Page 583 - Chinese Porcelain Vol II, Galland

MANDARIN. 485

those on one front executed in black, and
being representing
a funereal urn and weeping willow, and on the other an English
landscape in light yellowish sepia resembling the small
vignettes upon mandarins. This last is quite beautifully
rendered, and suggests the idea that it may have been taken
from one of Boreman's The
paintings upon Chelsea-Derby.
borders used upon these pieces are identical with the borders
upon dessert services and dinner services made in China, to
in the nineteenth and into Old
order, early century, brought
and New England.
"
A common border was one of a thick blue enamel, powdered
with stars. In this vase there is also such a border
tiny gilt
of thick blue enamel, with vine with leaves
royal gilt grape
and fruit. This vine is a somewhat distorted edition of the
vine with leaves and used as a
grape fruit, so constantly
decorative border in England early in that century. It
appears on English porcelains, silver plate, and on almost
anything needing a border. The glass globes of lamps were
even so decorated.
"
My borders are blue in rather a thick enamel colour, and
a will out the in
magnifying glass just bring gilt patterns
the photograph upon the blue ground. With the glass you
can see how the oval has been
finely upright sepia panel
painted.
"
The rather coarse and waved surface of these is also
jars
visible in the
quite photograph."
It is "easy to see that every detail of these vases is borrowed
from Europe I mean those of this especial type.
"
A few later Mr. wrote I am
days Winthrop : waiting for
an to two of similar vases, said to be
opportunity inspect pairs
in this with a claret Chelsea. I have
city, ground imitating
now come upon seven pairs of vases of this pattern, all brought
to Boston about 1815, and I think that they all came together."
Again later
"
The old New England families commonly maintain their
and I find here a remains of services and
position, good many
ornaments, but they are rarely the specimens of the connois-
seur. They are the porcelains of commerce of the period.
Here these are known as ' Canton china,' there having been
an impression that it was manufactured at Canton. Some of