Chinese pottery and porcelain; vol. 2. Ming and Ch'ing Porcelain

by R. L. Hobson

LIST OF PLATES

	Covered Jar or Potiche (Colour)	[Frontispiece]
	Painted with coloured enamels on the biscuit. Eight petal-shapedpanels with flowering plants, birds and insects on the sides; witha band of smaller petals below enclosing lotus flowers, and bordersof red wave pattern and floral sprays. Base unglazed. Early partof the K’ang Hsi period (1662–1722). British Museum.
PLATE	FACING PAGE
59.	White Eggshell Porcelain Bowl with Imperial Dragonsfaintly traced in White Slip under the Glaze	[4]
	Mark of the Yung Lo period (1403–1424), incised in the centre in archaiccharacters.
	Fig. 1.—Exterior. Fig. 2.—Interior view. British Museum.
60.	Reputed Hsüan Tê Porcelain	[8]
	Fig. 1.—Flask with blue decoration, reputed to be Hsüan Tê period.British Museum.
	Fig. 2.—Brush rest. (?) Chang Ch’ien on a log raft; partly biscuit.Inscribed with a stanza of verse and the Hsüan Tê mark. GrandidierCollection.
61.	Porcelain with san ts’ai Glazes on the Biscuit	[8]
	Fig. 1.—Wine jar with pierced casing, the Taoist Immortals paying courtto the God of Longevity, turquoise blue ground. Fifteenth century.Eumorfopoulos Collection.
	Fig. 2.—Screen with design in relief, horsemen on a mountain path, darkblue ground. About 1500. Benson Collection.
62.	Barrel-shaped Garden Seat (Colour)	[16]
	Porcelain with coloured glazes on the biscuit, the designs outlined inslender fillets of clay. A lotus scroll between an upper band ofclouds and a lower band of horses in flying gallop and sea waves.Lion-mask handles. About 1500 A.D. British Museum.
63.	Baluster Vase	[24]
	With designs in raised outline, filled in with coloured glazes on the biscuit;dark violet blue background. About 1500. Grandidier Collection(Louvre).
64.	Fifteenth Century Polychrome Porcelain	[24]
	Fig. 1.—Vase with grey crackle and peony scrolls in blue and enamels.Ch’êng Hua mark. British Museum.
	Fig. 2.—Vase with turquoise ground and bands of floral pattern andwinged dragons incised in outline and coloured green, yellow andaubergine. S. E. Kennedy Collection.
	Fig. 3.—Box with bands of ju-i clouds and pierced floral scrolls; turquoiseand yellow glazes in dark blue ground. Grandidier Collection.
65.	Ming san ts’ai Porcelain	[24]
	Fig. 1.—Vase with winged dragons, san ts’ai glazes on the biscuit, darkblue ground. Dedicatory inscription on the neck, including thewords “Ming Dynasty.” Cloisonné handles. S. E. Kennedy Collection.
	Fig. 2.—Figure of Kuan-yin, turquoise, green and aubergine glazes,dark blue rockwork. Fifteenth century. Grandidier Collection.
	Fig. 3.—Vase with lotus scrolls, transparent glazes in three colours. LateMing. Grandidier Collection.
66.	Porcelain with Chêng Tê Mark	[32]
	Fig. 1.—Slop bowl with full-face dragons holding shou characters, inunderglaze blue in a yellow enamel ground. British Museum.
	Fig. 2.—Vase with engraved cloud designs in transparent colouredglazes on the biscuit, green ground. Charteris Collection.
67.	Blue and White Porcelain. Sixteenth Century	[32]
	Fig. 1.—Bowl with Hsüan Tê mark. Dresden Collection.
	Fig. 2.—Covered bowl with fish design. Dresden Collection.
	Fig. 3.—Bottle, peasant on ox. Eumorfopoulos Collection.
	Fig. 4.—Bottle with lotus scrolls in mottled blue. Alexander Collection.
