Page 239 - Chinese pottery and porcelain : an account of the potter's art in China from primitive times to the present day

K ang Hsi Blue and White 143

An interesting passage in the first letter ^ of P^re d'Entrecolles

describes a curious kind of porcelain, of which the secret had already
been lost. It was known as chia ch'ing or " blue put in press,"
and it was said that the blue designs on the cups so treated were
only visible when the vessel was filled with water. The method
of the manufacture is described as follows : " The porcelain to be
so decorated had to be very thin ; when it was dry, a rather strong
blue was applied, not to the exterior in the usual manner, but on
the interior to the sides. The design usually consisted of fish,
as being specially appropriate to appear when the cup was filled

with water. When the colour was dry a light coating of slip, made

with the body material, was applied, and this coating enclosed the

blue between two layers of clay. When this coating was dry, glaze

was sprinkled inside the cup, and shortly afterwards the porcelain
was placed on the wheel. As the body had been strengthened
on the interior, the potter proceeded to pare it down outside as
fine as possible without actually penetrating to the colour. The

exterior was then glazed by immersion. When completely dry it

was fired in the ordinary furnace. The work is extremely delicate,
and requires a dexterity which the Chinese seem no longer to

possess. Still, they try from time to time to recover the secret
of this magical painting, but without success. One of them told

me recently that he had made a fresh attempt, and had almost

succeeded."

No example of this mysterious porcelain is known to exist, and

it is probable that the whole story is based on some ill-grounded
tradition. It is true that water will bring out the faded design
on certain old potteries, but this is due to the action of the water
in restoring transparency to a soft decayed glaze. But how the
water or any other liquid could affect the transparency of a hard,
impenetrable porcelain glaze, still less influence the colour con-
cealed beneath a layer of clay and glaze, is far from clear. Indeed,
the whole story savours of the " tall tales " quoted in chap. x. of

vol. i.

But perhaps it will not be inappropriate to mention here another

peculiar type of blue and white, which, if we may judge by the
early date mark usually placed upon it, throws back to some older

model. The design, usually a dragon, is delicately traced with a
needle point on the body of the ware, and a little cobalt blue is

1 See Bushell, T'ao shuo, p. 197.