the CJi'ien-lung period. A ground of grayish crackled texture is invested with a Y\(i\\flambe coating, passing into deep crimson mottled tints flecked with spots of light purplish blue. The foot is enameled under- neath with a pale purplish glaze, not crackled, and there is no mark inscribed. Height, 10| inches. No. 118.

" Double Fish " Dish [S/niang Yil P''an), a typical specimen of ancient Lung-ch'iian Yao of the Su)ig dj'nasty (960-1279), having a pair of flsh worked in the paste, so as to project inside in strong relief as if swimming around. The little dish has a plain horizon- tal rim, and the convexity of the border, underneath, is vertically ribbed. It is invested with a crackled celadon glaze of greenisii- brown tones approaching olive-green, shot and flecked with a brighter grass-green, which the Chinese liken to the tint of onion sprouts. The rim of the foot, which is unglazed, shows the rtMldish- buff color of the fabric. Diameter, 5^ inches. No. 119.

844 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

Saucer-shaped Dish {P''an), of old Lung-ch'iian celadon of tlie Ming dynasty (1368-1043). It has a foliated rim, and tlie sides are fluted in the interior so as to be ribbed underneath. A spray of peony is etched inside under the i^laze. The glaze is a typical cela- don of sea-green tint, varying in depth of tone according to its thick- ness. The under surface of the disii has been photogiaphed to show the irregular ring in the bottom, which distinguishes the class, when the paste, left bare, is of the nsual reddish-buff color. Diameter,. 11^ inches. No. 120.

Crackled Cup (/ib Yao Pel), modeled after an ancient design, simulating a lotus-leaf with convoluted everted rim, to which a lizardlike dragon is clinging, forming a handle for the cup. It is coated inside and out with a gra}', stone-colored enamel, crackled by a network of deeper dark lines connected by superficial colorless lines. The foot-rim is stained brown, the traditional shade of the old Ko Yao of the /S<m(7 dynasty. Height, 4 inches. N >. 121.

' Small Censer {Ilslaag Lu), of primitive Ko Yao of the Sung dynasty. Of globular form, with three small mammillated feet, it is coated with a speckled glaze of gra^nsh tint, crackled through- out with a close network of brown lines. The feet show at their points a fabric of dark iron-gray color, and are encircled at their bases with brown lines of stain. It has been mounted in China upon an elaborately carved stand, and has a rosewood cover with a fungus-shaped knob of white jade. Height, 2 inches. No. 122.

Water Receptacle [Shui Cli'eng), of ancient Sung dj'iiasty crackle, coated inside and outside, as well as under the foot, with a thick unctuous translucent glaze of dark brownish-gray tone,, traversed by a reticulation of dark lines. The mouth is tinged a coppery red; the foot-rim shows a darkish iron-gray fabric. Height, \\ inch; diameter, 3 inches. No. 123.

Miniature Vase {Hsiao PHng), of primitive Ko Yao of the Sung dynast}'. It is molded with two mask handles in relief,^ and invested with a rich glaze of light gray tint, crackled by a reticulation of dark lines, and is coated underneath with the same crackled glaze. The foot-rim shows a pale iron-gray paste. Height, 3 inches. No. 124.

Water-Pot {Shui CJi'eng), of ancient Chun Yao of the Sung dynasty (960-1279). Of solid dense structure, it has an archaic

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 845

dragon roughly modeled in bold relief on one side so as to lift its liead above tlie rim. The rich crackled glaze is of the pale-blue shade known as clair de lane {t/ueh jjcit). It is stained at one point with a characteristic patch of deep crimson, shaded with a purple border, whicli is seen on tlie left side of the illustration. The mark, deeply cut in tlie paste under the foot, is the numeral san (3), The foot-rim shows a fabric of reddish-gray stoneware. Height, 2^ inches. No. 125.

Shallow Bowl [Hua Pen), modeled after the form of one of the ancient Chiin-chou bowls of the Sung dynasty, which were used for the cultivation of narcissus bulbs, and enameled to repro- duce the " pear-blossom red " (hai-Vang hung) of the period. It is circular in form, with a rounded lip of sixfold foliated outline and vertically ridged sides, and is mounted upon three scrolled feet. The glaze is a mottled red of the grand feu, derived from copper, exhibiting a pink ground flecked with darker purj)lish spots, and it becomes changed to apple-green on the ridges and more prominent parts. The bottom, coated with a grayish enamel, has six spur-marks round the rim, and the Jiumeral san (3) on one side, cut in the paste, and it is stamped in the middle with the seal Ta CWing Yitng cheng nien chih, " Made in the reign of Yung-cheng of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Diameter, 11 inches.

No. 126.

Club-shaped Vase {Pang-chih P''ing), one of a pair of tall vases of early ICang-hsi date, enameled with a crackled turquoise glaze of pure tone and uniformly bluish tint, over an artistic decoration previously molded and etched in the paste. This con- sists of scrolled sprays of peonies extending over the lower two- thirds of the body, succeeded by a band containing ogre-like fao'Vieh heads, displayed upon a spiral background; the shoulder is encircled by a chain of rectangular fret, and the neck by rings of formal scrolls. The foot is coated underneath with the same truite turquoise enamel. The highly decorative mounts are of European workmansliip of Louis XV date. Height, 27 inches.

No. 127.

Wine-Ewer {Chiu IIu), with a flowing cylindrical handle, an upright curving spout, and a bell-shaped cover surmounted by a knob. An earl}^ J{"'ang-hsl piece, it is decorated in panels of foliated outline, filled with formal trees, painted in deep blue, with

846 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

cross-hatched strokes in a style not common in Chinese art. The intervals are filled in with floral scrolls and scattered blossoms, and the rims are defined by chains of fret of varied pattern. Tiie metal mounting is of Oriental workmanship. Height, 13^ inches.

No. 128.

Broad-mouthed Vase {Hua Tsun), modeled in the form of an ancient sacrificial wine-vessel, with a liorizontally grooved body and four vertically projecting broken ribs; the two handles being fashioned in full openwork relief as alligatorlike dragons. It is invested with a crackled glaze of transmutation tj'^pe variegated with vertical splashes of grayisli purple and olive-green, in the same way as the square vase of similar type illustrated in Plate XXIII. In the bottom, which is only partially glazed, a coarse reddish paste is exposed. Height, 12^ inches. No. 129.

Vase [P'in(/), modeled in one of the graceful forms character- istic of the Yung-cheng period, and charmingly decorated on a pellucid white gi'ound in the delicate enamel colors of the time. A magnolia-tree spreads round the vase to cover it with sprays of snow-white blossoms and buds; a gayly plumaged bird is clinging to one of the branches, and bright butterflies are flying round. Tlie intervals are filled in with tree-peonies, branches of Ilihisctis rosa sinensis and of pink-blossomed Pyrus japonica. The swelling rim of the foot is scattered with peach-blossoms and small sprays of chrysanthemum. There is no mark under the foot. Height, 16| inches. No. 130.

Vase (P'^ing), with three lions projected in full openwork relief upon the shoulder, represented in pursuit of brocaded balls tied with fillets, which are executed in similar salient relief. 1'he lions are of the usual grotesque form, with gilded bodies, touched with 3^ellow, green, and purple enamels, outlined in dark brown. The ground of the vase is covered with close spiral curves pen- ciled in dull brownish red, and it has no claims to either beauty or antiquity. Height, 16^ inches. No, 131,

Wide-mouthed Vase (Ilua Tsun), enameled inside and outside with a crackled glaze of grayish-white tint mottled with pale- reddish spots, traversed by a well-mai-ked, deep network of dark lines. The bases of the neck and of tlie body are defined by rings uncovered by enamel and colored iron-gray, succeeded on the neck

DESCEIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 847

by another prominent ring round the .top of tl»e shoulder. The shoulder is studded with four handles executed in relief in " slip " as butterflies with suspended rings. The neck is surrounded by a band of the same iion-gray color, composed of a chain of inter- rupted rectangular fret between two formal scrolls, and the upright rim of the raouth is encircled by a single ring of conven- tional scrolls of the same pattern. The foot, colored iron-gray, is dotted at regular intervals with small buttons of gray enamel, as if to cover spur-marks. Height, 11 inches. No. 132.

Large Heavy Vase, of the Sang dynasty; exceedingly dense body and deep indented glaze of livid red, purple, and gray. Height, with mount, 14^ inches. No. 133.

SmaEitArchaic Vase, with coarsel}" crackled ivory-white glaze, crudely decorated in blue. No. 134.

Snuff-Bottles, (1) decorated in blue and white; (2) of white paste, modeled in high relief, and surmounted by the so-called dog Fo; (3) of Fen-ting white paste, with a perforated and reticulated design. No. 135.

Gourd-shaped Vase {Hu-lu P''hig), modeled in the shape of a large double gourd, with a branch of the same plant worked in salient undercut relief, spreading down from the top to cover the upper half of the vase with a reticulation of trailing vines bearing small gourds, leaves, and tendrils. The intervals of the leafy net- work are occupied by five flying bats — emblems of the five happi- nesses, the gourd itself being the emblem of long life, as the Taoist receptacle of the elixir vitcp. The vase is covered with a souffle monochrome glaze of pale azure-blue tint [fien-c/i^ing), while the bats and small gourds are touched with a mottled red derived from copper, wl)ich runs down to stain the surface of the vase in several spots. Height, 17 inches. No. 136.

Threefold-Gourd Vase (San JTu-ln P^ing), of composite form and three-lobed section, simulating three gourds tied together at the waists, so that tlie three bodies liave coalesced into one, while the necks remain distinct. The band with which they are girdled is worked in relief, and the ends tied together in a bow so as to hang down on one side. It is enameled with a transmutation ( Yao-pien) glaze of grayish crackled texture, darkening to mottled

848 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

crimson, and becoming purplish toward tlie edges, leaving the rim colorless, as well as the prominent parts of the ends of the ribbons. The foot is coated with the same grayish-white crackle. Height, 13| inches. No. 137.

Cup {Pel), of Cfi'ien-hmg date, pierced with a broad band of open- work carving composed of interlacing circles extending round the sides, interrupted by five solid medallions, on which are posed in salient undercut relief the figures of the star-god of longevity {Shoic Using) and of the eight immortals {Pa ITsien), grouped in pairs, holding their vai'ious attributes, with backgrounds of clouds. The figures are molded in hrown pate, and touched with colored enamels of dull tone, including white. A scroll of chrysanthemums is lightly worked round the foot in an opaque white of different tone from the lustrous white glaze underneath, and with which the rest of the cup is enameled. The foot is in white biscuit unglazed. The lining of the cup is of beaten silver, gilded. Dijtmeter, 3^ inches. No. 138.

Teapot ( CA'a Stt), one of a pair, artistically modeled in the form of a fully expanded lotus-blossom, the sides being molded with rings of petals, and the rim studded with the seeds that naturally project from the cuplike fruit in the middle. The handle is the bowed body of a dragon {chHh-lung) which is clinging to the bowl by its jaws and four feet as well as by its bifid tail. The spout is the hollowed bod}^ of an alligator rising with gaping mouth to form the lips. The bottom, which is unglazed, is carved to represent a lotus-leaf, and a second veined peltate leaf with its stalk attached forms the lid. It is enameled with a truite turquoise glaze of softly mottled tones, deepening into purple where it thickens, round the rim of the cover, for example. Height, 4 inches. No. 139.

Vase (P^ing), of thi-ee-lobed outline, with indented mouth, and a vertically grooved body of solid form, molded with the figures of three lions projecting in salient relief from the sides. It is enameled with a transmutation [yao-pieii) glaze of the ChHenlnng period, of a grayish pale-colored crackled grouiid, splashed with olive-brown and crimson patches of variegated mottled tints. The mouth, in- side, and the foot are coated with a light purple, the latter only partially, so as to expose a yellowish joa^e in the intervals. Height, 9f inches. No. 140.

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 849

Yuan Dynasty Bowl ( Yuan T'£%i Wan), composed of a coarse reddish-gray stoneware coated with a crackled glaze of pale purple tint, mottled with darker spots, and becoming brown at the edges. On the under side of the bowl the glaze has run down in a thick unctuous mass, so as to cover only part of the surface, stop})ing in an irregularly curved line, and leaving about a third of tiie side, as well as the foot, uncovered. Diameter, 6^ inches. No. 141.

Jar {Kuan), of ovoid form and archaic aspect, composed of a rough dark iron-gray stoneware, coated with a thick deeply crackled glaze of light stone-gray celadon tint. The upper rim is stained brown. It resembles the ancient jars so highly prized by the natives of Borneo and other islajids of the Eastern Archipelago, and is probably a production of the Kuangtung potteries {Kuang Yao), of the Sung or Yuan dynasty. Height, 5 inches. No. 142.

Miniature Tripod Censer [Hsiao Ting Lu), with two loop handles, invested inside and out with a gray crackled glaze of the same character as that described under No. 121. Height, 2 inches.

No. 143.

Broad-necked Vase [Hua Tsun), with mask handles fashioned in relief as lions' heads holding rings, enameled with a superficially and minutely crackled glaze of mottled tones, passing from pale translucid celadon to crimson and ruby tints. The glaze has " run," so that the lower part of the vase is densely coated and dark- colored while the upper rim and the prominent handles remain almost colorless. In the interior it has collected \wjlamhe drops of brightly mottled purple. The foot has been ground on the wheel to remove the superfluous enamel. The base is coated yellowish gray with a crackled network of brown lines. Height, 13 inches.

No. 144.

Vase [Ilua P^iug), of a ritual form inodeled after that of the Buddhist ddgaba illustrated in Fig. 349, decorated in brilliant enamel colors of early K^oig-hsi date, greens predominating, with a pure vermilion red, an orange yellow, a brownish purple, and touches of black, without gold or underglaze blue. The neck is enveloped in the coils of a four-clawed dragon pursuing an effulgent jewel among green clouds and red lightning-flames; its base is encircled by a diapered band inclosing medallions of lotus-flowers,

850 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

and the upper rim by rings of svastika pattern diaper and of cbrysantheraum brocade. The body of the vase has ornamental fret borders, a graceful chain of conventional lotus sprays below, and four shou, " longevity," characters emblazoned on the shoulder above, between the four circular panels with foliated rims, which form the main decoration. One of tliese panels contains fish tossed in tlie waves, with a large one rising from the water, exhaling red flames, as if about to be metamorphosed into a dragon. The opposite panel has an eagle of majestic aspect perched upon a rock on the seashore. The other two panels dis- pla}^ Taoist scenes. In one, two old men, seated on a rocky shore, are looking at a temple rising in tlie waves and a stork flying across carrying a tally of fate in its beak. In tlie other, one of the genii is bestriding the branch of a tree, which is taking the form of a dragon's head in front, his pilgrim's gourd and rolled scroll slung on a branch behind, as he crosses the sea in this strange craft. Height, 18J inches. No. 145.

Beaker-shaped Vase {^Hua Kti), of graceful form and finished technique, modeled in the lines of an ancient bronze sacrificial vessel, and coated all over, inside the month as well as outside and under the foot, with a bright j'^ellow glaze of uniform orange tone, the typical "imperial j^ellow " monochrome of the C JCien-limg period. Height, 8| inches. No. 146.

Vase {^P''in(/), of finished technique, dating from the Yung- cheng period,, enameled with a plain white glaze of pure translucent tone. A dragon of archaic t^^pe is projected in bold, undercut relief upon the shoulder of the vase, and colored with a bright-blue overglaze enamel of mottled tint derived from cobalt. Height, Sc- inches. No. 147.

Wine-Pot ( Chia Hu), of rustic form, decorated sur biscuit in the three colors of the demi- grand feu — viz., turquoise-blue, auber- gine-purple, and touches of pale green — all of finely crackled texture. It is roughly fashioned to simulate jointed bamboo, with branches of pine attached as handle and spout, from which sprays of foliage spread out to decorate the surface in relief. A sprig of bamboo surmounts the false cover, which is immovable, the wine being poured in through a hole in the bottom of the wine-pot, which is coated all round with the turquoise glaze. Height, 5 inches. No. 148.

DESCEIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTKATIONS. 851

Globular Bowl {Shul ClCeng), one of a pair, of lavender crackle, traversed by a network of brown lines. It is mounted upon a tall tripod stand of European work. Diameter, 4 inches.

No. 149.

Vase {PUtig), of the K^oig-hsi period, of graceful form and fine technique, artistically decorated with conventional floral designs, painted in red and gold with touches of pale green. The body is studded with live large blossoms of the idealized fl^owers known as pao hsiang hua, " flowers of paradise," connected by delicate wavy foliations. A gadroon border with beaded foliations surrounds the base, the shoulder is encircled by a band of brocaded pattern, and the rim of the mouth by a similar band, running round under the lip, which shows signs of gilding. A series of scrolled palraations springs up from the base of the neck, and it is ornamented above with strings of beads hung with tassels suspended from a ring of scroll fret. Height, IV inches. No. 150.

Water-Pot {Shui Ch^eng), for the writer's table, molded in the shape of a white univalve shell, and lightly tinted with pink and yellow enamels at the edges; the three feet are tiny shells, and a lizardlike dragon {ch^ lh-h(?ig) is coiled upon the top of the shell, executed in full undercut relief. Height, 2 inches. No. 151.

Vase {P^ing), one of a pair of tall bottle-shaped vases, with a monochrome ground of pale-green celadon tint, decorated in " slip " with flowers and birds in relief. The floral decoration is composed of blossoming prunus-trees, bamboos, chrysanthemums, and lotus- plants, naturalistically modeled, so that most of the flowers stand out in white relief, but some of the leaves and other details, and the birds which are perched upon the branches, are penciled in under- glaze cobalt-blue. The pedestal, flowing open handles, and other mounts are in European bronze work of ornate style. Height, with mounts, 2 feet 6 inches. No. 152.

Tea-Jar (CA'a Kuan), a typical specimen both in style and coloring of blue and white porcelain of the Ming dynasty. It is painted in brilliant blue, with the eight Taoist immortals {Fa Ilsien) crossing the sea in procession, holding up in their hands their peculiar attributes. The scrolled waves lift up crested tops in the intervals, and the clouds dip down in formal scrolls from above to form a kind of canopy for each figure. The borders are decorated

852 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

with eiicirclino- \)an(ls of coiiventioiiiil scrolls. Tlie mark, penciled

under the foot in blue, inclosed within a double ring, is Ta Ming

Wan-U fiieu chih, " Made in tlie reign of Wan-li (1573-1619) of

the Great Ming [dynasty]." Height, 0 inclies. No. 153,

Vase [P''ing), bottle-shaped, witli a projecting rim at tlie top, ami a globular body, from the upper part of which proceeds a short, solid mouthpiece. It is decorated with floral sprays of peony, lotus, jasmine, and aster, enameled in briglit colors, surrounded by scrolls of green leaves, and relieved by an intensely black ground. A band of white, lightly penciled in red with a triangular fret, separates the neck from the body. Tlie upper rim is mounted with metal, and the mouthpiece is fitted with a nozzle of Oriental work- manship. It was evidently decorated in China for the Moham- medan market, and has been subsequently mounted, perhaps in Persia, as part of a narghili. Height, 10| inches. No. 154.

DouBLE-Fisii Vase [Shuang Yil PHng), one of a ))air, with details molded in slight relief under a celadon monochrome glaze of typical sea-green tint. Mounted in ormolu of European work. Height, 6 inches. No. 155.

Tai-1. Club-shaped Vase {Ta Pang-chih PHng), elaborately decorated in enamel colors with a few touches of gilding in the style of the ICa/ig-hsi " famille verte." The body is decorated with a battle scene. The heroine of the tight is on horseback in front, clad in mailed costume, brandishing a sword in one hand, a spear in tlie other, and having a small babe wrapped in her girdle, out of whose head pi'octeeds a thin red line which unfolds above into clouds displaying the gilded form of a dragon. An uml)rella- shaped tent with imperial insignia in front is pitched on the hill- side, in the direction in which the commMiider-in chief is riding, surrounded by his staff cai'rying flags and banners. The neck of the vase is decorateil wiiii a picture of the " flveancients" (wulao), the diviniti(!s of the five ])lanets, examining a scroll with the i/in- yang dual svnibol inscribcil upon it, the surroundings being of Taoist character, with pines and stoi-ks, spotted deer, and rocks covered with SMcred fungus. The shoulder slope is tilled with a broad band of lotus scrolls traversed by dragons, interrupted by medal- lions containing lions sporting with brocaded balls. A Vnocaded band of plum-blossom su(^ceeds, and encircling rings of triangidar fret and of gadrooji pattern complete the decoration. Height, 30| inches. No. 156.

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 853

V^ASE [PHug), bottle-shaped, witli a swelling globular bodj-^ and two projecting rings on the neck, dating from the ICang-hsi period. It is enameled with a dark-brown cofFee-colored mono- chrome ground, interrupted by four circular medallions painted in dark underglaze blue with flowers, and by a ring round the slioulder with alternate lozenges and circles di8pla3'ed upon the white ground. Tlie mark under the foot is a palm-leaf penciled in blue. It is mounted with a chased bronze cover of Persian work. Height, with cover, 8^ inches. No. 157.

Threefold Gourd Vase {San Hu-la P''hig), with a vertically grooved body simulating three coalescent gourds with tlie necks distinct, so as to form three oiifices for the vase. It is one of a pair enameled with a finely crackled turquoise glaze of unusuall}'" deep tones, becoming almost black in the depths of the grooves and near the foot, which is unglazed at the base. They have been mounted in Europe with three-footed stands, tasseled cords tied round the waists, and covers inlaid with three disks of crackled turquoise porcelain, hung round witli festoons and tassels and sur- mounted b}'^ circular garlands of flowers. Height, without mounts, 8 inches. No. 158.

Celadon Vase [Lung -cJi' uan P^ing), of the Ming period, of whitisli paste coated with a rich unctuous-looking glaze of pale greenish tone. The decoration, which is worked in relief in the paste under the glaze, is in three horizontal bands defined by prominent rings. The lower band is vertically ribbed. The middle band has waving scrolls of chrj'^santhemunis under a ring of diamond pattern fret. The upper band contains ititerlacing sprays of the mountain peony. A spot of iridescent purple black is to be noticed on the shoulder, shaded with red clouds, starting from a slight pit in the glaze, and indicating the presence of iron in the materials. The base is enameled underneath with the same celadon glaze. Height, 17 inches. No. 159.

Tripod Censer [Ting Lu), with short cylindrical feet, and two spreading loop-handles of rope pattern, coated with a Lang Yao glaze of tlie K''ang-hsi period. The glaze, of the usual crackled texture, displays the characteristic sang - de-boeuf co\oYm^ in streaky mottled tones, passing in some parts of the surface into pale apple- green, wliile the rims and more prominent parts are nearly white. The stand and cover are of rosewood, carved in Cliina in a string-

854 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

net pattern, and mounted with a steatite knob. Height, 4^ inches; breadtii, 5 inches. No. 160.

Vase (P'm^), bottle-shaped, one of a pair, with wide-spreading necks, enameled with a monochrome coral-red glaze, penciled over with two floral scrolls in gold of arabesque-like design on the bodies and with light floral borders round the edges. They have been mounted in Persia with copper rims and covers, minutely chased all over with figures, hunting-scenes, ornamental bands, and panels containing birds and flowers. Height, 7| inches. No. 161.

Quadrangular Vase {Fang PHng), of oblong section, with rounded indented corners, molded with two handles fashioned as lions' heads suspending rings. There is a floral decoration on the front and back, incised in the paste, and inlaid with green and white enamels, the surrounding ground being a purplish brown of brilliant iridescent tints. The decoration consists of flowers grow- ing from rocks, a blossoming prunus with a twig of bamboo, on one side, chrysanthemums and grass, with a pair of butterflies flying, on the other. The mark, incised in the paste under the glaze in ai'chaic script, is Cheng-te nien chih — i. e., "Made in the period Cheng-te (1506-21)." It seems really, however, to be a reproduc- tion of the time of GKien-lung. Height, 7| inches. No. 162.

Vase [P''ing), of depressed ovoid form, with a short narrow neck widening into a flaring mouth with coarsely serrated rim. A five- clawed imperial dragon envelops the vase within its coils as it pur- sues the magic jewel, which is represented on one side as a disk emitting branching rays of effulgence, the intervals being filled in with the scrolled clouds in which the dragon is disporting. The details are modeled in relief in the paste, and finished with the graving-tool. The investing glaze is a minutel}^ crackled turquoise- blue of the CK Un-lung period, clouded with characteristic mottling of greenish tone, and becoming darker where it thickens. Round the foot, where it has " run " into a thick mass, it becomes deep crimson, affording a striking example of the manifold transforma- tions of the protean copper silicates under varied degrees of oxida- tion. Height, \^\ inches. No. 163.

Cylindrical Vase {Ilua T^nng), of the Wan-li period, deco- rated upon a white ground with enamel colors — red, green, yellow of brownish tone, and manganese-purple — without underglaze blue. The rim of the mouth is colored litrht brown: the shoulder and base

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 855

of tlie vase are encircled by bands of spiral fret penciled in red. The body is decorated with trees growing from behind an open rocker^', lit up by tlie yellow-brown disk of the sun, and filled in with a background of red trellis- work. A peach-tree is conspicuous with scarlet blossoms, and a clump of bamboo, with graceful green foliage; orchids and other flowers are blossoming at the foot, and a pair of birds is flying across above. The neck is covered with a diaper of foliated pattern, brocaded with branches of fruit and sprays of flowers. The base is unglazed, with the exception of a spot of white in the center. Height, 15 inches. No. 164.

Figure of a Cat [Mao Hsiang), naturally modeled in a grayish paste of light porous fabric, and enameled with a crackled gray glaze splashed with transmutation colors of bronzelike tones passing into olive-brown, to imitate tortoise-shell. Height, 7^ inches.

No. 165.

Small Wine-Pot (Chiu Hit), of rustic form, molded in the shape of a lotus capsule with striated sides and the seeds projecting all round at the top, and mounted upon three spiral feet; the flow- ing handle is a roughly tuberculated stalk, and the curved spout another, while a small folded leaf projects on either side as a decora- tion. The enamel colors, applied sur biscuit, are green and yellow. Height, 3 inches. No. 166.

Cylindrical Vase [Hua T''ung), decorated in colors of the Wan-li period, with floral arabesques, painted partly in underglaze blue, partly in emerald-green and vermilion enamels. The ground- work is a bold design of leaf scrolls studded with large blossoms like those of the wild rose, executed in blue, which is brocaded with small green leaves and filled in with a diaper pattern penciled in red. The light bands of scroll which encircle the rims are outlined in red upon aAvhite ground. The bottom is unglazed, only marked by concentric lines of the wheel. The vase is mounted with a collar and lid of copper, which is elaborately chased with bands containing figures of men, four-footed animals, and birds, and with floral and foliated designs of Persian work. Height, l^\ inches.

No. 167.

Cylindrical Ewer [Thing Hu), modeled in the form of a jointed tube of bamboo with a tiaralike projection at the top. The handle is a one-horned draijon with bowed back and bifid curlinor tail, and it is colored red with gilded details; the spout springs

856 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

from a lion's liead, and the cover is surmounted by tlie figure of a unicorn. Tlie surface is covered witli sprays of flowers and butter- flies of naturalistic design painted in enamels of the CKien-lurKj period. The flowers include separate sprays of the tree-peony, rose, hydrangea, lotus, peach-blossom, magnolia, chrysanthemum, lily, hibiscus, convolvulus, aster, orchid, and nandina berries. Height, 14| inclies. No. 168.

Club-shaped Vase {Pang-chih P''iny), of the K''ang-hsi period, decorated in blue and white with panels of varied form, inclosed in a soujffle ground of brilliant powder-blue. There are six pan- els on the body, of which the two below — square, with indented corners — are painted with landscapes; the two fan-shaped panels above contain peonies and chrysanthemums growing from rocks, and the other two — of rounded foliated outline — are filled with vases of flowers and peacock's feathers; censers, and the parapher- nalia of the scholar. There are two panels in the neck, shaped like leaves of the Ficus religiosa, one of which has a kingfisher inside perched upon a peony-branch; the other, incense-burning appa- ratus and a folding fan. The mark under the foot is a double ring penciled in blue. Height, 18 inches. No. 169.

Vase {Ilua PHng), of the ChHen-lung period, fashioned on an archaic bronze luodel, with decorations executed in relief and engraved in the paste, invested with a finely crackled turquoise glaze, which varies in tone according to the depth, so as to enhance the effect of the decoration underneath. This decoration consists of a broad band of peony scrolls round the body and a ring of upright palniations on the neck, completed by encircling bands of ornamental scroll and fret designs of varied pattern. The foot, only partially glazed, sliows a grayish-buff pate in the intervals. Height, 13| inches. No, 'iVO.

Vase {PHng), of the K^ang-hsi period, very brilliantly deco- rated in enamel colors, with rich borders of scroll and fret, floral brocade and conventional foliations. The two large panels on the body contain a grotesque lion sporting with a brocaded ball tied with waving fillets, and a unicorn [ch'i-lin) of orthodox traditional form with flames proceeding from its body; the panels are separated by vertical bands containing lozenge-shaped symbols of success {fang-sheng). The vase, slightly cut down, has been fitted with European bronze mounts. Height, 8| inches. No, 171.

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 857

Vase (P'm^), of the Fen Ting, or "soft paste" class, painted in soft-toned blue in characteristic style with fine and clearly defined strokes, under a soft-looking ivory-white glaze of crackled textui'e and undulatory surface. It is decorated witli nine gro- tesque lions: five grouped on the body of the vase, and four on the neck, supported on banks of scrolled clouds and enveloped in flames, disporting with brocaded balls tied witli waving fillets. The receding slope of the shoulder is encircled by a band of cloud scrolls, traversed by five flying bats, symbols of the five happi- nesses, and the foot has plum blossoms, the floral emblem of long life, scattered over a reticulated ground of mottled blue. The foot is crackled underneath; no mark. Height, 8f inches. No. 172.

Grotesque Unicokn Monster (7'm GhiXeh Shou), molded in porcelain of the Ming period, with a lionlike bod}'', having a horn, shaped like the horn of a rhinoceros, curving up from the middle of the forehead. The body, etched with a gi'aving-tool, is coated with a snow-white crackled glaze; the ears, beard, and flowing tail are overlaid with bright blue; the mane and spiral coils of hair are touclied with dark green. The interior, which is hollow, is par- tially lined with crackled glaze, showing a grayish paste in the intervals. Length, 6 inches. No. 173.

Small Vase {Hua PHng), of turquoise crackle of the Ming dynasty. It is molded of archaic design, with a ribbed body verti- cally grooved and a mouth with an eightfold foliated rim. Round the body and neck of the vase are coiled the forms of two three-clawed lizardlike dragons, modeled in complete undercut relief, in pursuit of the jewel-ball, which is attached in front mid- way between the heads of the monsters. The truite glaze changes from its pure turquoise tint to olive-gray in the thinner parts, and deepens into purple where it collects in thick drops. The foot is unglazed, showing a yellowish-gray ^^d/e. Height, 5| inches.

No. 174.

Beaker-shaped Vase {Hua Ivu), of crackled celadon, dating from early iti the 3iV/i_(7 dynasty, if not older. The flaring mouth has a rim alternately projected and indented as if formed of eight foliations, and the vase is marked with slight vertical ribs starting from the points of the foliations. The prominent band around the middle of the vase is etched with triangular lines and clouds show- ing Indistinctly under the thick glaze. The glaze, which spreads

858 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

over half of tlie interior of the vase, and also covers the base, is a celadon of green tint and lustrous aspect, crackled with a network of dark-brown lines, although inside and under the foot the reticu- lated lines are colorless. The foot-rini shows a pdte of reddish- yellow color. Height, 11 inches. No. 175.

Pilgrim Bottle {Pei-hu P'^ing), of the rounded form and oval section known also as Pao-yueh P''ing, from its resemblance to that of the full moon. Decorated in blue and maroon under the white glaze, with five-clawed imperial dragons rising from the sea into the clouds in pui'suit of the wish-granting jewel, which is dej)icted in the middle of the vase as an effulgent disk. There is a seal under the foot, penciled in the same underglaze cobalt-blue, with the inscription Ta Cfi'mg CK len-lxmg nien chih, " Made in the reign of Ch'ien-lung (1736-95) of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty].'^ Height, 12| inches. No. 176.

Vase {P''iiig),oi the coarser Ting-chou ware of the Ming period known as T^u Ting. The decorative designs are either molded in relief or etched at the point in the grayish-white paste, which is- coated with an ivory-white crackled glaze, become greenish in tone where it thickens. The neck swells above into a bulbous enlarge- ment, which is grooved like a bulb of garlic. A dragon of archaic design is coiled round in salient relief, pursuing a jewel among clouds. The bulging body is engraved with floral scrolls, a band of gadroon pattern runs round below and a band of spiral fret above, succeeded b}'^ a chain of rectangular fret etched round the shoulder. The foot is coated with the same soft-looking crackled glaze. The foot-rim shows a hard fabric, which can not be scratched by a steel point. Height, 13^ inches. No. 177.

Jar [Kuan), one of a pair, with bell-shaped covers, richly decorated in blue atid white of the ICanghsi period, and mounted in European work of the eighteenth century in the same style as the vase in Fig. 114. It is decorated with clumps of lotus inter- mingled with reeds, alternating with hanging branches of peonies and sprays of asters. Foliations of brocaded design spread upward and downward from the borders, which are encircled also with floral bands. The cover is painted with sprays of peony at the top,^ succeeded by a conventional floral border. The mark under the foot is a diamond-shaped symbol [fang-sheng), tied with a fillet^ inclosed in a double ring. Height, 17 inches. No. 178.

DESCKIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 859

Five Snuff-Bottles, of the reigns of Yitng-c/wuff a,nd ChHen- lung. No. 179.

Small Vase {Hsiao P''ing), of wliite Fen Ting porcelain, fash- ioned after an antique model, with a flaring bell-shaped mouth. The rims are lightly etched with scroll borders, and the vase is encircled with three foliated bands worked in slight relief in the paste. The glaze, of characteristically soft ivory-white tone, is not crackled, but has the undulatory pitted texture known as chu-pH wen, or "orange-peel marking." Height, 5^ inches. No. 180.

