Amongst the finest white porcelain is one kind having a hard and compact paste which lends itself easily to the mould, but is not suitable to the turning wheel. Nearly all the pieces of this ware are moulded into figures, incense burners, &c., and on looking into the interior the roughness and unevenness of the paste can be easily seen, even the marks left by the fingers of the workmen are quite plain, whilst the bottom always preserves the imprint of the canvas on which these pieces are placed after having been moulded. Then there is a white biscuit class, very rare, often having two walls or divisions, of which the outer one only is biscuit, reticulated or pierced with a fine network or trellis of various patterns, through which the interior wall can be seen. Amongst the trellis many Chinese characters are to be found, such as the emblem of longevity, the mark called Cheou, Chow, or Show. We shall have more to say of reticulated porcelain later on, but here we may mention that the reticulation on the outer wall is often elaborate, and the cover glazes give a variety of colours equal to that found upon ordinary china. The whole white porcelain family, whether we consider the beautiful creamy ivory ware, or the dead white, or the blue tinged white, is rarely marked, and when a mark is used generally it is a seal character moulded or cut in the paste. A very rare form of decoration is met with in white, but only occasionally. The surface is covered with minute white points like the points shown in shagreen, only it is not green, but white. Such china has been termed "chair de poule," or chicken skin. It may be noticed that these points are not enamelled, either because they were applied upon the glaze or because the enamel ran off them in the firing.
XIV
SINGLE
OR SELF-COLOUR
GLAZES
CHAPTER XIV
SINGLE OR SELF-COLOUR GLAZES
Following the white in order is the remarkable series of single colour glazes of various hues, beginning with the sea-green or Celadon, which is a pale green, or even a greyish green; and the yellow, especially the Imperial yellow, which is reserved for the Emperors of the Tsing dynasty; camellia-green like the leaves of that plant, painted in proper colours; light brown, a bright colour with quite a metallic lustre, was known as "feuille morte," or dead leaf colour. So copper-reds give various self-colours such as haricot, various flambés, and through a long range it reaches eventually a pure black. Then there are the blues, covering a range no less varied and interesting. Turquoise-blue, a tint which can only be obtained by applying it upon the biscuit china which has already passed through the kiln; the other blues, fouetté, soufflé, trempé, are brushed on, blown on, or dipped according to the method used in applying the colour glaze. Another way of applying the glaze was by its being powdered on through a fine gauze or dabbed on by means of a wet swab dipped in the colour which was to be used as the single colour glaze.
"SANG DE BŒUF." SELF-COLOUR.
A tall sang de bœuf fungus-growth, wonderfully true to nature. Yung Ching period. This example bears on the base the mark of Ching-hwa (1465-1488). Round the base and under the feet it is lacquered. The fungus, which grows at the root of trees, when dried, was so durable that it became the symbol of longevity and immortality. Hence large specimens are preserved in the temples, and it is both painted and modelled with figures of the immortals. It may also be found in the mouth of the deer, another emblem of longevity. The example given is in the finest sang de bœuf with all the characteristics of that lovely Celadon colour. This brilliant red was a Kang-he discovery. It is included in the Lang-yao class, being so called after Lang Ting-tso, superintendent of King-te-chin.
The special point to which attention should be given is the lacquered pattern round the base, which is inlaid with pearl shells, in the style known as "Lac burgauté." In Chinese porcelain this process is uncommon, but in Japanese porcelain and pottery cloisonné enamel is frequent, applied either with or without the metal cloisons. Lacquer, too, may be frequently found as a coating—black with flowers in gold and silver; black with Ho-Ho birds and flowers; a rich red; brown; green; gold, &c. Nearly all of these pieces are comparatively modern Japanese ware, being made largely at Kioto, Seto, Yashima, Yamato, and other factories in Japan. To this class, which includes porcelain in combination with other substances, must be ascribed those delicate Japanese, egg-shell, covered cups and saucers, painted with flowers in colours, and having an outside covering of the finest basket-work. These are made chiefly at Yamato.
The purples as glazes are no less rich in variations, and in these tints the Chinese have never been rivalled. These self-colour pieces are decorated with symbolical figures or sacred animals, whilst flowers and inscriptions from the sacred books are found as a decoration in gold, which unfortunately lies upon the glaze and is more or less easily removed by hard wear. Again, similar designs are engraved in the paste, or modelled in relief and painted with such colours as are able to resist the temperature of the furnace. Many pieces have spaces reserved in white for further decoration, and sometimes the decoration is executed in white slip on the paste itself after its first firing has brought it to the biscuit state. These lovely single colour glazes are certainly amongst the finest Oriental specimens of porcelain which are worthy of the collector's attention; their softness, their brilliancy, their range of colour alike entitle them to a high place in any scheme of decorative treatment either in the home or on the collector's shelves. We call them china or porcelain vases, &c., and in that we are only following the Chinese usage, though the colour glaze is often so thick as to hide the material or body of the paste altogether. The thickness prevents any transmission of light; they have an opaque more or less coarse clay white or red body, and amongst our English products would be classified as stoneware. But the colour is the thing, and here we shall repeat ourselves a little, because it is necessary to really understand not alone what the colours are, but generally the order of their invention. The oldest colour was, as we have said, Celadon, or sea-green, which reached a high state of perfection about 1500. No doubt there are many Celadon pieces of great antiquity still awaiting identification. It was in the Seuen-tih period of the Ming dynasty that this Celadon became a famous product. The porcelain is very thick, and to this thickness it owes its preservation. Like the English ironstone china, it stands hard wear. All the Persians and the Turks value Celadon not for its intrinsic beauty, but because they thought it to be infallible as a test for poison in their food.