Page 80 - Chinese Porcelain Vol II, Galland

KANG-HE.
298
and glaze, being just as in the latter productions, so probably
is not older than about the twentieth year of this reign, for
these empty rings are some guide to its age. Marryat, at p.
"
from Stanislas Julien these
209, quoting says, Unfortunately
dates which were continued for more than six
(nien-hao),
centuries, were suppressed by order of the prefect of the dis-
trict of King-te-tchin, who, in 1677, prohibited the inscription
of the names of the or the of
periods history great men, under
the that if the were broken, the emperor
pretext porcelain
designated by the period, and the holy persons represented in
the paintings, would undergo a kind of profanation." Dr.
Bushell and Mr. this did not
Hippisley say prohibition long
remain in force, and seem to have no doubt that up to this
time no marks except the nien-hao had been used, so that
when we find a piece with two empty rings, the leaf or other
mark, we may feel sure that it dates from 1677 or thereafter.
When the prohibition was removed is not known; however,
the new marks certainly continued to be used by outside
factories, if not at the Imperial works, as they appear on quite
modern pieces, as, for instance, the two rings on No. 375, but,
as in that case, the mark probably is intended to be in keeping
with the decoration which, on the plate referred to, is a copy
of the Kang-he famille verte. Nor have we any guarantee
that pieces were always marked before 1677, or that when the
two blue rings were made the nien-hao was invariably filled in,
but still it is a great help if we may take it for certain that
the leaf and other than date marks were not used before 1677,
and observations would seem to bear out the correct-
certainly
ness of the statement.
Archaic drawing must not be taken as any indication of
age. True, in this instance, it may be by some old artist who
could not go with the times, but we find the same thing crop
up right down the series, when the most probable explanation
is that the have been decorated in imitation of some
pieces
old
painting.
"
Merely represent ladies playing chess and musical instru-
ments."
In No. 517 a blue and white dish (diameter, 15 inches
;
height, 2J inches) we have what might be taken as an early
The basket of flowers and the
piece. general decoration have