Vase [P^ing), of bulbous form, with vertical grooves, so as to be of six-lobed section, invested with a \noli\edi flambe glaze of dark brownish-crimson tint, flecked with lighter spots at the edges. The interior is coated with a gra3'ish, superficially crackled glaze, which also appears on the lip and more prominent points of the surface. The foot is enameled with a greenish, uncrackled glaze, and has no mark inscribed. Height, 13 inches. No. 181.

Beaker-shaped Vase (Una Ku), of the K''ang-]isi period, painted in colors — greens of diverse tone, brownish-yellow, ver- milion, and shaded purples, relieved b}'^ a black enameled ground. It is decorated in two divisions. The lower half is covered with blossoming prunus-trees witli white flowers and buds, and a bird perched on one of the branches, filled in with colored sprays of asters and grass and bunches of peaches and persimmons. The upper half has peach-trees with red and purplish flowers and peony shrubs with large shaded vermilion blossoms, mingled with the prunus, a Reeves' pheasant in the foreground on a rock, and other birds flying among the trees. The foot is enameled white, with no mark attached. Height, 18 inches. No. 182.

Large Vase i^Ta PHng), of the CKien-lung period, enameled with a monochrome glaze of greenish celadon tint, deepening in tone as it thickens in the recesses of the decoration, which is worked in relief in the paste underneath. This consists of a pa'ir of five-clawed imperial dragons, one just emerging from the scrolled waves, which surround the base of the vase, the other enveloping the body and neck within its scaly coils. Flames issue from the bodies of the monsters, the intervals are filled in with scrolled masses of clouds, and the jewel which they are pursuing is represented on one side as a disk emitting threefold branching rays of effulgence. The base, unglazed, shows a comparativeh^ coarse, yellowish paste. Height, 21^ inches. No. 183,

860 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

Jar {Kuan), painted in blue and white, of the K^ang-hsi period^ with a band of Amazons riding down a mountain valley toward a military encampment, the tents of which are seen over the liills in the distance. They have long pheasant-feathers stuck in their fur caps, and are carrying flags and banners, with spears slung on their backs; one has a drawn sword in each hand. The mark under the foot is a palm-leaf encircled by a wide double ring. Height, 9 inches. No. 184.

GouKD-SHAPED Vase [Hu-lu PHng), one of a pair, intricately fashioned with carved openwork casings and movable appendages, and riclily decorated in delicate enamel colors and gilding of the ChHen-lung period. Through the open trellis bands, inclosing foliated panels with svastika symbols, glimpses are caught of a solid cylindrical core painted with bats flying among clouds. Tlie waists are belted with movable rings, with two projecting scrolled handles, by which the rings can be made to revolve. The foot is enameled red underneath, with the seal, penciled in gold, inscribed Ta CkHng GKien-lung nien chih, " Made in the reign of Ch'ien- lung of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Height, 16^ inches.

No. 185.

• Small Teapot ( Ch'a Hu), carved in openwork designs, and richly decorated in enamel colors and gilding of Yung-cheng or early ChHert-lung date. The globular body, which represents a brocaded ball, is studded with four floral bosses with gilded, pierced centers, and has the intervals filled in with brocaded designs relieved by an enameled black ground. Two grotesque lions, colored pink {rose d*or), are crouching upon the ball, of which one forms the handle, while the other has a tube projecting from its back as the spout. The cover is crowned by a floral knob set in the middle of a gilded openwork boss, encircled by the same delicate floral scrolls as decorate the rim of the teapot. Height, 4J inches.

No. 186.

Vase (P^mg), of K''ang hsi blue and white. The long, grace- ful neck is decorated with floral scrolls, conventional bands of ornament, and palmated foliations. The body displays a pair of hexagonal vases with arrows inside, as well as in the tubular handles, which are mounted on tripod tables, alternating with two- pairs of lamps, each pair being suspended side by side with cords hung with tassels. The mark under the foot is a flower sprig. Height, 10| inches. No. 187.

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 861

Water Receptacle {l^^n-po Txxui), so called because it is modeled in the shape of the wine-jar {tsun) of the famous poet Li T'ai-po, enameled outside with a mottled " peach-bloom " glaze of reddish tone, variegated on one side with a cloud of apple-green. There is an etched decoration in the paste under the glaze in the form of three medallions of archaic dragon scrolls. The mark, written underneath in blue in large cliaracters, is Ta Cfi'lng K''ang-hsi nien chih, " Made in the reign of K'ang-hsi of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Diameter, 5^ inches. Bronze mount and stand. No. 188.

Vase {Hua Tsiin), of the CK'ien-hing period, modeled in the form of a bronze sacrificial wine-vessel, with the handles fashioned as elephants' heads, and the sides worked in relief and etched under the finely crackled turquoise glaze, which is of the usual mottled tone. The body is encircled by a broad band filled Avith lizardlike dragons holding scrolls of sacred fungus (ling-chili) in their mouths, the neck with a ring of conventional palmations, and the foot by a continuous chain in double outline of rectangular fret. The foot, partially glazed, sliows a white pate of fine texture. Height, 9 inches. No. 189.

Gourd-shaped Vase [Hu-lu PHug), of pale-colored Lang Yao of the K''ang-hsi period. The glaze, which is slightly crackled in parts, is of liver tint, thickly flecked with light spots, and it is of minutely pitted texture. The vase is enameled so as to leave a well-defined white rim round the mouth and at the base; the foot is coated with a pure white glaze underneath, with no mark in- scribed. Height, 16 inches. No. 190.

Vase {P''ing), of grayish crackle, executed in the %iy\e of the ancient Ilo Yao. The glaze, which runs in thick unctuous masses, is a gray celadon, traversed by a network of reddish-brown lines connected by more superficial colorless lines. It is stained brown, as if accidentalh% under the handles and ornamental i-ings. The two handles are fashioned in the form of lions' heads, surrounded by fringes of curled mane, and are perforated for rings. They are colored iron-gra}', like the three encircling bands of fret which are worked round the vase. The interior of the vase is created with the same gray crackle; the foot, unglazed, is stained a reddish brown. Height, 15 inches. No. 191.

Vasf {P''i7ig), of later CJCien-lung date, enameled with a finely crackled yellow monochrome ground of clouded tone. The dec-

862 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

oration, wliicli is molded in relief in the paste and finished by engraving, consists of a group of three lions sporting with a brocaded ball tied with waving fillets, and a single bat fl3'ing across the neck of the vase above; the enamel colors used comprise a bright green and purple, with a sparing addition of white. The base is coated with the same truite yellow enamel, with no niark inscribed. The fabric is peculiarly thin and light. Height, 12 inches. No. 192.

Statuette (Hsianff), of a mandarin of high rank, richly enameled in brilliant colors of the K''ang-hsi period, with smiling features of Chinese type, and flowing mustaches, painted black in openwork relief. The official robes with wide hanging sleeve are brocaded with four-clawed dragons on a pale-purple ground, and display the square insignia of the highest rank embroidered with storks behind as well as in front. Tlie girdle is set in ancient stjde, with oblong and circular plaques, which are executed in relief and colored " old gold," of tint different from the ox'dinary j^ellow derived from antimony, which is used on the brocade designs. The hat and the baton of rank, once held in the hands, are both lost. Height, \'l^ inches. No. 193.

Delicate and Graceful Vase {PHng), of the best K''ang-hsi period; pdte sur pdte modeling of cICi-lin amid surges in fine white beneath a beautiful translucent glaze, set off with clCi-lin in a strong peach-bloom tint. Height, with mounts, 9 inches.

No. 194.

Baluster Vase {Mei PHng), finely decorated in bright enamel colors of the best K''ang-lisi period, with two prominent handles pierced for rings fashioned in the form of grotesque lions' heads, and reserved in pure white " biscuit." It is decorated in horizontal bands separated by chains of rectangular and spiral fret ])enciled on purple grounds. The broad band round the middle has a pair of archaic dragons [clCih-lung) in the midst of graceful scrolls of lotus, relieved by an enameled black ground. A band of ])eony scrolls spreads round the foot displayed upon the same black ground, and sprays of peony wind round the shoulder of the vase with a bright-green background etched with a spiral pattern, A ring of palmations encircles the neck, filled in with black. The foot is enameled white underneath, with no mark inscribed. Height, \\\ inches. No. 195.

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 863

Lang Yao Vask i^Lang Yao P''ing). A small bottle-shaped vase with bulging body, displaying the same rich sang-de-boeuf coloring as the large vase which is illustrated in Plate LIX. 'J'he foot is coated underneath with a crackled apple-green glaze mottled with tints of olive. Height, 9 inches. No. 196.

Vase (Hua jP^i?ig), decorated in brilliant enamel colors of the ICang-hsi period. Formal rings of conventional palm-leaves spread upward and downward to ornament the neck and foot with scrolled foliations, of which four on the neck display the dual yin- yang symbol with black and gilded red segments. The body of the vase is covered above with lambrequins of floral brocade, exhibiting, in regular rotation, sprays of tlie emblematic flowers of the four seasons — the peony of spring, the lotus of summer, the chrysanthemum of autumn, and tlie prunus of winter — grouped with other flowers. The rest of the surface underneath is dec- orated with butterflies and with scattered sprays of peony and plum-blossom. The foot, enameled white, has no mark. Height, 16| inches. No. 197.

Box FOR Seal Vermilion ( Yin Se Ho), of circular shape, com- posed of two equal parts, of which one is the cover. It is coated with a typical " peach-bloom " glaze, having a light pinkish-red ground mottled with clouds of darker red, and passing into apple- green toward the middle. The mark, written in blue in orthodox style, is Ta GKing K''ang'hsi nien chih, "Made in the reign of K'ang-hsi of the Great Cli'ing [dynasty]." Diameter, 2|- inches.

No. 198.

Group of Snuff-Bottles, of the Khing-hsi period. No. 199.

Vase, of the K''ang-hsi period; imperial yellow glaze. Height, 11^ inches. No, 200.

Small Pilgrim Bottle {^Pei Hu P''ing), of the Iv^ang-hsi period, invested with a copper-red glaze of the " peach-bloom " type and coloring. It has two open flowing handles of wav}' out- line, and a dragon of archaic form (chHIi-lung) is worked in bold relief in a raedallionlike coil upon the shoulder both in front and behind. The rims are lightly mounted in metal. There is no mark under the foot. Height, 8 inches. No. 201.

Vase {Hua P''ing), of the "peach-bloom" class with foliated base, the neck of which has been cut, but mounted with gold and

864 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

silver in Japan in the lines of the original form. This is a com- panion piece to the vase whicli was illustrated in Plate LII, and the description will be found accompanying that plate. No. 202,

Double-Fish Vase {SJtiutng Yu FHng), modeled in the form of a pair of fish rising from waves, with their bodies blending into one, and their gaping mouths coalescing to make a single oval rim. Thej^ are enameled in soft coral-reds of graduated tone, over details etched in the paste; the waves at the foot are colored blue and green, and the eyes of the fish are touched with points of black enamel. ■ Height, 74 inches. No. 203.

Vase {Hxia PHng), of flattened ovoid form, with an oval mouth of four-lobed outline, the indentations of which are continued down the vase as far as the rim of the foot. It is coated with a lustrous glaze of crackled texture, which is of a pale-green celadon tone, thickly flecked with clouds of dull cherry-red; become more intense in the grooved parts, where the glaze is deepest. The inside of the mouth and the base of the vase are lined with a gray- green enamel of similar shade, flecked with red, but not crackled. It is a specimen of crackled apple-green [p'ing-kuo cJiHng) of the K''ang-hsi period. Height, 7f inches. No. 204.

Lang Yao Vase {P''ing), of form similar to the one illustrated in Plate LIX, showing the way in which the color is apt to "run," so as to be partially obliterated in the furnace. The upper half of the vase is a pale gray-green crackle with brown reticulations, only slightly tinged with pink, while the lower half displays all the rich sang-de-boett/ tones of color, shot with a dark speckled mottling. The two parts are separated by an irregularly undulating line, evidently of fortuitous origin. The base is coated with a typical apple-green crackled glaze slightly clouded over with olive tints. Height, 18 inches. No. 205.

Vase {PHng), of the K''ang-hsi period, of graceful form, coated with the mottled cobalt glaze known as " powder-blue " or " maza- rin-blue," and decorated over the blue glaze of the grand feu with sprays of large-blossomed chrysanthemum and bamboo painted in gold and fixed in the mufile. An inscription in ten characters, penciled in gold on the back of the vase, now half obliterated, is a stanza taken from an ode on the chrysanthemum. Height, 10 inches. No. 206.

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 865

Vase {P''ing), of tlie I'Cang-hsi period, of rare type and magnifi- cent coloring, Laving the decoration executed in cobalt-blue and copper-red of the grand feu, enha?iced by a sang-de-bceuf back- ground of tlie type of the Lang Yao monochrome vases of the time. The crackled ground exhibits the usual brilliantly mottled tones, passing from paler ruby shades into the deepest crimson. There is a floral decoration worked in relief in the paste, the shoulder is defined by a prominent ring, and the neck, which has, by the way, been cut at the top, is horizontally ribbed. On the front of the vase a lotus plant is modeled, growing naturally in water represented by crested waves; the large folded leaves, lifted upon rough tuberculated stalks, are painted in blue; the flowers and buds are shaded in wavy lines of red within blue outlines; a couple of swallows painted in blue complete the scene, one flying, the other perched upon a leaf-stalk. The foot is enameled white, with a tinge of green. No mark. Height, 14^ inches. No, 207.

Club-shaped Vase [Pcmg-chih P''ing), painted in brilliant col- ors with gilding of the ICang-hsl period. The panels of diverse form which decorate the vase are of powder-blue souffle ground, outlined and painted in gold. The panels on the neck display a mountain landscape and sprays of plum-blossom. The larger panels on the body contain a picture of a temple in the sea repre- senting the Taoist paradise, with a stork flying near, bringing a "rod of Fate" in its beak; a mountain scene with fishing-boats; a pair of fighting-cocks; and a pine scene with a couple of deer; the smaller panels show a flock of geese, an aquatic monster, and four sprays of flowers. The intervening ground is painted wuth chrysanthemum scrolls traversed by dragons {ch' Ih-lung) ; the neck, with butterflies and flowers on a pale-green background dotted with black, with phoenixes in clouds coiled in medallions, and storks penetrating the floral ground. The shoulder has a ring of floral brocade, interrupted by four foliated medallions, with pictures of fish and fishermen, flowers, and apparatus for chess and incense. Height, 18 inches. No, 208.

Small Vase [Hua PHng), with a one-horned three-clawed dragon modeled upon it in full undercut relief, coiling round the shoulder at the base of the long cylindi'ical neck. The ground of the vase is ? " peach-bloom " glaze of nearly uniform deep tint, except the slightly prominent rim, which is defined by a clear line of white. The dragon is enameled a bright apple-green of uniform

866 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

shade, contrasting vividly as a complementary color with the red backgrout)d. The mark, penciled beneatli the foot in underglaze blue, is Ta Cli'ing K^aiig hsi nien chih, " Made in the reign of K'aiig-hsi of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Height, 9 inches.

No. 209.

Wine-Cup {Chiu Pei), a little bowl-shaped cup of eggshell texture, with a gently expanded rim, which is defined by a line of white. The rest of the surface, both inside and outside, is invested with a mottled glaze of the characteristic " peacli-bloom " type, flecked with spots of darker, duller red, and variegated with clouds of apple-green tint, the latter being more marked near the base. The mark, penciled under the foot in cobalt-blue, encircled by a single ring, is Ta Ming Hsuante nie7i chih — i. e., "Made in tlie reign of Hsiian-te (1426-35) of the Great Ming [dynasty]," but the technique and peculiar st^de of coloring indicate rather the K'ang-hsi period (1662-1722). Height, If inch; diameter, 2| inches. No. 210.

Baluster shaped Vase [Mei P''ing), of the ICang-hsi period, enameled with a brilliant crackled glaze of emerald-green passing into olive at the edges, invested with a thick overglaze of peach- bloom red, irregularly mottling the green substratum with clouda of crushe<l-strawberry color. A lightlj'^ etched decoration in the paste underneath the glaze of a border of sea-waves round the foot of the vase, and two dragons mounting among clouds up the sides, is barely visible through the dense and variegated over- lying mantle. The middle of the foot, bounded by a broad rim of " biscuit," is marked with concentric lines of giayish-white crackle. Height, 6f inches. No. 211.

Triple Gourd-shaped Vase [IIu-lu PHug), of the ICang-hsi period, a companion piece to the tall vase which is illustrated in Plate LXI. Tiie middle section is enameled in colors upon a white ground with butterflies in the midst of sprays of flowers and leaves, defined above and below by rings of spiral and rectangular fret penciled in coral-red. The upper and lower sections are enameled with a black iridescent ground of " raven's-wing " hue, over designs executed in relief in the paste underneath; these designs represent on tlie upper part three lionlike monsters surrounded by flames of fire, on the lower part three lions of the ordinary gro- tesque type sporting with embroidered balls encircled by waving

DESCEIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 867

fillets. Traces of gilding can be detected on this vase. Height, 28 inclies. No. 212.

Set of Five Pieces ( Wu She), arranged as a Garniture de Cheminee, composed of thi-ee ovoid jars with covers, and two cj'lindrical beakers. The pieces are enameled with a monochrome ground of coffee-brown shade, leaving white reserves of varied form, scroll pictures, leaf-shaped panels, flowers, lambrequins and bands of floral brocade, and the like, which are decorated in bright enamel colors with gilding. The larger panels are filled with hill landscapes, with temples and pagodas; the flowers that fill the brocaded bands and stud the intervals include peonies, asters, and blossoms of the peach and plum. Height, 10^ and 11 inches.

No. 213.

Vase {Ilua PHng), of the K^ing-hsi period, with the body- enameled with a tziX-chin glaze of light yellowish-brown tint, and the neck decorated in blue and white with a band of diaper inclosing three medallions of flowers, succeeded by a ring of svastika pattern fret, and upright sprays of pinks. The mark, underneath the foot, is a double ring penciled in blue. Height, 8 inches. No. 214.

Vase [Hua PHng), of the K''ang-hsl period, of complex form and mixed decoration. The globular body has the lower half enameled with a tziX-chin {orbruni) glaze of cafe-au-lait color, which is succeeded by a ring of grayish-white crackle, and this by a band of floral sprays painted in blue. The upper part, which is shaped like a "beaker," poised upon the globe, is decorated in blue and white with pinks (dianthus) growing from rocks and with spraj's of daisies. No mark. Height, 7 inches. No. 215.

Bottle-shaped Vase {Ilua P''ing), of the K''ang-hsi period, enameled with a brown tztt-chin glaze of chocolate-color, and decorated over the glaze, in white slip, with two formal baskets of flowers on the bod3%and a conventional scroll round the upper rim, hung with beaded pendants. The foot is enameled white under- neath. Height, 101 inches. No. 216.

Wine-Pot {Chin Hu), molded in the shape of a peach, with a hole in the bottom for the introduction of the wine. The handle and curved sport are fashioned as small branches, which send off leafy twigs to decorate the surface on which they are worked in relief in the paste. The paste, which is gray in color, is invested with aubergine-purple and turquoise glazes of the clenii- grand feu.

868 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

mingling as they meet in brilliant intermediate tints. Height, 5^ inches. No. 217.

Miniature Flower-Vase [Flua Ch^a), of purest white porcelain of the K''ang-hsi period, chaiming in design and perfect in tech- nique. It is molded in the sliape of a flowering twig of the Magnolia yulan, lifting up a blossom, as white as the finest jade from which the flower takes its name, to form the vase, and but- tressed by two buds, which rise from the same twig as it winds round in openwork relief to form the support. The sepals of the flowers are delicately etched under the white glaze, which is rich and translucid. Height, 5 inches. No. 218.

Water Receptacle (Shut C/i'eiig), of eggshell. Fen 2\ng, porcelain, with uncrackled \vhite glaze of soft tone. It has two handles molded in open relief upon the sides of the bowl in the shape of a pair of archaic dragons {cWih-lung). Height, 2^ inches.

No. 219.

Vase [P''ing), of Ting- Yao porcelain, bottle-shaped, with de- pressed bulging body and long cylindrical neck. It is coated with a deep ivory-white glaze crackled throughout with brown lines, overspread with light clouds of buff tint partially investing the brown reticulation. The rim of the mouth is defined by a line of white. Height, 8 inches. No. 220.

Vase {PHng), of Ting- Yao porcelain of tall, graceful form, tapering gradually downward from the rounded shoulder. The rich glaze is minutely crackled throughout with brown lines of varying depth and color, invested with mottled buff tints clouding the surface. Height, 8| inches. No. 221.

Vase {P''ing), of delicate Fen- Ting fabric of the l-Cang-hsi period, invested with a soft-looking undulatory glaze of ivory- white tone, traversed by a few sparse lines of crackling. The molded decoration consists of a four-clawed dragon in relief, pur- suing a disk with dotted, "jeweled" surface and spiral center, enveloped in flaming raj'S. Height, 8|- inches. No. 222,

Miniature Vase for Divining-Rods {Shih-ts'ao PHng), of oblong quadrangular form and square section, with ribbed corners, and ridged sides studded with four central bosses which are carved in openwork as brandies of peaches. The paste, of Fen-Ting texture, is invested with a soft-looking crackled glaze of ivory- white tone. Height, 4 inches. No. 223,

I

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 869

Baluster Vase (Mei PHng), of the Fen-Ting or " soft paste " class, dating from the reign of K^ang-hsi. Of remarkabl}^ light weiglit, owing to the porous texture of the material, which is, in reality, very hard, it is invested with an undulatory glaze, pitted like the peel of an orange, with uncrackled surface, under which the decoration is penciled in pure soft-toned blue. The strokes of the brush are neatly defined in the way that is characteristic of this material, which differs from ordinar}-^ porcelain as vellum does from paper. The chaste decoration consists of three formal upright sprays of lotus, each composed of a single peltate leaf, an expanded blossom and a bud, with simple rings of rectangular fret round the shoulder and foot. Height, 13 inches. No. 224.

Small Vase {PHng), of graceful form and finished technique, decorated on each side with a five-clawed imperial dragon enveloped in flames, painted in maroon, the underglaze red of the grand feu, which is derived from copper. The mark, penciled underneath, in underglaze cobalt-blue of brilliant tint, is Ta ChHng K^ang-hsi nien chih, " Made in the reign of K'ang-hsi of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Height, 8^ inches. No. 225.

Vase i^PHng), of tall ovoid form, with the decoration molded in relief and painted in colors of the grand feu, blue, maroon, and celadon. Four-clawed, two-horned dragons are depicted on the obverse and reverse sides of the vase, rising from the waves of the sea, with brown bodies and blue manes, the jewels which they are pursuing in the air are shaded in brown, emitting spirally effulgent rays; and flames proceeding from the limbs of the monsters fill in the interstices. The rocks that rise out of the blue crested waves are painted in celadon. Tiie mark, penciled underneath in blue, within a double ring, is Ta ChHng K^ang-hsi nien chih, " Made in the reign of K'ang-hsi of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Height, 171 inches. No. 226.

Vase [PHng), decorated in underglaze blue, maroon, and cel- adon, all colors of the grand feu, with a combat between the tiger, king of land animals, and the dragon, prince of the powers of the air, Tlie tiger is standing in the foreground of a rocky landscape, with large pines rising in the background having their knotted trunk? painted in brown and the foliage in blue; the rocks are tinted celadon, and the clumps of Polyporus fungus growing on the rocks are outlined in maroon, pierced througli by blue blades of grass. The four-clawed dragon, of fierce aspect, is half hidden in

870 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

scrolled clouds, which roll round the vase, worked on in white " slip" in slight relief. The mark, penciled in blue within a double ring, is Ta CfC'mg K''ang-hsi nien chih, " Made in the reign of K'ang-hsi of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Height, 16f inches.

No. 227.

Club-shaped Vase {Phing-chih P''ing), of the IVang-hsi pe- riod, artistically decorated in brilliant enamels, with a touch or two of gold, without any underglaze blue. It is painted in panels of diverse form, the intervals being filled in with butterflies and floral sprays of lotus, peony, chrysanthemum, begonia, pink, and aster. The panels contain symbols of rank and honor with the apparatus of the liberal arts and other antiques (/>o k%C)\ grotesque monsters on rocks, with eagles flying in the air; storks on a pine, with peaches floating in the water beneath ; phoenixes under a dryandra-tree, peacocks with peonies, and warblers in a blossoming prunus-tree. The shoulder of the vase is encircled by a band of diaper with butterflies in medallions, and the neck has quatrefoil panels containing flowers and butterflies, separated by a spiral diaper traversed by lizardlike dragons {cKili-lung) of archaic design. Height, 17| inches. No. 228.

Vase {PHng), painted in underglaze red of maroon tint derived from copper, covered with a white glaze of harmonious translucent tone. The decoration consists of five horizontal bands of scrolled sea-waves, containing dragons and other grotesque monsters, and four bands of diaper of lozenge fret pattern, A fifth band of fret winds round the prominent lip of the vase, succeeded by two rings of formal foliations. A double white ring round the body breaks the monotony of the decoration and defines the shape. The mark, written under the foot in underglaze cobalt-blue, is Ta Ch'ing K^ang-hsi nien chih, "Made in the reign of K'ang-hsi (1662-1722) of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Height, 10| inches. No. 229.

Eggshell Plate {To-fai P''mi), enameled on the back round the border with a crimson {rogue d''or) ground, and decorated in front in brilliant enamel colors of the faraille rose, with gilding. The field is filled with a picture of the Dragon Festival annually celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth moon, with a dragon-boat being towed in procession, painted over the white glaze in sepia. This is framed by encircling bands of floral brocade, and the border of the plate is filled in with diapers of varied pattern inclosing panels of scroll ornament and formal flowers, all richly

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 871

painted in delicate enamels, among wliich pink (ro.se tror) pre- dominates. Diameter, 8 inches. No. 230.

CovEBED-BowL {^Kai Wan), of the K''ang-hsi period, with lions' heads as handles, an archaic dragon surmounting the cover, and Taoist figures molded in relief in the midst of scrolled clouds round the sides. It is an example of the class of ^an Ts'ai or "three colors," being enameled sur biscuit in yellow, green, and purple of grayish tone. The foot is unglazed. Diameter, 4 inches.

No. 231.

Cylindrical Vase ( T''un.g P''iag), of the K''aiig-hsi period, dec- orated in blue and white in the same style as the vase of similar shape illustrated in Figs. 268 and 35, which are enameled in colors. The decoration consists of horizontal bands, with alternate grounds of white and mottled blue. The central band contains archaic dragons {chHh-limg), with branches of sacred fungus; the other bands floral scrolls with felicitous symbols and brocaded panels, and the neck is encircled by stiff upright palm-leaves of formal design. Height, 11 inches. No. 232.

Censer {ITsiang Lu), of circular shape, bulging below, coated witli a finel}^ crackled glaze of ivory-white tone invested with cloud}"^ tints of buff. Carved rosewood stand and cover of Chinese work. Height, 4 inches; diameter, 8 inches. No. 233.

Vase-shaped Ewer (Ha PHng), with a flowing handle fash- ioned in the outline of a dragon, a tall overlapping cover, and no spout nor projecting lip. It is decorated in blue of the IVang- hsi period with foliated panels of floral brocade, connected by straps and links, and separated by diapered grounds, and the rims are encircled by light bands of triangular fret. The base is unglazed. Height, 11 inches. No. 234,

Plate {F^an-tzU), of ChHen-lung porcelain, coated with a celadon glaze of pale greenish tone, eiiameled over the glaze in opaque white derived from arsenic. In the field is a little garden scene with peonies, cockscombs, asters, and millet, and a cock crowing on a rockery, a favorite decoration of the time. The border is filled with a scroll of conventional flowers executed in the same white enamel. The rim is encircled b}^ a formal border pen- ciled in over^laze blue, and is colored iron-brown at the edge, with traces of gilding; on the inner slope of the border is a band of chrysanthemum scrolls painted in the same cobalt-blue. Diameter, 8| inches. No. 235.

872 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

Small Censer {Hsiang Lv), mounted upon four nianunillated feet, having an overlapping cover pierced in openwork with a trellis framework inclosing two svastika symbols. Coated with a thick stone-gray glaze of 7vc> Yao type crackled with brown lines. An ancient i)iece, with the interior of the cover deeply stained with incense-smoke. Height, 3 inches. No. 236.

Cylindrical Vases {PHng), a set of three, of the ICang-Jisi period, with diapered borders and rim bands of fret penciled in underglaze blue, inclosing panels of varied form, painted with flowers in brilliant enamel colors with gilding. The central vase has two large oblong panels on the body: the first containing a lotus growing with reeds having one large leaf of pale green splatched with black of purple iridescent tint and a smaller leaf tipped with overglaze blue; the other containing a spray of peony; the neck is decorated with a spray of poppies and a begonia with a grasshopper feeding on its leaves. The two side vases have small medallions inclosed in the diapered borders, displaying dragons and peonies at the top; fish, shells, censers, lions, and lilies down the sides; palm-leaves and musical stones bound with fillets at the bottom; the large panels are painted on one side with blossoming branches of prunus mingled with twigs of bamboo, on the other side with hanging branches of Hibiscus rasa si7iensis\ the necks are decorated with two small sprays of peony. The mounts are in European work of the eighteenth century. No marks underneath. Height, without mounts, 11 inches. No. 237.

Vase {P''ing), one of a pair of small bottle-shaped vases, enameled with a finely crackled turquoise glaze of the ICang-hsi period. They are elaborately mounted in gilded European bronze- work, with foliated covers surmounted by strawberries as knobs, garlands of flowers hanging in festoons round the rims and foliated pedestals. Height, with mounts, 8^ inches. No. 238.

Tall Beaker of J\"'ang-Jisl porcelain, decorated in the charac- teristic enamels of the period, showing a court interior, with a dancing-girl, accompanied by an orchestra, performing before the imperial circle. Height, 30 inches. No. 239.

Jar [Kuan), of tall ovoid form, with a rounded cover, artisti- cally decorated in polychrome enamels {^wu ts^ai) of the finest K^ang-hsi period. Lines of underglaze cobalt-blue define the rims, but the decoration is entirely executed in brilliant enamels.

DESCEIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 873

among wliich overglaze cobalt-blue is conspicuous. The jar dis- plays two duplicate pictures of family life, groups of ladies with slender, graceful figures, and children in courtj^ards filled with flowers and with various emblems of rank and culture. The cover is painted with vases, incense apparatus, propitious symbols, and parapliernalia of the liberal arts. Bands of floral sprays, with rings of formal diaper and foliated pattern, complete the decoration. The mark underneath is a double ring, penciled in underglaze blue. Height, 15 inches. No. 240.

Vase (P'uig) with a pedestal (tso), of decorated porcelain of the familU verte, dating from the reign of K''ang-]isl. Of similar style to those illustrated in Figs. 11 and 30, it is fluted and painted with the same floral designs in green, j^ellow, and manganese purple, with touches of black. Height, with stand, 8| inches. No. 241.

Club-shaped Vase {Pang-chih PHng), of the ly^aag-hsi pe- riod, covered with a souffle coral-red ground, interrupted by reserved medallions of varied form outlined in gold, and decorated in delicate enamel color. On the body are four panels, two of quatrefoil shape, two in the form of leaves of the sacred fig {Ficns religiosa), which are filled with flowers and butterflies; and on the neck three circular panels with butterflies. Round the shoulder is a band of diaper, enameled in green, inclosing medallions contain- ing insects. Height, 11 inches. No. 242.

Cup with Cover {Kai Wa^i), of crackled Fen-Ting ware, painted under tlie glaze in soft shades of cobalt-blue. The texture of the material is light and delicate; the glaze, of soft aspect and ivory-white tone, is traversed with a reticulation of brown lines. The decoration, consisting of pomegranates, spreads over the rims of both cup and cover into the interior. The under surface of the foot and the top of the cover rise in the middle into small pointed cones, in the traditional fashion of the teacups of the reign of Hsilan-tS. (1426—35), after which this one is modeled. No. 243.

Club-shaped Vase {Pang-chih PHng), of the K^ang-hsi pe- riod, displaying the sacred figures of the Taoist Triad painted in colors, with a rich gold-brocaded background of Mazarin blue. The gilded designs are scrolls of chrysanthemum, rings of spiral, and rectangular fret, of gadroon pattern, and of diaper with floral medallions, and the neck is studded with four large circular shou. (longevity) characters. Reserves having been left in the powder-

874 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

blue ground for the figures, tliey were first sketched in underglaze blue, and subsequently filled in with enamel colors of the muffle stove, bright green, coral-red, dark purple, and black. Height, 17 inclies. No. 244.

Vase (JP^ing), with a yellow-brown ground of the tzH-chin class, inclosing a number of panels raised in slight relief and painted in blue with various symbols. A large shou (longevit}') character is emblazoned on the front and back, interrupted by an oblong panel containing a fish, erect in the midst of waves, exhaling a slim dragon. The smaller panels on the neck contain peaches with the character shou inscribed upon them; and in the intervals on the body are small oblong panels displaying another form of the same ubiquitous character below, and round panels witl) Buddhist em- blems, the wheel of the law bound with a fillet and a pair of fish above. Height, 9 inches. No. 245,

Small Vase {Hsiao PHng), of white porcelain of the F^n-Ting tj'pe, of light loose material, invested with soft-looking, sparsely crackled glaze of somewhat grayish tone. Of hexagonal outline and section, with a spreading foot, the bulging shoulder is overlaid with two branching twigs of prunus-blossom {mei hua), modeled in full relief with openwork. Height, 6f inches. No. 246.

" Hawthorn " Bottle (3fei-hua PHng), a large, conspicuous vase of the K''ang-hsi period, with a rounded body gradually taper- ing in to a tall, slender neck, decorated with blossoming sprays of prunus {mei hua), displa3'ed in white reserve upon a brilliant back- ground of pulsating mottled blue, penciled with a reticulation of darker lines. The leafless branches spring from the base and wind round in ever}^ direction so as to cover the whole surface of the vase with a close floral investment of white flowers and buds, with the exception of a narrow band under the prominent white lip, which is lightly penciled in blue with a triangular fret. The foot is coated white underneath, with no mark. Height, 17 inches.

