[133] The little bowl of apple-green porcelain in the British Museum, ‘garnished’ with a mounting of the time of Henry viii., has perhaps as long a European history. The two ‘Trenchard’ bowls (in spite of the later date of the mounting) probably came to England in 1506.
[134] I think that it is not unlikely that during the time that King-te-chen lay waste, kilns may have been erected somewhere in the neighbourhood of the Canton river, and that from these kilns originated much of the rough ware, hastily decorated in blue, that reached India and Persia in such quantities at this time (cf. the statement of Raynal quoted on [p. 166]). We have spoken in the last chapter of the influence of these events upon the Japanese trade.
[135] I am referring, of course, to Stuart times. In the eighteenth century the so-called Gombroon ware was of Persian origin, and recognised as such in England.
[136] The word ‘china’ is used in this sense, I think, by no other European nation.
[137] See, however, for the Portuguese merchants who sold porcelain in France, the note on page 230.
[138] The Abbé Raynal, writing about 1770, says that connoisseurs divide Oriental porcelain into six classes—‘truitée, vieille blanche, de Japon, de Chine, le Japon Chiné et la porcelaine des Indes.’
[139] Marryat’s extracts are unfortunately often carelessly quoted; nor is it easy in all cases to control them by reference to the originals.
[140] August ii. certainly bought a collection of porcelain from the Bassetouche family for 6750 thalers. It would be interesting to know of what wares this collection consisted. The only further additions until quite recent times have been to the European department.
[141] The tradition of the ‘dinner-service’ made in China for Charles v., and presented by him to Moritz of Saxony (or, as others say, captured from him by that prince), belongs to the same category of stories as that of the crusader’s cup. No such commission as this was possible at so early a date, and there is nothing in the Dresden collection that could be connected with such a service.