Page 298 - Oriental Series Japan and China, Brinkly

CHINA

in the manufacture, from the potter to the painter, have

made a point of servilely copying their model, not except-

ing the last coup de main given by the dextrous age-simula-

tors of whom we have spoken.

It is here that washing with acid will effect marvels. It

should be resorted to at the outset. Then the connoisseur

should ascertain how the bottom of the base is made, re-

membering the Chinese potter's manner of finishing this

part of a specimen. He should then seek for some place

where, in consequence of an imperfection or absence of

glaze, the pate is entirely exposed. Examined with a mag-
nifying glass this place should present the greyish and non-
vitreous aspect of little grains in close juxtaposition, some of
them sparkling in the light like mica ; unless, indeed, there

is question of very fine egg-shell, or semi-egg-shell porce-
lain, the fracture of which should bear a sensible resem-

blance to that of matter almost completely vitrified.

Passing now to the colours, it will be recognised that those

of imitation pieces have neither the softness, nor the trans-

parency, nor the iridescence, nor the metallic reflections of

Chinese enamels, even when the imitator has been able to

obtain a luminous appearance by washing in acids cleverly
compounded. There are, besides, two enamels which the

forgers never succeeded in obtaining, and which are happily

found often in decorations of the Extreme Orient. The

first is violacious brown, entirely transparent, used by the

Chinese to paint branches, trunks of trees, and sometimes
Onflowers or drapery.
imitation pieces this colour is dull,

non-transparent, altogether brown, or carmine suggesting

the presence of dirty b^Ae. The second of these enamels is

that which, obtained from chloride of gold, gives tints of

rose colour or deep carmine. On Chinese porcelains this
enamel is always brilliant and of remarkably pure tone. On

porcelains made in Europe, on the contrary, it is always

dull, violaceous, almost claret-like.

As for enamelled grounds over the glaze, thick and uni-

formly coloured coats of which, having often great intensity

of tone, the Chinese potter applies to the surface, our paint-

ers replace them by easily recognised grounds of badger

brown.

240