No. 247.

Rice-Bowl {FanWan) and Teacup {Ch'a Wan), of Kang-hsi blue and white porcelain with pierced openwork designs. The bowl has an outer casing of hexagonal trellis connecting four circular openwork medallions of floral designs. Through the trellis-work are seen four couples of Chinamen with fans, and ladies holding flowers, painted in blue. The interior is decorated with two boya playing in a garden, within a medallion, and a border of svastika

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 875

pattern tliaper interrupted b}^ four panels containing peaches. Tlie mark, in a double ring, is Ta Ming GJCeng-hua nien chih, *' Made in the reign of Cli'eng-hua of the Great Ming [dynasty]." Diameter, 6^ inches. The cup is pierced with a band comj)osed of interlacing circles interrupted by six solid medallions painted in blue with landscapes. To be used, it must have a thin lining of silver or other metal. The bottom is left en biscuit. Diameter, 4|- inches. No. 248.

Two Saucer-shaped Dishes {F^an-izii): (a) of semi-eggshell texture, enameled inside in brilliant colors with a floral decoration composed of a flowering-bulb of narcissus, a spra}^ of roses, and two branching stems of Polyporus lucidus, the variegated fungus of Taoist sacred lore. The mark written underneath, within a double ring, in cobalt-blue, in the style afl'ected b}' the private potters of the period, is Ta Cli'ing Yung-cheng nien chih, " Made in the reign of Yung-cheng of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Diameter, 8J- inches, {b) Of decorated ChHen-lung porcelain, designed after a well-known imperial pattern of the preceding reign of Yung-cheng. Branches of peaches spring from the circular rim which surrounds the foot and pass over the edge of the dish to ornament the interior with large fruit and pink flowers growing on the same twigs. This is the symbolical fruit of life, and is accompanied b}-^ the emblems of all kinds of happiness in the shape of five bats, which are painted in shades of red, three in the field of the saucer, two upon its outer border. There is a seal under- neath, inscribed in underglaze blue, Ta GhHng CKien-lung nien chih — i. e., " Made in the reign of Ch'ien-lung of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Diameter, 8l inches. No. 249.

Small Baluster Vase {Hsiao Mei PHng), of the Yung-cheng period, invested with a monochrome ground of rvxhy red tint {chi hung), derived from copper. This souffle glaze, strewn with little points, covers the whole surface with the exception of an irregular panel on one side, where it gradually fades into a nearly Avhite ground. The panel is painted with a picture of the Taoist immortal Tung Fang So, speeding over the clouds, carrying the branch of jieaches, which he has stolen from the tree of life in the paradise of the divinity HsiWang Mu, thrown across his shoulders. It is etched in sepia with touches of gold and a few points of light overglaze blue and crimson rouge d^or. The foot of the vase is enameled with an ornamental scroll, partly obliterated, penciled in black and gold. Height, 8 inches. No. 250.

876 DESCEIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

Vase {P''ing), of oval, melon-sliaped form and six-lobed outline, coated with a white glaze minutelj'^ crackled with a fine reticulation of dark lines, giving a general gray effect. The technique points to the Yung-cheng period (1723-35), but there is no mark inscribed. Height, 8| inches. No. 251.

Vase [Una PHng), of white porcelain of the Yung ching period, with a dragon coiled in undercut relief round the neck enameled crimson (rouge (V or). A few single peach-blossoms are painted in delicate colors on the rippled white surface of the vase, of which two, upon the shoulder, are seen in the illustration, two others are near the foot on the opposite side. The mark, which was inscribed underneath, has been ground away on the lathe. Height, 8^ inclies. No, 252.

Baluster Vase {Mei P^ing),* artistically decorated upon a translucent white ground of perfect tone, in brilliant enamel colors, with fruit and flowers. Branches, springing from the base on one side, spread upward in all directions over the vase, covering it with large pomegranates and peaches and bunches of yellow dragon's-eye fruit (Nephelium longan^ mingled with sprays of scarlet pomegranate-flowers and pink peach-blossom. The mark, written underneath in underglaze blue within a double ring, is Ta ChUng Yang-cheng nien chih, " Made in the reign of Yung- cheng (1723-35) of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Height, 13^ inches. No. 253.

Small Tea-Jar ( Ch'a Kuan), with lotus plants worked in relief round tlie base and round the top of the cover, painted in enamel colors with gilding. It is decorated with a picture of a two-storied temple, with gilded roof hung with gold bells, standing in the midst of sea-waves; swallows are flying in the air. The ornamental border above is composed of panels of gilded diaper alternating with wave scrolls penciled in black. Height, 5 inches. No. 254.

Small Tea-Jar ( Ch\i Kuan), with an openwork scroll round the foot, decorated in enamel colors with gilding. Sprat's of the tree- peony are painted on a white ground within two lotus-leaf-shaped

*The name Mei P'ing means " Plum Vase," this peculiar form being con- sidered to be most appropriate for the display of branches of blossoming prunus (mei ?iua) at the Xew- Year's festival. The imperial porcelain of the period, of which this piece is a striking example, represents, according to Chinese con- noisseurs, in the perfection of its technique and in the artistic style of its decoration, the highest achievement of their ceramic art.

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 877

panels of convoluted outline, surrounded by afield of floral brocade, composed of blue-leaved bamboo and overglaze white plum-blossom on a spiral black ground. This specimen and that shown in Fig. 254 are examples of the " India china " class, being parts of tea sets painted for exportation to Europe in the first half of the eighteenth centur}'. Height, 5 inches. No, 255.

Vase {P''ing), of white Fen-Ting porcelain, molded with a whorl of conventional palm-leaves round the shoulder, connected by eight ridges with foliations encircling the bulbous mouth. It is covered with a soft-looking, sparsely crackled glaze of slightl}^ grayish tone. Height, 6^ inches. No, 256.

Vase {PUng), of tall slender form, decorated, in enamel colors of the Yung-cheng period, with a picture of the Taoist goddess Hsi Wang Mu crossing the sea upon a gigantic lotus-petal, holding a branch of tlie sacred fungus of long life, accompanied by an attendant carrying a peach, with a basket full of flowers and Bud- dha's-hand citrons, on the frail craft beside her. In the back- ground is a temple standing in the sea, with a peach-tree laden with fruit close b}^; a stork is perched upon the roof, and its mate is flying across, carrying scrolls in its beak. The clouds, of roseate hue, are illumined by the vermilion disk of the sun. Height, 18^ inches. No, 257.

Small Vase [Hsiao PHng), covered over two thirds of its sur- face with a pale celadon glaze of clouded hue, and on the other third with an irregular cloud of brilliantly mottled red. Of the deepest sang-de-bceuf shade in the middle, the cloud becomes of pinkish tint toward the edges, and then gradually fades awa}^ into the celadon ground. It is evident!}' due to copper silicate soaking through the investing glaze under the solving influence of the fur- nace. The glaze is flecked throughout with a multitude of tiny bubbles, giving a charming effect, and suggesting the souffle appli- cation of the two colors. Height, 4 inches. No. 258.

Vase [PHng), of the Kang-hsi period, with a coral-red souffld ground of rharming color. A four-clawed dragon in pursuit of a jewel encircled by flaming ravs of effulgence is modeled in slight relief on the surface of the vase etched with the graving-tool, glazed and reserved in brilliant white. The rest of the ground is imbued with coral-red, shot with minute mottled flecks, and shad- ing off gradually into paler tints as it approaches the white relief

878 DESCRIl^TIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

modeling. A broad riiu round the foot underneath is left in white "biscuit," the middle is sunken and enameled white of greenish tone. Height, 8|- inches. No. 259.

Vase [P^hiff) of the ICang-hsi period, a magnificent specimen of the brilliant souffle glaze known as " powder-blue," the clear blue ground being flecked all over with darker spots. The rims are clearly defined by two lines of white. The foot is invested under- neath with a rough brownish-black coating, so as to leave an ovoid patch of the brilliantly white glaze in the middle, and another patch at the edge. Height, I7f inches. No. 260.

Vase {Hua PHng), of graceful form, decorated, in green and purple with touches of white, with peonies, chrysanthemums, and daisies, growing from rocks, and with butterflies flying in the intervals of the floral decoration. This is relieved by a minutely crackled ground of pure yellow color. The details of the designs are delicately etched in the paste with a graving-tool. The foot is coated underneath with the same truite yellow glaze with no mark attached. Height, 10 inches. No. 261.

Teapot ( Ch^a Hu), of " armorial china " decorated with gilded arabesque borders outlined in red, and with gilded floral sprays on the spout and handle, w^hile three sprays of flowers are painted on the cover in enamel colors. There is an identical armorial design on the front and back painted in enamels with gold of early ChHen- lung date. It consists of a fanciful coat-of-arms mingled with branches of flowers and having a bouquet in a vase standing upon a pedestal on one side. In the middle are two shields, accolles, with a gilded dual coronet above, beneath which is a red bearded face emerging between wings, and as supporters are two yellow eagles touched with red. Height, with cover, b\ inches. No. 262.

Double Vase {Shiimig PHng), formed, as it were, of two vases coalescing, the line of junction being indicated by a vertical groove. The shape resembles that of the ChHen-limg vase of the famille rose illustrated in Plate LXXVI, and, like that, it is intended to have a cover. It is a typical example of the Ku Yueh Ms "an class, decorated in bright, delicate enamel colors, rouge (Tor predominating, with Chinese copies of European pictures of minia- ture-like finish, and tiny landscapes of European scenery, inserted in framed panels, surrounded by floral scrolls and ornamental bor-

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 879

ders of purely Chinese style, executed in the same translucid colors. It once had a seal of four characters penciled underneath in black enamel, but the bottom of the vase has been broken, and onh-^ parts of the last two characters, nien chih, remain. The first two were, probabl}'^, ChHen-lung, indicating the date, 1736-95. Height, 5^ inches. No. 263.

Vase [ITiia PHng), of European style, molded with a pedestal overlaid with branches of fruit in solid relief, and with a delicate interlacement of wild-roses and other flowers filling in the hollows of the flowing bandlike handles. The faces of the vase are decorated in gold with scrolls of sea-waves below, and phoenixes with expanded wings and spreading tails above, and on the outer surface of the handles are centiped-like dragons witii winged insect heads of very un-Chinese aspect. The gilded decoiation is completed by a few light floral scrolls, and the edges of tlie handles, as well as the square rim of the mouth, are heavily gilded. Height, 11| inches. No. 264.

Small Vase {Hsiao P''ing), of white uncrackled Fen-Ting porcelain, w^ith a globular body, spreading foot, and swelling lip, and wide loop handles springing from the mouths of dragons. The body is delicately etched at the point in the paste, under the soft- looking ivory-white glaze, with the figures of two imperial five- clawed dragons disporting in clouds. Height, 6| inches. No. 265,

Water Receptacle [Shui CU'eng), in the shape of a small glol)ular bowl-like vase of perfect technique, with a small cir- cularly rimmed mouth, which is mounted with a silver ring. It is soberly decorated with two small sprays of peony rising from the base, penciled in underglaze red of maroon tint, the leaves of which, outlined and veined in the same red, are touched with bright-green enamel. The mark written underneath in blue, in the stj'le of the " peach-bloom " vases, is Ta GKing K''ang-hsi nien chih, " Made in the reign of K'ang-hsi of the Great C'hing [dy- nasty]." Height, 3^ inches. No. 266.

Vase i^PHng), of charming design and finished technique, enameled with a pellucid white glaze over a relief decoration deli- cately molded and etched in the paste underneath. Of quatrefoil section, the body of the vase is covered, in four large panels, with symmetrically arranged scrolls of idealistic flowers and bats; orna-

880 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

mental scrolls of conventional design encircle the upjjer and lower borders of the body and the rim of the mouth, continuous chains of rectangular fret run down the shoulder and foot, and a band of palmations extends midway up the neck. There is a seal etched in the paste under tl)e foot inscribed Ta ClCing ChHen-lung nien chih, " Made in the reign of Ch'ien-lung of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Height, 10 inches. No. 267.

Cylindrical Vase (T\iug PHng), of the K\ing-hsi period, richly decorated in brilliant enamel colors, one of a pair mounted in European work to form a set with the three vases of the same shape and size illustrated in Fig. 237. The body is decorated in four bands; the first and third contain formal flower scrolls dis- played upon a bright pale-green ground; the second has a pair of dragons in the midst of flames pursuing jewels with a coral-red background; tlie fourth is plain red, relieved by a linked chain of green winding round below. A band of hexagonal diaper at the foot, of flowers on a yellow ground round the shoulder, and a ring of palmations in green filled in with red on the neck, complete tlie decoration. The mark underneath is a double ring in underglaze blue. Height, 11 inches. No. 268.

Snuff-Bottle, decorated in blue and white, with peach-bloom dragon; mark, ChHen-hmg. No. 269.

Vase {PHng), of hexagonal section with two tubular handles, enameled with transmutation [yao-pien) colors of early CJi'ien-lung date. The groundwork, a crackled glaze, is invested with irregular splashes of green passing into olive-brown and mingled with pur- plish grays. Height, 7^ inches. No. 270.

Vase {PHng), of graceful form and very fine technique, dating from the GKien-hmg period, vertically grooved, with a bulbous body, and a long neck swelling into a bulb above under the circular lip. A dragon of archaic type is executed upon the shoulder of the vase in full undercut relief, with its long bifid tail coiling upward to encircle the neck. The dragon is enameled green, while the surface of the vase is coated with a monochrome-yellow enamel of soft tone, which also lines the foot. Height, 9 inches.

No. 271.

Bean-shaped Snuff-Bottle, with archaic Ic'i-lm in blue and green on yellow ground; K''ang-hsi period. No. 272.

1

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 881

Vase [Hua PHng), of the Ku Yueh Ilsiian class, molded of tlie characteristically short, very white, vitreous-looking paste, and crisply decorated in bright enamel colors of peculiar delicacy and finish. A pair of quails stand out prominently in the foreground, backed by an autumnal scene of trees with crimson-tinted leaves, marguerite daisies, and a rockery with roses. A pink scroll border worked in relief, succeeded by a blue fret, encircles the shoulder, and a gilded line defines the swelling lip. The couplet of verse which has suggested the motive for the little picture is inscribed on the reverse side of the vase. Height, 1 inches. No. 273.

Wine-Cup ( Chiu JPei), molded in the form of an ancient bronze libation-cup, and colored with enamels to imitate the surface of patinated bronze. The genre is known as kii thitig ts'ai — i. e., " archaic bronze coloring." The ground shade is olive-brown flecked with tea-green, which is penciled with gilded scrolls and encircling bands of fret, while the hollow parts of the designs, which are artificially roughened or pitted, are partially filled in with a grayish-blue enamel of mottled tint passing into green. The seal underneath, outlined in gold, is ChHen-lung nien chih, " Made in the reign of Ch'ien-lung." Length, 5 inches. No. 274.

Small Vase [Hsiao PHyig), of eggshell thinness and purest white color. It is encircled near the neck and foot by faint rings in the paste. There is no mark attached, but it must be a produc- tion of Ching-te-chen, dating from the Yung-cheng, or, perhaps, the early CKlen-lung period. Height, 6 inches. No. 275.

Small Vase (-Hsmo P'i>^^), a typical example of "soft porce- lain," so called, dating from the reign of K''ang-hsi. Light in weight, the body being of loose texture, it is invested with a white glaze of somewhat graN'ish tone and slightly undulatory surface, crackled {k^ ai-p' ioi) throughout. It is decorated under the glaze with a monstrous lionlike quadruped standing at the foot of a spreading pine, with a bat flying overhead, painted in blues of sub- dued tones; the flames which proceed from the shoulders and hips of the mons.er being tinged red, and its eyes lightly touched with rings of the same underglaze color, derived from copper. Height, 7 inches. No. 276.

Water Receptacle (Shici Ch^e/tg), oi o\oid form r(junding into a small circular mouth, above which is coiled in salient relief

882 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

a dragon {chih-lung) of arcliaic type. Tlie bowl is etched at the point with scrolls of lotus and peony under the white translucent glaze; the dragon is enameled reddish brown touched with gold. The seal, etched beneath the glaze in the paste underneath, is Ta (Jfi'ing Ch'ien-lung nien chih — i. e., " Made in the reign of Ch'ien-lung of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Height, 4^ inches.

No. 277.

Small Beakeb [Hsiao 2hun) , modeled after an ancient bronze form and design, with an archaic band of scroll round the middle, and vertical dentated ridges down the corners and sides. The haixlle is formed of a large lizardlike dragon {ch''}h-lung) in undercut relief, with four smaller ones wriggling over its body, and four others are crawling over the neck of the vase, which is enameled white, while the dragons are all painted in soft colors of the C/i'ien-lung period. Height, 4^ inches. No. 278.

Double Gourd-shaped Vase [Hu-lu PHng), decorated in poly- chrome enamel colors, shades of pink predominating, of the Cli'ien- lung period. The decoration is that commonly known by the name of Po Ilua, or " The Hundred Flowers," the ground being completely covered with a dense mass of floral sprays, presenting a huge bouquet, as it were, culled from the Chinese flora, naturally and artistically rendered. The neck, slightly cut, is mounted with a metal collar, round the foot is a band of formal foliations, painted in sliaded blue and green, relieved by a pink ground, between heavily gilded rims. The base, enameled like the inside of the mouth, pale green, has a red seal in a white reserve panel, inscribed in bold, well-written style, Ta Gfi'ing Ch'ien-lung nien chih, " Made in the reign of Ch'ien-lung of the Great Ch'ing [dy- nasty]." Height, 21 inches. No. 279.

Flovp-er-Pot {Hua P^en), of ChHen-lung porcelain, molded of rounded octagonal form, with a projecting lip, a perforated bottom, and four scrolled feet, and decorated outside with flowers and butterflies arranged in eight panels. The front panel in the illus- tration contains a picture of the three symbolical plants of long life — the pine, bamboo, and prunus; the panel on the left of this, flowering bulbs of narcissus and roses; the panel on the right, orchids with sprays of a red-foliaged plant and butterflies; the other five panels exhibit, in succession, the pomegranate and chrysanthemum, the Begonia discolor, the Hibiscus rosa sinensis.

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 883

the Dielytra spectabiUs, and the azure-tipped maiguerite daisy, the yellow jasmine, and scarlet fungus {Polyporus lucidus). Height, 9^ inches. No. 280.

Snuff-Bottle, with brilliant decoration on a deep-red ground; mark, C hHen-lu/ig. No. 281.

Eggshell Vase [To fal PHng), of the Ch'ien-lung period, decorated in soft enamel colors for gilding. It is overlaid with a close-set floral decoration consisting of chrysanthemums and hai- fang flowers and daisies, attached in salient relief, and painted in red, green, and gold. Two oval panels are reserved in intervals of tlie floral relief-work, and painted in delicate colors with scenes of domestic life, a party of ladies drinking wine out of tinj^ gilded cups, and a group in a garden looking at fighting-cocks. Light floral scrolls penciled in gold round the upper and lower rims com- plete the decoi'ation. Height, 8| inches. No. 282.

Vase [Ilua P^ing), of three-lobed outline, covered with an olive- green monochrome glaze thickly flecked with tiny spots of lighter green, the typical souffle glaze known as " tea-dust" {ch'a-yeh mo). Upon this as a background stands out a white branch of pome- granate, modeled in full undercut relief, with the fruit bursting open to show the seeds inside, and flowers and leaves naturalistically rendered. When this, as it winds round, leaves a small interval in the shoulder of the vase, a branch stem of the Polgporus lucidus is worked in, also enameled white. The foot is stamped underneath with the seal Ta ChH/ig GhHen-lung nien chih, " Made in the reign of Ch'ien-lung of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Height, 8 inches. No. 283.

Articulated Vase {Chieh P''iiig — chieh meaning joined or spliced), cut horizontally into two parts in a waved four-lobed line of foliated outline. Of old bronze form and design, the details are worked in relief in the paste, representing vaguely four monstrous ogre {Vao-fieh) faces, so much conventionalized as to form a broad band of ornamental scroll-work. The celadon glaze which covers the vase v;,ries from pea-green to lighter shades, according to its depth, so as to enhance the effect of the molded designs. The seal underneath, penciled in blue under the same celadon glaze, is Ta Ch'ing CKien-lnng nien chih — i. e., " Made in the reign of Ch'ien-lung of the Great Ch'ing [dynast}^]." Height, 6 inches.

No. 284.

884 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

Lace-work Vase {^T''ou-hva PHiig), of palest celadon porcelain of the reign of C Ji'ien-lun;/. The sides are pierced with a floral design representing conventional {)eonies in the midst of leafy scrolls, whicli is tilled in witli glaze so as to form a delicate "rice- grain " transparency, giving the effect of lacework. The vase, of almost eggshell thinness, is covered with a glaze of pale sea- green tone, while the borders, molded with bands of conventional ornament in slight relief, are picked out in white. Height, 7 inches. No. 285.

Snuff-Bottle; twin gourds, with decoration in brilliant enam- els on yellow ground; mark, G hHen-hmg. No. 286.

Eggshell Vase {To-Vai P''i)ig), richly decorated, in soft enamel colors and gilding of the Ch'ien-lung period, with illustrations of the different processes of sericulture. The pictures show in suc- cession tiie hatching of tlie eggs, the feeding of the silkworms in the different stages of their growth, as they are kept in open baskets on curtained bamboo shelves, the winding of the silk from the chr^^salids, and the weaving of the spun thread in hand-looms of complicated structure. Women and children carry on all the branches of work, boys are bringing in baskets of mulberry-leaves slung on their shoulders from the trees outside, and one is seated at the loom helping the women. The decoration of the vase is completed by light sprays of red and pink roses underneath the gilded rim. Height, 10^ inches. No. 287.

Six Snuff-Bottles {Pi Yen Hu), of various designs, chiefly of the Yung-cheng and GhHen-lung periods: 1. Decorated in enamel colors of the Yung-cheng period (288), 2. A royal blue double gourd (289). 3. Blue and white flower design on a brown crackled ground (290). 4. Perforated design in reticulated work upon a ground of broken sticks; dark-green glaze (291). 5. Intri- cate designs in high relief of lions chasing w^heels and fire emblems; ChHen-lung period (292), 6, A double bottle with a coral-red decoration, of the ChHen-lung period. Nos. 288-293.

RiCE-BowL {Fa7i Wan), decorated in colors with the symbolical plants of long life, the pine and sacred fungus, the bamboo and prunus. The painted decoration is identical inside and outside, and it has the foliage and flowers pierced through in parts and filled in with glaze in " rice-grain " fashion, so as to appear as

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 885

a ])arti;il transparency. The seal, penciled underneatli the under- glaze blue, is Ta ClCing Cliia-chHnfi nie)i cAi'A, " Made in the reign of Chia-ch'ing (1796-1820) of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]."

No. 294.

Melon-shaped Snuff-Bottle, with decoration of vines in blue and white; mark, Yung-chhig. No. 295.

Snuff-Bottle; celadon on modeled decoration; Ch^ien-lung period. No. 296.

Vase {P''ing), representing a modern attempt at reproduction of the celebrated Lang Yiao sang-de-hoeuf of the reign of K\ing- hsi. The crackled glaze exliibits brilliant tones of coloring, but it is somewhat thin in aspect, especially toward the top of the vase; at the bottom it has " run " and congealed, and a bare mark can be detected on one side where a thick drop has had to be removed on the lathe. No. 297.

Flower- Vase {Hua PHiig), of ovoid form, semi-eggshell tex- ture, and partially crackled undulatory glaze, decorated in delicate enamel colors with gilding of the ChHen-limg period. The two panels have the foliated rims modeled in relief in the paste, and the sprays of blossoming prunus, painted in red and gold, as well as the white swallows, are also worked in relief, so as to project from the intervening ground, which is filled in with dotted circles sketched in blue. The panels are painted with pictures of domestic life in the style of the so-called " Indian china" of the eighteentli century, which was mostl}"^ painted in the workshops of Canton for the European market. Height, 11|- inches. No. 298,

Vase (PHng), a t^^pical specimen of the soft-looking porcelain of the reign of K''ang-hsi, painted in blue under a crackled glaze of ivorN^-white tone, commonly known as chHng-Juia Fen Ting — i. e., "Fen-Ting porcelain painted in blue." The rim of the foot shows a paste of loose texture, but very hard, the bottom being covered with the same crackled glaze as the vase, which is very light in weight when compared with ordinary porcelain. The decoration, penciled in soft shades of blue, is a rocky landscape with a pair of grotesque lions sporting under the shade of a gnarled pine, through the branches of which the full moon is visible. Shrubs of prunus and bamboo are growing from the rocks, com-

886 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

pleting the vegetable trio of longevity, and a cou])le of bats are flyiiig together in the background as symbols of haj)()iness. Height, 15| inches. No. 299.

Two Snuff-Bottles of the ChHen-lung period: 1. Blue and white. 2. Modeled in high relief and decorated in brilliant colors.

Nos. 300, 301.

Censek {Hsiang Lii) of ivory-white Fuchien porcelain. It is modeled as a round basket with ))ierced openwork sides worked into sprays of peony, and has a band of bamboo as handles attached by floral studs. Under the bottom, which is unglazed, is a stamped seal in the form of a Chinese "cash " inclosing the sacred svastika symbol. Height, with pedestal, 5\ inches. No. 302.

Lion (Shih-tzti), of white Fuchien porcelain [Chien tz'ii), seated upon an oblong pedestal, with the right forefoot placed upon a ball with a cord attached to it, the other end of which the lion holds in his mouth. From the back of the stand a tube rises on the right to hold the stick of incense. There sliould always be a pair of these lions before the shrine, and tlie companion would have a cub in place of the brocaded ball. Height, 5 inches. No. 303.

Lustration Ewer [Ch'mg Shui Hu), of complicated form, intended for Buddiiist ritual use. It is richly decorated in colors of the K''anr/-hsi period, with diapers inclosing floral medallions and bands of conventional ornament, relieved by a tzi>.-chin g^vonndi of "old gold" tint. The monstrous head of a dragon projects from one side of the globular receptacle, modeled with for- midable rows of teeth and black mustaches curling upward, from which emerges the long curved spout, reminding one of the celestial dragons that officiated at the miraculous baptism of the infant Buddha. Height, 8 inches. No, 304.

Snuff-Bottle; gray crackle of the K''ang-hsi period; mark, Ch^eng-fma nien chih. ' No. 305.

Hanging Basket {Ilua Lan), with two hooks springing from the rim for the attachment of chains by which it is suspended to a crossbar, richly decorated in enamel colors of the A''Vm^-A.s'^ period. The sides are pierced in openwork and painted in yellow, green, and black to simulate wicker. Through the interstices of the open

A

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 887

casing the decoration of the c^^inder, which fits inside, appears; it is crisply painted in red with a scrolled ground of lotus-flowers and a border of spiral fret. Height, 9 inches. No. .306.

Basket [Una Lan,) of IC\ing-hsi porcelain decorated in enanud colors. The bowl, of depressed globular form, has an arched handle, strengthened by side pieces, springing from the shoulder, and a round cover surmounted by a lion as handle. The sides of the bowl are pierced in six panels of hexagonal trellis interrupted by chrysan- themum-flowers which are painted alternately red and pale purple, and the cover is pierced with a similar trellis-work. The handle is painted in black lines on a yellow ground to imitate basket-work. Foot glazed white underneath. Height, 5 inches. No. 307.

Pierced Globe fob Scented Flowers {Hsiang C'/i'iii), of light biscuit porcelain of the K''ang-hsi period, carved with trellis me- dallions inclosing floral designs of the peony and lotus inlaid with colors, including a brilliant green in combination with the usual enamels of the o\A famille rose. It has a tiny round cover on the top for the introduction of flowers, which are placed as a sacred offering before the domestic shrine. Diameter, 4 inches.

No. 308.

Rose- Water Sprinkler (Hsiang Shui J^^ing), one of a pair, of the reign of ICang-hsi, with powder-blue grounds, interrupted by three reserved medallions, quatrefoil, pomegranate and fan-shaped, which are filled with wild-flowers growing from rocks, penciled in shaded underglaze blue with white gi'ounds. Tipped with metal mounts. Height, 1^ inches. No. 309.

Miniature Vase (Hsiao P''ing), of Fuchien porcelain, with a bulbous mouth, and a dragon in salient relief, winding round the neck of the vase and projecting its head on one side. Ivory-white glaze. Height, 4| inches. No. 310.

Snuff-Bottle, with green and white dragon; mark, Tao-kuang,

No. 311,

Vase (P^ing), of the ChHen-lung period, decorated in blue and white in the ordinary way with a mountain landscape of temples and pavilions on the shore of a lake. This is covered with splashes of Jlambe glaze, laid on over the original white ground, so as nearly

888 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

to conceal the painted design under variegated clouds of purple, crimson, and olive-brown tints, the glaze becoming crackled in the thinner parts. The interior of the vase is coated with the same crackled and variegated enamel. Height, 15^ inches. No. 312.

Arrow Receptacle ( Chien Thing), of square section, mounted in a socket pedestal of the same material. A production of the finest Khmg-hsi period, it exhibits a combination of many of the methods of decoration that distinguished the porcelain of the time, such as openwork molding, pierced-work carving, and relief model- ing, all artisticalh' painted in richl}'^ varied designs, laid on over the white glaze in the brilliant enamel colors of the fullj'-equipped ceramic palette of the period. Height, 29 inches. No. 313.

Small Vase, with globular body and expanding mouth, intended for use as a hand spittoon {fan ho pHng). It is decorated over the white glaze, in two shades of coral-red, with a pair of five- clawed imperial dragons in the midst of flames and clouds pursuing jewels, with light bands of gadroon and spiral fret, and with a scroll of conventional flowers round the mouth. There is no mark underneath, but the technique and stj^le are those of the C hHen- lung period. Height, 3^ inches. No. 314.

Cylindrical Beaker {HuorT^ung), with flaring mouth, of laque hurgautee inlaid on porcelain, of the K''ang-hsi period. The dec- oration is a mountain landscape with temples, pagodas, and open pavilions, overlooking a lake upon which boats are sailing, a tall Avillow with drooping branches forming the background. The rims are encircled by light borders of diaper pattern inlaid in the same thin plaques of mother-of-pearl. Height, 11 inches.

No. 315.

Vase [PHng), of the IPang-hsi period, with a few encircling parallel rings lightly tooled in the paste, coated stir bisctnt with enamels of different colors, yellow, green, and olive-brown, above a white glaze of soft ivory tint. The paste is grayish. The eflfect, which somewhat resembles that of tortoise-shell, is known to the Chinese by the name of hu p'i toen, " tiger-spotted," Height, 84^ inches. No, 316,

Snuff-Bottle, with foliations in soft parts, white on dark-blue ground; C hHen-hmg period. No. 317,

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 889

Beakeb-shaped Vask of Hirado porcelain, with the decoration partl}'^ painted in shaded bhie, partly pierced and filled in with glaze so as to appear as a transparency. Height, 11| inches. No. 318.

Pierced Cup {T''ou-hua Wan), with the sides carved in open- work, with a broad band of svastika pattern connecting five solid medallions, upon which are attached, in full relief, figures of the longevity star god, Shou Using, and of the eight Taoist immortals, arranged in pairs. The figures are en biscuit, the clouds in the background are worked in slip, as well as the floral scrolls, which are carried round the rims of the cup over the white glaze which invests the rest of the surface. The foot is unglazed. Period, CKien-lung. Diameter, 3|- inches. No. 319.

Tazza-shaped Cup (Pa P^0> ^^ ^'^^ C hHen-hmg period, deco- rated in enamel colors on a white ground, with formal archaic designs, including six conventionally ornamented pendants hung with symbols round the bowl, and a ring of brocaded palmations ■encircling the stem. Height, 4|^ inches. No. 320.

Mug {Pei) of GhHen-lung " rice-grain " work, having the sides pierced with a broad central band of star pattern filled in with glaze, so as to be seen in transparency. The conventional bands of ornament that surround the rims and the flowers that stud the points of junction of the handle are penciled in underglaze cobalt- blue of grayish tone and picked out with gold. Height, 4f inches. No. 321.

Pierced Cup (T''ou-hua Wan) of delicate texture, dating from the GlCien-lung period, carved in openwork [a Jour) with a trellis pattern of intersecting circles, broken by five circular medallions of floral design, and with a narrow conventional border round the rim. The white glaze is of rich unctuous texture, and of the slightly greenish tone characteristic of Ciiing-te-chen. The foot is left en biscuit. Diameter, 3f inches. No. 322.

Gourd-shaped Yase [IIu-lu PHng), enameled with an irides- cent deep-br >wn glaze {fzu-chin yu) overlaid with a decoration, roughly executed in white slip, of sprays of conventional flowers springing from rocks. The neck is mounted with a copper rim, and the mouth is plugged with a corklike stopper of Persian metal- work chased with figures and birds. Height, 10 inches. No. 323.

890 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

Small Baluster Vask {Hsiao Mei I*^i?ig) enameled of a })ale sky-blue {fien-ch'ing) tint derived from cobalt, sparsely crackled with rare brown lines, having a spray of blossoming prunus worked upon it in sliglit relief and finished with the gravingtool. The foot, of the same blue tint underneath, is colored iron-gray round the rim. The neck, slightly chipped, is mounted with a copper rim. Height, 8 inches. No. 324.

Decorated Vase {Hua PHng), painted in delicate enamel col- ors with gilding of the Yung-cheng, or later JC^ang-hsi, period. The large characters outlined in brocaded strokes on the twa sides of the vase are shou, "longevity," andyw, "happiness." The character shou is interrupted by a peach-shaped medallion, con- taining a picture of the three stellar divinities, Fu, Lu, and Shou of the Taoist Triad, with attendant sprites. The character fUy on the opposite side, is interrupted by a circular medallion dis- playing a picture of the Taoist goddess, Hsi Wang Mu, crossing the sea on a raft. The intervals are filled in with colored cloud scrolls, above which a couple of storks are flying, bringing peaches. Height, 17 inches. No. 325.

