Page 248 - Oriental Series Japan and China, Brinkly

CHINA

Cups with yellow ground surrounding blue clouds and

dragons.

Wine Cups and Libation Cups with blue ground surround-

ing yellow phoenixes flying through fairy flowers.
Dishes and Plates with deep brown ground enclosing pairs

of yellow dragons and clouds.

In the Lung-ching (1567-1572) zn&Wan-li (1573-

1619) eras artistic taste appears to have undergone a
change. Wealth of ornament became the fashion of

the time. The enamelled decoration of the cele-

brated Cheng-hwa era had been valued not more for

brilliancy and purity of colour than for delicacy and

fidelity of delineation. The enamel decoration of

the Lung-ching and Wan-li eras was valued chiefly for

richness and profusion. Blue sous couverte occupies a

prominent place in the JFJU-/.&W-&* of the period. The

surfaces of pieces, evidently manufactured with great

care, were loaded with designs in which the heavy,

deep blue of the time, brilliant emerald green, and

full-bodied rouge mat appeared in nearly equal masses.

Dr. Bushell incidentally notices this fact when he
" The Imperial Requisition of the Lung-
writes :

ching era includes table-services, rice-bowls, and saucers,

tea-cups and wine-cups of different form, jars, flower-

vases and flower-pots, censers and scent-boxes, vinegar

droppers, jars with covers surmounted by lions, &c.

The decoration is far more elaborate, but is all put

under the one class of blue painting on white ground,

although parts of the designs are sometimes described

as filled up with enamel colours, or painted in gold, over

the glaze." To the same classes belong the follow-

ing, copied from the Imperial Requisition of Wan-li,
where they are described as " Porcelains Painted in
Blue on White Ground " :

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