Page 107 - Chinese Porcelain Vol II, Galland

LE COMTE. 309

perfectly incorporated with the material and lasts for ever, yet
it does dulled at last, and it loses the extreme
get slightly
that it had when new, whence it that the
brilliancy happens
whiteness softer and more beautiful in the ancient
appears
the new are none the less and will
porcelain; pieces good,
become well coloured in time.
equally
"
The lustre depends upon two things ; the brilliancy of
the glaze, and in the even quality of the material. The glaze
must not be too thick, otherwise it would form a crust, which
would not be with the
sufficiently incorporated porcelain ;
moreover, the brilliancy would be too great and too vivid. The
material is of perfectly even quality when it has no protuber-
ance, when one can see in it neither grain, nor sand, nor eleva-
tion, nor depression. If one examines carefully there are but
few vases which have not some of these defects; not only
should one not find blemishes, but is also to be
it
necessary
careful that there are no parts more brilliant than others ;
which happens when the brush is not equally applied and
sometimes when the glaze is applied at a time when all parts
of the are not the
piece equally dry ; slightest moisture
causing a sensible difference.
"
The painting is not the least of the beauties of porcelain ;
it is to apply all sorts of colours ; but in the
possible ordinary
way they use red and much more commonly blue. I have
never seen any vase on which the red was very vivid ; this was
not because the Chinese have none of that but because
quality,
this colour dulls upon the material, which absorbs the finer
and most coloured particles ; for the different foundations have
much to do with increasing or diminishing the brilliancy of
colours. As regards blue, they have it in perfection ; neverthe-
less, it is difficult to catch that exact temperament in which it
is neither nor sunken, nor too brilliant. But that which
pale
the workmen seek with most care, is to finish the
perfectly
outline of the figures ; in order that the colour may not spread
further than the brush, so as to soil the whiteness of the
porcelain by a certain bluish water, which flows, if one is not
careful, from the colour itself, when it is not well ground or
when the material on which it is employed has not a certain
degree of dryness ; very much as it may happen with absorbent
or wet paper or with worthless ink.