Page 99 - Oriental Series Japan and China, Brinkly

THE CELADON

taken for a manufacture of the Middle Kingdom.

It is light green, passing almost into white. The

interior portion of the vase is vertically fluted, and
the glaze in the interstices of the flutes assumes the

aspect of green streaks. The upper portion is deco-

rated with horizontal flutes and bands, between which

are incised leaf scrolls. The piece is artistic, the
quality of the glaze good, and the technique of more
than medium quality. From this specimen of Siam-

ese ware, manufactured probably in the fourteenth
century directly under Chinese instruction, it is pos-
sible to judge Siamese capacities in respect of celadon
in early times, and to conclude that, though Siam

may unquestionably have furnished some of the cela-

dons found in the former Arab possessions, the por-
tion attributable to her is probably very small, and

the pieces may easily be distinguished from their

Chinese contemporaries and predecessors by the pate.
This is reddish grey, or light brown, and presents a

glistening, crude appearance not unlike that of

half-burned tiles which offers no resemblance to the

reddish brown, dense, and close-grained biscuit of the
Chinese ware. Dr. A. B. Meyer, as quoted by Dr.
Hirth, ably describes the general type of celadon
found from Egypt to Borneo :

The celadon porcelain is extremely heavy. It is of a

light green colour, and I believe that, in selecting this hue,

the makers intended to imitate the colour of jadestone, and

that this was the reason why it was so much appreciated.
The articles which have been found in various countries

between the island of Ceram on the one hand and Africa on

the other, consist in dishes measuring up to about half a
metre, covered by green enamel all over with the exception
of a ring on the bottom, i to 2 centimetres in breadth and
from about 10 to 15 centimetres in diameter, and being red-

VOL. ix. 5 65