68.	Blue and White Porcelain. Sixteenth Century	[40]
	Fig. 1.—Perfume vase, lions and balls of brocade. V. and A. Museum.
	Fig. 2.—Double gourd vase, square in the lower part. Eight Immortalspaying court to the God of Longevity, panels of children (wa wa).Eumorfopoulos Collection.
	Fig. 3.—Bottle with medallions of ch’i-lin and incised fret pattern between.Late Ming. Halsey Collection.
69.	Sixteenth Century Porcelain	[40]
	Fig. 1.—Bowl of blue and white porcelain with silver gilt mount ofElizabethan period. British Museum.
	Fig. 2.—Covered jar, painted in dark underglaze blue with red, greenand yellow enamels; fishes and water plants. Chia Ching mark.S. E. Kennedy Collection.
70.	Porcelain with Chia Ching mark	[40]
	Fig. 1.—Box with incised Imperial dragons and lotus scrolls; turquoiseand dark violet glazes on the biscuit. V. and A. Museum.
	Fig. 2.—Vase with Imperial dragons in clouds, painted in yellow in aniron red ground. Cologne Museum.
71.	Sixteenth Century Porcelain	[40]
	Figs. 1 and 2.—Two ewers in the Dresden Collection, with transparentgreen, aubergine and turquoise glazes on the biscuit, traces of gilding.In form of a phœnix, and of a crayfish.
	Fig. 3.—Bowl with flight of storks in a lotus scroll, enamels on the biscuit,green, aubergine and white in a yellow ground. Chia Chingmark. Alexander Collection.
72.	Vase with Imperial five-clawed dragons in cloud scrollsover sea waves (Colour)	[46]
	Band of lotus scrolls on the shoulder. Painted in dark Mohammedan blue.Mark on the neck, of the Chia Ching period (1522–1566) in sixcharacters. V. & A. Museum.
73.	Two Bowls with the Chia Ching mark (1522–1566), withdesigns outlined in brown and washed in withcolours in monochrome grounds (Colour)	[50]
	Fig. 1.—With peach sprays in a yellow ground. Alexander Collection.
	Fig. 2.—With phœnixes (feng-huang) flying among scrolls of mu-tanpeony. Cumberbatch Collection.
74.	Two Bowls with gilt designs on a monochrome ground.Probably Chia Ching period (1522–1566) (Colour)	[54]
	Fig. 1.—With lotus scroll with etched details on a ground of iron red(fan hung) outside. Inside is figure of a man holding a branchof cassia, a symbol of literary success, painted in underglaze blue.Mark in blue, tan kuei (red cassia).
	Fig. 2.—With similar design on ground of emerald green enamel. Markin blue in the form of a coin or cash with the characters ch’angming fu kuei (“long life, riches and honours”).
75.	Ming Porcelain	[64]
	Fig. 1.—Tripod Bowl with raised peony scrolls in enamel colours. WanLi mark. Eumorfopoulos Collection.
	Fig. 2.—Blue and white Bowl, Chia Ching period. Mark, Wan ku ch’angch’un (“a myriad antiquities and enduring spring”). KunstgewerbeMuseum, Berlin.
	Fig. 3.—Ewer with white slip ch’i-lin on a blue ground. Wan Li period.Eumorfopoulos Collection.
	Fig. 4.—Gourd-shaped Vase with winged dragons and fairy flowers,raised outlines and coloured glazes on the biscuit. Sixteenth century.Salting Collection.
76.	Blue and White Porcelain. Sixteenth Century	[64]
	Fig. 1.—Vase with monster handles, archaic dragons. Halsey Collection.
	Fig. 2.—Hexagonal Bottle, white in blue designs. Mark, a hare. AlexanderCollection.
	Fig. 3.—Bottle with “garlic mouth,” stork and lotus scrolls, white inblue. Salting Collection.
	Fig. 4.—Vase (mei p’ing), Imperial dragon and scrolls. Wan Li markon the shoulder. Coltart Collection.
