Page 528 - Chinese Porcelain Vol II, Galland

KEEN-LUNG.
466
with a man seemingly trying to get unseen at two ducks in the
water ; while the third shows doves and arrows.
The birds are intended for the thrush, which we
probably
"
often find on these sort of plates. A kind of thrush called
'kwa mi, or pictured eyebrow,' of a greyish-yellow colour, is
often in as a and when well trained bears
kept cages song-bird,
a There is a called Jcwa mi, from the
high price. variety peli
predominance of white in the plumage. Another species of
thrush of a dark called W\L shi kih, is likewise reared
plumage,
as a than the Jcwa mi, and often carried
songster ; it is larger
out upon a perch by native gentlemen in their strolls. There
is a species of thrush with the feathers of the head, neck,
breast, and wing-coverts steel-blue, and a white spot on the
which is also an attendant of their leisure hours. A
wings,
of Chinese are not
party gentlemen unfrequently seen, each
with a or in his hands, seated on the or
cage perch grass
rambling in the fields actively engaged in catching grass-
hoppers for their pets. The spectacle thrush, so designed
because its are surrounded a black circle, bearing a
eyes by
fancied resemblance to a pair of spectacles, is also reared in
But the favourite is the lark, of which
captivity. song-bird
there are three sorts reared for sale it is called i.e.
; peh ling,
"
hundred-spirit bird, from its activity and melody (" Middle
Kingdom," vol. i. p. 259).
"
Dr. Bushell tells us, at p. 174, that sepia painting in ink
was known to but is more characteristic of suc-
Kiang-hsi,
ceeding reigns." We find the designs in the Kang-he pieces
often marked out in but the decorated
sepia, porcelain, entirely
in seems to to the and
sepia, belong chiefly Keen-lung period,
of this we have a in
very good example
No. 818. A dessert
plate. Diameter, 9 inches; height,
1 inch. No mark. There are two similar in the British
plates
Museum, of which Sir Wollaston Franks gives the following
"
description : Chinese porcelain, pencilled in black with pink
flesh tints. An an
archway enclosing allegorical design
emblematic of a the
marriage ; Juno receiving young couple,
etc., in front of Neptune and Tritons. Border of lace work
in gold."
Mr. Lucius W. who was and
Byrne, good enough to try
find out about this
piece, writes as follows :