Page 142 - Chinese Porcelain Vol II, Galland

KANG-HE.
326
under-glaze porcelains are also divisible into two classes equally
distinguishable from one another.
"
I have two pairs of jars of a brilliant black under the
with scenes of horsemen for instance, as those in
glaze, (such,
the centre of No. 313) in gilt lines (no washes) upon one pair,
and flowers upon the other pair. No mark, except the double
in blue under the foot. One is of slender
ring pair open
beaker vases, while the others are the
ordinary covered (No.
' '
563) potiches (these last being those decorated with the
horsemen in the Tartar The beaker vases are
dress). perhaps
17 inches and the 15 inches. I have con-
high, jars always
sidered them to be of about Khang-hy date, and bought the
four (which are in at a
absolutely perfect condition) country
sale about twenty-two years ago, for, I should say, about 35.
"
My set of black potiches and beaker vases would typify
one class the ' mirror blocks ' referred to by Mr. Monkhouse
as to the era. The vessels have been
belonging Khang-hy
treated with a of black the biscuit. The insides
covering upon
of the covers of the the insides of the collar on which
potiches,
the cover rests, the flat surfaces under the foot, and the insides
of the of the beaker vases, are all finished in white.
lips neatly
"I have a magnificent 'Old Green' plate, 14 inches dia-
meter, with a similar hunting scene, in coloured enamel the
banners of a thin yellow enamel, and the green in places
quite bossed up, so as to give it great intensity. It will be
'
noticed that the ' late Ming (Khang-hy) enamelled porcelains,
in their decorations of polychrome character, introduce a mat
black like the black of Mr. vase.
precisely ground Salting's
This I mention in as I observe it at this moment
parenthesis,
upon a large Khang-hy plate at my elbow. Now, there is a
different black It is of the Kien-lung
under-glaze type.
period. At a house that I visit, I see a fine specimen of this
in a 12 inches It has
large open-mouthed bottle, say high.
no decoration whatever. The open mouth is white inside, and
under the foot is equally white with the usual Kien-lung
square mark, in dark blue under the glaze. It is a brilliant
and it has a almost a
piece, companion precisely similar, only
dark brilliant The black the black vase of this
turquoise. upon
type is intense ; it is brought up to the lip, but, of course, does
not finish in an exact line. The black there deteriorates for the