77.	Two Examples of Ming Blue and White Porcelain in theBritish Museum (Colour)	[72]
	Fig. 1.—Ewer of thin, crisp porcelain with foliate mouth and rusticspout with leaf attachments. Panels of figure subjects and landscapeson the body: “rat and vine” pattern on the neck and a bandof hexagon diaper enclosing a cash symbol. Latter half of the sixteenthcentury.
	Fig. 2.—Octagonal Stand, perhaps for artist’s colours. On the sidesare scenes from the life of a sage. Borders of ju-i pattern and gadroons.On the top are lions sporting with brocade balls. Paintedin deep Mohammedan blue. Mark of the Chia Ching period (1522–1566).
78.	Porcelain with pierced (ling lung) designs and biscuitreliefs. Late Ming	[74]
	Fig. 1.—Bowl with Eight Immortals and pierced swastika fret. S. E.Kennedy Collection.
	Fig. 2.—Bowl with blue phœnix medallions, pierced trellis work andcharacters. Wan Li mark. Hippisley Collection.
	Fig. 3.—Covered Bowl with blue and white landscapes and biscuitreliefs of Eight Immortals. Grandidier Collection.
79.	Wan Li Polychrome Porcelain	[80]
	Fig. 1.—Vase (mei p’ing) with engraved design, green in a yellowground, Imperial dragons in clouds, rocks and wave border. WanLi mark. British Museum.
	Fig. 2.—Bottle with pierced casing, phœnix design, etc., painted in underglazeblue and enamels; cloisonné enamel neck. EumorfopoulosCollection.
	Fig. 3.—Covered Jar, plum blossoms and symbols in a wave patternground, coloured enamels in an aubergine background. BritishMuseum.
80.	Covered Jar or Potiche (Colour)	[84]
	Painted in iron red and green enamels, with a family scene in a garden,and brocade borders of ju-i pattern, peony scrolls, etc. Sixteenthcentury. Salting Collection, V. & A. Museum.
81.	Beaker-shaped Vase of Bronze Form (Colour)	[88]
	With dragon and phœnix designs painted in underglaze blue, and red,green and yellow enamels: background of fairy flowers (pao hsianghua) and borders of “rock and wave” pattern. Mark of the WanLi period (1573–1619) in six characters on the neck. An Imperialpiece. British Museum.
82.	Late Ming Porcelain	[90]
	Fig. 1.—Jar of Wan Li period, enamelled. Mark, a hare. BritishMuseum.
	Fig. 2.—Bowl with Eight Immortals in relief, coloured glazes on thebiscuit. Eumorfopoulos Collection.
	Figs. 3, 4 and 5.—Blue and white porcelain, early seventeenth century.British Museum.
83.	Vase	[90]
	With blue and white decoration of rockery, phœnixes, and floweringshrubs. Found in India. Late Ming period. Halsey Collection.
84.	Vase of Baluster Form with Small Mouth (mei p’ing).(Colour)	[96]
	Porcelain with coloured glazes on the biscuit, the designs outlined inslender fillets of clay. A meeting of sages in a landscape beneathan ancient pine tree, the design above their heads representing themountain mist. On the shoulders are large ju-i shaped lappetsenclosing lotus sprays, with pendent jewels between; fungus (lingchih) designs on the neck. Yellow glaze under the base. A lateexample of this style of ware, probably seventeenth century. SaltingCollection, V. & A. Museum.
85.	Vase (Colour)	[104]
	With crackled greenish grey glaze coated on the exterior with transparentapple green enamel: the base unglazed. Probably sixteenthcentury. British Museum.
86.	Fukien Porcelain. Ming Dynasty	[112]
	Fig. 1.—Figure of Kuan-yin with boy attendant. Ivory white. EumorfopoulosCollection.
	Fig. 2.—Bottle with prunus sprigs in relief, the glaze crackled all overand stained a brownish tint. Eumorfopoulos Collection.
