Page 264 - Chinese Porcelain Vol II, Galland

KANG-HE.
370
be inclined to ascribe them to a later date, but to
they appear
be of interest as showing the change that had taken place in
the famille verte of decoration even before the
style Yung-
ching period. Disporting themselves among water-plants of
various colours are four fish, viz. one in green, fins and tail in
a darker shade lined in black a in red, lined in
; goldfish
a darker shade ; a sturgeon (?) in a beautiful dark-brown
which takes a shade on the head, tail, and
aubergine, lighter
fins, the belly being yellow ; a carp in indigo blue, with green
tail and fins. These four fish are very charming, and the
whole scheme of decoration is most In this
pleasing. country
bowls are to as awkward to display ; but
objected things being
in everyday use in China, we often find on them examples of
the best workmanship and colouring, no doubt specially ordered
Chinese anxious when their friends to
by wealthy entertaining
set of the best before them. M. Grandidier seems
everything
to appreciate bowls, and has a wonderful collection of them.
On these bowls we have no trace of rose, but at the same
time we have evidence that the grand old famille verte was
to the call for a the outcome of
yielding higher technique,
which we have in the miniature of decoration,
exquisite style
with and without rose tints, that emanated from King-te-chin
during the next thirty years or so.
We cannot do better than wind up this famille verte
class with Mr. G. R. Davies' celebrated black vase, which
is clearly about the last of the race. He describes it as
follows :
Nos. 640, 641. "Exhibited Burlington Fine Arts
Club, 1896 ; description, No. 386. An oviform vase, almost
identical in form to No. 629. Height, 17 inches. There
is a narrow white rim at lip, followed by a key-pattern
border in black on green ground, then a thin line of aubergine,
followed by another border of curl work in black on green,
with border of The neck of the
slight scalloped aubergine.
vase is covered with a black enamel, over which runs a flowing
floral in to which are attached
design green, apparently single
blossoms of the and
prunus in red, purple, aubergine, yellow,
with occasional leaves in several is the
greens. Here, again,
same border reversed of curl work on with the
green scalloped
border of as it were to finish off the painting of the
aubergine,