LiBATiON-Cup {Chueh), of old brown " boccaro," of Yi-hsing- bsien. The paste is seen underneath in the unglazed part, indicat- ing the material to be a dark grayish-brown faience. The cup has an open handle invested in two branches of scrolled fungus and rests on three scroll feet. The molded decoration outside consists of floral scrolls and a quatrefoil border. It is enameled inside and out with a brownish-yellow crackled glaze, overlaid with irregular splashes of mottled purplish-gray color, partially concealing the yellow ground. Length, 4^ inches. No. 326.

Butterfly-shaped Snuff-Bottle; imperial yellow glaze.

No. 327.

Large Vase ( Ta PHng), decorated in brilliant enamel colors of early K\mg-hsi date, with the picture of a battle scene taken from the Ilsii, Shici IIu, a celebrated romance recounting the deeds of notorious brigands. The heroine, the " White Lady," who is riding a lion, and the principal generals mounted on horseback^ carry small flags with their names inscribed. Greens of different shade predominate among the colors; the dark cucumber-green^ the pale apple-green, and the purple exhibit the finely crackled

1

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRAllONS. 891

texture, cliai'acteristic of some of the splendid monochrome glazes of the period. Height, 30 inches. No. 328.

Libation-Cup ( ChiXeh), of the Kang-hsi period, painted in col- ors, with hieratic designs taken from ancient bronzes. The two lizardlike dragons modeled in full openwork relief under the broad lip of the cup are colored green, and there is another pair, colored blue, clinging to the sides of the bandlike handle. Short dentated ridges project vertically from the bowl, which is painted with the features of the Vao-Vieh ogre emerging from spiral clouds. The rim, both inside and outside, is surrounded by a band of dragons and sacred fungus, displayed upon a pale-green background dotted with black. Length, 4| inches. No. 329.

Snuff-Bottle; imperial yellow crackle. No. 330.

Snuff- Bottlk; blue and white with red dragon. No. 331.

Vase [Hua PHjig), of the finest porcelain of the Yung-cheng period, artistically painted in delicate colors upon a translucently white ground with flowers and birds. A yulan magnolia, spring- ing from the foot of the vase, spreads gracefully round to decorate it with snow-white flowers and buds, and beneath the tree are peonies, with pink and white blossoms, and roses, yellow and red. A flowering branch of Pyrus spectabilis [hai-fang) -with shaded pink flowers winds across the interval, having a small gayly plum- aged bird perched upon it, which is seen in the foreground, and the mate is flj'ing in the background. Tiie neck is strengthened by a European mounting designed as a trailing vine. Height, 8^ inches. No. 332.

Cylindrical Receptacle for Scented Flowers [Ilsiaiig Hua T''ung), adopted for offering blossoms of the mo-li hua {Jasminum samhac) or other fragrant flowers before the domestic shrine. Closed at the top, the bottom is perforated and shaped for a screw cover for the introduction of the flowers, and the sides are pierced in the intervals of the painted decoration, so that the fragrance may penetrate and be diffused. The group of figures on the sides represents the Taoist Triad, the three stellar divinities of happiness, rank, and longevity, and on the top is painted, in the same bright enamel colors of the ChHe7i-lung period, the Taoist immortal Tung Fang So, speeding over the clouds.

892 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

with a branch of peaches, the fruit of life, on his shoulder. Height, 6^ inches. No, 333,

Four Snuff-Bottles: 1. Blue and white; mark, Chien-lung (334). 2. With foliations in relief; mark, Tao-kuang nien chih (335). 3. With dark, lustrous-brown glaze over dark-blue deco- ration; Chien-lung period (336). 4. In the form of a bud, and covered with a yellow glaze (337). Nos. 334-337,

Beakee-shaped Vase {Haa Ku), of the K''ang-hsi period, artistically decorated, in bright enamel colors, with a pair of magpies in plumage of glossiest black, recalling the tint of the brilliant monochrome glaze of the period commonly known as " raven's-wing." The birds are perched upon rocks, with a prunus-tree in the background, which extends its blossoming branches in all directions to cover the rest of the surface of the vase with a charming floral decoration. The mark underneath is an antique form of the character fu, " happiness," in a small oblong panel, inclosed within a double circle. Height, 13|^ inches.

No. 338,

Eggshell Dish {To-Vai P''mi), painted in the delicate enamel colors, with gilding, of the famille rose. The diapered band encircling the rim is pink {rose cPor), the floral brocade which succeeds it is displayed upon a lilac diaper, and the convoluted edge of the central panel has the outline, which is that of a peony- petal folded over at intervals, penciled in gold. The graceful figures in the panel, upheld by light sprays of equisetum moss^ represent the fairy goddess, Hsi Wang Mu, with a Ju-i scepter,, and an attendant carrying a peach, painted in sepia tints lightly touched with gold. Diameter, 7f inches. No. 339,

Snuff-Bottle, in the shape of a gourd overgrown by a gourd- vine. No. 340,

Large Vase (Ta PHng). The opposite side of the piece illustrated in Fig. 328, showing the rest of the picture of the battle scene. The banner in the middle of the shoulder of the vase is that of the imperial army, being emblazoned Ta Sung, " The Great Sung," the name of the dynasty that reigned 960- 1279. The group on the neck of the vase represents the com- mander-in-chief with a flag inscribed with his rank, shuai.

I

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 893

surrounded by his staff; they are gazing upward on tlie god of war appearing on wheels of fire as an omen of victory. Height, 30 inches. No. 341.

Porcelain Pillow [Tzti Chen). One of the square ends of the pillow shown in Fig. 16, decorated with a scene from a comedy painted in overglaze enamel colors. The other end is painted with a companion picture, taken apparently from the same play. Diameter, 6 inches. No. 342.

Figure of Kuan Ti {Kuan Ti Hsimig), the Chinese god of war. Seated in a dragon-armed chair of carved wood, in a con- ventional attitude, with one foot raised upon a pile of rock, the other resting on a lion. The figure is decorated in antique style, sur biscuit, with minute and careful finish, in the rich enamel char- acteristic of the finest K^mg-hsi period, combined with lavish gilding to throw out the delicate pierced work of the coat-of-mail. Height, 11 inches. No. 343.

Snuff-Bottle, with soft enamel decoi'ation, of C h'' ien-lung pe- riod; mark, C h'eng-hua. No. 344.

Blue and White Snuff-Bottle. No. 345.

The Twin Genii of Peace and Harmony {Ho Ho Erh Hsien), decorated in bright enamel colors with gilding of the ChHen-hoig period. One carries in his hand a blossom and leaf of the sacred nelumbium, or lotus, the other holds a round box, full of precious gifts of happy omen. The pedestal simulates a bank of clouds, being worked with tiers of scrolls under the glaze of celadon tint with which it is enameled. Height, 12 inches. No. 346.

Snuff-Bottle, with Shou-Lao and a deer in brilliant enamels, on a sang-de-bceuf gronwdil Ch'ien-hoig period. No. 347.

Figure of Shou Lao {Shou Lao Hsiang), the Stellar God of Longevity. A small statuette of conventional design painted in enamel colors of the Tao-huang period. A peach, the symbolical " fruit of life," is held in one hand, and the robe is brocaded with longevity {skoxi) characters. Height, 8 inches. No. 348.

Relic Shrine, or Dagaba (7"a), richly decorated in enamel colors with gilding of the ChHen-lung period. The hollow dome

894 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

in the center, witli an open door, symbolizes the vault of heaven, and it is covered with arabesqiie-like scrolls of conventional " {)ara- dise flowers" (jpao hsiang hud). The spirelike suinniit is ringed to represent the twelve upper celestial tiers of the Buddhist universe; it is surmounted by a sacred umbrella, supporting in its top a pre- cious jar {jKio-p'ing) bound with fillets. Underneath it is enam- eled pale green, like some of the finest imperial vases of the time. Height, 16 inches. No. 349.

Blue and White Snuff-Bottle. No. 350.

Snuff-Bottle, covered with a dark, apple-green crackle; Khtng- As^ period. No. 351.

Oblong Plaque {^Gli'a PHng), mounted in a frame of carved wood with a stand as a screen picture. It is painted in colors, witli a representation of the eight Taoist immortals, or genii {pa hsien), crossing the sea in procession, on their wa}' to the Elysian Fields, the Shou Shan, or "Longevity Hills," of Taoist story, which are represented here as clad with fruit trees and gigantic evergreen pines. The enamels are those of the ordinary pi'ivate pottery of the CKien-lung period. Size, 18 X 11|^ inches.

No. 352.

Blue and White Snuff-Bottle; mark, CK' ten-lung .

No. 353.

Flower Receptacles {Ilua Cha), of white Fen-Ting porcelain of the K^ang-hsi period, delicately molded in the shape of a bunch of nelumbium bound round with a reed. The folded peltate leaf, with its naturally convoluted margin, forms the vase. The leaf- stalk curls round and is tied, as it extends upward, into a bundle with a fully expanded Hower, showing the cupped lotus fruit in the middle, a bud, and a smaller leaf; all modeled in natural detail with the aid of the graving-tool. The soft-looking glaze, of ivory-white tone, has an undulating pitted surface. Height, 6 inches.

No. 354.

Vase {Hua PHng), of brown Kuangtung stoneware {ICuang Yao), modeled in the form of an archaic ritual wine-vessel of bronze, with a string band in relief encircling the neck and oxen's lieads as handles. It is covered with a pale, greenish-blue glaze of crackled texture, which " runs " in thick drops. Height, 5 inches.

No. 355.

I

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 895

Saucer-siiapei) Plate (P'an-tzu), of eggshell porcelain of CK ien-luti g date, painted in enamel colors of tlie fandlle rose, witiiin panels and floral designs reserved in a richly enameled ground of mottled crimson tint. The large central panel is ])ainted with a picture of fighting-cocks and peonies displayed upon a partially unrolled scroll. Sprays of plum-blossom fill in the spaces above and below; and the border of the plate is decorated with small panel sketches of mountain and water scenery, alternating with sprigs of orchid. Diameter, 9 inches. No. 356.

" Hawthorn" Jar [Mei-IIua Kuan), of the K''ang-hsi period, with clumps of prunus-blossom, alternating with single flowers, studding the ground of mottled blue, which is traversed by a reticulation of darker blue lines. The flowers, originail}'^ reserved in white, have been filled in, subsequently, with bright green and brick-dust-red enamels, so as to form a kind of formal floral diaper of these two colors. Mark, double ring in underglaze blue. Heiglit, 8 inches. No. 357.

Wine-Pot {Chiu Ha), of the ICang-hsi period, with looped handle and cover, intended to be connected by a chain, enameled deep reddish brown of the "dead-leaf" type {tziX chin), and deco- rated over the brown monochrome glaze in enamel colors with gilding. It is painted, on the two sides, with the picture of a Taoist female divinity carrying a basket of the sacred longevity fungus [ling-chih) suspended by a stick, and the cover is overlaid with small sprays of flowers. Height, 6 inches. No. 358.

Bowl ( Wan), of the ICang-hsl period, having the interior painted in blue and white with chrysanthemum scrolls and with a floral border round the rim. The outside, originally a plain monochrome brown, has been pierced on the lathe with a broad band of flowers and birds in European style, executed, apparently, in Europe. Diameter, 6 inches. No. 359.

Teapot {Cli'a Hu), of the "armorial china" type, richly deco- rated in enamels of i\\Q famille rose class, with gilding. This deco- ratior consists of brocaded floral grounds and diapered bands inclosing foliated panels filled with sprays of chrysanthemum, peony, and other flowers. An oval panel reserved in the middle of the brocaded ground looks as if it were intended for a coat-of-

896 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

arms, but is filled instead with a formal flower, which is painted in black touched with gold. The tray, shown in Fig. 378, of the usual hexagonal form, with foliated and indented rim, is decorated with similar designs. No. 360.

Saucer-shaped Dish {P\m-tzii,), of eggshell texture, painted in bright enamel colors of the famille rose class with gilding. The decoration, of "armorial china" type, consists of floral bands and gilded diapers of Chinese style, inclosing emblems, partly European, partly Chinese, designed for the bridal service of the Dutch couple whose names and monograms are inscribed in gilded letters. Their miniature portraits have also been copied by the Chinese artist, whose work dates from about the middle of the eighteenth century. Diameter, 8 inches. , No. 361.

Teapot with Cup and Saucer ( CA'a Hu, Wan, Tieh), part of a service painted in enamel colors with Chinese designs for the European market, early in the seventeenth century. The foliated panels contain grotesque Ui-lln, on a floral brocaded ground, and the intervals are filled in with branches of prunus-blossom and bii'ds. The teapot has a band of floral diaper round the shoulder, and the cover is mounted with a floral knob. No. 362.

Bowl ( Wan), decorated in overglaze blue, red, and green enamels with a conventional floral ground studded at regular intervals with single blossoms. The formal borders of Indian style that encircle the rims are relieved by a ground of crackled yellow, the upper edge is gilded, and there is a rim of green round the foot. Bowls of this peculiar style have been attributed by some to Persia, by others to Hindustan, or to Siam; they would seem, however, to have been made in China for this last country after the native taste. Diameter, 7 inches. No. 363.

Plate ( P''an tzit), one of a pair, artistically decorated in soft colors of the farnille rose, with the backs enameled in deep pink {rose d'or) round the border. The interior is painted with a land- scape representing the Hsi Hu Lake at Hangchou. Temples are seen on the rocky islands, approached by bridges of varied form, small boats are sailing in the lake and another is being towed along the bank. A range of mountains, dimly outlined in pink, stretches across in the far distance. The border is filled in with a diapered

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 897

pattern on a pale-pink ground, interrupted by three foliated panels, which contain sprays of flowers and fruit, peonies and asters, peaches, pomegranates, and melons. Diameter, 8 inches. No. 364.

Receptacle for "Water {Shut (_'h'e/if/), of the faience called " boccaro," made at Yi-hsing-hsien. The paste of comparatively pale color, approaching buff, is coated with reddish-brown and purple-gray glazes, to imitate the tints of an autumnal leaf, in the shape of which the little dish is molded. The stand of carved ivory is mounted upon a second stand of rosewood. Length, 5 inches.

No. 365.

Gourd-shaped Vase {IIu-lu P''big), of the K\tng-hsi period, enameled with a monochrome celadon glaze of pure tone and pale- greenish shade. The decoration, which is beautifully executed in slight relief in the paste, touched with the graving-tool, consists of a close interlacement of waving scrolls of the tree peony {Pmonia moutan). The rim of the mouth is defined by a line of white glaze, and the interior is lined with white enamel, as well as the foot under- neath, where there is no mark inscribed. Height, IV^ inches.

No. 366.

Tall Beaker (Hua Kti), decorated in cobalt-blue of brilliant tints developed under the pure translucent glaze characteristic of the K''atig-hsi period. The surface of the vase is divided by a light horizontal band of triangular fret into two sections, which are decorated, with sprays of magnolia springing from rocks, so that the flowers stand out in snowy-white relief from a shaded back- ground of pulsating blue. The mark, written underneath in three columns of two characters, within a large double ring, is Ta ChHng ICang-hsi nien chih, "Made in the reign of K'ang-hsi (1662-1722) of the Great Ch'ing [dynasty]." Height, 20 inches. No. 367.

Cream-Jug [Nai Kuan), of the faniille rose class, with a cover surmounted by a knob, modeled in European form, as part of a tea- set, and decorated with enamel colors in the style of the rouge (for dishes. Foliated panels, containing spraj's of peony, hibiscus (China rose), jasmine, and other flowers, are inclosed in gilded gr'^und of diaper pattern. No. 368.

Vase {Hua PHng), of Kuangtung stoneware, with ring handles suspended on lions' heads. The opaque body of dark-brown paste

898 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

is covered with a thick, transhiceiit glaze of biiglit-green tint mottled with brown and becoming grayish blue at the edges. Height, 10^ inclies. No. 369.

Vase [PHng), of Kuangtnng stoneware, made of light but liard material, of brown color, with a pair of lizardlike dragons project- ing in openwork relief from the base of the neck. It is enameled with a translucent crackled glaze of rich emerald-green color, pass- ing into purplish gray toward the rim of the vase and over the more pron)inent parts of the molding. Height, 13|^ inches.

No. 370.

Censkr {Ilsiang Lu), of Fuchien porcelain, with a floral design composed of bamboos and peonies growing from rocks molded in relief under the tj'^pical ivor3'-white translucent glaze witli which it is invested. A circular seal, stamped under the foot, displays the inscription in ai*cliaic script, HsiXan-te nien chih, "Made in the reign of HsUan-te (1426-35)." Diameter, 8 inches. No. 371.

Vase {Hua P'itig), of Fuchien porcelain ( Ghien tz'tc). The neck is ornamented with a band of fret succeeded by a ring of triangu- lar foliations, and the body with four identical sprays of prunus modeled in relief, all worked in the ])aste uiuler the pure white glaze, which is of ivory-white tone. Height, 7^ inches. No. 372.

HooF-SHAPED Vase {3fa T^i PHng), of Fuchien porcelain, cov- ered with a molded decoration in relief, displaying the eight Bud- dhist symbols of good augury, enveloped in waving fillets and leafy scrolls. The white glaze of creamy tone has a slight bluish tinge. Height, 6^ inches. No. 373.

Water Receptacle (Shui C/i'Sng), of ancient Kuangtung fa- ience {ICuang Yao), modeled in the form of a bronze sacrificial wine-vessel. The paste, of buff color, is invested with a celadon glaze of pale sea-green shade. Height, 2^ inclies; length, 6 inches.

No. 374.

Okimono, of Hirado ware; three Chinese boys rolling a snow- ball. No. 375.

Double Fish-Vase {Shuang Yii PHng), modeled in the form of a pair of fish springing upright from the waves, the bodies of

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 899

which have coalesced to make a single mouth for tlie joint vase. The dorsal fins project on either side as handles; the other fins, the scaly bodies, the eyes and other details, as well as a fringe of waves round the foot, are worked in the paste, as part of the decoration of the vase, and come out in varied shade through the celadon glaze of pale blue-green tint with which they are invested. The vases are mounted as jugs with stands in an appropriate setting of bul- rushes. Height, 10 inches. No. 3V6.

Vase {J*''ing), one of a pair, decorated with a pale-blue souffle ground, derived from cobalt, penciled in a darker shade of the same underglaze color, with a brocaded design of prunus-blossoms and triangles. Pedestals and stoppers in the form of crowns of Euro- pean work. Height, 4 inches. No. 377.

Small Tea-Tray {cfi'a pan), from the same set as the teapot shown in Fig. 360, painted in colors, with a similar crestlike badge in the middle. No. 378,

Gourd-shaped Vase {Hu-lu PHng), of the K\mg-hsi period, with the lower two thirds of the globular body covered with a glaze of cafe-au-lait color, succeeded by a girdle of grayish-white crackle, and a narrow band of blue and white diaper, the upper part being decorated in blue with flowers and lambrequins of floral bro- cade. European silver mounts. No mark. Height, 7 inches.

No. 379.

MiSHiMA Bowl, of dark stoneware, enameled with a white glaze with the incised designs filled in with encaustic black clay. See page 682.

Conical Archaic Bowl of Korean faience, of yellowish color stippled with darker spots. See p. 683. No. 380.

Shaped Dish, of "Old Japan " Imari ware, richly decorated in brilliant colors with gilding. See p. 675. No. 381.

Old Korean Bowl, with a lightly incised decoration under a buflf-tinted celadon glaze, sparsely and superficially crackled. See page 683. No. 382.

Temple Vase, of Takatori pottery, enameled with a crackled green glaze of mottled tint, decorated in slip in low relief with Buddhist figures. No. 383.

900 DESCEIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTEATIONS.

Ornament [Okiniono), of Hirado porcelain molded in the shape of a white colza turnip witli blue-tinted leaves, with a rat crouched upon the bulb. No. 384.

Vase, of Kyoto faience, with a grayish sparsely crackled glaze decorated in enamel colors and gilding with flowers and insects in the " Nishiki," or brocaded, style. No. 385.

Incense-Burner (ICoro), of Hirado blue and white porcelain, with a picture on the inner cylinder, seen througli the openwork trellis, of five children playing in a garden, under a pine-tree, which spreads over the pierced cover. See page 746. No. 386.

Censer {I^dro), of white Hirado porcelain, molded in the form of a grotesque unicorn lion, with a movable head as a lid, with the details modeled in relief in the paste and lightly chased under the glaze. No. 387.

Okimono, of white Hirado porcelain, with the figure of a Shojo, with smiling face and long hair sweeping the ground, standing beside a tripod wine-jar with a bamboo ladle in his hand. No. 388.

Incense-Burner {Koi'o), of Imari ware, fashioned in the shape of a cock perched upon a stump of wood and painted in enamel colors, black, brown, and red, with touches of gold and silver. Circa, 1700. No. 389.

Sake-Bottle of Okawaji ware, with a crackled celadon glaze. Fully described on page 742. , No. 390.

Small Censer [IToro), of Hirado porcelain, with a pierced outer trellised casing overspread with three sprays of chrysanthemum flowers modeled in slight relief. Silver openwork cover. No. 391.

Satsuma Figure of Chinese boy {Kara-ko), holding a jjalra-leaf fan, richly decorated in enamel colors and gilding. No. 392.

Sake-Bottle of Satsuma ware, decorated in soft enamel colors and gold with sprays of Paulonmia imperialis. Silver Kiku stopper. — Satsuma Vase, decorated in enamel colors with a selec- tion from the precious objects called Takaraniono described on page 758. No. 393.

DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 901

Chinese Lion {Kara Shishi), of Hirado porcelain of the eight- eentli century, with its left fore-foot upon an openwork ball of quatrefoil brocade pattern. The details are lightly etched under the white glaze, which is of pale greenish tone. No. 394.

Satsuma Figure of Hotel, the Monk of the Hempen Bag, painted in enamel colors and gold. See p. 757. No. 395.

Small Cylinder, with perforated side, of Hizen blue and white porcelain; mark of Shonsui. No. 396.

Vase, of Kyoto porcelain, decorated in rich enamel colors with gilding, with elaborate floral scrolls and panel pictures of Buddhist figures described on p. 733. No. 397.

Large Dish, of "Old Imari" ware, painted in underglaze blue in combination with enamels and gilding in the tj^pical chrysanthemo- peonienne style. See p. 740. No. 398.

Large Covered Jar, of " Old Imari " ware, decorated in colors and gold with pictures of outdoor scenes and brocaded bands with pierced trellis-work panels. No. 399.

Water-Pot, of Hizen porcelain molded in the shape of a fish- dragon, and painted in underglaze blue with touches of black enamel and gold. See page 741. No. 400.

Sake-Pot, of Hizen porcelain, decorated with dragons in the midst of flower-strewn waves, painted in dark green and other enamel colors. See page 741. No. 401.

Cake-Dish, of Hirado porcelain, painted in blue with a group of seven Chinese boys playing under a pine-tree. See page 744.

No. 402.

Hirado Censer, of pale celadon tint, with openwork cover and trellis casing displaying the badge of the Tokugawa house. See page 746. No. 403.

Figure of Buddha, standing upon a lotus pedestal modeled in Hirado porcelain, and painted in blue with touches of brown and black. See page 746. No. 404.

902 DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

Vase, of Hirado porcelain, decorated in tliree sections, the middle lightly chased with scrolls enameled white, the other two decorated in colors relieved by a russet-red ground. See page 747.

No. 405.

Small Jar of Satsuraa faience, with conventional floral sci'olls in enamel colors and gold. Old silver cover, a lotus-leaf. No. 406.

Satsuma Figure of Chinese boy, holding up a jewel, richly decorated in enamel colors and gilding. No. 407.

Satsuma Censer, fashioned as a bowl on a tripod stand pierced with three medallions and delicately painted in enamel colors and gold. See page 758. No. 408.

Tripod Censer with mask handles, of Kutani porcelain, deco- rated in enamel colors. Cover of lacquered metal. More details are given on page 764. No. 409.

Satsuma Censer, modeled in the shape of a court hat, with pierced work and painted decoration of floral scrolls. See page 759. No. 410.

Bowl, of Kutani porcelain, artistically decorated in brilliant enamels colors with sprays of iris painted upon a soft milk-white ground. See page 764. No. 411.

INDE

Note. — The references given below to the text of Oriental Ceramic Art refer to pages in this edition, while those referring to the Figures and Plates apply onlj' to the Illus- trated Edition published in ten sections.

A

Abbott Collection, 504

Ablution vessels of porcelain, 21

Accadian source of Chinese civiliza- tion, 25

Africa, 216; Chinese trade with, 605

After T'ang, 50

Agra sacked by the Mahrattas, 239

Aiclii, 730

Ai lien chen shang, 103

Airavata, 114

Ai yeh, 121

Alcantara, collection in Royal Palace of, 607

Alchemists, the three, 227; mediaeval, 116

Alcock, Sir Rutherford, 696

Alms-bowl, the sacred, 114, 123. 493; made of porcelain, 21

Altar-cups, 222; their proper colors, 225. 491

Altar of Earth, utensils for, 225

Altar of Heaven, 225, 491

Altar of Jupiter, 226

Altar of the Sun, 226

Amakusa, 743

Amaranthus, 415

Ama-Yaki, 703

Ameya Yeisei, 703

Amitabha, 588

Amoy, 298; a center of Kuang-yao manufacture, 632

Analys's of blue material, 437

Ancestral Temple at Peking, 490

Ancestral worship in China, 461

Ancient odes, 79

Anderson, William, 700 N^An hua, 268, 476 An hui, 180, 279, 392 Animals, Buddhist mythological, 590 An lung, 476 ./Annals of Fou-liang hsien, 178 Antimony ore, 264 Antiquaries in China. 356 Antiquities, Chinese, 648 ; works on,

648, 649 An-yei, 725, 753 Aoi, 764

Aoki Yasohachi, 732 Aoyama Koyemon, 732 Apple-green Lang-yao. 303 Arabesques, 257 Arabic in.scriptions, 216, 217 Arab trade with China, 23 Arbor-vitfp leaf, 261 Archaic characters, 45 Arhats, 470, 586 Arita, 34, 674, 712; kilns, 735. 737;

technical school at, 739; first jiottery

at, 674 Armorial china, 380, 381, 612 Arrow receptacles, 489, 502 Arsenic, 552 Arsenious acid, colors developed from,

529 Art, Chinese books on, 646 Artificer's Record, 641 Art of Japan, its chief exponents, 700 Artemisia-leaf, 121 Ashes used in the glaze, how prepared,

181, 427 Ashikaga Shoguns, 681 Asia under Mongol rule, 566

903

904

OEIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

Astrological figures, 561

Aubergine, 129, 146, 157-161

Aubergiue-purple, how applied, 315; of Yung-chgng period, 370

Augustus the Strong, 9, 35, 239

Avalokita, 588, 627

Avery Collection, 8

Awaji ware, 689

Awata ware, 688, 732, 750; how dis- tinguished from Satsuma, 689

Azure-blue, 340, 341

B

Babylonia (= Cairo), the Sultan of, 605 Bagdad, 10

Bai-kwa do Go Hei Sei, 699 , Bamboo, 117; a symbol of longevity, ' 597

Bamboo grove, the Seven Worthies of,

601 Bamboo tablets, 45 Bamboo tube and rods, 115 Banko-yaki, 688 Baragou Tumed, 95, 113 " Barbering " of porcelain, 620 Barbotine, 434 Barcelona, 149

Basins in Lung-cliing period, 238 Baskets of porcelain, perforated, 489 Bat, a rebus-device, 124; homonym of

happiness, 124 Batavia, a factory established at, 607 Batavian decoration, 502; wai"e, 314 Battersea enamels, 404 Battle-scenes, 570 Beads of porcelain, 505 Beakers (ku), 180 Belles-lettres, works relating to Chinese,

659 Bethlehem, 454 Bethnal Green Museum, 699 Bible of Taoism, 576 Bibliography of Chinese ceramics, 639-

669 Bibliotheque de V Enseignement des

Beaux-Arts, 700 Bibliotheque JSationale, 148 Bing, M. J., 700, 708

Bird, the three-legged solar, 109

Birds and flowers, 599

Birds paying court to the pha?nix, 600

Bishop, H. K., 175

Bizen-yaki, 687, 721

Bleu de roi, 266

Bleu fouette, 312

Black enamel, 552

Black glazes, 313, 440; copies of, in Yung-cheng period, 389; mineral* used for, 526

Black grounds of the grand feu, 543

Black, metallic, 313

Blanc-de-chine, 47, 97

Blowing on the glaze, 445

Blue, the leading color on porcelain, 436; the favorite Ming color, 258, 567; under the glaze, 675; selection of the material, 438; derived from cobalt, 312; of the grand feu, 541; Mohammedan, 193, 203, 216, 221 ■, porcelain, 226, 231, 232

Blue and white, 33, 34, 39, 82, 191, 194, 226, 232, 242, 243, 299, 322, 385, 525, 564, 687, 743; crackle, 320; pieces illustrated, Figs. 14, 17, 34, 39, 42, , 51, 54, 83, 90, 112, 114, 128, 135, 176, 178, 184, 187, 204, 226, 232, 234, 247, 248, 269, 290, 300, 331, 334, 345, 350, 353, 386, 396, Plates XLII, XLIX, CXII, CXIII; imported into Europe, "298

Board of Works, 295

Boccaro, 13, 1:^5, 219, 273, 374, 375, 635

Bodhidharma, 589, 627, 633; shown in Plate XLI

Bodhisat, 335, 586, 587

Bodhisattva, 747

Boku-heii, 751, 753

Boku-Shoki, 755

Boku-Sokuan, 755

Bonzes, 286, 587

Bonzesse, 703

Book of Changes, 108, 640

Book of History, 25, 601, 640

Book of Odes, 640

Book of Rites, 640

Borneo, 154, 188, 510

Boston Museum, 676, 678

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. — INDEX.

905

B5ttger, 610, 635

Bottle-gourd, 597

Boucher, Guillauine, 566

Bow decoration of Orieutal porcelain, 618

Bowls, 224, 225, 264; decorated in blue, 171; used for tea-drinking, 22; of Lung-ch'ing period, 236; of Chia- chiug period, 224, 225, 226, 227, 231, 232

Branches, the twelve, 52, 53

Brinkley, quoted or referred to, 34, 164, 676, 726

Briquettes, 334

British Museum, 8, 16, 216, 273, 280, 618, 682

Brocaded Avare, 208, 755, 756

Brocade patterns, list of ancient, 235- 236

Brocades, old silk used as decorative motive, 568

Broissia, Marquis de, 286

Bronguiart, M. Alexandre, 12, 13, 265, 324

Bronze, the chief material for artistic work in China, 560

Bronze articles, a penal offense to pos- sess, 174

Bronze sacrificial vessels, different kinds of, 489

Bronzes, Chinese works on, 648

Brown glaze, its varieties and many names, 314; its ingredients, 265

Brown porcelain, 226, 233

Browns of the grand feu, 540

Brush pots, or cylinders, 173, 489, etc.

