Page 218 - Oriental Series Japan and China, Brinkly

CHINA

When speaking of the choicest wares of the Ming

dynasty, allusion was made to decoration with red

sous couverte, the most celebrated examples of which
" red-fish-stemmed "
were the Hung-yu-pa-pei, or cups

of the Hsuan-te era, and it was there stated that with-

out doubt the same style of decoration continued to

be produced equally skilfully on porcelains of later

dates. In all ages connoisseurs have had their special

favourites. It is easy to find Chinese dilettanti who

still maintain that nothing comparable with the Hung-

yu-pa-pei in brilliancy and depth of red and snow-like

purity of white, ever emanated from any workshop

after the Hsuan-te era. But unless that preference be

based on points not perceptible to every-day eyes, it

may safely be said that the experts of Kang-hsi, Tung-

ching and Chien-lung did not fall behind those of

Hsuan-te in this branch. They that is to say, the

potters of the golden age of the Tsing dynasty

called red sous couverte Tu-li-hung a term intended to

convey the idea of red seen floating in a limpid

medium. They employed the same colouring matter

silicate of copper as that used by their Ming
predecessors, and they applied it much in the same

manner as that followed in painting with cobaltiferous

manganese. The temperature of development in the

kiln was also the same in the case of blue and red,

as is proved by the fact that they are found occurring
together in perfect tones upon the same piece. Evi-

dently, however, great difficulty attended the produc-
tion of fine Tu-li hung, for an exceedingly high value
has always been put upon it by Chinese connoisseurs.

The points of excellence are the quality and tone of

the red which must be at once brilliant like a

ruby, and soft as velvet the purity of the white

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