Page 112 - Oriental Series Japan and China, Brinkly

CHINA

course, that the Ch'u-chou-fu potters had lost all

their old ability. Doubtless they could still produce
Lung-chuan-yao of the ordinary variety. But such

tours de force as the delicate colours of the Chang

brothers and of the Kuan-yao and *Ju-yao, being to a

great extent dependent upon individual expertness,
had ceased to make their appearance in the market,
and the connoisseurs of the Ming dynasty had learned
to be so exacting that the comparatively heavy, impure
monochromes of the Ch'u-chou factory no longer

found favour in their eyes. It may be concluded that

the ordinary class of celadons preserved in Japanese
collections, as well as those to be found throughout

the area of mediaeval commerce described above, and

finally the not infrequent specimens of inferior quality
offered for sale in the markets of China to-day, date
from a period prior to 1550.

It may, perhaps, seem to the reader that over much

space is here devoted to the discussion of celadon alone.

He must remember, however, that great misconcep-

tions have hitherto been entertained by Western
virtuosi as to the proclivities of Chinese amateurs in
ancient times and the direction taken by the genius
of early Chinese keramists. It is essential to clear
away these errors if the student desires to form any
just estimate of the progress of the keramic art. Alone

among European authors, Mr. A. W. Franks, of the

British Museum, with his wonted judgment, discerned
something of the truth when he wrote in the preface

to his well known Catalogue : " Among the simple

colours (of Chinese ware) the first place must be
assigned to the bluish or sea-green tint, termed by the
French celadon. It is probably of considerable an-
tiquity, and it is remarkable that one of the earliest

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