	Fig. 3.—Figure of Bodhidharma crossing the Yangtze on a reed. Ivorywhite. Salting Collection, V. & A. Museum.
87.	Ivory White Fukien Porcelain	[112]
	Fig. 1.—Libation Cup. About 1700. British Museum.
	Fig. 2.—Cup with sixteenth century mount. Dresden Collection.
	Fig. 3.—Incense Vase and Stand. About 1700. British Museum.
88.	Two Examples of the underglaze red (chi hung)of the K’angHsi period (1662–1722), sometimes called lang yao.(Colour)	[120]
	Fig. 1.—Bottle-shaped Vase of dagoba form with minutely crackledsang-de-bœuf glaze with passages of cherry red. The glaze ends inan even roll short of the base rim, and that under the base is stone-colouredand crackled. British Museum.
	Fig. 2.—Bottle-shaped Vase with crackled underglaze red of deep crushedstrawberry tint. The glaze under the base is pale green crackled.Alexander Collection.
89.	Three Examples of K’ang Hsi Blue and White Porcelainin the British Museum (Colour)	[132]
	Fig. 1.—Ewer with leaf-shaped panels of floral arabesques, white in blue,enclosed by a mosaic pattern in blue and white: stiff plantainleaves on the neck and cover. Silver mount with thumb-piece.
	Fig. 2.—Deep Bowl with cover, painted with “tiger-lily” scrolls. Mark,a leaf.
	Fig. 3.—Sprinkler with panels of lotus arabesques, white in blue, andju-i shaped border patterns. A diaper of small blossoms on theneck. Mark, a leaf.
90.	Covered Jar for New Year Gifts (Colour)	[138]
	With design of blossoming prunus (mei hua) sprays in a ground ofdeep sapphire blue which is reticulated with lines suggesting icecracks; dentate border on the shoulders. V. & A. Museum.
91.	Blue and White K’ang Hsi Porcelain	[142]
	Fig. 1.—Triple Gourd Vase, white in blue designs of archaic dragons andscrolls of season flowers. Dresden Collection.
	Fig. 2.—Beaker, white magnolia design slightly raised, with blue background.British Museum.
	Fig. 3.—“Grenadier Vase,” panels with the Paragons of Filial Piety.Dresden Collection.
92.	Blue and White K’ang Hsi Porcelain	[142]
	Fig. 1.—Sprinkler with lotus design. British Museum.
	Fig. 2.—Bottle with biscuit handles, design of graceful ladies (meijên). Fitzwilliam Museum (formerly D. G. Rossetti Collection).
	Fig. 3.—Bottle with handles copied from Venetian glass. British Museum.
93.	Blue and White Porcelain	[142]
	Fig. 1.—Tazza with Sanskrit characters. Ch’ien Lung mark. BritishMuseum.
	Fig. 2.—Water Pot, butterfly and flowers, steatitic porcelain. WanLi mark. Eumorfopoulos Collection.
	Fig. 3.—Bowl, steatitic porcelain. Immortals on a log raft. K’angHsi period. British Museum.
94.	Porcelain decorated in enamels on the biscuit	[142]
	Fig. 1.—Ewer in form of the character Shou (Longevity); blue and whitepanel with figure designs. Early K’ang Hsi period. Salting Collection.
	Fig. 2.—Ink Palette, dated 31st year of K’ang Hsi (1692 A.D.). BritishMuseum.
95.	Two Examples of porcelain, painted with colouredenamels on the biscuit, the details of the designsbeing first traced in brown. K’ang Hsi Period(1662–1722) (Colour)	[150]
	Fig. 1.—One of a pair of Buddhistic Lions, sometimes called Dogs ofFo. This is apparently the lioness, with her cub: the lion has aball of brocade under his paw. On the head is the character wang(prince), which is more usual on the tiger of Chinese art. S. E.Kennedy Collection.