Brush-washers, 124, 173

Bubbling, 446

Buddha, 227, 478; jade image of, 202; the coming, 587; signs on his foot, 111

Buddha's-hand citron, 141

Buddha's-head blue, 263, 439 /Buddha's heart, 114

Buddhism, 106; its introduction into China, 111, 584; its spread to Korea and Japan, 585: its influence on Chi- nese art, 565, 590; of Tibet, work on, 585

Buddhist bronze objects, 563

Buddhist literature, vastness of, 585

Buddhist, Messiah, 587, 627, 757; mythological animals, 590; sets of five, 492; symbols, 95, 106, 111, 112, 113, 114; trinity, 733

Bungo, Prince of, 750

Bunkwa, 761

Bunroku, 751

Bunsei, 733

Burghley House Collection, 237, 606

Burlington Fine Arts Club, 70, 94, 322, ^ 606

Burma, 148

Burning of the books, 46

Butsuami, 731

Byzantium, 454

C

Cafe-au-lait color, 314

Caillou transparent, 341

Cairo and Aleppo, 605

Caldrons with three liollow legs, 180

Calendar plant, 560

Calicut, 456

Cambula, 177, 190

Camellia-leaf green, 316

Canarv'-yellow, 131, 697

Canonical books, 640

Canon of Changes, 108

Canton, 280, 298, 456; visited by the Portuguese, 607

Canton ware, 374

Capital of the Tycoon, 696

Carmine, 526

Caruot, President, 680

"Cash," 10, 102, 123, 137

Cassia-tree, 110

Cassius, purple of, 528

Castanets, 115

Catalogue of Imperial Library at Pe- king, 640

Cathay, 566

Catty, its equivalent in pounds, 260

Celadon, the name explained, 148, 588, J40: imported into Europe, 298. 609; found in Africa. 148; colorable imita- tions of. 484; its ingredients, 264;

906

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

in the Yuan, 187; pieces illustrated, Figs. 7, 13, 26. 43, 44, 100, 107, 117, 119, 120, 142, 152, 155. 159, 175. 183, 204. 235, 284, 296, 366, 376, Plates VII, XV. XXXV, XXXVI, XXXVIII, XL, LXXXVI

Celadon de cuivre, 538

Celebrated porcelain of different dynas- ties, 132

Celebrated Writei's <nid Artids, Vyclo- pmdia o/, 134

Celestial Fox, the, 595

Censers, 139, 143, 144, 145, 168, 238. etc. ; used in tea ceremonies of Japan, 694

Ceramic art, appreciated in the T'ang, 21; its culminating period in China, 41; miscellaneous books regarding, 439; bibliography of, in Chinese, 639; of Japan. 685; its fundamental col- ors, 710; a general sketch of, 709

Ceramic art, History of the, b}' Jacque- mart, 39

Ceramic colors, 525-556

Ceramic industry of Japan, traditions regarding, 29; its principal centers, 706-722; fostered by the Dutch, 740

Ceramic literature. Japanese. 701

Ceramic records, abstract of, 662

Ceramics, Chinese works on, 639-669

Ceramic terms, Japanese, 686

Ceramic wares of Japan, the principal, 723; how classed, 687

Ceremonial classic, 15

Ceylon, blue and white discovered in, 239

Ch'a, 92, 222; chuug, 186, 205, 224; hu, 219

CKa Ching, 21, 656

Chaffers, W., 51

Chai, 79

Ch'ai porcelain, 24, 133, 138, 172

Cha-ire, 702

Chaityas, 590

Ch'ai yao, 127

Chajin, 703

Chakra, 111

Chakravartin (universal sovereign), 95

Chakravartti llaja. 111, 113

Chaldea, 562

ClCa-lu (history of tea), 170, 626, 655

Chamberlain, Professor, quoted, 31

Champleve, 455, 636

Chan (spade) 115; (wine-cup), 200, 224,

306 Chang, 509; (entrails), 112; (prosperity),

85; (the potter), 154; (the twelve), 109 Ch'ang-an (capital of Shensi), 277 Chang brothers. 147 Chang Chao-lin, 294, 301 Ch'ang Ch'i, 178 Chan ching chai chih, 80 Chang Ch'i-chuug, 41 Chang Ch'ien-tg, 497 Chang-chou, 218, 635 Chang Chui-chang, 140 Ch'ang Ch'un Kung, 81 Changes, Book (or Canon) of, 108, 640 Chang Hua-mei, 260 Ch'ang ku ch'i, 40 Chang Kuo, 115 Chang Kuo Lao, 581 Ch'ang ming fu kuei, 96 Ch'ang-nan-ch6n, 278 Ch'ang-ngo, The lady, 595 Chang River, 101, 190. 278 Chang-shan, 261, 461 Chang Sheng erh, " Chang Secundus,"

147 Chang Sheng-yi, 147 Chang Ssu-ming, 295 Chang-te-fu, 164 Ch'ang wu chih, 172 Chang Yin-huan Collection, 16 Cha-no-yu, 705, 752; first utensils used,

726; in Japan, 681; its influence on

Japanese pottery, 692 Chao-ch'ing fu, 375 Chao K'ai, god of the potters, 462 Chao-t'ien (" worship of heaven"), 180 Ch'a p'an, 478 Ch'a-pei, 141, 204, 215 Chapu, 624 Ch'a P'u, 656

Charles VII, King of France, 606 Cha tou (" slop-dishes"), 226, 238 Cha-tsubo, 757

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

907

Cliatlra (" umbrella '), 112

Ciiavannes, M., 559

Ch'a-yeli-mo, 417

Cliawan Kiubei, 732

Chawan-saka, 731

Cli6 (= Chekiang), 179, 181, 439; -liao, 439

Chekiang, 22, 133, 436, 624

Ciielsea color-painting on Oriental por- celain, 618

Chelsea, soft porcelain of, 320

Chemistry unknown in ("hina, 525

Chgn (gem), 102

Ch'gn (dynasty), 277; (ancient feudal state), 14

Chgn Chih, " paper-weights," 168

Ch'gn Chi-ju, 170

Ch'On-chou Fu, 14

Ch'6ng Chun-fang (a noted ink-maker), 660

ChSngHo, 11, 142

Ch'gng-hua, 40, 50, 67, 68, 77, 133, 135, 191, 192, 193, 206-213, 220, 298, 299, 301, 323, 436, 484; blue and white, copied in Yung-chgng period, 385; marks on K'ang-hsi porcelain, 609; porcelain, 206; five-color porcelain, copied in Yung-chgng period, 378

Ch'gng hua nien chih, 68

GlCtncj sliih mo ymm, 660

Cheng-te (emperor), 33, 68, 135, 216, 217, 256, 378; porcelain, 216-220, 378

Chgng te nien chih, 217, 218

Chgn-ting-fu, 144; its porcelain, 178

Ch6n ting hsiian chih, 87

Chen Tsung, 65

Cheng-t'ung, 64, 206

Chen wan, 101

Ch^n yii, 101

Chi (good fortune), 100

Chia (wine-vessel), 146

Chia-ch'ang, 50

Chia-ching, 45. 66, 69, 92, 191, 193, 200, 220, 222, 223, 234, 256, 262-266, 271, 322, 323, 436, 450; designs, 223, 224. 225. 226; copies of, 385; iiorcelain, 220-234

Chia-ch'ing, 74, 80, 84. 86, 129, 464,

465, 466; porcelain, 466; pieces illus- trated. Figs. 8, 80, 294, etc.

Chia-ch'ing (azure put in press), 350

Chia-cli'ing yii chih, 76

Chia-ho, 134

Chia-hsing-fu, 132

Chia k'uan (private marks), 103

Chiang (= Kiangnau), 179

Chiang Ch'i, 662

Chiang-hsi T'nmi Chih, 3, 309, 392; its different editions, 367. 613

Chiang-t'ai (paste-bodied), 320

Chiang fang, 92, 222

Chiang-tou Hung (Haricot red or peach-bloom), 6, 37, 308

Chiang-ts'uu, 208

Ch'iang-wei, the Rosa indica, 599

Chiang-yu (= Kiangsi), 399

Chiao (watered or pale), 381

Cbiao ch'ing, 267

Chiao huang, 289

Chiao shih p'ing, 195

Chiao teng, 161

Chiao tzu, 382

Chia-tzu, 53, 55

Chia Wu, 55

Chia yii. 277

Chi chen ju yii, 101

Chi ch'i, 225

Chi ch'ing, 85, 481, 526

Chi ch'ing yu yii, 125

Chi-chou, 127, 162, 509

Chicken-cups, 76, 208

Chicken-red, 372

Chicken's-claw, 448

Ch'ieh p'i tzu, 315, 370

Chieh-t'ien, 181

Ch'ieh tzii, 129, 161

Chien (sword). 115

Ch'ien ("cash"). 120; (heaven), 98

Chien-an, 163. 164, 170

Chien-chang-fu, 183

Chien-chou, 127, 162, 163, 172, 184

Cliien elm kuan, 253

Ch'ien fen, 264, 266

Chien-k'aug, 277

Ch'ien k'un ch'ing tai, 237, 247

Ch'ien-lung, 3, 45-50, (55, 71, 74,76, 77, 80-93, 115, 125, 128, 130, 270, 280,

908

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

295, 296, 317, 328, 359, 391-419, 420, 458, 463, 473, 478; some specialties of the period, 410; its fen-ting ware, 318; its flower decorations, 415; its openwork carving, 269; pieces illus- trated, Figs. 13, 27, 31,36, 50, 55, 61, 62, 65, 76, 79, 87, 90, 100. 108, 112, 118, 146, 163, 168, 170, 176, 179, 183, 185, 186, 189, 191, 249, 263, 267, 269, 270, 271, 273, 274, 277, 279, 281-286, 292, 296, 300, 301, 314, 317, 320, 333, 334, 336, 844, 346, 347, 349, 353, 362, Plates XVI. XIX, XXII, XXVI, XXVII, XXIX, XXX, XXXI, XXXV, XXXVI, XXXVIII, XLIV-XLVI, LXIV, LXXVI- LXXVIII, LXXXI, LXXXVII, XCII

Cli'ien-lung uien clii, 401, 406

Ch'ien-lung yti chili, 76

Ch'ien Niu the cowherd, 468

Chien-niug-fu, 163. 626

Ch'ien-t'an, 423

Chien t'ao, 177

Chien-t'ung, 489, 502

Chieu tz'ii (Fuchien w^are), 164, 534, 626, 724; examples of. Figs. 371- 373, Plate XIII

Chien-yang hsien, 184, 626

Chien Yao, 38, 164, 627; Takemoto's I copies of, 698 '^ J Chih-cheng, 66, 566

Chih-chih, 178

Chih-ch'ui p'ing, 473

Chi-hsiang, 111

Chi hsiaug ju i, 100

Chill hsiu ts'ao fang, 85

Chih-luia, the Gardenia tiorida, 599

Chihli, 22, 130, 162, 257

Chih Nil, " the spinning damsel," 468

Chih pu tsu dud ts'ung shv, 606

Chih-tzii. 180

Chi Hung, 302, 371, 407, 472

Ch'ih-lung (dragon), j^n^sim, shown in Fig. 278

Chi kang. 76, 208

Chi-kuan, 599

Chikuzen, 753

Children in porcelain decoration, 602

Ch'i-lin, 594

Ch'i-men-hsien, 423

Ch'in (or Kin), 108

Chin, Prince of, 144

China, its administrative divisions, 642; not isolated, 565; Arab trade with, 23

China (porcelain), armorial, 611; ex- amples of. Figs. 52, 360, etc.

Chin ch'ing Yu, 266

Ch'in, Ch'i, Shu, Hua, 106, 121

Chin dynasty, 56, 133, 436, 624

Chinese art, 646; characters, 42, 43, 44; chronology, 25; civilization, 26; copies of old Iniari ware, 609; cycles, table of, 54; dictionaries, 641; dynasties, table of, 56-57; literary research, 24; encyclopaedias, 645, 647; intercourse with western Asia, 565; numerals, table of, 105; pronunciation, 45-46; provinces producing porcelain, 622; script, 45; syllabary, 44; works on geography, 643

Chinese-English dictionaries, 641

Chinese and Japanese ceramists con- trasted, 709

Chinese language, 42, 124; its translit- eration, 44; used in Japan, 687

Chinese Music, 109

Chinese porcelain, classification of, 127; decoration of, 557-603; Julien'sbook on, 701

Ching-ch'u period, 568

Ching-lien Hall, 84

Ching lien fang fangku chih, 84

Ching-lung period, 19

Ching Pao (Peking Gazette), 459

Ching ssii fang chih, 85

Ching-tai, 455, 566

Cbing-f ai, 64, 206

Ching te, 278, 287

Ching-t?-chen passim, its name, posi- tion, history, etc., 276-292; described by Pere d'Entrecolles, 283-286; its furnaces by Scherzer, 291, 292, etc.

Ching-U-cheii T'ao Lu, 2, 19, 172, 281; quoted, 294, 306, 362, 374, 397, 457, 460, 633; its contents, 668

Chiug-tih (same as Chgng-tg), 217

Ching wei fang chih, 80

II

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

909

Ching-yu, 355

Ch'ing (congratulations), 100; (good

fortune), 108; (a sounding-stone),

108; (pure) 293 •Ch'ing-Cli'uan, 287 Ch'ing d^'nasty, 57; table of rulers of,

58, 61, 62; marks, 70 Ch'ing fan (iron sulphate), 264, 266 Ch'ing hua liao, 263 Ch'ing hua (blue and white), 289 Ch'ing hua pai ti (blue decoration on

white ground), 322 Cli'ing kuo (a fruit), 348 Ch'ing-lien, 526

■Ch'ing pai tz'u (celadon porcelain), 284 Ch'ing pi ts'ang, 127, 133, 652 Ch'ing t'zu, 10, 147, 160, 686 Ch'ing Wan Hui, 653 Ch'ing yao, 271, 272 Chin-hua-fu, 436 Chin-Jukwan, 754 Chin-K'gng, 181 Chinkiang, 279 Chin ku (golden valley), 104 Chin lu (handkerchief boxes), 251 Chin lun (golden wheel), 113 Chin 111 yu. 266 Ch'i pao, 106, 113 Chin (kin) po (gold leaf), 264 Chin-sha, 211

Ch'in Shih Huang (emperor), 46, 287 Chinta-mani, 114 Ch'in ting ku chin t'ou sliu chi ch'eng,

646 Ch'in ting P'ei wen chai shu hua p' it,

647 Chin-Tokitsu, 754 Ch'in wang (imperial prince), 309 Chin Yung-chiin, 2'^9 Chiseled work, 39r, Ch'i tai (seven generations), 503 Chiu (wine). 92, 222 Chiu Chan, 185, 224 Chiu-chiang (Kiukiang), 190 Chiu chung (wine-cups), 225 Chiu-hai fang, 599 Chiu Hai (wine seas), 231, 248 Chiu hu (wine-pots), 185 Chiu pei, 210

Chiu p'ing (wine-flask), 165

Chiu shih t'ung chft, 321

Chiu tsun, 23

Chi yii pao ting chih slu'n, 101

Chi yu fang chih, 88

Cho cli'i (table services), 226, 235, 435,

443 Choji-buro, 695 Chojiro choyu, 704 Chokei, 704 Choniu, 704

Chopsticks of porcelain, 506 Chou dynasty, 14, 26, 50, 107, 127,

436 Chou Ch'i yuan, 262 Chou Kao-ch'i, 635 Chou Kung, 108 Chou Li, 640 Chou Mao-shou, 209 Chou Ritual, 15, 640 Chou Tan-ch'uan, 143, 274, 625 Chou (historiographer), 45, 215 Choyu, 703

Chronology, Chinese, 14, 25, 52, 53 Chuan (a brick), 43; (seal characters),

46,61; (complete), 102 Ch'uun Fu, 657

Ch'uan (= Ssu-ch'uan), 179. 180 Ch'iian-chow, 184, 188 Chuang-yuan, 100 Chuang yuan chi ti, 100 Ch'uan Hsin Ho, 201 Chuan IIsli, 56 Ch'u chou-fu, 147, 149 Chlieh (Iiorns). 121; libation-cups, 141,

218. 225 Chu Hsi-hsiao, 197 Chu hung (vermilion red), 161 Chui ch'i (engraved pieces), 268 Ch'ui ch'ing (souffle blue), 347 Chui-hua (engraved designs), 381 Ch'ui hung (souffle red). 340, 347 Chu Lin Ch'i Hsien, 601 Ch'un ch'iu, 641 Chun-chou, 168, 471; glazes, 370, 374;

porcelain, 131, 157, 160, 161, 172,

398. 515; potteries, 195 Chung (bell), 108, 112; (cups), 228, 306 Ch'ung-chen porcelain, 70, 258

910

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

Chung ku cli'i, 40

Chung-lioiruan,83, 115, 579

Chung-Tsung (emperor), 278

Chuu pai yu (pure white glaze), 267

Cliiin yao, 127, 136, 157, 159, Plate XCIV

ChQu-yu, 274, 289. 471, 518

Chii-p'i (orange-peel), 320, etc.

Chu P'ing. 168

Chu P'ing Chen, 114

Church at Ching-tg-chgn, 286

Chu Shan (Jewel Hill), 286

Chu shih chii, 103

Ch'li shun ]\Iei yi; fang chih, 88

Chu Sui, 19, 278

Chu t'ai, 241, 253

Chu Ts'ang Shen, 114

Chu tsun, 225

Chu Tz'u-pu (a physician), 213

Chu Yen (author of T'aoShuo), 1, 663

Chu Yi-tsun, 209

Cinnabar lac. Carved, 519; illustrated in Plate XXXVII

Citron, Buddha's-haud, 141

Clair de lune, 7, 72, 129, 137, 139, 161, 187, 297, 310, 360, 375, 408; crackle, 512; illustrated in Plate LI

Classification of Chinese porcelain, 39, 127

Cloisonne, a Byzantine art, 566, 730; flourished in Wan-li period, 259; blue glaze, 379; enamels, 76, 454

Clove-boilers, 695

Cobalt, 11; native ore of, 267

Cobalt-blue, 105, 194; the predomi- nating color, 440; introduced by the Arabs, 130; used in Hizen potteries, 674; failureof supply of, 216; decora- tion in, 234, 297; underglaze in K'ang-hsi, 326; pieces. Figs. 22, 41, 53, 93. 324. 367, Plates II, VIII, XVIII. LXII

" Cock-spurs," 673

Coffee-colored glaze, 313, 387, etc.

Collectors of Japanese wares, 723

Color-grinding described by T'ang Ying. 440

Colored enamels >ised on Hirado ware, 747

Colored glass factory at Peking, 404

Coloring materials used in decorating porcelain, 529

Colors, Chinese ceramic, 525-556; de- scribed by P6re d'Entrecolles, 340- 342; used in the Ming period, 262- 265; that resist lieat. 291. 324; in the K'ang-hsi period, 324; in the Yung- chSng period, 367-390; characteristic of Nien Yao, 360; used by the Dutch,^ 617; tlieir symbolism, 491

" Comb-teeth " texture, 742

Comfit-dishes, 507

('ommendation, marks of, 101

(Jomnion pottery of Japan, 687

Confucius, 227, 461, 478, 559

Confucianism, 106, 572

Confucian Temple, 45

Constantinople, 454, 456

" Copper celadon," 304

Copper-greens, 538

Copper-red, 226. 235, 371; during dif- ferent periods, 536; art of firing lost, 235; underglaze decoration in, 326; pieces. Figs. 15, 28, 144, 201, 225, 250

Copper silicate, 194

Coque d'ceuf, 447

Coral-red, 7, 48, 311; derived from iron, 511; examples of. Plates XXVI, XXVIII, LXVII; combined with gold, 328; example of, Plate XXVIII; of the Ming period, 266; of the Ch'ien- lung period, 408; illustrated in Plates XCII, XXVI; of the Yung-cheng period, 383; pieces. Figs. 4, 67. 96, 150, 161. 242, 259, 314

Couleurs de grand feu, 267, 324, 325; de demi-grand feu, 266, 324; de petit feu, 324

Counterfeits, fraudulent, 484

Crackled glaze (sui yu), 347, 350; how prepared, 510; produced at will, 410

Crackled ware of China, 36, 188, 409, 508, 510, 624, etc.; of Japan, 687

Crackle petuntse, 511

Crackling, 508; due to a physical cause, 509; originally accidental, 510

Cream-colored faience of Japan, 687

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

-INDEX.

911

Cream-colored glaze, 676 Cricket-fighting, 195, 489 Crusades, 605

" Crushed strawberr}'," 307 Cucumber-green, 295, 317; illustrated,

Plate LXXVIII Cups, various kinds of, 145, 208-209 Cycles of sixty years, 53; table of, 54 Cyclop!«dias, Chinese, 645 Cymbidium ensifolium, 415

D

Daishoji, 759, 761

DSgabas, 590; illustration of one, Fig. 349

Dana Coflection, 8, 16, 196, 680

Dark First Cause, 576

Date, Prince, 738

Dawn-red, 89

Dead-leaf, 131, 226, 265, 314, etc.

Deck, M., 441

Decorated porcelain classified, 324, 411

Decorated Satsuma, 755

Decoration, cobalt-bjue predominates, ^^\^^^yiAO: motives of, 557-603; in foreign " — style, 453^; in enamel colors, 270; in mixed colors, 326, 412; in sepia, 326, 328; in white slip, 416, 523; in ink- black. 884; in gold, 270; in gold and silver, 328; sur biscuit, 331; of differ- ent wares, 223, 256, 270, 328, 463, 696, 719, 729, etc. ; glazes used by the Japanese in, 692

Decorative art of the Chinese, 484; de- signs used, 307, 561, 563, 568, etc.; objects, 499; proces.ses, 268

Decorum Ritual, 640

Deer, an attribute of Shou Lao, 116; emblem of longevity, 117, 595

Degourdi, 445

Delft potters and the Chinese muffle colors, 616, 712; ware in China, 609

Demi-grand feu colors, 324, 411; glazes, 327

Denary Cycle, 52

Dendrites, 263, 427

D'Entrecolles. See Pere d'Entrecolles.

Dentaro, 726

Descriptive list of the illustrations, 767-

902 Designs in the time of PC-re d'Entre- colles, 351 ; in the Ch'ien-lung period,

406; with Arabic writing, 609 Determinatives in Chinese, 42 Devices as marks, different kinds of,.

105, 106 Dharani, 244, 246, 563 Dharniatrata, 586 Dhvaja, 112 Dice-boxes, 489 Dictionaries, Chinese, 44, 641 Dielytra spectabilis, 415 Dilatation, coefficient of, in porcelain^

447 Diospyros, 181, 197, 198 Dipping, 445

Divination, symbols of, 106 Dogen, Buddliist abbot, 33, 724 Dohachi, 718 Dolichos sinensis, 7, 308 Dollar, Mexican, 137 Domburi, 7^4 Domestic altars, sacrificial vessels used

on, 490 Doniu, 704 Double-ring mark, 41 " Drageoirs " of porcelain, 506 Dragon, 123, 590; a full account of,

591-592; bowls, 294; -gate, 575;

-horse, 107; lamp (Chiao tgng), 161;

procession, Fig. 230; vases, 239 Dresden Museum, 9, 35, 98, 239, 298,

618 Dualism, Chinese, 107, 110 Ductile Jade Hall, 78 Duodenary Cycle, 562 D'Urfe, Honore, 149 Du Sartel, 480 Dutch East India Company, 9, 35, 607;

as importers of porcelain, 298; their

factory at Hirado, 739 Dutch influence on Japanese ceramics,

675, 712 Dutch intercourse with Japan, 739 Dynastic histories, general plan of,

642 Dynasties, the twenty-four. 56, 57

912

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

Earthenware, 13, 21, etc.

Eastern Archipelago, 510

East India companies established, 607

Eau-de-Nil tints, 390

Ebelmen, M.,263, 433, 529, 531, 540, 549

Eel-skin yellow, 73, 395, 316, 372

Egami, 743

Egg-pottery, 689

Eggshell porcelain, 191, 865, etc.; pieces illustrated. Figs. 70, 71, 78, 87, 210, 219, 230, 335, 375, 382, 385, 287, 339, 356, 361, 363, 364, Plates X, XI, XXIV, LIII, LXIII, LXVI, LXVII, etc.

Egyptian potters and pottery, 13, 149

Ehtezadesaltanet,' Prince, 697

Eight Taoist genii, 83, 115, 579; shown in Fig. 353; book on, 583

'Els T7)v ttSXiv, 454

Elder Brothers' ware, 147, 154, 369

Elector of Saxony, 239

Elements, the five Chinese, 52

Elephant, 114, 591; jar, 204

Elers of Staffordshire, 635

Elixir vitse, 116, 117, 478; prepared by the hare in the moon, 595

Elizabethan porcelain, 607

Emblems of Happiness, 85

Embossed designs, 268, 383, 389, Figs. 55, 193

"Embroidered," symbol for, 111

Emerald-green, 139, 178, Plate LXXIX

Emouy (=Amoy), 383

Emperor of Japan, embassy to, 568

Empress Dowager, 81

Empress of Heaven, 583

Enaga, 743

Enamel colors. 130, -403, 547, 557, 567; introduction into China, 675; where made, 456, 551; list of monochrome, 551; introduction into Japan, 674; pieces illustrated, Plates VI, X, XI, XVII, XX, XXI, XXIV, XLVIII, LXIII, LXIV, LXVI; painting in, 334, 550

Enameled porcelain described by Pere d'Entrecolles, 344: Satsuma, 755

Enameling, in Japan, 31, 714; on cop- per, 455; at Peking, 404

Enamels, how colored, 548; how ap- plied, 410; European, 405; used in India, 674; special work on, 700

English East India Company estab- lished, 607; its trade with China, 607

Engobe, 533

Engraved pieces, how produced, 268

Enunia, 762

Erh Ya, 641

Etched designs, Figs. 8, 55, 170, etc.

Etched grounds, 467

Etude SUV La Ceramique, 700

Eunuchs as superintendents, 221, 287

European designs, 354, 355, 403, 609

Euryale ferox, 491 •

Exhibitions, 696

Export, porcelain made for, 604

Exposition of art treasures, 653

Expositions, Japanese ceramic art at, 696

" Face-cups," 170

Faience, 11, 12. 34, 44, 130, 456, 719

Ea-lan, or Fa-lang, name explained, ^^ 380, 454

False jade vessels, 21

Fa Inn (wheel of the law), 563

Famille archai'que de Coree, 671

Famille artistique, 742

Fajnille chrysanthemo-peonienne, 270, 712; example of. Fig. 398

Famille rose, 63, 74, 87; colors intro- duced by Ch'ien-lung. 404; typical examples of. Plates XXIV, LXVI, LXXVI

Famille verte, 129, 297; examples of, Plates XI, LX

Famous scholar cups, 208

Fan (a Taoist symbol), 115

Fang hu, 140

Fang-jen (molders), 15

Fang Ku Yueh Hsiian, 87, 400

Fang-sh6ng, 120, 123, 247

Fang shih mo p'u, 661

Fang Yli-lu (a noted ink-maker), 661

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

913

Fan hung, 235, 266

Fan-tz'u (turned porcelain), 535

Fashioning and jKiintiug of vases,

described by T'ang Yitig, 443 " Father of Pottery " in Japan, 693 Fei-ts'ui, 315, 398, 409. 680 Feldspar, 426; its fusing point, 453 Feldspatiiic glaze mixed with cobalt,

541 Female beauty, Chinese standard of,

602 Fgn (flour), 142 Fenallosa, Professor, 701 Fgn-ch'ing (starch-blue), 138, 437, 552 Fgng, or Fgng-Huang, the Chinese

phoenix, 590; a full account of, 593 Feng hsien t'ang, 83 Fgng Huo Hsien (Genius of the Fire- blast), 288 Fgng kuei tgng, 218 FSng t^ng (phoenix candlestick), 145 Fgngt'iaoyu shun, T'ien hsia t'ai p'ing,

246 Fgn-hung (pale pink), 408, 528 Fgn mi (grains of rice), 110 Fgn ting, 142, 318, 370, 533; reproduced

at Ching-t^-chSn, 174; made in

Kiangsi. 625; illustrated in Plates

LXXXIX, XCI; crackle, 320, Fig.

172 F^n ts'ai (pale colors), 550; example in

Plate LXIII Feou-leam (= Fou-liang), 282 Ferghana, kingdom of, 565 Fer oligistique terreux, 265 Fertility, emblem of, 112 Feuille morte, couleur de, 348 Ficus religiosa, 123 Fighting crickets, bowls for, 195 Figure decoration, 570; examples of,

Figs. 328 and 341 Figures (Jgn Wu), 569 Figure-subjects, 600 Filial piety, animals distinguished for,

110; the twenty-four paragons of,

602 Firing of porcelain, described by Pere

d'Entrecolles, 344, 345; during the

Ming period, 260, 271, 272

First mention of porcelain out of China,

605 Fish-dragon, 574

Fish-roe crackle, Juchou glaze, 370 " Fish-roe green " of Ch"ien-lung ; illus- trated in Plate XXVII Fish-roe yellow crackle, 514; illustrated

in Plate LXXXVII " Fissured ice," 509 Five classics, 640 Five-color decoration, 5, 325, 378, 387,

etc. See Wu-ts'ai. Five happinesses, 116 Five Ling, 591 Flambe glazes, 6, 104, 107, 157, 219,

302, 870, 407, 516, 517; illustrated in

Plates XVI, XLI, XLVI, LXXXVIII Flat jars (Pien kuan), 195 Floral devices on ancient bronze mir- rors, 563 Floral rebuses, 599 Flower-pots for growing plants, their

different sizes, styles, and names, 498 Flowers, art of arranging, 607; used in

porcelain decoration, 415, 598, 599;

of the four seasons, 125, 228, 598:

the hundred, Fig. 279 Flower-vases, 151, 196, 499; Japanese,

693; special works on, 496 Flute, 115; of Wang Ch'iao, 583 Fluxes, composition of, 548 Flying storks, their symbolism in

Japan, 738 Fo-lang Ch'ien, 454, 455 Fo-lin, name explained, 454 Fond laque, 226, 265, 313 Fonspertuis Sale, 608 Foot, scooping it out, described by

T'ang Ying,' 448 Footprint of Buddha, 114 Foreign designs on porcelain nuide for

export, 380, 609 •/foreign intercourse with Japan, 739 Forms and uses of Chinese porcelain

objects, 488-507; of Japanese pottery,

693 ,^*^o-to'u ch'ing (Buddha's-head blue),

263, 439 Fou (vessel), 43

G

914 ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

Fou-kien (= Fuchien), 282, 283 Fungus, the sacred, 116, 596, etc.

Fou-liaug, 2, 17, 19, 20, 21, 41, 335; Furnaces and tiring, 271, 290, 344, 351

^^ -cliou, 177; -lisien, 65, 177, 183, 260, Furnace-transmutation, 130, 219, 220,

262, 279, 281, 398, 424, 460 370, 514, 516. See Transmutation.

Foa Uany hsien chih, 2, 17, 178, 279; Fusliimi, 705

U^ its different editions, 645; extracts 'Fu shou (happiness and longevity), 99,

from, 223, 235 '"^ 104

\/^Fou lou tsiang, 92 Fu shou k'ang ning, 228, 242

" Four accomplishments," 121 Fu shou shuang ch'iian, 99, 124

Four-burner lamp described, 205 Fu Tsun (wine-jar), 138, 146

Four seasons, flowers of, 125, 228; Fylfot, 98

vase of, Plate LXIV Four supernatural creatures of the Chi- nese, 591

Fox, the, 595 Gallipot, 497

Fragments mounted as ornaments, 508 Garden bowls, 252

Fraise ecrasee, 307 Garden seats, 195, 251

Franks, Sir Wollaston, 8, 32, 693; his Garland Collection, 8

collection, 8, 214, 682, 699; his cata- Garniture de cheminee, 501, 502

logue, 94, 726 Garuda, the golden-winged bird, 590

Frederick the Great of Prussia, 239 Genipin-yaki, 728

French-gray, 467 •Genghis Khan, 256, 566

wFruit-dishes, 226 Genius of Fire and Blast, 461

Fruits in porcelain decoration, 597 Gem-e Kakiyemon, 742

Fu (axe), 111; (bats), 126; (happiness), Genwa, 752

97, 165; (an ornamental symbol). 111, Geography, Chinese works on, 643

124, 490 Ger.saint, porcelain expert, 608, 617

Fuchien, 89, 162, 164, 170, 180. 181, Ghanta (bell), 112

626, 627; porcelain, 143, 318, etc.; Gilded decoration, 260, 270, 343, 390

originally black, 626; now ivory- Giles, Herbert, his dictionary, 44

white, 678; pieces. Figs. 60. 303, 310, N/Glass-(liu li), 180

371-373, Plate XIII " Glaze earth," where obtained, 181

Fu ch'ing fang chih, 86 " Glaze fruit," 428

Fu-chou-fu, 183 Glazed pottery in Japan, 686, 734

Fuel used in tiring porcelain, 352 Glazed ware, ancient, 13, 40, 41

Fu-hi, or Fu-hsi, 25, 55, 107 Glazes, qualities required in, 446;

Fujina, 725 rocks used in their preparation, 261;

Fujisan, or Fujiyama, 691 how prepared, 427; how applied,

Fuji-yo, 687 446; described by PSre d'Entrecolles,

Fu-jung (Hibiscus mutabilis), 236 335, 336, 337; analyzed by Salvetat,

Fu ju tung hai, 245 428; that crackle, 448; monochrome,

Fu ki chb mei, 742 129; used in Japan, the, 692; of the

Fuku, 765 demi-grand feu, 760

Fu kuei cli'ang ch'un, 96 (ilazing, sprinkling method described,

Fu kuei ch'ang ming, 742 y 446 Fu kuei chia ch'i, 96 >/G6, the game of, 242, 744

Fu-kuei-flovver, 126 God of the Furnace-blast, Life of the,

Fu, hi, shou, 97, 242 306

Fu-lin, 454 God of Heaven, 93; of Literature, 100,

I

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX,

915

572, 574; of Longevity, his special attribute, 124; of Porcelain, 355; of Pottery-making, 460; of Hiclies, 120; of Thieves, 583; of AVar, as a motive of decoration, 573

Goddess of Mercy, 130, 511, 627; shown in Plate LX

Gods represented on porcelain, 100

Go Hei, 699

Gohonde, 752

Gold, in decoration, 556, 761; colors developed from, 406, 529 x^

" Golden wheel," 113 /

Gold precipitate, colors developed from, 528 v

Gombroon ware, 522, 608

Gonse, Louis, 700

Goodrich, Rev. Chauncey, 44

Gorodayu Shonsui, 32, 33, 711, 736

Gorohachi, 712

Gorohichi, 712

Go-sai (= Chinese Wu-ts'ai) 35, 687

Gosu Gombei, 738

Goto Saijiro, 718, 759

Gourd, the Chinese, 165, 497, 597

Gouthiere, 4, 315

Graesse, Dr., 9, 149

Grand Canal, 190, 279

Grand feu, 267, 452; of Sevres, 739; colors of the, 324, 325, 411, 531

Grandidier, M., 299, 372, 414, 488; his collection, 9 ; his classification of Chinese porcelain, 128

" Grape-trellis cups," 209

Grass hand, 46

Grayish-green crackle, Plate LXXXVI

Great Bear, 559

Great Learning, The, 80

Great Wall of China, 44, 177, 286

Greek art, its influence in the Han, 565

Green, crackle, 408, 514; illustrated in Plate XXVII; enamels, 551; glazes, 317; Lang Yao. 303, 304; mono- chromes, 513; illustrated in Plates LXXVIII and LXXXI

Grinding the color, described by T'ang Ying, 440

Gros bleu, 203, 436; illustrated in Plate XXIX

Gros vert, 139, 317

Gudgi blanga, 154

Guiliaunie Boucher, 566

Gyogi, reputed inventor of the potter's

wheel, in Japan, 714, 731 Gyoku Kozan, 754 Gypsum (shih kao), 335

H

Ilachikan, 35

Hadji Khalifa, 148

Hague, The, 607

Hai-chou, 396

Hairpins of porcelain, 506

Hai-fang (cydonia). 126, 208, 416, 599;

hung, 370 Ha jibe (potters), 29 Hakeme ware, 754 Hall-marks, 78-91 Hall-names of tirms, 94 Hana-ike, 695, 698, 747, 758 Han Chiin (Chinese army), 393, 396 Han dynasty. 15, 16, 26, 27, 53, 116,

133, 146, 276, 392, 602; bricks and

tiles, 558; carvings, 563; mirrors,

561; piece illustrated. Fig. 49 Handkerchief-boxes, 251 Hand spittoon (cha-tou), 506; example

in Fig. 314 - Hangchou (city), 48, 138, 624 Hanging basket, 499; a good example,

Fig. 306 Hanging lamps, 499 Han Hsiang Tzii, 115, 581 Han-ku, 575 -^ Hanlin College, 3, 94 Hao Shih-chiu, 89, 274 Hard porcelain, its composition, 453;

art of making, 610; of Germany and

Sevres, 425; of Japan, 688 >-^^are (in the moon), 110, 591, 595 /^Hare-fur cups, 170, 184, 724 Hare-skin glaze, 164 Harima no Daijo, 731 Hat-stands, 500 Havard, M., 616 " Hawthorn-jars," 440, 598; examples

in Plates II and XXXIY

916

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART, INDEX.

