Page 193 - Chinese Porcelain Vol II, Galland

TRADE SECTION. 347

and
pleasing noteworthy feature, however, is the lovely spray
of primus which springs from the large blue beaker. The
stalk is in and the blossoms in enamel
aubergine, light green
with yellow centres, the black outline showing through the
A few of the flowers are in blue, to break the
glaze. monotony
of the one colour. It would not be to find anything
easy
better than this prunus spray.
No. 591. Dessert Famille verte with blue enamel.
plate.
Diameter, 8 inches; height, 1 inch. Mark, "Ching-hwa"
(1465-1485), in two blue rings. This is a very good example
of the fine sometimes to be met with in the so-called
quality
trade section but, of course, with the few
; comparatively
exceptions where pieces were made and decorated under
special order, the whole manufacture of china-ware was carried
on as a trade to the home and demand for the
supply foreign
many beautiful and useful articles into which porcelain was
shaped. Why the charming plate now under consideration
should be marked "Ching-hwa" it is difficult to imagine,
unless it be that Chinese writers describe that as cele-
period
brated for artistic decoration ; the mark, however, as stated in
p. 247, seems ever to have been a favourite one with the
European trader, which circumstance probably had more to
do with its selection in the present case than anything else.
The decoration on the rim is marked off by three red lines,
while the flowers seem to spring from or rest on the outer one ;
and the reader will notice the black-beetle that is introduced
at top in the border. The flowers are chiefly in red and blue,
with one aubergine and one yellow in the band. Those in the
centre seem to be poppies, with asters at foot. The butterfly
is in green, blue, black, red, and gilt. The rocks are kept
low, and are in blue and green. One yellow flower, with a
between the two wide leaves that
blue centre, appears spring
from the ground to the reader's left hand. There is a grass-
on the leaf in another similar
hopper perched top plate
to this.
TKADE SECTION.
Although it is usual to talk of a trade section in regard
to Chinese it would, apart from
porcelain, exceptional pieces
made under
evidently originally special order, be exceedingly