Page 175 - Chinese Art, Vol II By Stephen W. Bushell

PORCELAIN.
37
pencilled in underglaze copper red (rouge de cuivre) of the grand feu,
the technique and firing of which are the same as those of the
cobalt blue. The vase with imperial dragons grasping shou char-
acters rising from the sea, placed next for contrast in Fig. 37, is
painted in the soft coral red of the muffle stove derived from iron
peroxide [rouge de fer). This last colour, of paler coral shade, in
combination with gold, has been used in the charmingly artistic
decoration of the bottle illustrated in Fig. 38, which was bought in
Persia. In addition to coral red, the same iron peroxide, fired at
the heat of the demi-grand feu, furnishes all possible tones of brown,
ranging from chocolate and " dead leaf " (feuille morte) tints to
" old gold." The double gourd in Fig. 39 is an example of a brown
ground, overlaid with flowers in white " slip," a kind of decoration
which has sometimes been wrongly attributed to Persia. The triple
gourd in Fig. 40 is " dead leaf " brown (te/7 chin) below, interrupted
by rings of plain and crackled celadon, blue and white above. A
somewhat rare combination follows in Fig. 41, illustrating a celadon
ground of the grand feu, overlaid with a decoration of birds and
flowers executed in enamel colours.
An example of a vase is shown next, in Fig. 42, painted entirely in
colours of the grand feu, copper-red of maroon tint passing into
varied " peach-bloom " shades, and celadon, with a Ueti fouettr
ground ; the celadon parts and the white reserves are worked in
slight relief, with engraved details. The decoration consists of the
Pa Hsien, the " Eight Genii " of the Taoist cult, disporting them-
selves in clouds, and holding up their distinguishing attributes.
Like many other pieces evidently belonging to this reign it has the
fictitious mark, under the foot, of Ta Ming Ch'cng Hua nien chiht
" Made in the reign of Ch'eng Hua of the Great Ming."
i.e., For a
typical example of the san ts'ai, or 'three-coloured," decoration
sur biscuit, see the pictures, in Fig. 43, of a fish-shaped water pourer,
which is painted with the brownish-purple, green, and yellow
enamels of this genre.