Page 43 - Chinese Porcelain Vol II, Galland

MING. 283

WAN-LEIH, 1573-1620.

IF we are to believe Chinese historians, decadence set in
during this reign. They admit, however, that the workman-
was at times and that the decorated with
ship good, porcelain
enamel colours showed and Dr. Bushell, at
improvement, p.
"
107 of the Walters book, tells us, that previous to this reign
on was not known," so we must credit it with
painting glaze
that discovery. As far as we can judge from the specimens
to be met with, the polychrome pieces certainly show an
advance, the appearance of the porcelain and the colours
with which it is decorated both being more vitreous, showing
a nearer approach towards the famille verte of the next
It is said that the of the were
dynasty. requirements palace
so great that inferior ware had to be supplied to admit of any-
thing like the quantity ordered being delivered. The same
author, in the Journal of the Peking Oriental Society, p. 100,
"
writes : In the next reign, Wan-li, in the eleventh year,
A.D. 1583, we come upon another Imperial order for over
and more remonstrances from censors on the
96,000 pieces,
quantity of pricket candlesticks, wind screens, and paint-brush
vases ; on the uselessness of such things as chessmen, jars to
put them in, and chessboards ; on the trifling importance of
the screens, paint-brush barrels, flower vases, covered jars and
boxes. The censor ventures to ask whether 20,000 covered
boxes of different form and decoration, 4000 vases for flowers,
of varied and 5000 with covers, be not too a
shape, jars large
number ; and whether dragons and phoenixes, flowering plants
an<I such-like elaboration, carved in work and in
open painted
enamel colours, be not work of too a kind. He
complicated
quotes the ancient emperor, Shun, whose vessels are said to
have been unvarnished, and Yii, who refused to chisel his
sacrificial bowls, and to his to imitate them.
appeals sovereign
The result of this memorial was the lessening by one-half of
the quantity of pricket candlesticks, chessboards, screens, and
paint-brush vases."