Page 555 - Chinese Porcelain Vol II, Galland

MANDARIN. 475

broken raised flowers on the sides, enamelled. These have
by
been furnished with elaborate ' French mounts.'
"
Several times I have had an opportunity of examining a
jar that ties all of these late porcelains together in an interest-
ing way. Its cover, in place of handle, has the seated figure
of a China woman of the same model as that upon the yellow
decorated jars (No. 866) that you had a photograph of, cast
in the same mould. The have a raised border;
very panels
the body is of the quite natural ivory white porcelain. The
'
decoration is entirely done in bistre, much of it being stippled,'
and the views much resembling the well-known country scenes
somewhat similiar to the willow pattern, only more finished
and detailed. The whole scene, however, is heightened with
gilt lines. The figure on the top and the details of the
borders connect it distinctly with the yellow vases (No. 866)
the scenes with of the Chinese
painted many blue-under-glaze
and the with other mandarins,
landscapes, general peculiarities
' And
*
including the red mandarins that we have considered.
it is to be remembered that the ' mandarins ' (meaning the red
mandarins, the * filigree ' mandarins, and the partly reticulated
mandarins) are all bound to the diaper porcelains with ruby
backs, and come from Nanking.
" ' '
All of the red diaper of the red mandarins is on the
not on ' enamel ' sensible to the
surface, although literally
'
touch. It is therefore fixed only in the enamel kiln.' It is
the same iron red that we seem acquainted with in almost all
oriental and subjected only to the moderate heat
porcelains,
of the enamel firing (see Nos. 356, 357).
"
I have here in Boston an incomplete drawing of a dish
(No. 850) with a pierced border at A, a blue-enamelled band
at B broken by gilt stars, a narrower blue band at C, and in
the centre at I) is a circle of the same blue enamel surrounding
the initials of my maternal grandparents in gilding.
"This I conceive to have been the stand or dish of a
dessert basket, and I have in the island a pair of dessert
baskets similarly pierced (No. 847), but entirely decorated in
a the well-
blue and white under-glaze, landscape resembling
remembered willow pattern occupying the bottom of the
basket inside.
"
In late mandarins there is a constant use of blue under-