Page 561 - Chinese Porcelain Vol II, Galland

MANDARIN. 477

A on a is seated at a bamboo
diapers. lady playing guitar
table with pink top, while a child stands on the other side
of a table at a book. She is clothed in white enamel
looking
shaded with and red The
green, plaque in front. lady is
dressed in coloured enamels with rose
very delicately facings.
The large vase at her back is in shades of yellow, blue, and
salmon colour. All the enamels on this piece are very good.
" '
This the famous
depicts lady, Precious Pearl,' playing
on the guitar, while her maternal cousin listens to her per-
formance, studying at the same time."
No. 852. Eggshell dish. Diameter, 6 inches ; height, 1
inch. No mark. Here we have a halfway house between the
best eggshell and the ordinary run of pieces decorated with
mandarin The seated with the
figures. gentleman lady play-
ing the flute, as also the two attendants one playing castanets,
the other a would in
carrying symbol pass any eggshell plate
without notice ; but the settee, as also the stand, are not
enamelled, but painted in iron red, while the gilt scroll at the
edge is such as is usually met with in the cheaper forms of
mandarins.
"
During the Tsin dynasty there was a man named Shih
Tsung, whose concubine, ' Green Pearl,' was an excellent
on the and a dancer. After her husband's
player flageolet good
death this lady retained her chastity, committing suicide by
throwing herself from a high tower. In the picture she is
represented playing the flute to her husband, two attendants
being in the background, one carrying the Chinese symbol of
chastity."
No. 853. Porcelain dish. Diameter, 5| inches ; height,
r
1 inch. No mark. Here w e have the usual type of mandarin
saucer. At the edge there is a red line, with a waved line and
dots, both in a darker shade than the top circle. The ground
in the centre is marked off
by a red line drawn across the dish,
above which or shrubs are indicated in The
foliage sepia.
three ladies are dressed in enamels of poor colour, the folds of
the dresses indicated black lines ; the is
being simply by girl
clothed in iron The red in
entirely red, not enamel. dog
front has almost We have here arrived at the
disappeared.
sepia and brick-red class ; but there is as much amusement
and to be out of a collection of the same
pleasure got making