Page 330 - Chinese Porcelain Vol II, Galland

KEEN-LUNG.
394

This monarch seems to have inherited much of the strength
of mind and body possessed by his grandfather, Kang-he. He
never seems to have taken the field himself, but was a warlike
and under his directions the Chinese added
prince, generals
territories to the A he made hunt-
large empire. sportsman,
like his Given to letters, "he
ing expeditions grandfather.
was both poet and prose writer, but not of the first order."
Some of his odes, being in honour of the art of
productions
to the interest he took in the work
King-te-chin, testify
carried on there. Early in this reign (1743), Thang-ing suc-
ceeded to the direction of the Imperial works, and if the high
standard of the Yung-ching period was not maintained in all
its integrity, there was probably no great falling off in quality
as long as he remained in charge. Much very fine china is to
be met with to this to which we are indebted
belonging period,
for the most charming rose pieces we possess. The productions
of this show influence in the of decora-
reign European styles
tion much more markedly than at any previous period. This, no
doubt, is due in part to Jesuit artists at Peking, if not at King-
te-chin itself, and in part to the copying on designs sent from
Europe. We find in porcelain, models of French furniture
which had been sent as to the Chinese
presents Emperors by
the French monarchs, or been ordered by the Court through
the Jesuits. Kang-he had a large collection of French clocks
and watches, Father Angelo acting as the Emperor's watch-
maker. So, no doubt, Keen-lung was well supplied with articles
of vertu made in which the artisans and artists at
Europe, King-
te-chin were called to The most
upon copy. pleasing specimens
of this period are, however, those made and decorated on the
old Chinese lines, and which betray no signs of foreign
influence. Instead of at the of which we
wondering decay,
can trace tokens towards the end of this we have
period, prob-
reason to be that for over one hundred
ably surprised years
the Chinese should have been able to maintain such a
high
standard in their ceramic
productions, and the decadence,
perhaps, may be traced as much to European influence and
orders as to else.
anything