Page 82 - Oriental Series Japan and China, Brinkly

CHINA

matic, their tints merging happily into each other at
the edges while retaining their purity. In this latter
class the typical variety had delicate clair-de-lune glaze
covering the interior of a piece and passing, on the
outside, without suggesting any break of continuity,
into a colour resembling, but even softer than, that

of red hawthorn. The external tint was not uni-

form, but minutely mottled or dappled throughout, a
pleasing play of light and shade being thus produced.
In specimens of this class, and indeed in all fine ex-
amples of old Chun-yao, the clair-de-lune glaze is

broken by flattened v-shaped marks, through which

the beautiful azure of the heart of the glaze is appar-

ent. These marks are much valued by Chinese

connoisseurs. Their presence or absence alone con-
stitutes, in the eyes of some virtuosi, the difference

between excellence and mediocrity. Anyone who

has seen specimens of Yueh-pai (clair-de-lune} ware
must be familiar with the fact that the deeper azure
of the glaze gleams out in spaces of greater or less
magnitude, recalling the depths of colour seen
through breaks in a fleecy sky. This feature occurs
in the Chun-yao, and its description by Chinese
writers of former days has greatly perplexed modern
translators. It should be observed, however, that

clair-de-lune monochromes, though manufactured at

Chiin-chou, were not greatly esteemed. The com-

bination of clair-de-lune with vermilion red ranked

much higher. With regard to the green colour of

Chun-yao, the reader must not suppose that there is
question of a celadon monochrome. Like the clair-

de-lune, this green also occurred in combination with
red and even with purple. Specimens showing the
three colours cinnabar red, ripe-grape purple, and

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