	Fig. 2.—Bottle-shaped Vase and Stand moulded in bamboo patternand decorated with floral brocade designs and diapers. CopeBequest, V. & A. Museum.
96.	Vase of Baluster Form painted in coloured enamels onthe biscuit (Colour)	[154]
	The design, which is outlined in brown, consists of a beautifully drawnprunus (mei hua) tree in blossom and hovering birds, besides arockery and smaller plants of bamboo, etc., set in a ground of mottledgreen. Ch’êng Hua mark, but K’ang Hsi period (1662–1722).British Museum.
97.	Square Vase (Colour)	[156]
	With pendulous body and high neck slightly expanding towards thetop: two handles in the form of archaic lizard-like dragons (chihlung), and a pyramidal base. Porcelain painted with colouredenamels on the biscuit, with scenes representing Immortals on alog raft approaching Mount P’eng-lai in the Taoist Paradise. K’angHsi period (1662–1722). British Museum.
98.	K’ang Hsi Porcelain with on-biscuit decoration. DresdenCollection	[160]
	Fig. 1.—Teapot in form of a lotus seed-pod, enamels on the biscuit.
	Fig. 2.—Hanging Perfume Vase, reticulated, enamels on the biscuit.
	Fig. 3.—Ornament in form of a Junk, transparent san ts’ai glazes.
99.	K’ang Hsi Porcelain with on-biscuit decoration	[160]
	Fig. 1.—Ewer with black enamel ground, lion handle. Cope Bequest,V. & A. Museum.
	Fig. 2.—Figure of the Taoist Immortal, Ho Hsien Ku, transparentsan ts’ai glazes. S. E. Kennedy Collection.
	Fig. 3.—Vase and Stand, enamelled on the biscuit. Cope Bequest.
100.	Screen with Porcelain Plaque, painted in enamels on thebiscuit	[160]
	Light green background. K’ang Hsi period (1662–1722). In theCollection of the Hon. E. Evan Charteris.
101.	Vase with panels of landscapes and po ku symbols infamille verte enamels	[160]
	In a ground of underglaze blue trellis pattern. K’ang Hsi period(1662–1722). Dresden Collection.
102.	Two Dishes of famille verte Porcelain in the DresdenCollection. K’ang Hsi period (1662–1722)	[160]
	Fig. 1.—With birds on a flowering branch, brocade borders. Artist’ssignature in the field.
	Fig. 2.—With ladies on a garden terrace.
103.	Club-shaped (rouleau) Vase (Colour)	[166]
	Finely painted in famille verte enamels with panel designs in a groundof chrysanthemum scrolls in iron red; brocade borders. Lastpart of the K’ang Hsi period (1662–1722). Salting Collection,V. & A. Museum.
104.	Three Examples of K’ang Hsi famille verte Porcelain	[168]
	Fig. 1.—Square Vase with scene of floating cups on the river; inscriptionwith cyclical date 1703 A.D.; shou characters on the neck.Hippisley Collection.
	Fig. 2.—Lantern, with river scenes. Dresden Collection.
	Fig. 3.—Covered Jar of rouleau shape, peony scrolls in iron red ground,brocade borders. Dresden Collection.
105.	Covered Jar painted in famille verte enamels	[168]
	With brocade ground and panel with an elephant (the symbol of GreatPeace). Lion on cover. K’ang Hsi period (1662–1722). DresdenCollection.
106.	K’ang Hsi famille verte Porcelain. Alexander Collection	[168]
	Fig. 1.—Dish with rockery, peonies, etc., birds and insects.
	Fig. 2.—“Stem Cup” with vine pattern.
107.	Famille verte Porcelain made for export to Europe. K’angHsi period (1662–1722). British Museum	[168]
	Fig. 1.—Vase with “sea monster” (hai shou).
	Fig. 2.—Dish with basket of flowers. Mark, a leaf.
	Fig. 3.—Covered Jar with ch’i-lin and fêng-huang (phœnix).
