Chinese pottery and porcelain; vol. 1. Pottery and early wares

by R. L. Hobson

(a) is the normal form; (b) is commonly used for accounts; (c) is used on drafts, pawntickets, etc.

TABLE OF CYCLICAL DATES FROM A.D. 4

CYCLE BEGINNING
Cyclical Signs	4	64
	304	364	124	184	244
	604	664	424	484	544
	904	964	724	784	844
	1204	1264	1024	1084	1144
	1504	1564	1324	1384	1444
	1804	1864	1624	1684	1744
	04	64	24	84	44
	05	65	25	85	45
	06	66	26	86	46
	07	67	27	87	47
	08	68	28	88	48
	09	69	29	89	49
	10	70	30	90	50
	11	71	31	91	51
	12	72	32	92	52
	13	73	33	93	53
	14	74	34	94	54
	15	75	35	95	55
	16	76	36	96	56
	17	77	37	97	57
	18	78	38	98	58
	19	79	39	99	59
	20	80	40	100	60
	21	81	41	101	61
	22	82	42	102	62
	23	83	43	103	63
	24	84	44	104	64
	25	85	45	105	65
	26	86	46	106	66
	27	87	47	107	67
	28	88	48	108	68
	29	89	49	109	69
	30	90	50	110	70
	31	91	51	111	71
	32	92	52	112	72
	33	93	53	113	73
	34	94	54	14	74
	35	95	55	15	75
	36	96	56	16	76
	37	97	57	17	77
	38	98	58	18	78
	39	99	59	19	79
	40	100	60	20	80
	41	101	61	21	81
	42	102	62	22	82
	43	103	63	23	83
	44	104	64	24	84
	45	105	65	25	85
	46	106	66	26	86
	47	107	67	27	87
	48	108	68	28	88
	49	109	69	29	89
	50	110	70	30	90
	51	111	71	31	91
	52	112	72	32	92
	53	113	73	33	93
	54	114	74	34	94
	55	115	75	35	95
	56	116	76	36	96
	57	117	77	37	97
	58	118	78	38	98
	59	119	79	39	99
	60	120	80	40	100
	61	121	81	41	101
	62	122	82	42	102
	63	123	83	43	103

It will be seen that cyclical dates without any indication of the particular cycle intended are merely tantalising. On the other hand when the reign is specified as well, the combination gives the most precise form of date. But unfortunately there are many cases in which the reign name is absent, and we can only judge the cycle by the style of the ware, a calculation which is always open to dispute. It is not often that the cycle is so clearly indicated by an indirect method as in the oft–quoted mark yu hsin ch´ou nien chih

= made in the hsin ch´ou year recurring (yu).This can only be 1721, when the hsin ch´ou year actually recurred in the (sixty–first year of) reign of K´ang Hsi.[453]

(b) The more usual form of date mark is that which gives the reign name of an Emperor. On ascending the throne the Emperor discarded his family name and assumed a title by which his reign was thenceforth known. This is the name which appears in the date marks, and it is known as the nien (period) hao (name). After his death the Emperor received another title, the miao hao, or name under which he was canonised; but though reference might be made to him in history under his miao hao, it is obvious that the posthumous name cannot occur on contemporary date marks.

In reckoning the date of an Emperor's reign it was not usual to include officially the year in which his predecessor had died, but to date the reign from the first day of the year following. Thus, though K´ang Hsi became Emperor in 1661, his reign is dated officially from 1662.