Page 74 - Chinese Porcelain Vol II, Galland

KANG-HE.
296
plates, etc., until towards the end of the reign of Kang-he.
On No. 511 we have a wide-spreading beaker with paeony and
the latter stalks and flowers in
magnolia, having aubergine
light-green enamel, to show up which the groundwork is
darkened by light washes of blue under the glaze. In the
next we shall find these flowers left unaided on the
reign
white At the sides are blossom and citron.
porcelain. peach
" Lemons and citrons are very common in some southern
and ; but these are ever
provinces, extraordinary large scarcely
made use of for ornaments in houses, where
eaten, being only
they put seven or eight in a china dish, to please the sight
and smell ; however, they are exceedingly good when can-
dy'd." " Du Halde, i. 307. Those here are "the hand of
"
Budh (see p. 109). In No. 510 we have the " Mang vase
with peach blossom, with aubergine jardiniere on either side,
one with narcissus, the other with and
peaches pomegranates.
In No. 509 the usual rock and to the
palm fill up space
between the two above-described decorations ; the rock is in
blue, the palm in green. On the neck there are peaches and
peach blossom, and peaches and pomegranates on the cover,
the knob at top being coated with blue. This jar has probably
been made as a wedding present, if we may judge from the
flowers used in its decoration.
The of the in blue over the does
discovery painting glaze
not to have the demand for in
appear entirely stopped pieces
decorated with blue under the and the manufacture
part glaze,
of the two of famille verte was carried
descriptions probably
on concurrently, the latter style culminating towards the end
of the in such as No. 589. this
reign pieces During period
it does not seem that the two methods of the blue
applying
was ever on the same but we find this done
adopted piece,
later on.
Blue and White.
Of all the various wares made at the end of the Ming
dynasty, there is every reason to believe that the blue and
white was, according to our notions, the best, so that it is this
that we to
description might expect to see first brought per-
fection during the reign of Kang-he; but if you show any
decent piece of blue and white to experts on either side of the