Head-Hunters of Borneo, 154

Heaven, God of, 93; Empress of, 583; worship of, 153

" Heaven "-character jars, 258

Heichesliih, 265

Hei ch'ien (lead), 264; mo, 265

Hejira, 605

Hempen Bag, Monk with the, 587, 757, shown in Fig. 395

Henry Deux faience, 681

" Hermit hidden in the teapot," 274

Herodotus, the Chinese, 565

Hibiscus mutabilis, 236

Hibiyaki, 36, 687

Hidachi no Daijo, 738

Hideyoslii, 704, 738

Hieratic devices, 563

Higashima Tokuzayemon, 35

Higli-fired colors, 532; derived from iron, 539; used in combination, 543

Higo, 681

Higuchi Haruzane, 698; his master- piece. Fig. 318

Hi-Hsien, 660

Hindu source of Taoist ideas, 565

Hippisley, Mr., 20; his Collection, 8, 85, 400, 469

Hirado, 712; blue, 744; blue and white, 672; porcelain, 321; processes of decoration, 744, 745; shown in Plates CX-CXni; white, 746; example, Plate CIX; ware, 736, 743; pieces illustrated. Figs. 318, 384, 386-388, 391, 394, 402-405, Plates CIX-CXHI; potters, 698; the Dutch factory at, 671, 739; Three Porcelain Hills of, 743

Hirado-gama (Hirado-kilns), 743

Hirth, Dr., 454

Historical Classic, 109

Historical liecords, 642

History, Book of, 640

Hisazumi Morikage, 760

Hizen, 34, 35, 753; origin of the ceramic industry of, 674, 734; principal por- celain center in, 710; first appear- ance of the Portuguese at, 739; ware, 689,735; pieces illustrated, Figs. 396, 400, 401

Ho (boxes), 43

Hoai-ning-hien, 18

Hoai-yang, 18

Ho-ch'eug pei, 170

Ho-chou pottery, 185

Hochu, 751-755

Ho Chung-ch'u, 18, 21

Hoffman, Prof. J., 701

Ho Ho Erh Hsien, 165, 583; shown in

Fig. 346 Ho H.sien-ku, 83, 115,581; shown in

Plate LXni Ho Hsi-ling, 3 Ho k^ng wan, 225 Holme, Charles, 691 Holtrop, M., 85 Holy Grail of Buddhism, 123 Holy Mother of the God of Heaven,

93 Honau, 24, 136, 157, 481 Honore d'Urfe, 149 Hooker, Sir Joseph, 597 Ho-pao Moutan, 599 Ho-pin, 14 Horeki, 743 Horidashite, 737 Horoku, 694 Horse in Art, 591 Ho-shang " the Monk," 587 Hotel, 587, 757, Fig. 395 " Hotel of Benevolence and Harmony,"

79 Ho yeh, 180 Hsi (water-bowl), 156 Hsia dynasty, 25 Hsiang (the elephant), 114 Hsiang ch'iu (perfume-globe), 500 Hsiang-ho (incense-boxes), 168 Hsiang lu, 155 Hsiang Shan Shih, 46 Hsiang tsun (sacrificial jar), 144, 204,

491 Hsiang t'ui (elephant's legs), 180 Hsiang Yuan p'ien, 1, 132, 134, 193 Hsiang Yuan-tu, 170 Hsiao Hsiu, 195 Hsiao ku ch'i, 40 Hsiao-li, 424 Hsiao P'ing, 144

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

917

i

Hsia Yao (seggar furnaces). 271

Hsi ch'ao chi wan chili clien, 73

Hsi-Vh'iug ku chien, 45, 495, 649

Hsieh chu chu jgn tsao, 84

Hsien-feng, 75, 469

Hsien-hung (copper-red), 226, 235, 371

Hsien-shun, 3

Hsi Fan lieu (Indian lotus), 475, 748

Hsi hsuai p'en, 195

Hsi-kua cliou, 281

Hsin-ch'ang, 18

Hsing Chen, " the Stars," 110

Hsing-Cheng-tu, 260

Hsiug chou, 22

Hsin ch'ou (a cyclical year), 404

Hsing-sliu (running hand), 46, 61

Hsin-hai (a cyclical year), 399

Hsin-p'ing (original name of Fou-liang), 18. 19, 21, 127, 277

Hsin Ssil, 55

Hsin Ting (new Ting), 143

Hsin tsun (rhinoceros jars), 225, 491

Hsiu-ch'iu (the hydrangea), 599

Hsi Wang Mu, 116, 363, 561; visited by ]Mu Wang, 591; represented in Fig. 339

Hsi yil, 101

Hslian-ch'eng, 211

Hsiian-ho, 45, 65, 142, 299; nien chili, 65; palace, 140

Hsiian-liofeng shih Kao-li t'ou ching, 679

Hsilan ho hua j/u, 647

Hsi'ian ho Po Jcu t'ou lu, 648

Hsiian-te, 11, 40, 67, 92, 133, 135, 168, 186, 191, 203-209, 216, 221, 222, 262, 267, 298, 302, 309, 321, 322, 385, 436, 450, 479, 484, 605; noted for blue and white, 567; porcelain, 192, 193, 198- 205; copied, 371, 375, 379, 606; pieces illustrated. Figs. 210. 371, etc.; nieu cliih, 629; t'ung pao, 261

Hsiian Ti, emperor, 558

Hsiian-Wang, 45

Hsil Ching on Korean porcelain, 679

Hsixeh pal (snow-white), 552

Hsun-fu (governor of a province), 301

Hsii Shgn, 641; (a cyclical year), 397

Hsli Shih (President of the Censorate), 235

Hsu Shut JIu (Stories of Brigands), 570 Hsli T'ing-pi, 305 Hsil Tsung-ssii, a native artist, 198 IIu (= Hukuang), 179; (a measure),

200; (jar), 146, 203, etc.; (vase), 151;

(wine-pot), 160; (water-pot), 167;

(ewer), 225 Hua (flower), 112, passim Hua-chiao, 169 Hua Chung (the variegated animal),

110 Huai an-fu, 274, 279, 392, 395, 397 Huai Nan Tzu, 468 Hua Lan, 115

Hua Naug (flower- vase), 151, 205 Huang (a general of the guards), 137,

198 Huang (yellow), 314; tiao (yellow stuff),

181 Huang An. the hermit, 583 Huang lu huan (yellow and green

panels). 331 Huang lu tien, 295 Huang pan tien (variegated yellow),

372 Huang-ti, " Yellow Emperor," 14, 25, yhQ, 84, 560 Huang tien pan, 317 Huang-tu, 264, 424 Huan Ti (emperor), 47 Huan Ts'ui T'ing, 288 Hua-p'i (painters sur le cru), 339 Hua-shih (steatite), 350, 510; used to

replace kaolin, 350 Hua tsun, 195 Hu-ch'iu (a bonze), 214 Hui ch'ing (Mohammedan blue), 69,

216, 262; also hui-hui ch'ing, 193,

203, 256 Hui-chou-fu, 423 Hui-hui Wen, 256 Hui se (gray color), 139 Iluish, M. IB., 505, 691 Hui Tsung, 65, 570 Hui-tzu and Chuang-tzu, 102 Hu-k'6ng, 181 Hulu (gourd), 115, 176, 180, 214, 597,

etc. Huluiiu, 256, 567

■918

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. — IXDEX.

Hundred antiques (Po ku), 106. 118, etc.

"Hundred flowers" used in decora- tion, 415; example of. Fig. 279

Hung (red). 314, etc.

Hung-chih, 68. 133, 135, 313. 214. 215, 266

Hung-chou. 19

Hung-hsi, 67, 461

Hung lu Iman, 345

Hung-tien (red sliops), 267

Hung wen (red markings), 374

Hung-wu, 66, 287; porcelain, 190

Hun-shui ch'ing (turbid-water blue), 221, 439

Hunting, Odes in praise of, 45

Hu-p'i (tiger-skin), 317

Hu-tieli-hua (Iris japonica), 599

Hu-t'ien, 179; potteries at, 183; shih, 281

Hu tou (paste-pots), 168

Hu yin Tao jgn, 89

Hwai Nan Tzii. 109

Hydrangea, 599

laon (in Chinese Yuan), Greeks, 565

Ibn Batuta, 11, 184

Ichiniu, 704

Idzumi, 29, 737

Idzumo, 707, 725

Iga, 688

lidaya Hachiroyemon. 761

Ikakura Goyemon, 718

Hlustrations, descriptive list of, 767-902

Imari, 35, 674; -yaki, 687, 712; name

explained, 735; pieces illustrated,

Figs. 389, 398, 399, Plates XCV,

CVI Imariya Gorobei, 738 Imbe, 721 Imitation jade, 277 Imitations of Chinese porcelain, 469,

620; of natural substances. 519 Immortality, the drugs of, 110 Imperial Cyclopaedia, 134 Imperial Household (Nei Wu fu), 279,

305

Imperial potteries, 2, 66. 72, 287, 288,

305, etc. See Ching-te-chgn. Imperial ware, 40. 50, 127, 306 Imperial yellow, 266, 316 Impressed designs, 534 Incense-boxes, 168. 238 Incense-burning among the Chinese,

168, 493; part of the Tea ceremonies,

694 " India china," 610 Indra and his consort, 561; his elephant.

114 Industrial processes, work on, 658 Ink, Chinese works on. 660, 661 Ink-black decoration. 384 Ink-pallets, 140, 166, 173, 202; of Tuan-

hsi. 22 Inscriptions, 42, 169; Arabic, 217,

610; example of. Fig. 103; poetic,

48-50. 73, 104. 402; of dedication, 92 Institutes of Ta Ch'ing dynasty, 225 Intercourse with Western nations, 604 Iron, colors developed from, 527, 539;

-peroxide, 478; sulphate, 264; staff of

lame beggar, 115 Iron-red. 235, 536; how prepared, 311;

decoration, 327; pieces illustrated.

Plates XXVI, XXVIII. XXXII " Iron-rust." 406, 519; illustrated in

Plate XIX Ise, 33, 688 Ishiyaki, 687

" Isles of the Blessed," 100 Ispahan, Chinese potters at, 256 Itoguiri, 702 Ivory-white, 143, 191, 534; illustrated,

Plate XIII; of Korea, 678, 683 Iwayagawa, 742 lyeyasu, 739

.1

Jacquemart, i\I., 35, 39, 40, 92, 214, 270, 482, 611, 616, 673, 708; and Le Blant, 105

Jade, 108, 115, 120, 144; miraculous growth of, 560; vessels of, 171, 198, 472; ornaments, etc., of, 30, 560; not found in Japan, 31; books on, 648; -cutter's wheel, 296, 486

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

919

Jadeite, 150

Jakatsu, 752

James I of England, 503

Jao-chou, 2, 19, 182, 190, 207, 221, 263,

, 279. 294. 332. 423; jade, 178; porce- ' lain, 171-176

Jao choii fn rhifi, 644

Jao-chou jade, 178, 179

Jao-tcheou (= Jao-chou), 282

Japan, attempted Mongol conquest of 188; Portuguese intercourse with 607; a porcelain-purchaser in China 283; her indebtedness to Korea, 684 its opening by Perry, 696; its art 691, 700; chief exponents of its art 700; ceramic art of, 685-765; its ceramic wares, 687, 689, 711, 723 ceramic literature, 700

Japanese language, 686

Japanese Pottery, work in English on, 700

Jars, 144, 146, 153, 160, 203, 224, 237. etc.

Jasmine, 415

Jean Laudin, 405

Jehangir, 239

Jgn Ho (Benevolence), 402

Jgn ho kuan, 79, 166

Jgn-hsil (cyclical year), 178

Jgn-k'gng, 181

Jgn mien hsi, 369

J6n-mien pei (face-cups), 170

Jen Tsung, 255

Jesuit China, 616, example in Plate XIV

Jesuits' expedition to Home, 750

" Jeweled " ware, 749

Jewel Hill at Ching-te-ch^n, 190

Jewel of the Law, 120

Jigger, the, 432, 443

Jili hsia cliiu wen, 660

Jo-en, 743

Johanneum at Dresden, 9, 239, 607

Jo sheu chen ts'ang, 101

Joss, explained, 492; joss-sticks, 492

Juan ts'ai (soft colors), 550

Ju-chou, 136; glaze, 369, 512; porcelain, 436

Ju I Chu, 114

.Jui hsiang, the Viburnum odoratissi-

muni, 599 Jui scepter, 112, 119, 123 Jujube-red, 466

Julien, Stanislas, 2, 17, 18, 368, 455 Jupiter, his color, 492 Ju-Kaku, 704

Ju yao, 127, 133-137, 160, 625; glaze, 136 Ju-yu (grayish blue) glaze. 410 Juzayemou, 752

K

Kaempfen, M., 703

Kaga as a porcelain center, 718, 759; its

ware, 762 Kagami no Hazama, 30 Kagoshima, 751, 753 K'ai-feng Fu, 24, 66, 138, 156. 369, 373,

481 K'ai p'ien (crackled), 320 K'ai shu, 61 K'ai-yuan, 18 Kajiki. 752 Kakiyemon, 712 Kalasa (vase), 112 Kamo. 730 Kamogawa, 704 Kanazawa, 760, 761 Kandy, Chinese porcelain found in,

605 Kane, Kanegae. 737 Kang (fish-bowl), 43, 212, 223, 230, 306 Kang-he (same as K'aug-hsi), 80 K'ang-hsi, 4-7, 41, 62, 63, 70-74, 77, 82.

85, 98-99, 103-106, 119, 122, 128, 137.

240, 259, 267, 287, 295-304, 312-323.

329, 332, 359, 380, 391, 414, 421, 674.

740; period, 293-331; brilliancy and

special triumphs of, 296; colors, 499;

decoration, 601; marks, 298; wu-ts'ai,

550; pieces illustrated. Figs. 4-6.

9-11, 14, 16-19, 22, 24, 26, 29, 34, 35,

37, 39, 42, 45, 46, 51-54. 58. 71. 75.

78. 82, 83, 85, 88, 89, 94-96, 105, 110.

114. 117. 127. 128, 145, 152, 156, 169,

171, 178, 182, 184, 187. 188, 193-195.

197-204, 208. 209, 212, 214, 215, 225-

228, 231-233, 236-242, 247, 248, 260,

920

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

266, 268, 272, 299, 304-308, 313, 315, 328, 329, 338, 343, Sol, 357-359, 366, 367,379; Plates I-IX, XI, XIV. XV, XVII. XVIII, XXVIII. XXXIV, XXXIX, XLII, L-LII. LIV-LXII, LXVII-LXIX, LXXI, LXXIII. LXXIV, LXXVIII, LXXX, LXXXII, LXXXIII, LXXXIX- XCI, XCIII

K'ang-hsi yu chili, 76

Kang pei (wine-cups), 811

Kang yao (fish-bowl kilns), 271, 272, 290

Kano Tanin, 719, 732

Kano Yeishin, 732

Kao Chiang-ts'un chi, 659

Kaodzuke (Kodzuke), sepulchral mounds at, 27

K'aoKu T'ou, 648

E'ao kung cJii, 15, 430, 641

Kaoli. 32; illustrated description of, 679; yao. 681

Kaolin, 285, 333; where found, 333, described, 423; how prepared. 335; proportions used in different wares, 425; in Japan, 711 ^^Kao-ling, 423

\ Kaolinic porcelain, temperature re- quired, 453

Kao Li-ssu. 599

Kaoli-yao, 681

K\io p'an yil shih, 169; its contents. 654

Kao-shan. 181

Kao T'an-jgn, 208. 659

Kao-ti. 18

Kao Yao, an ancient judge, 44

Ka-pa, a Manchu official, 295

Karabacek, Professor, 10, 148

Karabori (Chinese canal), 735

Karako decoration, 744, 758; examples of, 386, 402

Karakorum, 566

Kara-kusa, 748

Kara-mono (Chinese ware), 33

Karatsu, 32; -yaki, 734; -ware, 711

Kashizara, 744

Kato Shirozayemon, 33, 724, 729

Kato Tamikichi, 729

y

Kawara, 743, 752

Keian, 759

Keicho, 704, 735, 743, 7^3

Keiniu, 704

Keng Hsii, 55

Iveng-wu (cyclical year), 178

Kenzaii, Ogata, 717, 733

Keramic Art of Japan, 699

'■ Keyser-cups," 612

Khanbalik, 177

Kliaug hi (= K'ang hsi), 300

Iv'iai shu, 46

Iviangnan, 13, 93, 135, 179, 181, 185, 423

Kiangsi (province), 2, 93, 127, 130, 135, 162, 177, 181. 183, 206, 263, 279, 293, 295, 392-395, 423, 436, 470; devas- tated, 75; general history of, 3

Kiangsu, 180, 279. 392, 635

Kiang Tzu-ya, 601

Kiang-yang hsien, 375

Kia-tsing, 45

Kichizayemon, 704

K'ien-lung, 45. 49. See Ch'ien-lung.

Kihei, 752

Kiheiji, 738, 739

Kii, Princes of, 733

Kiku-flower, 757

Ki lin (= Ch'i-lin), 251, 560, 594

Kiln, putting the ware in the, 450

Ki-men, 333

Kimura, 30

Kingfisher-green, 680; plumes, 265

King-t6-chen, 332-336, 356

King-te-tching (= Ching-te-chen), 282

Kinko, 687, 737

Kinkozan, 717

Kinkozan Sobei, 753

Kinrande, 762

Kio-hio, 742

Kiri-flower, 756

Kirk, Sir John, 148, 605

Ki Tzu, Viscount of Ki, 26

Kiukiang, 93, 279, 280, 392, 396, 397

Kizajemon, his discovery of seggars,

738 Ko-an, 726 Koban, 758 Kochi, 760

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART, INDEX.

921

Kogei SMrio, 701

Kogo, 694

Kojiki (ancient Japanese annals), 29, 31

Kojiro Kwanja, 735

Koki, a skilled Korean potter, 30

Ko-ki-kwan Moku-bei tsukuru, 734

Ko Kutani, two varieties of, 760, 761

Ko feu yno lun, 130, 142, 162, 165. 171, 185, 650, 680; its contents, 650

Kokwa, 755

Ko Ming lisiang chili, 89

Komogawa, 753

Ko porcelain, 137, 167

Korai-machi, 751

Koransha, 739

Korea, 32, 39, 676-684; its pottery and porcelain, 670, 711 ; its early knowl- edge of pottery, 26; Chinese author on, 679; ware attributed to, 670, 676, 678; its popularity in Japan, 681; Japan's indebtedness to, 684; burial customs in, 683; pieces illustrated, Figs. 134, 380, 382; Plate CXVI

Koro, 758, 764

Ko Seto, see Seto.

Ko-Shigaraki, 726

Koshishiro-Tsukemimi, 726

Kotoku, 734

Kotsubo, 758

Ko yao, 127-136, 140, 147, 154, 155, 160, 169-174, 176, 437, 509; crackle, 273; glaze, 369, 471

Kozan, Miyakawa, 697, 698

Kozayemon, 752

Ku (ancient), 87; (drum) 108; (vase), 137

Kuai (sacrificial bowls), 394

Kuam-bun, 738

K'uan (mark or "seal"), 59; (imperial or government), 138; (jars), 43, 229, 306

Kuan-chung (= Shensi), 21

Kuang (= Kuangtung), 180, 181

Kuang chiao, 266

Kuang-hsu, 2, 76; imperial porcelain of, 487

Kuang-p'ing fu, 164

Kuangsi, 469

Kuangtung, 89, 181, 436, 469; potteries, 188; principal centers, 632

L/

Kuang Yao, 5, 188, 369, 375, 632; colors

of, 633; examples of. Figs. 369, 370,

374, Plate XLI Kuan ku cli'i. 40 Kuan liao (imperial glass), 86 Kuan porcelain, 137, 139 Kuan-ti, the God of War, 461, 572; his

temple, 288; shown in Fig. 343 Kuantung, 393 Kuan Yao (imperial ware), 50, 66, 76,

127, 132, 136, 138, 154, 160, 169-172,

176. 306 Kuan Yin (Goddess of Mercy), 114, 130,

158, 195, 354, 511, 588, 627; shown

in Plate LX Kuan Yii, his history, 573, 574 Kuan yu Kai (jars with covers), 224 Kua-p'i 111 (cucumber-green), 295, 317,

514; illustrated in Plate LXXVIII Kua-teng, 499 . Kublai Khan, 57, 128, 177 Ku Chen, 101 Kudatama, 30 Kuei (oblong bowls for meat-offerings),

431, 490; (tortoise), 118, 594 Kueichou, 293 K'uei f^ng, 479 Kuei ho ch'i shou, 118 K'uei Hsing, 574 K'uei-hua (the hibiscus), 599 K'u-k'ou, 423 Ku-li (= Calicut), 456 Kun (staff of iron), 115 Kun-ch'ihka (= Sanskrit Kundika),

21 Kundika (Sanskrit), 21, 493 KungCh'un, 220; potteries founded by,

135 Kung-chiio Iti (turquoise), 315 Kung hua (arched design), 389 Kung Kuan (public ofUces), 288 Kung Tieh (palace dish), 201 Kung wan (palace bowl), 200 K'un-lun Mountains, 84, 578, 591 K'uo Ch'ing-lo, 141 Kuo ho (fruit-boxes), 230 Kuo P'u, 641 uKuo-tieh (fruit-dishes), 226 Kuo Tzii-chang, 644

922

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

Kurokawa Mayori. 701, 753

Kushite, 743

Kushikiiio, 752

Ku T'ai (author of Po wu yao Ian), 157

Kutani-ware, 759-765; examples of,

Figs. 409, 411, Plates CIII, CIV Ku t'uug (old copper), 364, 357; -mo,

266; -ts'ai, 406, 519 Ku Yueh Hsuau, 60, 86, 400, 401;

style shown iu Fig. 263 Ku yi'i foil, 649 Kwang-hsli, 3 Kwan-ko, 687 Kwan-ko-(hu-setsii , 30, 702 Kwau-sei, 751-753 Kwaiiyei, 759 Kylin, 594, etc. Kyomidzu, 689, 731. 733 Kyoto, 687; potteries, 716; ware, 731;

examples of, Figs. 385, 397 Kyo-yaki, 753; two branches of, 733 Kyushu (or Kiushiu), 607, 751

"Lace-bowls," 418, 493

La Ceramique, 700; translated, 708-722

La Ceramique du Japon, 698

La Ceramique Jajwnaise, 703

Lace work pattern decoration, example of. Fig. 285

Lacouperie, M. Terrien de, 35

La Faience, 441

Lagenaria vulgaris, 597

Lamaism, 95, 111; book on, 585

Lamp with four burners, 305; sup- ported by Tortoise and Pha?nix, 218

Land and Grain, Temple of, 235

Landscapes (Shan shui), 569

Lange-Eleizen or Lange Lysen, 337

Lang lijsen, 603; illustrated in Fig. 54

Lang T'ing-tso, 73, 394, 301

Lang Yao, 6, 72, 267, 485, 537; why so called. 301; its characteristics, 302; crackle, 512; vases, 297; pieces illus- trated, Figs. 5, 160, 190, 196, 205, Plates I, LVI, LVII, LXIX, etc.

Lang yin ko, 79

Lan P'u, 667

Lan-t'ien shih, 472 ' Lan T'ing (Orchid Pavilion), 90, 601 Lan Ts'ai-ho, 83, 115, 580 Lan wf»n (blue markings), 374 Lao-tzu (founder of Taoism), 327, 478,

575, 598 ^ Lapis-lazuli, 195, 363, 541 La Porcelaine de Chine, 196 Laque burgautee, 39, 530; specimen in

Sevres Museum, 530 L'Art Chinois, 569 L' Art Japonais, 700 L'Astree, 149 Laudin, Jean, 405 Lead carbonate, 264 Legge, Professor, 25 Lei, 435, 489. etc. Le Japon a V Exposition Universelle de

1878, 689 Les Laqves du Japon, 689 Lettres edifiantes et curievses, 282, 332 Leveret-fur cups, 626 Li (square " official " characters), 42, 46;

(caldron with three legs), 180 Liang tun (cool .seats), 351 Libation-cup (chileh), 141, 488, 490 Library furniture, 494 Li Chi, 640 Li Chu-lai, 398 Li-ch'un, 428 Lien ch'eng ku t'ung, 265 Lien hua (lotus-flower), 115, -t'eng,

213, 599 Lien hui (^purified ashe-s), 361-367 " Light red " makes its appearance,

403 Li lluiig-chang, 470 Li Kuang-li, 565 Li Ma-t'ou (Matteo Ricci), 660 Lime, 267; an ingredient of glaze, 445 Lin-cli'iian, 398

Lin-ch'iian-hsien porcelain, 183 Ling-chih fungus, 116, 415, 465, 596 Ling Hsieh Chu Shou, 124 Ling Lun, 84 Ling-lung (openwork carving), 341,

368 Ling-pei, 181 Lin yli fang chili, 88

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

-INDEX.

923

k

Lions, 492; in Chinese art. 590

Li Sanpei, 674, 737

Li SsH, 46

List of designs and colors produced in

Yung-chgng, 369-388 Li tni ming hua chi, 647 Li tai ming tz'ti t'oii p'u, 133, 663 Li T'ai-po, the poet. 488, 598, 599 Literature, god of, 100, 572, 574 Li T'ieh-kuai, 115, 580 " Little Spring Month," 466 Liu Han and liis three-legged toad,

583 Liu Hin (Chinese editor), 15 Liu hsia chan (cups of liquid dawn),

275 Liu-li (glass), 20, 180 Liu Pei, 573 Liu Te-shgng, 47 Liu-t'ien, 147, 369 Liu-tou pei, 145 Li yen-li, 305 Lo (shell), 113 Lohan, or Arhats, the Eighteen, 470,

586 Lokanmafei, 6, 370, 515 London International Exhibition, 696 Long Elizas, 227

Longevity, emblems of, 116, 595, 596; ^- god of, 116, 124

" Long-haired Rebels," 469 Lo-p'ing-hsien, 263, 427 " Lord of the White Umbrella," 112 Lorenzo de' Medici, 149, 606 si Lo-tien-tz'u, 520 ■ Lotus-Flower, 112. 115; lamp, 213 Louis XVI mounts, Fig. 4 Lowestoft, 611 Lo-yang, 589

Lozenge (symbol of victory), 120 Lu (censer), 139, 168. 306, etc. ; (rank),

82, 97, etc. Luan mu pei (eggsliell cups), 275 Lii chu shan fang ch^n ts'ang, 84 "Lucky diagram," 113 Lu family of potters, 195 Lu Hu (rouge-pot), 198 Lii kuan (musical pipes), 180 Lii Lang Yao, 303, 538

Lu-ling-hsien, 130, 162

Lun (the wheel), 111

Lunar ^Mansions, the, 563

Lunar zodiac, the, 561; animals of the,

561 Lung (dragons), 110, 590, 591, etc. Lung and Wan, porcelain of, 334 Lung-ch'ing, 69. 104, 303, 234, 600;

porcelain, 234-339 Lung-ch'lian, 172, 176; celadon, 257,

499, 509; pieces illustrated, Figs.

44, 159, 175; porcelain, 437; Yao,

137. 135, 146-152 Lung-ch'lian hsien, 147, 154, 348, 369;

emerald-green ware of, 178; glazes,

371; copies in rub\^-red, 375; illus- trated in Plate XXXVI Lung kang (dragon-bowls), 294 Lung-men, 575 Lung Ta-yuan, 649 Lustration vase, 493; example in Fig.

304 Lu T'ai (Deer Tower), 26 Lii Tung-pin, 83, 115, 580 Lii tz'u (green porcelain), invention of,

30 Lu yi T'ang, 83

Lu Yli (author of Tea Classic), 31 Lyre, 132 Ly-T'ang, 51

M

Ma (horse), 113 Ma-au-shan, 181, 281, 357 Macao, 332

Maecenases, Ceramic, 704 Ma-fei (horses' lung), 6 Magatama, 30 ]Magadoxo, 11, 604 ]Maghreb (Morocco). 185 Magnesia silicate, 473 Magnolia conspicua, 210 >^ Magpie, " the joyous bird." 468 Mahatara (the Almighty), 155 Mahrattas, Agra sacked by, 239 Maitreya (the loving one), 488, 587,

627; the coming Buddha, 335 Makimono, 757

924

ORIENTAL CERAJIIC AKT.-^INDEX.

Ma Ku, the goddess of sailors, 582

Makuzii, 698

Malcolm, Sir John, 566

Mallow-leaves, 764

Ma-lochi, the Manchu who succeeded Lang T'ing-tso, 301

Manchu conquest of China, 600

Manchu dynasty, 26, 56, TO

Mancliu Tartars, 111, 258, 502, 740

Manganese, mineral, 316; its occurrence and different names, 439; analyzed by Ebelmen, 263; purple, 409

Mangu Khan, 566

Manji, 759

Maujugosha, the Buddhist Apollo, 586

Manjusri, 586, 734

M(m-j)o Zen-sho, 701, 752

Mantel-piece sets, 501

Manual of Marks, 61

Manuscript album, 92, 132

Mao chia, 500

Mao hslieli p'an, 225

Mao ping (cracks and other defects) abhorred by the Chinese, 620

Mao sliih p'Sn, 369 - Marco Polo, 10, 148, 183, 566

Marguerite daisies, 415

Marks, Chapter on, 59-12i3; of com- mendation, 91, 101-105; referring to decoration, 102; of date, 61-78; of felicitation, 91-100; of dedication, 91-100; of the factory, 88; in two characters, 101: in the form of devices, 105; private, 103; undeci- phered,103; classified, 61; frequently obliterated, 362; unsafe to rely upon, 40; Japanese use Chinese, 40; seldom show true date, 40; of K'ang-hsi period rarely genuine, 298; on Chia- ch'ing porcelain, 464

Marks and Seals, 700

Marquis Collection, 104, 405

Marriage, emblem of, 596

Martabani, 10, 148

Mashonaland, Chinese porcelain found in, 605 ^

" Massed lard," 508

Ma-ts'ang Hills, 222, 260

Matsudairo Harusato, 725

Matsura, 743

Matsya (Sanskrit), fish, 112

Matteo Kicci, 660

Maulmain, 148

Mayeda Toshiharu, 759, 762

Mazariu-blue, 312

JMedallion-bowls, 466

INIedhurst, Sir Walter, 504

Medici, Lorenzo de', 149

IMedicine-bottles, 16, 503

Mei kuei, 398

Mei-kuei tzu, 307, 370

Meiji era, 697, 702

Mei-ling Pass, 280

Mei p'ing (plum-blossom jars), 205, 362, 497, etc.

Meireki, 732

Meissen, 2

Mei-tzu ch'ing (plum-colored blue), 370

Meiwa, 752

M^ng-chin, 560

M6ng Pi Sheng Hua, 864

Mercy, Goddess of, 130, (see Kuan-yin).

IVIesopotamia, 25

Messiah, the Buddhist, 488, 587, 757 iMetropolitan Museum, 8 JMiao chin (decoration in gold), 270

Miao hao (temple name), 64

Mica, crystals of, 333

Midzu-kuboshi, 694

Midzu-sashi, 694, 732

jVIi Fei, a famous calligraphist, 166

Mikawa, 730

Mikawaji, 713; -yaki, 730, 743

Milne, Prof. J., 30

Mi lo-fo (Maitreya Buddha), 587, 627

Min (= Fuchien), 42, 43, 181

Mineral blue, 439

Ming dj-nasty, 1, 5, 11, 34, 36, 40, 42, 50, 69, 70, 84, 89, 93, 96, 100, 101, 128- 134, 142, 149, 150, 157, 159, 177, 183, 189-196, 201, 211, 220, 241, 256, 260- 263, 270, 273. 287, 293, 298, 309, 321, 322, 374, 393, 429, 442, 450, 455, 675; table of rulers, 58, 64, 66; marks, 66, 68; often found on K'ang-hsi pieces, 299; colors, 262; blue the leading color, 567; decoration, reproduced in K'ang-hsi,. 300; porcelain, 189-259;

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

925

J

rare even in China, 609; leclinique,

260-275; pieces illustrated, Figs. 7,

70, 44, 120, 159, 164, 167. 173, 177;

Plates XXV, LXII. LXVIII, LXX,

LXXV, LXXXIV Ming Shih, (Ming annals), 496, 643 Ming Ti, 585 Ming Tsung, 50

Ming tz'u (Ming porcelain), 240 Minor Odes of the Kingdom, 83 Mirror-black, 313 Mirrors of bronze, 561 VMi-sg (rice-color), 303, 370 Mishinia ware, 682, 754; example of,

Fig. 380 Mixed colors, decoration in, 233; of

the grand feu, 328; examples of,

Plates V, XVII Miyagawa Kozan, 37, 698 Miyamotoya Riyemon, 761 Modeling in relief, in the Yung cheng

period, 364; illustrated in Fig. 254 ' Mohammedan blue, 69, 193, 203, 216,

221, 256, 263, 567 Mohammedan countries, 148 Mohammedan scrolls, 256 Mo hung, 383 Mo kuan (ink-jar), 205 Mokubei, 718, 733. 734 Molded designs in eggshell porcelain,

354 Molds, 430.431; their introduction into

Japan, 732 Mo-li hua (fragrant jasmine), 522, 599 Mo lin chix shih, 134 Mo lin Shan jen. 134 Mongol dynasty, 57, 92, 111 Mongol prince, service for, 95 .Mongols, China overrun by the, 177;

drive the Sung south, 143; conquests

in Asia, 188 Mongolian script, mark in, 95 Monkhouse, Cosmo, 412, 607 Monochrome decoration, 5; glazes, 129

of Ts'ang Yiug-hsiian, 72; green, 388

purple-brown, 382; vermilion, 195

yellow, with decoration in the five

enamels, 387; with chiseled designs,

382; liow applied siir biscuit, 545

J

J

Monochrome porcelain of Ch'ienlung, 407, 408; pieces illustrated, Figs. 6, 136, 146, 157. 161. 192, 200, 214, 215, 220-222, 245, 327, 337, Plates IV, V, XXXIX, LIII, LIX, LXV, etc.