108.	Dish painted in underglaze blue and famille verte enamels.(Colour)	[172]
	In the centre, a five-clawed dragon rising from waves in pursuit of apearl. Deep border in “Imari” style with cloud-shaped compartmentswith chrysanthemum and prunus designs in a blue ground,separated by close lotus scrolls reserved in an iron red ground inwhich are three book symbols. K’ang Hsi period (1662–1722).Alexander Collection.
109.	Figure of Shou Lao, Taoist God of Longevity	[176]
	Porcelain painted with famille verte enamels. K’ang Hsi period (1662–1722).Salting Collection, V. & A. Museum.
110.	Two Examples of the “Powder Blue” (ch’ui ch’ing) Porcelainof the K’ang Hsi period (1662–1722) in the Victoriaand Albert Museum (Colour)	[182]
	Fig 1.—Bottle of gourd shape with slender neck: powder blue groundwith gilt designs from the Hundred Antiques (po ku) and borders ofju-i pattern, formal flowers and plantain leaves.
	Fig. 2.—Bottle-shaped Vase with famille verte panels of rockwork andflowers reserved in a powder blue ground. Salting Collection.
111.	Two Examples of Single-colour Porcelain in the SaltingCollection (Victoria and Albert Museum). (Colour)	[186]
	Fig. 1.—Bottle-shaped Vase of porcelain with landscape design lightlyengraved in relief under a turquoise blue glaze. Early eighteenthcentury.
	Fig. 2.—Water vessel for the writing table of the form known as T’ai-potsun after the poet Li T’ai-po. Porcelain with faintly engraveddragon medallions under a peach bloom glaze; the neck cut downand fitted with a metal collar. Mark in blue of the K’ang Hsiperiod (1662–1722) in six characters.
112.	Three Figures of Birds, Late K’ang Hsi Porcelain, withcoloured enamels on the biscuit	[192]
	Fig. 1.—Stork. British Museum.
	Fig. 2.—Hawk. S. E. Kennedy Collection.
	Fig. 3.—Cock. British Museum.
113.	Porcelain delicately painted in thin famille verte enamels.About 1720	[192]
	Fig. 1.—Dish with figures of Hsi Wang Mu and attendant. Ch’êngHua mark. Hippisley Collection.
	Fig. 2.—Bowl with the Eight Immortals. S. E. Kennedy Collection.
114.	Hanging Vase with openwork sides, for perfumedflowers	[192]
	Porcelain painted in late famille verte enamels. About 1720. Blackwoodframe. Cumberbatch Collection.
115.	Vase of Baluster Form (Colour)	[206]
	With ornament in white slip and underglaze red and blue in a celadongreen ground: rockery, and birds on a flowering prunus tree. YungChêng period (1723–1735). Alexander Collection.
116.	Yung Chêng Porcelain	[208]
	Fig. 1.—Imperial Rice Bowl with design of playing children (wa wa),engraved outlines filled in with green in a yellow ground, transparentglazes on the biscuit. Yung Chêng mark. British Museum.
	Fig. 2.—Blue and White Vase with fungus (ling chih) designs in HsüanTê style. Cologne Museum.
117.	Yung Chêng Porcelain	[208]
	Fig. 1.—Vase with prunus design in underglaze red and blue. C. H.Read Collection.
	Fig. 2.—Imperial Vase with phœnix and peony design in pale familleverte enamels over underglaze blue outlines. V. & A. Museum.
118.	Early Eighteenth Century Enamels	[208]
	Fig. 1.—Plate painted at Canton in famille rose enamels (yang ts’ai“foreign colouring”). Yung Chêng period. S. E. Kennedy Collection.
	Fig. 2.—Arrow Stand, painted in late famille verte enamels. About 1720.V. & A. Museum.
119.	Yung Chêng Porcelain, painted at Canton with famille roseenamels. British Museum.	[208]
	Fig. 1.—“Seven border” Plate.
	Fig. 2.—Eggshell Cup and Saucer with painter’s marks.
