Page 237 - Oriental Series Japan and China, Brinkly

PORCELAIN DECORATED

Probably it failed to attract attention, being compara-

tively easy to manufacture and not belonging to the
In the neighbouring
category of " "
delicate wares.

empire of Japan, however, it was esteemed. The

celebrated factories at Kutani took it as a model, and

the greatest keramist of Kyoto, Zengoro Hozen, not

only owed much of his fame to imitations of the

ware and to developments suggested by it, but also

derived his artist name, Eiraku (Chinese Tung-lo} y

from the period of its original production. The

Yung-lo potters do not appear to have employed this

fashion of decoration in direct association with blue

sous couverfe. The latter, however, is occasionally

found on the interior of specimens covered externally
with the former.

The Hsuan-te era (14261435) of the Ming dynasty

is remarkable for the first use of vitrifiable enamels

in a manner so skilful and artistic as to command the

highest admiration of Chinese connoisseurs. Not

that, even then, the fashion of covering the surface

of a vase with elaborate and brilliant designs came

into vogue. Such a style had certainly been con-

ceived by previous potters, but in the Hsuan-te era,

and indeed throughout the Ming dynasty down to the

reign of Lung-ching (1567 1572), delicacy and fine-

ness were the chief aim of the Chinese expert. He

appreciated the value of vitrifiable enamels as a decora-

tive agent, but subserved them always to the design

of his piece, instead of making the latter a mere field

for their display. The " Illustrated "

Catalogue

of H'siang gives four representative specimens of

Hsuan-te enamelled porcelain. In two of these red

the "colour of fresh blood" is the dominant

colour. Red persimmons with sepals and stalks in

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