Page 112 - Chinese Porcelain Vol II, Galland

3H KANG-HE.

in which shows that a trade in must have
Europe, porcelain
existed for some time.
Blue and White.
That belonging to the last half of this reign is the finest
we possess, and the following are specimens produced during
this period :
Nos. 539, 540, 541. Blue and white ginger-jar. Height, 8}
inches. Mark, leaf in two blue rings. The reader will
notice the comb band at bottom, and at top, although it cannot
be seen in the there is a hawthorn band
photograph, showing
six white prunus blossoms on the blue reticulated ground.
These borders are not uncommon in Kang-he pieces. Like
many others of these jars and pieces in general, this appears
to be made of some coarse material and to be merely coated
with ; but the Chinese do not seem to draw
porcelain any
distinction between these and the pieces made of porcelain
throughout. The latter, however, are beyond all doubt the
better and more valued. The main decoration consists of
scenery carried right round, relieved by three motives. The
first, a ferry (No. 540) ; second, a scholar seated on a rock with
friend or attendant (No. 539) ; third, two figures, one with book,
the other with bag of books (No. 541). The trees are carefully
and the rocks stand out in shades of and dark
painted, light
blue.
"These the fountain scene. The
represent peach-flower
story is as follows : During the Tsin dynasty, in the time of
the Emperor Wu Ti (A.D. 265-275), there was a fisherman who
went to peach-flower fountain stating that his ancestors had
fled from the place during a revolt in the time of the Ts'in
dynasty (B.C. 255-206), but this was afterwards proved untrue."
"
This, no doubt, refers to Huang Tao-chen, a fisherman of
Wu-ling in Hunan, who lived under the Chin dynasty some
time between A.D. 280-290. He is said to have discovered a
creek hidden by peach trees, which led to an unknown region
inhabited by the descendants of fugitives from the troublous
times of the Ch'in dynasty. There they lived,

The worM forgetting, by the world forgot.
A.fter being kindly treated at their hands, the fisherman