	Fig. 3.—Eggshell Plate with vine border.
	Fig. 4.—Armorial Plate with arms of Leake Okeover. Transitionenamels, about 1723.
120.	Covered Jar or Potiche, painted in famille rose or “foreigncolours” (yang ts’ai) with baskets of flowers (Colour)	[222]
	Deep borders of ruby red enamel broken by small panels and floraldesigns. On the cover is a lion coloured with enamels on thebiscuit. From a set of five vases and beakers in the Collection ofLady Wantage. Late Yung Chêng period (1723–1735).
121.	Two Beakers and a Jar from sets of five, famille roseenamels. Late Yung Chêng porcelain	[224]
	Fig. 1.—Beaker with “harlequin” ground. S. E. Kennedy Collection.
	Fig. 2.—Jar with dark blue glaze gilt and leaf-shaped reserves. Burdett-CouttsCollection.
	Fig. 3.—Beaker with fan and picture-scroll panels, etc., in a deep rubypink ground. Wantage Collection.
122.	White Porcelain with designs in low relief	[232]
	Fig. 1.—Vase, peony scroll, ju-i border, etc. Ch’ien Lung period.O. Raphael Collection.
	Fig. 2.—Bottle with “garlic mouth,” Imperial dragons in clouds.Creamy crackled glaze imitating Ting ware. Early eighteenthcentury. Salting Collection.
	Fig. 3.—Vase with design of three rams, symbolising Spring. Ch’ienLung period. W. Burton Collection.
123.	Eighteenth Century Glazes (Colour)	[236]
	Fig. 1.—Square Vase with tubular handles, and apricot-shaped medallionson front and back. Flambé red glaze. Ch’ien Lung period(1736–1795). British Museum.
	Fig. 2.—Bottle-shaped Vase with deep blue (ta ch’ing) glaze: unglazedbase. Early eighteenth century. British Museum.
	Fig. 3.—Vase with fine iron red enamel (mo hung) on the exterior. Ch’ienLung period (1736–1795). Salting Collection, V. & A. Museum.
124.	Miscellaneous Porcelains	[240]
	Fig. 1.—Magnolia Vase with flambé glaze of crackled lavender with redand blue streaks. Ch’ien Lung period. Alexander Collection.
	Fig. 2.—Bottle with elephant handles, yellow, purple, green, and whiteglazes on the biscuit. Ch’ien Lung period. British Museum.
	Fig. 3.—Dish with fruit design in lustrous transparent glazes on thebiscuit, covering a faintly etched dragon pattern. K’ang Hsi mark.British Museum.
125.	Ch’ien Lung Wares. Hippisley Collection	[240]
	Fig. 1.—Brush Pot of enamelled Ku-yüeh-hsüan glass. Ch’ien Lungmark.
	Fig. 2.—Bottle, porcelain painted in Ku-yüeh style, after a picture bythe Ch’ing artist Wang Shih-mei.
	Fig. 3.—Imperial Presentation Cup marked hsü hua t’ang chih tsêng.
	Fig. 4.—Medallion Vase, brocade ground with bats in clouds, etc. Ch’ienLung mark.
126.	Vase with “Hundred Flower” design in famille rose enamels.	[240]
	Ch’ien Lung period (1736–1795). Grandidier Collection, Louvre.
127.	Vase painted in mixed enamels. The Hundred Deer.	[240]
	Late Ch’ien Lung period. Grandidier Collection, Louvre
128.	Ch’ien Lung Porcelain. British Museum	[248]
	Fig. 1.—Vase with “rice grain” ground and blue and white design.
	Fig. 2.—Vase with “lacework” designs. Ch’ien Lung mark.
	Fig. 3.—Vase with the Seven Worthies of the Bamboo Grove in lacburgauté.
	Fig. 4.—Vase with “robin’s egg” glaze.
