Page 440 - Chinese pottery and porcelain : an account of the potter's art in China from primitive times to the present day

268 Chinese Pottery and Porcelain

date 1868; a low, octagonal bowl with the Eight Trigrams in relief
outside, the interior of this and of the preceding specimen as well

being coated mth blue green enamel ; and a basin enamelled with

the Eight Ambassadors of the Tribes of Man. The most
favourable specimen of the ware in the same collection is a care-
fully painted wedding bowl with canary yellow ground and medal-
lions of appropriate symbols, the peach- and dragon-headed staff
of longevity, the double fish symbol of conjugal felicity, and the
group of pencil brush, cake of ink and ju-i sceptre forming the

rebus pi ting ju i, " may things be as you wish."

List of Imperial Porcelains Supplied in the Third Year of T'ung
Chih (1864)

VASES {cho ch'i)

1. Quadrangular vases with apricot medallions and two tubular handles

with Chiin glaze. [For the shape see Plate 123, and for the glaze

see p. 1.]

2. Vases of the same form with Ko glaze.

3. Quadrangular vases with the Eight Trigrams (pa kua), and Ko glaze.

[The form is quadrangular body with round neck and foot, moulded

Koin relief with the trigrams ; for the glaze see vol. i., p. 71.]

4. Vases in form of jade ewers (yii hu ch'un) with chi hung (or copper red)

glaze.

5. Vases of the same form, with blue and white decoration and raised

threads. [Bushell explains that the surface is divided into patterns

or sections by raised rings.]

6. Vases of the same form, with blue and white decoration with bal-
cony (Ian kan). [Bushell explains, " garden scenes enclosed by

railings."]

7. Paper-beater (chih ch'ui) vases with the Vai chi symbol and the glaze

of the Imperial factory decorated in colours. [The form is the club-

shape or rouleau ; and the symbol is apparently the yin-yang, the
Confucian symbol for the Absolute.]
8. Quadrangular vase with elephant symbol of great peace (t'ai ping yu
hsiang, a rebus meaning " augury of great peace"). [These are

apparently square vases with two handles in form of elephant

(hsiang) heads.]

ROUND wares (yiian ch'i)

9. Medium-sized bowls with dragons in purple brown (tzu).
10. Medium-sized bowls with chi hung glaze.
11. Large bowls (wan) with Indian lotus (hsi lien) in blue.

12. Five-inch dishes (p'an), similarly decorated.
13. Medium-sized bowls with storks and Eight Trigrams (pa kua).

14. Wine cups with narcissus flowers (shui hsien hua) in enamels.