Page 34 - Oriental Series Japan and China, Brinkly

CHINA

factured in the northern province of Pe.chili. At its

best it had uniform muddy white glaze, compared to

ice or silver by the author of an early treatise on tea-
drinking. Another contemporary production was the
Shu-yao, manufactured in the province of Szechuen.

The eulogies of this ware are sung by a poet of the

time who says that it was light yet solid ; that the

lustre of the glaze exceeded the brilliancy of snow,

and that its timbre resembled that of jade. There is,

however, no valid reason to suppose that the Shu-yao

excelled its predecessors so greatly as to indicate any

marked advance in the keramic art. It was probably

semi-porcelain at best. One other ware deserves to

be included in the catalogue of Tang productions ;

namely, the Tsin-yao, manufactured in the province

of Kiang-su. Bowls and cups alone are said to have

been produced. They are described as pure white,

sometimes having fishes moulded in relief or wave

pattern incised in the pate; fashions of decoration

that occur frequently in choice wares of later date.

The closing years of the Tang dynasty being only

eleven centuries distant from the present time, it

might reasonably be expected that some specimens

Onof the wares of that age should still survive. the

other hand, if the conclusions reached above be cor-

rect, no great inducement can have existed for pre-

serving such wares as objects of attractive art or
Aremarkable technique.
few, however, are to be

found in the hands of Chinese collectors, and there

is no apparent reason to doubt their authenticity.

They support in every respect the views thus far ex-

pressed. Their pate, not very carefully manipulated,
is of dark colour, coarse in grain, and although nearly
heavy enough to be called stone-ware belongs rather

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