Page 65 - Oriental Series Japan and China, Brinkly

WARES OF SUNG J) DYNASTY

and the Ting-yao : they copied ancient bronzes.

Throughout the whole of the Sung period the same
Atype of shapes and decoration is found.
better

choice could scarcely have been made, for the forms

of many of the old bronzes are eminently graceful,

and their decorative designs show much wealth of

fancy.

The number of specimens of Kuan-yao produced at

the original factory (Peng-liang) was probably not

large, inasmuch as the manufacture continued for

twenty years only (11071126). Those twenty

years, too, were in great part occupied by a struggle

between the Chinese and the Tartars. The policy

of the Sung emperors had been essentially one of

peace : under their rule the empire attained a high

state of civilization at the expense of its martial

prowess. Unable to make head against the valour of

the invading Tartars, the Sung ruler decided, in 1 1 27,

to move his capital from Kai-feng-fu to Hang-chou.

Simultaneously with this event, which is generally

termed the passing of the Sung to the south, the

potteries at Peng-liang appear to have been closed,

and in their stead a factory was opened within the

precincts of the yamen occupied by the Mayor of the
Imperial Palace in Hang-Chou. The ware pro-

duced there was called sometimes Net-yao, or "ware
of the palace," but more general Kuan-yoa, or " Im-

perial ware." In all its essential features it closely

resembled the original Kuan-yao, described above.

Ten specimens of Sung Kuan-yao are depicted in

the illustrated Catalogue of H'siang. They are all
"
celadons, their colours ranging through pale green,"

" green," " onion green," and " bluish green."

light

One only is not crackled.

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