But to continue the history of the factories as outlined in Brinkley's translation, we are told that the first maker of "choice utensils of pottery for tea–drinking purposes" was a priest of the Chin–sha temple about thirteen miles south–east of Yi–hsing, and that the first really great Yi–hsing potter was Kung Ch´un
who flourished in the Chêng Tê period (1506–1521). Though it would appear that Kung Ch´un, while attending his master Wu I–shan at the Chin–sha temple, surreptitiously learnt the secrets of the priest, his fame completely eclipsed that of his teacher, and he is usually venerated as the founder of the Yi–hsing potteries. His pots are described as being "hand made, and in most of them thumb–marks are faintly visible. Generally their colour is that of a chestnut, and they have a subdued lustre like oxidised gold. Their simplicity and accuracy of shape are inimitable; worthy to be ascribed to divine revelations."
Supernatural qualities form the only point in common between this description and that of the two teapots figured in Hsiang's Album,[399] and confidently assigned to Kung Ch´un. One of these is a drab ware and of hexagonal shape, which appears to have been formed in a mould; the other is in the form of a wine ewer and of vermilion red; and both are stated to have the wonderful quality of changing colour when filled with tea. In fact, in the second illustration the artist has depicted this phenomenon, the pot being vermilion red above and green below the tea–line. The price of these two pots in the sixteenth century was no less than 500 taels or ounces of silver.[400] Brinkley's translation gives a considerable list of Yi–hsing potters who made a reputation in the Ming dynasty, but as the characters are not added it does not always help us to identify the names,[401] among the potter's marks, and in most cases the characteristics assigned to them are entirely vague. We learn, for instance, that one man's "forte was beauty of decoration," and that three others were "renowned for the excellence of their pottery." On the other hand, it is important to read that Tung Han in the Wan Li period (1573–1619) was "the first potter who ornamented the surface of the Yi–hsing ware with elaborate designs in relief," and that many of the pieces designed by Ch´ên Chung–mei,[402] who had formerly been a porcelain maker, "such as perfume boxes, flower vases, paper weights, and so forth, show singularly fine moulding and chiselling. His vases were shaped in the form of flowers, leaves, and fruits, and were decorated with insects. His dragons sporting among storm–clouds, with outstretched claws and straining eyes; his statuettes of the goddess Kuanyin, her features at once majestic and benevolent—these are indeed wonderful productions, instinct with life." This passage shows, at any rate, that in the Ming period the Yi–hsing potters did not confine their attention to tea wares. Perhaps the most celebrated Yi–hsing potter was Shih Ta–pin, who followed in the footsteps of the great Kung Ch´un, and eventually surpassed him.
Brinkley's translation gives us very precise views of what the true form of the teapot should be. It should be small, so that the bouquet of the tea be not dispersed, and every guest should have a pot to himself. It should be shallow, with a cover which is convex inside; and it is very important that the spout should be straight. Crooked spouts were very liable to become obstructed by the tea leaves. "One drinks tea for pleasure, and one may justly feel irritated if the beverage declines to come out of the pot." The true form of teapot, we are told, began with Kung Ch´un, from which one infers that the tea bowls of the T´ang and Sung usage were in vogue up to his time. But the correct shape once established, the Yi–hsing potters soon began to take liberties with it, and to twist it into all manner of fanciful forms, such as fruits (persimmon, pomegranate, finger citron), the leaf or the seed–pod of the lotus, creature forms such as fish leaping from waves, a phœnix, and innumerable other quaint shapes, always skilfully modelled and often of high artistic merit.
Plate 50.—Yi–hsing Stoneware, sometimes called Buccaro.
Figs. 1–4.—Teapots in the Dresden Collection, late seventeenth century. (1) Buff with dark patches. Height 5 inches. (2) Red ware with pierced outer casing. Diameter 5 1/2 inches. (3) Black with gilt vine sprays. Height 4 1/2 inches. (4) Red ware moulded with lion design. Height 4 3/4 inches. Fig. 5.—Peach–shaped water vessel, red ware. Diameter 4 1/8 inches. Dresden Collection. Fig 6.—Red teapot, moulded design of trees, etc. Inscription containing the name of Ch´ien Lung. Diameter 4 1/2 inches. Hippisley Collection.
The ware, as already stated, is chiefly red, dark and light, chocolate brown, buff, and drab, and it is usually without glaze. The decoration consists of: (1) Engraved designs, cut in the ware while it was still soft. These are usually inscriptions of a poetic nature, great importance being attached to the calligraphy. Indeed, we are told that "some of the potters of Yi–hsing owed their reputation chiefly to their skill in carving inscriptions. Such a man was Chan–chien, whose style of writing has been much imitated by modern artists. Another was Ta–hsin, who was employed by Shih Ta–pin to write inscriptions, and who was such a master of penmanship that his inscriptions have been carefully transcribed and are used by connoisseurs as a standard of excellence." (2) Low reliefs, either formed in the teapot mould or separately stamped out and stuck on. Occasionally gilding is found on these, but it is probably a European addition. (3) Stamped diapers of key fret, and other familiar patterns, usually forming the background for relief ornament or borders. (4) Openwork designs applied in panels over an inner lining which was usually washed with a light–tinted clay. The pierced work is commonly of floral design, often the prunus, bamboo and pine pattern, and on dishes and saucers it has no backing but is left à jour. All these methods of ornament are found on the examples which reached Europe at the end of the seventeenth century, and they supplied designs for the European potters of that period. (5) A later type of ornament consists of opaque coloured enamels in painted designs or as ground–colours completely hiding the surface of the ware. The colours are always of the famille rose variety, including opaque pink,[403] and I do not know of any example which suggests an earlier date than Ch´ien Lung (1736–1795). Most, indeed, appear to be nineteenth century.