Page 120 - Oriental Series Japan and China, Brinkly

CHINA

imitate old ware of the same type by artificially
colouring the lower rim of the pate. But in the ma-
jority of cases the potters frankly depended on the

resources of their own skill and were fully justified

by the result. For these Nien-yao and T'ang-yao cela-

dons undoubtedly rank high among wares of the Mid-
dle Kingdom. They differ from their prototypes
primarily in the nature of their pdtey which is true

porcelain, fine, white, less dense and on the whole

better manipulated than the Lung-chuan-yao biscuit.
Their glaze, too, is thinner and less lustrous, lacking
the wonderful depth and solid softness of the early
celadons. In respect of colour, the comparison is dif-

ficult. The emerald tint of precious jade is seldom

found, or the delicately fresh colour of young onion

sprouts, or the indescribable nuance of bluish green

that constituted connoisseurs' delight in preceding

centuries. But, on the other hand, there is a won-

derful gradation of tints from green so pale as to be
almost grey to grass colour and azure. These restful
and aesthetic monochromes deserve even more notice

than they have received. In many of them the

potter, not relying wholly on beauty of colour,
heightened the decorative effect by adding elaborate
arabesques and scroll patterns, incised or in relief;
which designs, being executed with admirable skill,
invest the Nien-yao and T'ang-yao celadons with great
attractions for Western collectors, especially since the
shapes are often fine and the dimensions of the pieces
noble. Notably charming is a variety in which the
decoration is made to appear like a tracery of white

lace lying under the delicate green glaze. Good ex-
amples of these comparatively modern celadons are to

be found in European and American collections,

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