129.	Octagonal Vase and Cover, painted in famille rose enamels	[248]
	Ch’ien Lung period (1736–1795). One of a pair in the Collection of Dr.A. E. Cumberbatch.
130.	Vase with pear-shaped body and wide mouth; tubularhandles (Colour)	[254]
	Porcelain with delicate clair de lune glaze recalling the pale blue tint ofsome of the finer Sung celadons. About 1800. British Museum.
131.	Eighteenth Century Painted Porcelain	[264]
	Fig. 1.—Plate painted in black and gold, European figures in a Chineseinterior. Yung Chêng period. British Museum.
	Fig. 2.—Dish with floral scrolls in famille rose enamels in a ground ofblack enamel diapered with green foliage scrolls. Ch’ien Lungperiod. Wantage Collection.
132.	Vase painted in mixed enamels, an Imperial park and abevy of ladies	[264]
	Deep ruby pink borders with coloured floral scrolls and symbols. Ch’ienLung mark. About 1790. Wantage Collection.
133.	Late famille rose enamels	[280]
	Fig. 1.—Bowl painted in soft enamels, attendants of Hsi Wang Muin boats. Mark, Shên tê t’ang chih. Tao Kuang period. BritishMuseum.
	Fig. 2.—Imperial Fish Bowl with five dragons ascending and descending,borders of wave pattern, ju-i pattern, etc., famille rose enamels.Late eighteenth century. Burdett-Coutts Collection.
134.	Porcelain Snuff Bottles. Eighteenth Century. BritishMuseum	[280]
	Fig. 1.—Subject from the drama, black ground. Yung Chêng mark.
	Fig. 2.—Battle of demons, underglaze blue and red. Mark, Yung-lot’ang.
	Fig. 3.—Blue and white “steatitic” ware.
	Fig. 4.—Crackled cream white ting glaze, pierced casing with pine,bamboo and prunus.
	Fig. 5.—“Steatitic” ware with Hundred Antiques design in colouredrelief. Chia Ch’ing mark.

---

CHINESE POTTERY AND PORCELAIN

CHAPTER I
THE MING

DYNASTY, 1368–1644 A.D.

As we have already discussed, so far as our imperfect knowledge permits, the various potteries which are scattered over the length and breadth of China, we can now concentrate our attention on the rising importance of Ching-tê Chên. From the beginning of the Ming dynasty, Ching-tê Chên may be said to have become the ceramic metropolis of the empire, all the other potteries sinking to provincial status. So far as Western collections, at any rate, are concerned, it is not too much to say that 90 per cent. of the post-Yüan porcelains were made in this great pottery town.

What happened there in the stormy years which saw the overthrow of the Mongol dynasty and the rise of the native Ming is unknown to us, and, indeed, it is scarcely likely to have been of much interest. The Imperial factories were closed, and did not open till 1369, or, according to some accounts, 1398.[1] If we follow the Ching-tê Chên T’ao lu, which, as its name implies, should be well informed on the history of the place, a factory was built in 1369 at the foot of the Jewel Hill to supply Imperial porcelain (kuan tz’ŭ), and in the reign of Hung Wu (1368–1398) there were at least twenty kilns in various parts of the town working in the Imperial service. They included kilns for the large dragon bowls, kilns for blue (or green) ware (ch’ing yao), “wind and fire”[2] kilns, seggar kilns for making the cases for the fine porcelain, and lan kuang kilns, which Julien renders fours à flammes étendues. The last expression implies that the heat was raised in these kilns by means of a kind of bellows (kuang) which admitted air to the furnace, and Bushell’s rendering, “blue and yellow enamel furnaces,” ignores an essential part of both the characters[3] used in the original.

From this time onward there is no lack of information on the nature of the Imperial wares made during the various reigns, but it must be remembered that the Chinese descriptions are in almost every case confined to the Imperial porcelains, and we are left to assume that the productions of the numerous private kilns followed the same lines, though in the earlier periods, at any rate, we are told that they were inferior in quality and finish.