Page 204 - Chinese Art, Vol II By Stephen W. Bushell

—

CHINESE ART.
44

APPENDIX.

Marks and Shals.

The marks on Chinese pottery and porcelain may be conveniently
classified under the headings —
:
1. Marks of date.
2. Hall-marks.
3. Marks of dedication and good wishes.
4. Marks in praise of the piece inscribed.
5. Symbols and other jiictorial marks.
6. Potter's marks.
The following lists are not intended to be exhaustive, being only
a selection of such marks as are likely to be most useful to the
collector. For fuller lists I may perhaps be permitted to refer
the inquirer to my " Oriental Ceramic Art," a copy of which is at
liand for reference in the National Art Library of the Museum.

I. Marks of Date.

The Chinese have two methods of indicating a date. First,
by the nien-hao, or name given to the reign of an emperor ; second,
by a cycle of sixty years. The nien-hao is selected for the regnal
title after the emperor has ascended the throne and dates from
the beginning of the first new year after his accession. It is an
epithet of good augury culled from some classical text, like the
title of the reigning emperor Kuang Hsii, which means " Inherited
Lustre." The regnal title was frequently changed under the older