Morikage, 719; -shitaye, 760

Morse, Professor, 27, 28

Motives of decoration, 557-603

Mount Idzumi, 34

Mourning-bowls, imperial, 507

Mourning color in China, 534

Mou-tan, the Eaeonia moutan, 599

Mo Yin (painting with silver), 383

Mu (wood), 43

Muffle colors defined, 549

Muffle stoves described by T'ang Yiug, 457; colors, how prepared, 324; the secret discovered bj- Delft potters, 616; enamel colors, 547

Mu-kua p'an, 176

Mules' liver (Lo-kan), 6, 370

Mural sculptures on tombs, 559

Murayama, 701

Murrhine vases, 17

Musee d'Histoire NatureUe, 439

Musee de Limoges, Venetian work in, 618

Musee du Louvre, 519

Museum at Sevres, 62, 618

Musical instruments, the eight, 84, 106

Musical pipes, 180

Musical scale, invention of, 84

Mussulman blue, 263

Mu Tsung, 61

Mu-Wang, 229

Mu AVang, Emperor, 578; his eight famous horses, 591

Mythical ages, 55

Mythological animals, 590, 591, 592, 593

Mvths, ancient Chinese, 559

N

Nabeshima, Prince of, 34, 735, 737,

742 Naga (the dragon), 590 Nagasaki. 35, 36, 607: Dutch factory

at. 739

926

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

Nagasena, 727

Nagoya. 728

Nakauo, 743

Nakshatras (Lunar Stations), 562

Names of Emperors of China, i)ersoual and postiiumous, 56-57

Nan-cirang fn, 19, 380

Nan ch'uan ch'in yu, 101

Nan-feng-hsien, its porcelain de- cribed, 183

Nankawarayama, 738

Nankin yellow, 82, 326

Nanking, 135, 153, 190, 277, 467

Nan Pei Ch'ao, 57

Nan Ting (Southern Ting), 1-13

Nara, 736

Narcissus (shui hsien hua), 124, 475

Narinobu, 751

National University, 94

Native blue, 263

Nature (literally, flowers and birds), 570; the Chinese gods of, 577

Nawashiragawa, 720

Nawashiro, 751-754

Nei Wu Fu, 279, 305, 393

Nelunibium speciosum, 112, 477

Nen-go introduced in Japan, 734

Nephelium longanum, 363

Nero. Roman Emperor, 17

New College, Oxford, 149, 606

New process of decoration, 239

New Ting-chou porcelain, 185

Nien (year or period), 64

Nien cliih, 403

Nien hao, 40, 51, 63, 64; when tirst used in China, 16; in Japan, 734; when it begins to run, 62; that of K'ang-hsi forbidden on pottery, 72

Nion Hsi-yao, superintendent of tlie Imperial Factory at Ching-tg-chen, 279, 286, 302, 361, 368, 392, 462

Nien Yao, its name traced, 302; its form and colors, 360; its finest shades, 408; of Yung-ch6ng period, 361; illustrated in Fig. 250, Plate LI

Ni family, 79

m kit lu, 79, 166, 170, 652

Ninagawa Noritane, 30, 31, 164, 686, 693, 702

Niiig shou kit chieii, 649

Ning Tsung, Emperor, 169

Ninsei, 715, 731, 733

Ninwaji, Prince of, 731

Nippon, 709, 710

Nirvana, 586

Nisa in Media, 565

Nisa-an general, liorses, etc., 565

Nishiki (silken brocade), 36, 687, 756,

761; style of decoration, 750 Nishikide, 732, 755 Ni-ssii, 565 Niter (hsiao), 265

Niu-chih (or Nlichih) Tartars, 57, 56a Nobility, rules for grading rank, 309' Nobunaga, 704 Nomi, 761

Nomi no Sukune, 29 Nonomura Ninsei, 731 Niichih Tartars, 568 Number, philosophy of, 106 Numerals, table of Chinese, lO^ " Numerical categories," 106 Nur-ed-din, 148, 605

O

" Oak basket," 214

O'Conor, Sir Nicholas, 81

Odd Volumes Sette, 505

Odes of Ch'i, 50

Odes, Book of, 640

" Odes on Tea," 657

Ofukei, 753

Ogata Shuhei, 718

Ohomuro, discoveries at, 28

Ohoya, discoveries at, 28

Oil-green glaze, 373

Oil-lamp (yu tgng), 153

Oil-painting unknown to the Chinese,

569 Okawaji, 713; ware produced at, 735,

742; example of, Fig. 390 Okimono, 696, 757 Okochi, 742 Old gold, 131 Old Imari ware of Japan, 390, 405, 609,

675; examplesof. Fig. 399, Plate CVI;

copied in China for export, 609

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

92r

n

"Old Japan," 85, 40; its source, 735; models for, 270; examples of, Figs. 381, 399-401, Plates XCV, XCVII- XCIX, cv

" Old Korean" from Japan, 677

■' Old Ky5to" ware, 716

" Old Satsuma," 748, 749

Old Seto, 688

Olea fragrans, 416, 477

Omens, felicitous, 560

Omi, 30

Omori shell-Leaps, 27

" Onion-sprouts " (a kind of blue re- ferred to by T'ang Ying) 438

Openwork porcelain described by Pere d'Entrecolles, 351 ; in the Ming period, 260, 268, 269; in the Yung-ch6ng period, 364; example in Fig. 255. (See Ling-lung, Pierced work, and Rice grain decoration.)

Orange-peel glaze, 320, 372

Or bruni, 348

Orchid Pavilion. 90, 601, 654

Orchids, 415

Ordinary ancient ware, 40

Oriental porcelain brought to England before the Reformation, 606; deco- rated in Europe, 616

Oriose, 743

Osumi, 752, 753

Ota, 37; kilns at, 698, 750; -ware, 688

Ota Nobunaga, 703

Ou (a noted potter of the Ming period), 273, 374; his teacups, 225, 228, 237; his glazes, 374

Ouan min kem (pit for the myriad people), 286

Oueda Tokounosouke (a French spell- ing of Uyeda Tokunosuke), 704, 737, 751, 759

Overglaze enamel colors, 674; iron-red of K'ang-hsi, 326

Owari, 686; its potteries, 721; its pot- tery and porcelain, 723

Oxide of antimony, colors developed from, 529; of cobalt, 441; colors de- veloped from it, 529; of iron, 529

Oxidizing flames, 452

Oyamada, 752

Pa An Hsien, 115

Pa Chi-hsiang, 106, 111, 112, 482, etc. Padma (flower), 112 Pagoda for relics, 201 Pa Hsien (eight genii or immortals), ^y 252; a sketch of each, 579-581 ; shown

in Figs. 2, 352, Plate XI Pa hsien kuo hai, 252 Pai (white), 142, etc. Pai chuan (jitual bricks), 231 Pai Ma Ssii (Wliite House Monastery),

584 Painted decoration, 130; not referred to

until near the end of the Sung period,

564 Painters, some celebrated, 730 • Painting, Chinese, books relating to,

647; in blue, 130; described by T'ang

Ying, 442; in enamels, 132, 674; in

silver in the Yung-ch^ng period, 390 Bfei fan (white charcoal), 264 \yPai Ting, 142 Pai-tun (white bricks), 423; -tzu, 261 Pai-tz'Q ti (bases of white porcelain),

303 Pai yu, used in jjreparing wu chin, 348 kua (the eight diagrams or tri-

grams). 106, 107, 472, etc. Pale-blue glaze of the Ming period, 267 Paleologue, M., 569 Palissy, Bernard, 731; -ware, 493 , " Palm eyes," 191, 372, 448 ^''

Palm-leaf (chiao yeh), 153 —^ Pan (round dishes), 43, 176, 206, 224,

230, 306; distinguished from tieh,

475; (castanets), 115 Pao (precious), 101, 102; Ch'ing, 290;

Ch'ing Yao, 451 Pao-en-ssu (porcelain tower of Nan- king), 202 Pao hsiang hua (flower of paradise), 563 Pao-kuo-ssii (a temple near Peking),

130, 146. 158, 196, 199 Pao-lao revels, 229 Pao-lien, 477

Pao shao (ruby -fired), 375; hung, 479 Pao shen chai chili, 86

v^°

928

ORIENTAL CKRA^riC ART. INDEX.

Pao sheng, 101

Pao-shih hung (ruby red), 371 V Pao-shih-lan (sapphire-blue), 380, 408,

439; illustrated in Plate XXIX Pao-shih-shau, 429 Pao tiug (precious censer), 124 P'ao tsun (gourd-shaped jar), 153 Pao-yueh ping (full-nioou vase), 412 " Papal pieces," 750 ^ Pa pao (eight precious things), 106,

119, 230, 482 -J Pa pei (stemmed cups), 171, 186, 199, 210 Paper-beaters, 473 Paper-weights (chgn chili), 168 Pa-pien kuan, 229 Paradise Lost, 460

Paradise, Taoist, 119; flowers of, 563 Parian ware, 535 Parkes, Sir Harry, 504 "Partridge cups," 163 Paste, how it is prepared, 181, 423, 424;

pastes and glazes that crackle, 447,

448; -pots, 168, 174 Pa tai (eiglit generations), 503 Patra (Buddhist alms-bowl), 21, 234,

493. (See Po.) Patrons of Ceramic Art in Japan, 704 Paulownia imperiulis, .756 Pavilion marks on porcelain, first used,

79 Pa wan (stemmed rice bowls), 171 Pa yin (eight musical instruments), 106 Peach, 124; its place in Taoist fancies,

116; its magic twigs, 596; emblem

of longevity and of marriage, 596;

-yellow, 482 Peach-bloom, 7; its invention 72, 307,

310; of K'ang-hsi, 307, 409; first

specimens that reached the United

States, 309; pieces illustrated. Figs.

188, 202, 209-211, 269, Plates III,

LI, LII, LIV; with streaks of green,

Plate L Peacock's feathers, 123 Pea-green, 264 Pearl (chu), 120 Peau de pSche, 7, 307, 310, 538 Pegu, 148 Pei (cups), 43, 145, 191, 212, 213, etc.

Pei tou (northern bushel), 100

Pei Wen Yunfu, 641

Peking, 10, 175, 189, 404, 467; arclueo- logical description of, 660; Oriental Society, 1, 132; school for enameling, 404

P'en (basins), 43, 238, 306, 427, etc.; (flower-pots), 306

Pencil-brush, 494, etc.

Pencil-rests, 173, 175; (pi chia), 253; (pi ko), 167; yen-shan, 140, 155

P'Sng Chiiu-pao, 143, 185

Perdrix cinerea, 163

P6re d'EntrecoUes, 4, 14, 240, 265, 282, 296, 313, 332, 425, 516; his letters translated, 332-358

P6re Ly, 427

Perfume-sprinklers, 502

Peroxide of iron, calcined, 408

Peroxide of manganese, colors devel- oped from, 529

Perry, Commodore, 696, 739

Persia, 148, 567; history of, 566; blue and white discovered in, 239; sili- ceous wares of, 522

Persian Gulf, Chinese trade with, 188

Persimmon, 197; -wood, 181

Petite Bibliotlieque iVArt et d'Arche- ologie, 703

Petit feu (gentle firing), 452; couleurs de, 324

Petrosilex, 264, 267

Petsi, 32

Petuntse, 285, 833; where obtained, 261; its nature, 338, 325; described by J\I. Ebelmen, 423; proportions used in porcelain, 425

Pheasant, 110

Philip and Joan of Austria, 606

Pha>uix of the Chinese, 96,590,591; the birds paying court to, 600

Phonetics, Chinese, 42, 43

Pi (pencil-brush), 125, etc.

P'i, terra-cotta ware, 48

Piao tzu, 436

Pi dhia (pencil-rests), 253

Pi Ching, 653

Pi ch'ung (brush-cylinders), 252 (com- pare Pi-t'ung).

OEIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

929

Pieu, tbe twelve, 491

Pien ch'ing (stone chime), 120

Pien-chou, 138

Pieu-kuau (flat jars), 195

Pien-tou p'an, 225

Pierced work, 521, 739, etc.; examples of. Figs. 25, 45,48, 185, 248, 291, 302, 306-308, 313, 321, 322,333, 386, 391, 403, Plate XXII

Pi hsi, 124, 167, 173

Pi ko (pencil-rest), 167, 173

Pilgrim-bottles, Figs. 41, 50, 176, 201, Plate XLVII

Pilgrim's gourd, 115; example of, Fig. 176

Pi-ling, 274

Pi-liu-li, 560

Pillows of porcelain, 169, 571; illus- trated in Fig. 16

Pin-chou, 19

Pine, a symbol of longevity, 597

P'ing, (vase, bottle, or flask), 42, 112, 144, 146, 152, 160, 166, 176, 180, 306, 435

P'ing f6ng, 241

Ping-hsu nien chili, 63

P'ing liua p'li, 497, 657

P'ing kuo ch'ing (apple-green), 7, 303; etc.

P'ing-kuo hung (apple-red), 7, 307, 409, etc.

P'ing-kuo lu, 409

Ping-kuo ti (bases of apple-green), 303

Ping-kuo tsun (apple-jar), 308

P'ing-li, 423

Ping lieh wen (fissured ice), 410; illus- trated in Plate LXXVII

Ping-shen (a year of the cycle), 50, 177

P'ing Shih (History of Vases), 496, 656

Pink {rose d'or), 407; (the flower), see Dianthus.

Pink illustrated, Plate LIII

P'ing-yang-fu, 43

Pi shan, 175

Pi Tung (brush-pot), 100, 123, 173, 489

Pi yen, 173

Pi yil (moss jade), 374

Plants in porcelain decoration, 597

Plaques of porcelain, 295, 495

Plate brought from Palestine by Cru- saders, 98

Plinths of porcelain, 277

Plum-blossom Hall, 699

Plum-colored blue, 370

Po (= Sanskrit iiatru), 21, 234

Poetic inscriptions, 104, 402

Poetry, classical age of, 23

Poets of the T"ang refer to porcelain cups, 23

Po ku (antique), 80, 118, 119, 124, 757. etc.; designs, 122; illustrated in Figs. 95-99

Po ku chgn wan, 101

Po ku Chi wan ju yti, 101

Po ku foil, 45, 143, 151, 152, 495

Poland, King of, 239

Po-li pai (glass-white), 552

Political cartoon on punch-bowl, 613

Polychrome decoration, 325; enamels, 9; in Korea, 676

Polyporus lucidus, 116, 365, 417, 597, etc.

Po Niao Ch'ao FSng (the hundred birds paying homage to the phaniix), 600

Porcelain, 22, 36, 339, 428, 606; defined, 12; its origin, 17: different kinds of, 179, 180, 181; classification of Chi- nese, 39, 127; naturally wiiite, 341; its materials, 333; proportions of the ingredients, 428; table of different kinds, 426; first models for, 564; ancient period of Chinese, 328; com- pared with modern, 356; began to be used by the emperors, 357; called "imitation jade," 21; different arti- cles of, 355, 495; can not be fired in winter, 181; god of, 355; decoration, 216, 268, 339,' 350, 357, 381-384, 436, 572; in European style, 383; motives of decoration, 557-603: of different periods, 41, 42, 164, 165, 190, 192, 277, 359, 362, 363. 391, 606. 664; modern period, 463-487; inlaid, 520; with engraved designs, 382; Avith Christian symbols, 357; with pierced carvings, 351; decorated in Canton, 611; made to order of Europeans,

930

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

614; kinds imported into Europe, 604-609; made for exportation, 604- 621; of provinces other than Kiangsi, 180, 622; Japanese, 685-765; Tower of Nanking, 135, 277; forms and uses of Chinese objects, 488-507

Porcelain centers, Japanese, 711, 712, 713; given in tabulated form, 706-707 ^ Porcelain earth, 221, 260

Porcelaine de Sinant, 606; des Indes, 610, 673; Hiudoue, 610; laquee bur- gautee, 520; nouvelle, 425; propor- tion of chalk in, 428; rouge, 635; tendre, 320

Porcelain-making, Chinese, 24, 420-430, 440, 449, 458; described by Pere d'Entrecolles, 337-340; twenty illus- trations of, described by T'ang Ying, 420-462; Japanese, 32, 35, 701, 710, 712, 734 "^ Porcelain-painting, 412, 569

Porcelain tower of Nanking, 135, 277

Porte-calotte described by Grandidier, 500

Portuguese visit China, 605; arrival in Canton and in Japan, 607; intercourse with Japan, 739

Po-shan lu, 168

Posterior Chou dynasty, 24

Po-t'ang, 263

Potiche, 6

Potter's wheel, invention of, 14, 25, 714; introduced into Japan, 28, 31; described by Tang Ying, 431 ; Bron- gniart on its proper use, 433

Pottery in its widest sense, 44; pre- historic, 27; term in Japan for, 686; its origin and tirst models in Japan, 712; of the Han dynasty, 558; buried with the dead, 683; when first glazed in Japan, 686; special Chinese works on. 661; Korean, 26, 670-684; centers formed in Japan by Koreans, 721; ware attributed to Korea, 676; pot- teries of Ching-te-chgn and other localities, 179, 180; in the Ming dynasty, 623

Pousa (a Chinese contraction of Bodlii- sattva), 355, 488, 582

V't.

Powder-blue, 312; pieces illustrated. Figs. 29. 169, 206. 260, etc.. Plates XVIII, XCIII

Po wu yao Ian, 92, 157, 191, 207, 222, 273, 568, 652

Po-yang, Lake, 18, 190, 279, 280; ^ Hsien, 261

Premiere qualite coloriee du Japon, 671; the class described, 672

Prescriptions for Ming glazes, 264-267

Pretty girls, 602

Pricket candlesticks, 93, 242

Priest with the hempen bag, 587; shown in Fig. 395

Primitive pieces illustrated, Plate XII

Private kilns in Ch'ien-lung period, 463

Private marks, 103

Processes, technical, 423, 424, 508-524

" Prohibited City." 82, 490

Pronunciation of Chinese, 45; of Japa- nese, 686

Prunus (mei), 117, 597, etc.

Pu k'o mo (not to be rubbed), 661

Punch-bowls with cartoons, etc., 613

Purple (tzu), 145, 383, 554, etc. (see Color); enameling in European style, 383; pieces illustrated. Figs. 19, 24, 38, 129, 193, 326, Plate XXIX, etc.

" Pursselyne," 607

P'u shu t'ing cki, 209, 660

" Puslanes of all sorts," 608

Pu-tai Ho shang (same as Hotel), 587, 757

Pyrus japonica, 371, 416, 757; red illustrated in Plate LIII

Q

Quartz (Shih), 265, 424; amethystine,

479 Quince-dish, 176

R

Radicals, Chinese, 42 Raku-cha-wan, 704 Raku-ware, 688, 703, 718 Ramayana, 114

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

931

Randon de Boisset, 671

Rangoon, 148

Raven's-wing green, 37

Reading-lamps, 169

Rebus like devices, 106, 124

Reception-room furniture, 493, 499

Red, 528; different kinds of, 537; of the grand feu, 479; derived from copper, 194, 535; from green vitriol, 341 ; enameling in the European style, 389, 554; shops, 413, 458; symbolical of the sun, 492; boccaro. Fig. 23, etc., illustrations of. Plates XVII, XXVI, XXVIII, XXXII, XLI, LXVII. XCII. (See Color.)

Reducing flame, 452

Regular superintendents of the imperial potteries first appointed, 278

Reign name forbidden to be used as a mark, 41

Rein, J. J., 701

Relic pagoda, 201

Religions of China, 572

Reproductions of Chiin yao colors, 370

Rhinoceros (So), 152; horn, 121; jars, 225

Ricci, Matteo, 660

Rice-bowl, Fig. 294, Plates CIII, CIV

Rice-colored glazes, 369-373, 386

Rice cultivation, pictures illustrating, 421, 657; works on, 658

Rice-grain decoration, 418, 522, 698; specimens of. Figs. 285, 318, 321

Rice-spoons of porcelain, 506

Riches, God of, 120

Risampei, 34, 675

Ritual bricks, 231; vessels, 491; works on, 657

Riyoniu, 704

Robei, 733

Robin's egg, 374, 518; blue, 374, 471; shown in Plate LXXXV; glaze, 289

Rocks used in preparing the glazes, 261

Rock-temples of India, 114

Rokubei, 718

Rosary, official, one bead of porcelain, 505

Rosa sinensis, 415

"Rose-backed" plates, etc., 63, 389.

404; illustrated in Plate XXIV Rose crimson of Yung-cheng period,

370 Rose d'or (gold pink), 389, etc.; shown

in Plates LIII, LXXVI, etc. Rose Dubarry, 360, 389, 528 Ro.se, famine, 388,404, 411, 413; shown

in Plates XXII. XXIV, LXVI, etc. Rosellini's error, 504 Rouge-bo.xes, 212, etc. Rouge de fer, 554 Rouge d'or, 361, 403, 413, 528, 554, 555,

etc. Rouge-pot, 198 Rouge-red, 418 Round ware, 224, 236; how made, 430,

431 Rubruquis. 566 Ruby-backed plates, 74; e.xample in

Plate X Ruby-red, 371, 375, etc.; dragon, Plate

XXX Russian enameling, 456

Sacred designs, 572; genii, 124; lotus, 112; texts forbidden as inscriptions, 72

Sacrificial colors, 225, 371

Sacrificial vessels, 144, 204, 225; differ- ent kinds of, 434, 489; their variety, 490; of bronze, 558; marks on, 92

Saddle-back Mountain, 281

Sagittarius, 468

Sakaida Kakiyemon, 738

Sake-bottles, shown in Plates XCVII, CIX, CX

Sake-pots, shown in Plates XCIX, CVII

Sakyamimi, 263, 733; principal repre- sentations of, 585; statuette of. Fig. 404; trinity, 586

Saladin, 148, 605

Salting Collection, 8

Salvetat, M., 267, 373, 427

Samantabhadra, 586, 733

932

ORIENTAL CERAinC AKT. INDEX.

Same-yaki, 753

San (umbrella), 112; ("3"), 159

Sang-de-b(inif , 6, 72, 195, 200, 267, 297, 304. 307, 310, 485, 512; origin of the term, 302; pieces illustrated, Figs. 5. 181, 196, 207, 258, 297, 347, Plates I, LVI-LIX, LXVII, LXVIII

Sang du poulet, 372

Saniu, 704

San Kuo (the three fruits), 596

li^arikha (conch-shell), 112

San Li, 640; -Ton, 641

Sannojo, 743

San-pao-p'gng, 510

San sli6 (sets of three), 493; in various materials and styles, what they com- prise, 493

San to (three abundances), 477, 596

San-ts'ai (three-color decoration), 324, 327, 329; specimen in Fig. 82

San yang K'ai t'ai, 230, 468

Sanyu (the three friends), 478

Sapphire-blue, 266, 408, 439, 542; ex- ample of. in Plate XXIX

Sapphires, imitation, 216

Sapta Ratna (Sanskrit), " seven gems," 113

Sartel, M. du, 196

Satow, Sir Ernest, 27, 28, 750

Satsuma ware, 32, 175, 678, 687, 689, 702, 719, 748-757; pieces illustrated, Figs. 392, 393, 395, 406-408, 410, Plates C, CI, CII, CVIII

Saucer and saucer-shaped dishes, 141, 224, 236, 478, etc ; example in Fig. 249

Saxony, Elector of, 239

Scent-caskets (hsiang lien), 180, 505

Scherzer, M., 3,291,446

Scholar and his study, works in Chinese relating to the, 653; the elegant ac- complislmients of, 121; articles for his study, 494

Scooping out the foot described by T'ang Ying, 448

" Screwing," 433

Scroll-paintings, 122

" Sea-eyes," 180

Sea-green celadon, 36, 360, 373

Seal characters, 46

Seals (yin), 168; ancient, 494; of porce- lain, 46; examples in. Fig. 58, 59

Seggars (hsia). 179, 181; their manu- facture, 428; described, 738; furnaces, 271; in the Ming period, 290

Seibei, 731

Seifu Yohei, 37, 697

Seiji (= Chinese CTi'ing tz'u, or " green porcelain "), 36, 148, 686, 714

Seikanji, 731

Seiren-in, Prince, 733

Seitoku, 704'

Seizayemon, 731

Sendai, 738

Sen-no-Rikyu, 681,703

Senno Sohitsu, 705

Sepia decoration, 328, 384; example in Fig. 230

Sepulchral mounds, 27

Sericana, 460

Services for dining-room, 507

Seto, 33, 686; -kilns, 724; -mono, 33, 686, 714, 724; -ware, 689, 759

Sets of five pieces, Buddhist, 493

" Seven gems," 113

Seven Worthies, 601

Sevres, 2; hard porcelain, 424; mu- seum, 9

S^ yao (colored-ware furnaces), 271

Shaga, 764

Shah Abbas, 256

Shah of Persia, 502

Shaku-date, 725, Plate CXIV

Shan (fan), 115; (mountains), 110

Shan-fang (mountain retreat), 79

Shan kao shui ch'ang, 60, 102

Shang (a gift), 73

Shang dynasty, 25

Shanghai, 219

Shang ku ch'i, 40

Shang Ti, 576

Shan lei (hill and thunder), 225

Shan shui (literally, "hill and water"), 569

Shausi, 43, 215

Shantung glass-works, 551

Shan wan (banquet-bowls), 224

Shan-yii-huang (eel-yellow), 295, 372

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

933

Shao-hao, 56

Shao-hsing, 197, 436; tea-services made

at, 624; wine, 275 Shao hsing chien ku t'ou, 648 Sliao-lu (muffle stove), 458 Shao yao, the Pomnia albijk>ra, 599 Shark-skin ware, 753 Sha-t'ai (saud-bodied). 320 Shg-li (sacred relics of Buddlia), 201 Shell mounds at Omori, Japan, 27 Sheug (reed organ), 109 Shgng shou (wisdom and long life), 249 Shgng-yang, 393 Shgng yu yn chi, 94 Sh6n-uung (Divine Husbandman), 56 Sheusi, 278 Shgn-tg-fang, 80, 469 Shgn tg fang chih, 80 Shgn tg t'ang po ku chih, 80 Shgn-tzii (dark purple), 370 Shgn-yang, 93

Shg-p'i lil (snake-skin green), 317 Shiba pieces, 750 Shigaraki, 688; -ware, 726 Shih Chi, 14, 565, 642 Shih Ching, 640

Shih-chu, the Dianthus pink, 599 Shih-grh Chang, 106 Shih kao (gypsum), 335 Shih-liu tsun (pomegranate-jar), 308 Shih mo (pounded quartz), 266 Shih Tsung (emperor), 24 Shih-tzu ch'ing (stone-blue), 221, 263,

266, 267, 439 Shih iDu kan chu, 216, 435 Shimazu, 753, Yoshihiro, 751; Yoshi-

hisa, 720 Shiraki, 30 Shiraz, 524 Shishidama, 758 Shiu-ro, 695

Sho-ho period, 35, 735, 737 Shousui, 34. (See Gorodayu.) .Shotoku, 743 vShou (longevity), 86, 91, 97, 98, 125 Shou huau, 180 Shou Lao, 116, 230, 576; represented in

Figs. 347, 348 Shou pi nan shan, Fu ju tung hai, 99

Shou Shan. 119; fu hai, 227

Shou tlie tyrant, 107

Shrinkage, 446

Shuai fu kung yung, 94

Shuang fu chi ch'ing, 126

Shuang hsi (twofold joy), 95, 171

Shuang kuan p'ing, 205

Shuang shou po fu, 86

Shu, ch'in, ch'i, hua, 120

Shu-ch'ang, 94

Shu Chiao (the Fair Shu), 162

Shu Ching (Book of History), 56, 109,

640 Shu Ch'ing Yuan, 175, 205, 324 Shu family, 162 Shu fu (imperial palace), 92, 135, 186;

-yao, 186 Shugio, H.,682 Shui-ch'gng, 123, 140, 146, 151, 155,

159, 167, 176, 206, etc. Shui Chu (water-pourers), 167, 173, 197 Shui Chung-Ch'eng, 173 Shui hsien hua, 124, 475, 599 Shui pa pao (eight aquatic jewels), 121 Shu King (Book of History), 25 Shun (Chinese emperor), 14, 25, 27, 44,

56, 109, 133, 241, 601; pottery of his

time, 357 Shunchih, 71, 293-296 Shuo Wen, 43, 46, 641 Shu-pgng, 462 Shu Teng, 169 Siddharta, 113 Sieur Wagenaar's voyage to Batavia,

674 Silk, 568; culture, illustrated in Fig.

287; handkerchiefs of the Sung, 568;

weaving, pictures illustrating, 421,

657; works on, 658 " Silkworm coils," 481 Silver in decoration, 556 Silvered porcelain in the Yung-chgng U^

period, 383 Single colors, 346, 360 Sinico-Japanese school of ceramists, 36,

37 Sin-p"ing, 18 Sinra, 32 Si Po, Prince of Chou. 601

934

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

Six-legged monster, .leo

Sky-blue, 136, 369, 370, 37o, 524, 528

Slip decoration in partial relief, 364; illustrated in Fig. 66

Slop-bowls, 238

Smith, Major Murdoch, 605

Smithsonian Institution, 8

Snake-skin green, 72

Snuff-bottles, 503; originall3' for med- icines, 503; illustrated, Figs. 12, 23, 25, 32, 48, 64, 65, 91, 102, 135, 179,

' 199. 269, 272, 281, 286, 288-292, 295, 296, 300, 301, 305, 311, 317, 327, 330, 331, 334-337, 340, 344, 345, 347, 350, 351, 353, 412, Plate XXXVII

So (rhinoceros), 152

Sodom and Gomorrah, destruction of, 661

"Soft glaze," 320

"Soft-paste" class, 320; examples of. Fig. 276, Plate LXVIII

Soft porcelain of Chelsea, 320

Sokuan, 755

Solar bird, 109

Solar zodiac, animals of, 562

Soleyraan, Arab traveler, 23

Sometsuke, 34, 687, 729, 743

Soniu, 704

Souffles, 289, 313, 410, 518; blue, 347, 377, 542; examples in. Fig. 260, Plate XVIII; red, 340, 347, 360, 377, 408; examples, Figs. 250, 259

South Kensington ]\Iuseum, 5, 605, 699

Special designs for the European market, 609

Sphere, one of the pa pao, 119

Spider-mark, 98

Spinning damsel, 468

Spring and Autvmn Annuls, 641

Square seal, 70; vases, how made, 435

Sripada (Buddha's footprint), 114

Srivatsa, 112, 114

Ssu Chi Hua, 598

Ssii-chuan, 23, 127. 179, 180, 584

Ssu Fang Ch'ing Yen, 402

Ssii kan ts'ao t'ang, 79, 83

Ssu Ling of the Chinese, 591-594

Ssii-ma Ch'ien (the Herodotus of China), 14, 565, 642

Ssu-ma-kuang's presence of mind as a boy. 603

Ssii t'ai teng, 205

Ssu yao (private kilns), 76, 443

St. James, 403

St. Louis of France, 566

St. Thomas, 589

Stamboul, 454

"Starch-blue," 138, 437

Star-gods, 559

Star of longevity, 100

Statuettes of Kuan-yin, 354

Staunton, Sir George, 51

Steatite, 472; used in crackling. 510

Stellar divinities, 468

Stems, the ten, 51

Stone-blue, 221, 439

Stone-drums, 45

Stoneware, 13

Stork, the, 475, 595; symbol of longev- ity, 117; aerial messenger of the gods, 363

Su-ch'ien-hsien, 396

Su-chou, 140. 195

Sui ch'i, 509; tun, 510

Sui dynasty, 20, 454

Suinin, emperor, 29

Sui Shu, 20, 642

Sui yu (crackled glaze), 349

Suizuka, 760, 761

Sultan of Egypt, 149

Su-nia-li (or Su-ma-ni) blue, 11, 193

Sun, the horse-chariot of the, 113

Sun Ch'iian, 573

Sung Ching-lien, 84

Sung, chu, mei, 86, 117, 597

Sung dynasty, 3, 10, 38. 50, 79, 89. 92. 104, 109, 128-142, 143-155, 159-178, 183-187, 195, 203, 219, 255, 268. 273. 275, 278. 281. 318, 369-373, 436, 499. 508, 510. 515, 693; marks, 65,66; por- celain, 165; crackles of, Plate XII; painted decoration first referred to, 563; different wares of, 444; pieces illustrated, Figs. 119, 122, 124, 125, 133, Plates XII, XCIV

Sung hsiang (turpentine), 264

Snng Shih, 130, 642

Sunkoroku, 678, 754

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

935

Su-ni-p'o blue, 193

Superititendents of imperial i)otleries,

72, 73, 86, 301 Sur-bificuit decoration, 31, etc. Sur-decoration, 617, 619; an example in

Fig. 357 Su-ti (plain ground), 381 \^Su Tuug-p'o, 170

Svastika, 98, 114, 115, 121, 123. 765 " Swing-cups," 208 Symbolism of the colors, 491 Symbols, Buddhist, 106, 111; Taoist,

106, 115; of ancient Chinese lore, 106,

107; of victory, 560

Tabaku-bon, 695

Table services in Lung-ch'ing period, 235

Ta chi (great good fortune), 100

Ta Ch'in (Roman Empire), 454

Ta Ch'ing {gros bleu), 439

Ta Ch'ing (Great Pure dynasty), Chia- cli'ing nien cliih, 75, 464, etc.; Ch'ien- lung fang ku, 77; Ch'ien-lung nien chill, 74, 416; K'ang-hsi nien chih, 72, 327, etc.; Kiiang hsii nien chih, 76; nien chih, 401; Shun chih nien chih, 71; Tao-kuang nien chih, 75: T'ung chi nien chih, 75; Yung-chgng nien chih, 74, 363

Ta Ch'ing Hui Tien i'ou, 225

Ta Cn'ingyi T'ung Chih, 643

Tael, 137, 260, 264

Ta Hsiu, 195

T'ai-ch'ang, 67

Tai che Shih (antimony ore), 264, 265

T'ai-chi symbol, 473

T'al Kgng Wan, 225

Taiko Hideyoshi, 681, 720; same as Taikosama, 704

Tai-kwa, 734

T'ai Miao, at Peking. 490

T'ai p'ing huan lo, 624

Tai pings, 75

T'ai p'ing yu hsing, 140, 474

T'ai-pHng yu Ian, 645

Tai Shan, 100

Tai-ting, 177

T'ai tsun, 225

T'ai-wu Lake, 219

Takara-mono, 757

Tukatori ware, 688, 726, 727; examples of. Figs. 339. 383

Takemoto liayata, 37, 626, 697, 698

Ta-kuan glazes, 368

Ta lii {gros vert, or emerald-green), 139, 317

Tamago-yaki, 689

Tamba, 731

Tamerlane, 604

Tamikichi, 729

Ta Ming, Ch'eng hua nien chih, 68, 211; -yuan nien yi yu, 68; Cheng- tS nien chih, 68; Chia-chiug liu nien chih, 69, 223; nien chih, 70, 741; Ch'ung-chen nien chih, 70, Hsilan-te nien chih, 67, 194, 199, 201, 203, 205; Hung chih nien chih, 68; Hung-wu nien chih, 66; Lung-ch'ing nien chih, 69; T'ien-ch'i nien chih, 70; Wan-li nien chih, 69, 242, 294; Yung-lo nien chih, 191, 192

Tamo, 589, 627

Tamura Gonzayeraon, 759

Tan, 180

T'an (wine-jars), 43, 230, 238; (altar). 92; Chan (altar-cups), 222

Tanagra of Japan, 718

Tanaka, 737

T'ang (hall), 79, etc.; (soup), 476

T'ang dynasty, 10, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 26, 32, 50, 127, 129, 139, 278, 436, 561

T'ang Ping-chiin, 421

T'ang yao, its name traced, 302

T'ang Ying, 3, 73, 87, 93, 159, 273 \ 294, 302. 305, 309, 361, 391, 401; appointed superintendent of the im- perial potteries, 279; his autobiog- raphy, 393; commanded to write description of twentj' illustrations of porcelain-making found at Peking, 396; his journey to Peking, 420; memoranda by, 398; his description of the Twenty Illustrations translated, 420-462; his successors, 399; value of bis work, 174; his writings on pot tery, 663

J

936

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

T'ann Shu, 18, 642

T'an-jen (the Tranquil), 659

Tan kuei. 103

Tanniu, 704

T'ao (an ancient place name), 43; pot- tery, 12, 13, 44, etc.

