Page 479 - Chinese Porcelain Vol II, Galland

"SOFT PASTE." 447

thereof that turn up nowadays ; but in addition to these there
seems to be a sort of soft glaze to be met with on other than
soft paste pieces.
With regard to the coated pieces, Mr. Winthrop writes :
"
Within an hour I have had in my hand a Japanese bowl of
'
the well-known * Hizen ware. Outside it is of the usual
and that we connect with
smooth, stony, slightly porous paste
Hizen such as we saw composing the large Hizen jars that
stood in the halls of our grandparents' country houses. But
the inside of the bowl was slightly fluted and washed with such
'
'
a soft glue as the Pere d'Entrecolles refers to. The outside
was turned on the wheel, but the fluted inside must have been
shaped by compression, and its glaze made it look like a piece
of Delft."
No. 775. Blue and white dish made of soft paste crackle.
Diameter, 4^ inches ; height, f inch. No mark. At the rim
is the octagon pattern border, so usual in such pieces about
this time, while the centre is decorated with the copy of some
old engraving reproduced almost line for line ; but this un-
does not show in the The
fortunately photograph. subject
seems to be European castaways with natives on some tropical
shore.
"
Mr. C. F. Bell writes, That the original is of the latter
part of the seventeenth century I have no doubt."
No. 776. Small blue and white water-jar for ink-slab.
" "
2 inches. Mark, Tien Made of soft
Height, (heaven).
paste crackle. This piece is decorated with two peaches on
one side and two pomegranates on the other. Some of these
small pieces of soft paste are very fine in quality and beautifully
decorated.
No. 777. Blue and white soft paste bowl. Diameter, 6
inches inches. Mark, seal in two blue
; height, 2f rings.
This piece is not soft paste throughout, but is a specimen of
the ordinary ware coated with soft paste. Inside, at the rim,
is one of those octagon borders so frequently to be met with
on from about this
pieces dating period, and at the bottom,
enclosed in two blue rings, is Si Wang Mu travelling through
the air on a fung-hwang. Outside are the eight immortals
on the waves, and it is curious to note how are
voyaging they
borne. Han Chung-le and Han Seang-tsze stand on the fan
VOL. II. N