Page 66 - Oriental Series Japan and China, Brinkly

CHINA

It is necessary to warn the reader against con-

founding the Kuan-yao of the Sung dynasty with the

Kuan-yao manufactured during the seventeenth and

eighteenth centuries at Ching-te-chen. The latter

is, for the most part, of an entirely different character.
It will be described in its place. Here it need only

be observed that the term Kuan-yao, in its later use,
"
signified simply Imperial porcelain," and not a

special product of a particular epoch.

The Kuan-yao, as the latest keramic effort of the

Sung dynasty, ought to represent the highest achieve-

ment of the era's keramic art. But although in the

method of treating the crackle, in accuracy of mould-

ing and in general finish, the ware may be said to

have excelled anything previously produced, the fact

is recorded that the advantage was with the Ju-yao

in respect of richness and lustre of glaze and delicacy

of colour. To these two wares belong incomparably

the finest celadons of ancient times.

Dr. Hirth translates the following passage from the
" As re-
Tao-shuo, as quoted by the Po-wu-yao-lan :

gards Kuan-yao, it should be known that the porcelain

earth found at the foot of the Feng-huang-shan

(Phoenix Hill) near Hang-chou, is red. For this

reason ' the ' (tsu, technically that part of the

foot

bottom on which the vessel rests when being fired,

and which is therefore not covered by the enamel ; es-

pecially applied to the rings seen on the bottom of old

celadon vessels) resembles iron in colour. This was

at the time called ' red-mouthed and iron-footed.'

The term ' red mouth ' refers to the brim, or open-

ing, of the vessel : the latter becomes red by the

enamel flowing down and away from it so as to be
much thinner on the brim than on the body of the

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