Page 433 - Chinese Porcelain Vol II, Galland

EGGSHELL. 433

the mountains. The extreme point where I have met it is in the
valley of Han-tchong, in Chensi, and all the birds of this kind
which are seen in in at and elsewhere
cages captivity Peking
certainly come from the southern districts.
"These are much
starlings appreciated by the Chinese,
because of the ease with which learn to as also for
they speak,
the and tunefulness of their natural In their
variety song.
wild state live near habitations, and make their nests in
they
holes of trees. Their food consists of and insects, and
grain
one may even see them sitting on the backs of cattle picking
out the The must then as a useful bird
parasites. pakos range
"
and a friend of man, and can become acclimatized in
Europe
(" Des Oiseaux de la Chine," by M. David, p. 365).
Whole-coloured Rose.
No. 743. Semi-eggshell plate. Diameter, 7f inches ;
1 inch. No mark. The rim and of the side are
height, part
covered with a shining purple glaze, relieved by eight white
lotus flowers and eight blue flowers. In the centre a lady sits,
with pink fan in her hand, while two boys say their lesson to
her, all in green, blue, and pink enamels. The lady has a skirt
of white enamel, green dress, and blue sash.
No. 744. Plate. Diameter, 8f inches ; height, 1 inch.
No mark. The surface is covered with a ruby enamel, same as
on the backs of the At the there is a
eggshell plates. edge
band. Two white scrolls, one wide and one narrow, which
gilt
cross each other, the turnover, or back of the former being
green with square and octagon work, that of the latter blue
with trellis-work diaper. On the wide scroll the decoration
consists of a cock, with pseonies in pink, yellow, and white
enamels, the foliage being in dark and light green. The
reader will notice the at the On the narrow
dragon-fly top.
scroll, flowers, and bird with a long beak. The surface is
further broken by two chrysanthemums in white enamel, with
light green shading.
Eggshell
Plates appear to have been produced during the Yung-ching
and ran the whole of the
period (see Nos. 362, 363), through
As it seems to allot the various
present reign. impossible