T'ao Ch'ang (porcelain manufactory), 644; Ch^ng (porcelain administra- tion), 3

T'ao ch'eng shih yu k'ao, 398

T'ao ch'i, 686

Tao Chi Liio, 178,663

^'ao ch'ing (ceramic-blue), 439

T'ao cli'u (porcelain plinths), 277

Taoism, 106; its founder, 575; its first great patron, 576

Taoist genii, 83, 115, 482; paradise,119, 578; symbols, 106, 115; temple at Tungpa, 93; Triad, 577; shown in Figs. 244, 325, Plate XXI; writers, 565; devices in old bronze, 563

T'ao-jSn (potters who work with the wheel). 15, 431

Tao-kuang, 3, 48, 55, 75, 80, 84, 91, 95, 113, 466; poem by, 469; pieces illus- trated. Figs. 38, 63, 73, 74, 311, 335, Plate XXXVII; k6ng hsii nien chih, 62; yi ssu nien, Kuangyiit'ang chih, 90

Tao Shuo, 2, 130, 165, 189, 208, 226, 255, 405, 436, 454, 489, 495; its date, author, and contents, 663, 665, 666

Tao-t'ai (intendant of circuit), 190, 294, 295

Tao Te Ching, 575

T'ao-tieh,137, 145, 406; shown in Figs. 274, 329

T'ao t'u, (porcelain earth), 260

T'ao Teh Tou Shuo, 663

T'ao yil, 21

T'ao Yuan-ming (a lover of chrysanthe- mums), 104, 209, 598

Tartar dynasty, 293, 740

Ta Shih (the Arabs), 454

Ta shu fang chih, 88

Ta Sung Yuan fgng nien chih, 65

Ta T'ang (principal hall), 288

Tateno, 753, 754

Tatsumonji, 752

Tatsu no Kuchi, 752

Ta Ya Chai, 81

Tayasu Tokugawa, 720

Ta-yi potteries, 23, 127

Tazza-shaped cups, 171, 199, etc.

Tchang-ho, 18

Tching (= Chgn), explained, 283

Tching-hoa (= Ch'gng-hua), 299

Tch'in koue, 18

Tch'in-tcheou-fou (a department of Ilonau), 18

Tea, its coming into general use in China, 21; its introduction into Japan, 714; a clas.sical treatise on, 21, 655; special works on, 655; ceremonies, 32; book on the utensils used in, 656; adopted in Japan, 163, 681; their in- fluence on Japanese pottery, 692; utensils used in, 694; illustrated in Plates CXIV, CXV

Teacups (ch'a pei), 141; (ou), 225, 228, 231, 237

Tea-dust glaze, 518

Tea-jars, 33; Japanese, Plates CXIV, CXV

Teapots, 275, 696; Chinese works on, 656

Teaspoons of porcelain, 506

Tea-tasters, 163

Technical processes, 508

Teclinique during the Ming period, 260-275

Te-hua (in Fuchien), 164, 184, 276, 534, 627, 631

Tg hua ch'ang ch'un, 96

Tembio, 731

Temple of Confucius at Peking, 45; of Land and Grain, ritual vessels of, 492; of the patron god of potters, 461

Tempo, 755, 761

Teng (lamp), 153, 161, 490

Tensho, 703

Terra-cotta, 12, 43, 638

Terrien de Lacouperie, 25

Tezukune, 704

Themes illustrated in decoration, 600, 601

Thieves, god of, 583

Thirteen li Mart, 281

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. — INDEX.

937

Thousand-character classic, 215

Three ancient dynasties, 14, 15, 56

Three color decoration, 324, 483

Three fruits, the, 596

Three kingdoms, the, 56, 573

Three-legged bird, 109; toad, 110, 583

Three Rituals, 640

Thumb-guards of porcelain, 505

Tibet, Buddhism in, 585

Tibetans, their favorite deity, 588

Tieh (saucer plates), 224, 228, 229, 306, 475

T'ieh-hsiu, technique of, 406; Plate XIX

T'ieh-hsiu-hua, 519

Tieh t'o (saucer), 141

T'ien-ch'i, 70, 157, 258; porcelain of, 258, 259

T'ien-ch'ing, Plates LXXIV

Tien Hou (Queen of Heaven), 583

T'ien hsia t'ai p'ing, Ssvi fang hsiang ts'ao, 247

T'ien-Kua Hu, 210

T'ien kuan tz'u fu, 100

T'ien kung k'ai tmi, 273, 623; its con- tents, 658

T'ien-lan (sky-blue), 370

Tien mao fang chih, 84

T'ien pai (pure white), 268, 316, 385; yu, 479

T'ien-pao, IS, 139

T'ien-shun, 64, 206

T'ien ti yi chia ch'un, 81

Tientsin, 190, 279

T'ien tzii Kuan, 258

Tiger, the Chinese, 591; the white, 560

Tiger-skin glaze, 317

Timur the Mongol, 604

Ting, 490; (a cake of ink), 125; (fixed, immovable), 87; (incense-burner), 139, 143, 145, 214; (sacrificial vessels), 273

T'ing (a summer-house), 79

Ting chou, 129, 136, 142, 146, 162, 165, 268; potteries at, 257; closing of, 625; porcelain, 79-173, 184, 273, 533; imi- tations of, 185, 273, 318

Ting-ch'ou (a cyclical year), 207

Ting-hsiang (the Syringa sinensis), 599

Ting ssu (a cyclical year), 466

Ting yao, 127, 133, 136, 142, 143, 160, 164, 176, 448, 625

Ti p'ing (ground vases), 502

Toad, the three-legged, 110, 583

Tobacco-plant, its introduction into China, 503

Tobei, 752

T'o-chih (supporting twigs), 673

To-da-kichi-hei, 99

To-ichi, 754

Tojin-machi, 735

Toju, 754

Tokaido, 682

Toki (pottery), 686

Tokio, Tokyo, 27, etc.; porcelain, Plate XCVI

Tokitsu, 754

Tokonoma, 695

Tokugawa family, 746

Tokuri, 742, 756

Tokuzayemon, 674

Tones in Chinese, 44

Topography, Chinese works on, 643

Tortoise (emblem of longevity), 117; a full account of, 594; -shell, 520

Toshiaki, 759

Toshiharu, 759

Tosliima Tokuzayemon, 737

Toshiro, 32, 714; his influence on Japa- nese ceramics, 692; his tea-bowls, 725

To-t'ai tz'u (eggshell porcelain), 192

Tou ch'ing, 234, 360; -yu, 264; illus- trated in Plate XL

Tou li pei, 200

T'ou shou chi ch'eng, 273

Tou, the twelve, 491

Toyosuke ware, 730

Trade of China, 23; with Africa and Arabia, 504

Transliteration of Chinese, 44

Traite des Arts Ceramiqites, 324

Transmutation colors, 130, 516; glazes, 37, 157, 407, 516, etc.; pieces illus- trated. Figs. 27, 118, 137, 140, 165, 270; Plates XVI, XLVI, L, LI, LXXXVII

Tree-peony (emblem of riches and rank), 126, etc.

938

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

Trenchard, Sir Thomas, 606

Tressaillure, 447

Trevor, Thomas, 381

True porcelain of Japan, 689

Truite, truitee, 315, 327, 447, etc.

Trigrams, the eight, 106, 107, etc.

Tripod cen.ser, 139, 145, etc.

Tsa llua (miscellaneous designs), 570

Ts'ai chin (painting in gold), 328

Ts'ai Chin-ch'ing, 287, 470

Tsai cli'uan chih lo, 102

Ts'ai Ilsiaug, 170

Ts'ai hua (decoration in colors), 289

Ts'ai Hung (printing in red), 327, 383

Ts'ai jun t'ang chih, 88

Ts'ai shui-mo (painting in black), 383

Ts'ai tieh (food-dishes), 226

Tsang-pa (Zanzibar), 10, 148

Ts'ang T'ing-feng, 178

Ts'ang Yao, its name traced, 302; de- scribed, 306

Ts'ang Ying-hsiian, 72, 302; superin- tendent of imperial factory, 305; glazes invented by, 372

Ts'ao (grass), 110; shu (grass hand), 46

Tsao Ch'ao, 650, 681

Tsao-fan (green vitriol), 341

Ts'ao Fu, 591

Ts'ao Kuo-cli'iu, an account of, 580

Tsao-p'ing, 493

Tsao-'rh hung, 408

Ts'ao Ts'ao, 573

Tsao t'ang (decoction of jujubes), 92, 222

Tsgng (a hand-organ), 353, 578

Tseng Kuo-fan, 470

Tsiu (misprint for ts'ui), 343

Tso-tsun, 499

Tsou family of potters, 195

Tsubo, 702

Tsuchiyaki, 687

Ts'u chui (vinegar-cruse), 226

Tsii Erh Chi, 44

Ts'ui ch'ing se (turquoise-blue), 226

Ts'ui lu, 226

Ts'ui se (turquoise), 409; -yu (glaze) 265

Tsuji Katsuzo, 739

Tsuji Kizayemon, 738

Tsun (jar), 144, 153, 160, 171, 435, 489; (sacrjficial vase), 43, 394; (beaker- shaped vases), 306

Ts'ung-cheng, 92

Ts'ung lii (onion-green), 129

Tsung-tu (governor general), 301

Tsung Yi (temple vessels), 110

Ts'u ti (vinegar-ewers), 238

Tu the poet, 23, 169

T'u (earth), 142

Tuan T'ing-kuei appointed superin- tendent, 287

Tu Chiu-ju, 274

Tu-hsia (finished ca.ses), 429

Tui Ch'i (embossed pieces'), 268

Tui hua (embossed designs), 382, 389

T'u-mao chan, 170

T'u-mao-hua Ch'a-ou, 169

Tumed banners, 95; prince, 113

T'u-mi (Rosa rugosa), 599

T'ung-chih (sub-prefect), 279; (em- peror), 61, 62, 75, 87, 469; list of articles requisitioned by, 470-483

Tung-ch'ing (wintergreen), 156, 372, 480, etc.

Tung-ch'ing yao, 129, 136, 156; Plate XXXVIII

T'ungchou (city near Peking), 93

Tung Fang So (a Taoist saint), 360; his theft of the sacred peach, 582; shown in Figs. 250, 333

T'ung h.sin fang sheng, 120

T'ung hua p'ien (oxide of copper), 345

T'ung kuan (cylindrical jars), 195

Tung-li garden, 104

Tungpa (a town near Peking), 93

Tung Wang Fu, 561

Tung Yang J6n, 390

Tung Yang Ts'ai, 673

Turning, tools used in, 448

Turquoi.se-blue, 131, 226, 315, 409; glazes, 265, 376; pieces illustrated, Figs. 1, 8, 20, 31-33, 40, 76, 110, 115, 127, 139, 148, 158. 163, 170, 174, 189, 192, 217, 238; Plates XLIV, XLV. LXXV, LXXXIV, XCIII

Tushita heaven, 588 '

T'u ting, 142, 370; ware, 257, 533, Fig. 177

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART.

-INDEX.

939

Tu Yu (an early poet), 656

Twelve Brandies, 51; Cbang, 109

Twenty-four dynasties, 56, 57; Para- gons of Filial Piety, 603

Twin Merry Genii, 1G5, 583; Fig. 346

Tz'u (porcelain), 12, 20, 21, 43, 44. 686, etc.; -clien (porcelain pillow), 169

Tzu (puri)le), 145, etc.; -chin (dead- leaf tint), 226, 313, 348, 349; -yu, 264

Tzu-chlng, 134

Tz'u-chou, 127, 130, 162, 164, 165, 625, 678

Tz'u-en-ssu (temple at Peking), 209

Tz'u shlii-t'ang, 181

Tz'u shu ko, 79

Tzu tz'u fang cbih, 85

Tz'u yao, 164

Tzu ylng slilli, 479

U

TJndeciphered marks, 103 Underglaze colors, 326, 386, 442, 469;

decoration described by P^re d'En-

trecolles, 351 Unicorn, the Chinese, 594; the spotted,

560 Universal Monarch, one of the symbols

of the, 120 Uranoscope, 561 trna, 733, 747, etc. Ushnlsba, 733, 747 Uten.slls of Sung porcelain, 128

Vajra Buddha, 727

Van Aalst, J. A., 109

Van Neck, at Batavla, 607

Vases, 237, 434; different kinds of, 180 (fang liu), 140; (hu), 151; (ch'i). 162 (ku), 137; (p'lng), 160; (tsun), 146 the manufacture and forms described by T'ang Ylng, 434, 443; history of, book on the, 680, 681; for cut flowers, 495; ecclesiastical, illustrated in Plate XX

Veranda plaques, 71

Vermilion, 161; pencil, 402

Vert passe, 553

Victor}' or success, a .symbol of, 120

Viellles qualltes du Japon, 708

Vieux truite, 710

Vinegar-ewers, 238

Violet d'eveque, 554

Virgin Mother on porcelain, 403

Vlssage (screwing), 433

Vitex-blue, 136, 137

Vogt, M., 6, 290, 446

Vows of the Chinese, 98

W

Waddell, Dr. L. A., 585

Wade, Sir Thomas, 44

Wakal, M., 720

Wall-gazing Brahman, 589

Wan (bowls), 43, 180. 206, 224, 306, etc. ;

(" 10,000"), 98 Wan ku ch'aug ch'un, Ssii hal lai ch'ao,

247 Wanll, 36, 69, 70, 71, 89, 96. 101, 143,

189, 209, 222, 234, 239, 240, 242, 257.

260, 262, 268, 270, 273. 274, 287, 436,

443, 462, 503; decoration in colors,

239; mark often copied by the

Japanese, 36; porcelain, 239-257;

copies of, 378; pieces Illustrated, Figs.

18, 106, 153, 167, 173, 174, 38(a), etc.;

Plate LXXII; -nien ts'ai. 96; wu

ts'al, 193, 326 Wan shlh chii, 103 Wan Shou (" myriad ages"). 99; shan,

638; wu Chiang, 99, 481 Wan yu, 101 Wang-Chi, scenes from the legend of,

628 Wang Ch'iao (the philosopher Prince),

583 Wang Chlng-mln, 241 Wang Fu, 648 Wang Hsl Chili, 602 Wang-Jlh tsao, 295 Wang Mang, the usurper. 56 Wang Sun-chl, 211 Warhara. Archbishop, 149; his cup,

606 Watano Kichiji. 762

940

OMENTAL CERAMIC AKT. INDEX.

Water-droppers, 167, 173

Watered blue, 267

Water-fairy flower, 475, 599, etc.

Watering pot (luia chiao), 169

Watermelon Island, 281

Water-pot or receptacle (shui ch'Sng), 140, 146, 151, 155, 159, 167, 173; (hu), 167

" Wa-wa cups," 209

Wedded bliss, special emblem of, 95

Wedding-cups, 170, 207

Wei Ch'u, 23

Wei dynasty, 133

W^u chang slian tou, 100

Wgn Chang Ti Chiin, 574

Wgn Chgu-heng, 172

WSn-chou-fu, 624

Wen Fang ssu K'ao, 421, 456, 654

Wen fan ssu p'u, 654

Wgng, 43, 450

WSn T'ien-hsiang, 162

Wgn Wang, 107, 143

W§n Wei-chung, 215

WSn yli pao ting, 101

"Western Buddha," 82

Weston, Stephen, 51

Weymouth, 606

Wheel of the law, 563

Whistler's illustrations of Blue and White, 323

White, the color of Jupiter, 492; carp, 560; cliarcoal, 264; deer, story of the, 560; crane of Wang Ch'iao, 583; enamel colors, 552; glazes, 267, 318, 319; Hirado porcelain, 746; -Horse Monastery, 585; Lady, 570, 571; white porcelain, 226, 232; of Ch'ien-lung, 408; of Fuchien, 623; of Hsing-chou, 22; of Ching-tg-chen, 630; of Tg-hua, 276; of Yuug-lo, 191; pieces illus- trated, Figs. 18, 36, 37, 55, 104, 135, 138, 147. 151, 172, 177, 180, 218, 219, 222, 243, 246, 251, 252, 256, 264-267, 275, 277, 278, 302, 303, 310, 319, 322, 354, 371-373, Plate XC; slip decora- tion, 341, 523; Ting-chou-ware, 370; Umbrella, Lord of the, 112; unglazed porcelain of Tao-kuang, 469

Whitney, Prof. W. D., 562

Williams, S. W., 633 vXWine-cups, 43, 185, 227, 232, 236, etc.

Wine-jar (tsun), 171

Wine-pots. 185; (chia), 146; (yu), 153;

(hu), 160, etc. vM(Viuter-blossoming plum, 597 Wistaria sinensis, 82 Wonder-working jewels, 114 Wool kerchiefs of the Kitans, 568 Wrapping and packing porcelain,

described by T'ang Ying, 458 Writers and Painters, Cydopoedia of,

647 Writing, Chinese, 42 Writing-table, articles for, 494, 695 Wu Chgn-hsien, 89 Wu chin (metallic black), 313; (black

porcelain), 347 Wu fgng grh nieu, 558 Wu fu (five happinesses), 91, 322, etc. Wu-hsing, 204

Wu k'o (a Buddhist monk), 104 Wu kung (sets of five), 491 Wu-mgu, 205, 214; -t'o, 261 Wu-ming-yi (cobalt-blue), 10, 130, 439 Wu San-kuei, 41, 71, 287, 293, 305 Wu-slig (sets of five), 501 Wu-sung, 213 Wu Tai (five dynasties), 57 Wu tg, 18

Wu Ti (five rulers), 55; (emperor), 565 Wu ts'ai (five colors), 35, 201, 270, 325,

329, 687, etc.; piece decorated in.

Fig. 228 Wu Wang, 14, 26, 560 Wu-yuan-hsien, 261 Wu Yueh, 436

X

Xavier, Francis, 750

Yaki (= yao), 687 Yakimono, 687 Yamamoto, 752 Yamashiro, 761 Yamato, 30

^1

i i' 'AM :

" * "

942

OJ lENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

Yudi-liio, 110 ^y Yueh pai (rnooii-whlte), 7, 139, 136, 189, 310, 360; illustrated in Plate LI

Tueli porcelain, 50

Yulieng, 19

Yu hsin cli'ou nien chili, 02

Yu Im ch'un, 473, 473

Yu-hung, 423

Yu-kan-lisien, 361, 434

Yu-kang (tish-bowls), 234, 395

Yu Ku. 115

Yu ku ch'i, 40

Yu-kuo (glaze fruit), 437; t'ien ch'ing, 369

Yu lai (coming friends), 94

Yii Ian (the maguolia yu Ian), 126, 210, 599

Yu-li-liung (red in tlie glaze), 340, 346, 386, 537

Yu lil (kiln-transmuted green), 310

Yuug-chgng, 73, 79, 87, 128, 159, 379, 309, 332, 391, 397, 399, 401, 407, 414, 463; a special patron of the ceramic art, 365; porcelain, 359-366; clair de lune, 375; ofBcial list of colors of tlie period, 367; characteristics of, 391; with embossed designs, 383; in under- cut relief, 389; with engraved designs, 383; decorated in red, 383, 386, 466; with the five colors on monochrome yellow, 387; enameling in the Euro- pean style, 383, 389; silvered, 383; painting in colors in European style, 388; in gold, 390; in silver, 390; copies of various glazes, colors, and periods, 378, 379, 381. 385, 388; re- productions in the period, 371, 378, 384; rice-colored glaze, 386; tur- quoise, 376; pieces illustrated. Figs. 28. 38, 68, 73, 101, 116, 136, 130, 147, 179, 349, 253, 353, 363, 375, 288, 295, 832; Plates, XX. XXI, XXXVIII, XL, XLI, XLIII, XLVII, XLYIII, LII, LXIII, LXV, LXVI, LXXXV, LXXXVI; nien chih, 60; yli chili, 76

Yung ch'ing cli'ang ch'un. 81, 103

Yung-ch'un-chou, 627

Yung-ho-cliGn, 163

Yung-lo, 11, 66, 93, 133, 135, 186, 187. 191. 377, 450, 534, 605; porcelain, 190; copies of, in Yung-chong period, 378; piece illustrated. Fig. 70; nien chih, 67 Yu7ig-lo Ta Tien, 645

Yung pao cli'ang ch'un, 347

Yung pao cli'ang sliou, ssu hai lai ch'ao, 251

Yung pao ch'ien k'uii. 2.52

Yung pao hung fu ch'i t'ien, 244

Yung pao wan Shou. 243

Yung sheng, 102

Yun llsiang Ko, 94

Yun-lo, 353

Yunnan, 193, 216, 393, 305

Yun-tieh (vegetable dishes), 225

Yii nil (jadelike girl), 113

Yuriaku, 30, 704

Yu-shan, 181

Yil-sheug, 560

Yii Shih T'ing. 287

Yu .shui, 264, 267

Yii t'ang chia ch'i, 88

Yii t'ang fu kuei. 126

Yu T'ao Ling Ssu. 288

Ytl-tzQ (fish-roe), 509; huang (fish-roe yellow), 410; lii. 409; wen, (fish-roe crackle), 409, 410; Plates XXVII, LXXVIII

Yii Yao Cli'ang (imperial manufac- tory), 387

Zanzibar, 148; Chinese trade with, 604

Zayton, Zeitoun, 184

Zenroku. 736

Zenshiro, 735

Zizyphus communis, 408

Zodiac, the twelve animals of the, 561

Zoroku, 705

940

ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. INDEX.

Water-droppers, 167, 173

Watered blue, 267

Water-fairy flower, 475, 599, etc.

Watering pot (hua cliiao), 169

Watermelou Island, 281

Water-pot or receptacle (shui ch'gng), 140, 146, 151, 155, 159, 167, 173; (hu), 167

" Wa-wa cups," 209

Wedded bliss, special emblem of, 95

Wedding-cups, 170, 207

Wei Ch'u, 23

Wei dynasty, 133

Wen chang shan tou, 100

Wgn Chang Ti Cliiln, 574

Wgn Chgn-heng, 172

Wgnchou-fu, 624

Wen Fang ssu K'ao, 421, 456, 654

Wen fan ssu p'u, 654

Wgng, 43, 450

WSn T'ien-hsiang, 162

Wgn Wang, 107, 143

W6n Wei-chung, 215

W6n yil pao ting, 101

"Western Buddha," 82

Weston, Stephen, 51

Weymouth, 606

Wheel of the law, 563

Whistler's illustrations of Blue and White, 323

White, the color of .Jupiter, 492; carp, 560; charcoal, 264; deer, story of the, 560; crane of Wang Ch'iao, 583; enamel colors, 552; glazes, 267, 318, 319; Hirado porcelain, 746; -Horse Monastery, 585; Lady, 570, 571; white porcelain, 226, 232; of Ch'ien-lung, 408; of Fuchien, 623; of Hsing-chou, 22; of Ching-tg-chgn, 630; of Tg-hua, 276; of Yung-lo, 191; pieces illus- trated. Figs. 18, 36, 37, 55, 104, 135, 138, 147, 151, 172, 177, 180, 218, 219, 222, 243, 246, 251, 252, 256, 264-267, 275, 277, 278, 302, 303, 310, 319, 322, 354, 371-373, Plate XC; slip decora- tion, 341, 523; Ting-chou-ware, 370; Umbrella, Lord of the, 112; unglazed porcelain of Tao-kuang, 469

Whitney, Prof. W. D., 562

Williams, S. W., 632 v/Wine-cups, 43, 185, 227, 232, 236, etc. Wine-jar (tsun), 171 Wine-pots, 185; (chia), 146; (yu), 153;

(hu), 160, etc. V Winter-blossoming plum, 597 Wistaria sinensis, 82 Wonder-working jewels, 114 Wool kerchiefs of the Kitans, 568 Wrapping and packing porcelain,

described by T'ang Ying, 458 Writers and Painters, Cyclopmdia of,

647 Writing, Chinese, 42 Writing-table, articles for, 494, 695 Wu Chgu-hsien, 89 Wu chin (metallic black), 313; (black

porcelain), 347 Wu f6ng grh nien, 558 Wu fu (five happinesses), 91, 322, etc. Wu-hsing, 204

Wu k'o (a Buddhist monk), 104 Wu kung (sets of five), 491 Wu-mgu, 205, 214; -t'o, 261 Wu-raing-yi (cobalt-blue), 10, 130, 439 Wu San-kuei, 41, 71, 287, 293, 305 Wu-shg (sets of five), 501 Wu-sung, 213 Wu Tai (five dynasties), 57 Wu tg, 18

Wu Ti (five rulers), 55; (emperor), 565 Wu ts'ai (five colors), 35, 201, 270, 325,

329, 687, etc.; piece decorated in.

Fig. 228 Wu Wang, 14, 26, 560 Wu-yuan-hsien, 261 Wu Yueh, 436

X

Xavier, Francis, 750

Yaki (= yao), 687 Yakimono, 687 Yamamoto, 752 Yamashiro, 761 Yamato, 30

ORIENTAL CERA^lIC ART. INDl X.

941

Yang-chiang-hsien, 13; ;i center of the manufacture of Kuang yao, 633

Yang ho fang chih, 88

Yang-hsien (an old name of Yi-hsing), 635; teapots, 656

Yang-hsien ming hit, hsi, 635, 656

Yang-hsin-tien, 93, 393, 420

Yang ts'ai (foreign colors), 388, 390, 404, 611

Yangtsii, 190, 279

Yang tz'u (foreign porcelain), 456, 611

Yao (Chinese emperor), 14, 25, 27, 44, 56; his filial piety, 601; and Shun, ceramic relics of, 558; (jar), 43; (pottery, etc.), 43, 302, 357, etc.

Yao-pien, 37, 130, 131, 219, 220, 370, 514, etc.; glazes, 407: examples of. Plates XVI, XLVI, LXXXVIII /Yao p'ing, 503

Ya pai (ivory-white), 552 (compare F6n-ting).

Yatsushiro faience, 682

Ya Wan (literary toy), 48, 101

Year-star of the Chinese, 226

Yedo, 717

Yeiraku, 38, 697, 718, 762

Yei-sho, 726

Yellow, the imperial color, 491; enamels, 217; glaze used in the Ming period, 553; variegated, 317; of the muffle stove, 553; Banner, 301; River, 107, 279, 574

Yen (ink-pallet), 140, 166, 202, etc.

Yen-chih ho (rouge-box), 212

Yen-chih hung, 408, 511

Yen-hsiao (niter crystals), 264

Yen shan (brush-rest), 140, 155, etc.

Yen-shui ti, 251

Yen Yu Shan, 48

Yi (sacrificial vessel), 44, 204, 435, 490

Yi, princes of, 132, 309

Ti Ching, 108, 640

Yi Ch'ou (second of the cycle of sixty), 55

Yi-hsing (hsien), 13, 135, 158, 218, 220, 273, 274, 374; -ware, 374, 635, 636

Ti Li, 640

Yi Lu, 197

Yi-mao (a cyclical year), 394

Yin (dynasty), 50; (darkne.ss), 107; (seals), 168

Yin Ch'ih, 173

Ying (a cruse), 43

Ying-shua, 115

Ying ts'ai (hard colors), 550

Ying Tsung, 64

Yin-sg-Ch'ih, 168

Yin Weng (the silver jar), 560

Yin-yang (symbol), 106, 247, 472; showu in Fig. 197 and Plate XXIII

Yi-ssu, 91

Yi yli fang chih, 78, 82

Yokohama, 388; school of ceramists, 36

Yokoishi Toshichibei, 743

Yorakude, 764

Yoshidaya Hachiyemon, 761 ; -yaki, 761

Yoshihiro, 752, 753

Yoshimasa, 681

Yu (wine-jars), 156, 490; (glaze), passim

Yil (emperor), 56; (jade), 43, 101, 321, etc.; (basins), 43, 306; (bowls with lips), 186; (fish), 112, 125, etc. (= yu, abundance, prosperity); (imperial), 76

Yuan dynasty, 66, 92, 128, 133, 135, 143, 154, 163, 185, 187, 188, 205, 604; blue and white of, 564; crackle, 508; marks, 65; porcelain, 178-188; porce- lain-making, 627; pieces illustrated. Figs. 3, 141

Yuan (= laon, Greeks), 565

Yuan, the three (brothers), 496

Yuan ch'i (round ware), 288, 430. 435

Yuan fgng, 65

Yuan Hung-tao, 496, 497

Yuan-kuang, 16

Yuan-Ming Yuen, 638

Yuan tz'ii, 187

Yuau wen wu kuo chih chai, 90

Yu-chang, 206

Til Chang ta shih chi, 206, 644

Yli chSn, 101

Yil Ch'i Ch'ang (imperial manufactory), 190, 216. 281, 287

Yu cli'ing (pale green), 161

Yueh (the moon), 87, 110

Yueh-chou, 22, 127; cups, 22, 624

Yueh hsia pai (moonlight-white), 161

942

OF lENTAL CERAMIC ART.

-INDEX.

Yueh-ltio. 110 yy Yueh pai (moou-white), 7, 129, 136. 139, 310, 860; illustrated in Plate LI

Yueh porcelain, 50

Yuhgng, 19

Yu lisin cli'ou nien chih, 62

Yii Im cli'un, 472, 473

Yu-hung, 423

Yu-kan-hsien, 261, 424

Yu-kang (flsh-bowls), 224, 295

Yu Ku, 115

Yu ku ch'i, 40

Yu-kuo (glaze fruit), 427; t'ien ch'ing, 369

Yu lai (coming friends), 94

Yii Ian (the magnolia yu Ian), 126, 210, 599

Yu-li-liung (red in the glaze), 340, 346, 386, 537

Yu lil (kiln-transmuted green), 310

Yung-chgng, 73, 79, 87, 128, 159, 279, 309, 332, 391, 397, 399, 401, 407, 414, 462; a special patron of tlie ceramic art, 365; porcelain, 359-366; clair de lune, 375; official list of colors of the period, 367; characteristics of, 391; with embossed designs, 382; in under- cut relief, 389; with engraved designs, 382; decorated in red, 883, 386, 466; with the five colors on monoclirome yellow, 387; enameling in the Euro- pean style, 383, 389; silvered, 383; painting in colors in European style, 388; in gold, 390; in silver, 390; copies of various glazes, colors, and periods, 878, 879, 381, 385, 388; re- productions in the period, 871, 873, 384; rice-colored glaze, 386; tur- quoise, 376; pieces illustrated. Figs. 28, 38, 68, 72, 101, 116, 126, 180, 147, 179, 249, 252, 258, 262, 275, 288, 295, 382; Plates, XX. XXI, XXXVIII, XL, XLI, XLIII, XLVII, XLVIII, LII, LXIII, LXV, LXVI, LXXXV, LXXXVI; nien chih, 60; yu chih, 76

Yung ch'ing ch'ang ch'un, 81, 102

Yung-ch'un-chou, 627

Yung-ho-chgu, 162

Yung-lo, 11, 66, 92, 133, 135, 186, 187, 191, 277, 450, 534, 6U5; porcelain, 190; copies of, in Yung-chgng period, 378; piece illustrated. Fig. 70; nien chih, 67

Yung-lo Ta Tie)i, 645

Yung pao ch'ang ch'un, 247

Yung pao ch'ang shou, ssu hai lai ch'ao, 251

Yung pao ch'ien k'un, 252

Yung pao hung fu ch'i t'ien, 244

Yung pao wan Shou, 248

Yung sheng, 102

Yun Hsiang Ko, 94

Yun-lo, 358

Yunnan, 193, 216, 298, 805

Yun-tieh (vegetable dishes), 225

Yii nil (jadelike girl), 113

Yuriaku, 30, 704

Yu-shan, 181

Yil-sheng, 560

Yu Shih T'ing, 287

Yu shui, 264, 267

Yii fang chia ch'i, 88

Yii fang fu kuei, 126

Yu T'ao Ling Ssii, 288

Yii-tzii (fish-roe), 509; huang (fish-roe yellow), 410; lii, 409; w^n, (fish-roe crackle), 409, 410; Plates XXVII, LXXVIII

Yii Yao Ch'ang (imperial manufac- tory), 287

Zanzibar, 148; Chinese trade with, 604

Zayton, Zeitoun, 184

Zenroku, 726

Zenshiro, 725

Zizyphus communis, 408

Zodiac, the twelve animals of the, 561

Zoroku, 705

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