Page 83 - Chinese pottery and porcelain : an account of the potter's art in China from primitive times to the present day

Chia Ching (1522-1566) 39

Liiig chih fungus and season flowers.
Lotus flowers, fishes, and water weeds.
Floral arabesques {hui hui hud).
Flowers of Paradise {'pao hsiang hua) lE+B^.
The celestial flowers and the flowers of Paradise are no doubt
similar designs of idealised flowers in scrolls or groups. ^ The pao
hsiang hua, which is given in Giles's Dictionary as " the rose," is
rendered by Bushell " flowers of Paradise " or " fairy flowers."
Judging by the designs with this name in Chinese works, and also
from the fact that the rose is a very rare motive on Chinese wares
before the Ch'ing dynasty, whereas the pao hsiang hua is one of
the commonest in the Ming lists, Bushell's rendering is probably

correct in the present context.

Animal Motives, mythical or otherwise.

Dragons, represented ; as pursuing jewels {kan chu) grasping
;

jewels {k\ing chu) ; in clouds ; emerging from water ; in bamboo

foliage and fungus plants ; among water chestnut flowers ; among

scrolls of Indian lotus ; emerging from sea waves and holding up

the Eight Trigrams {pa kua) ; holding up the characters fu

M M(happiness) or shou (longevity), as on Fig. 1 of Plate 66.

Dragons of antique form. These are the lizard-like creatures

(ch'ih) with bifid tail which occur so often in old bronzes and jades.

Dragon medallions {t'uan lung).

Nine dragons and flowers.

Dragons and phoenixes moving through flowers.

Dragon, and phoenixes with other birds.

Phoenixes flying through flowers.

A pair of phoenixes.

Lions 2 rolling balls of brocade.

Flying lions.

Hoary ^ lions and dragons.

Storks in clouds.

Peacocks {k\mg ch'iao) and mii-tan peonies.

1 See Bushell, O. C. A., p. 563.

- I6ip^ shih tzQ. The mythical lion is' a fantastic animal with the playful quaUties

of the Pekingese spaniel, which it resembles in features. In fact the latter is called
the hon dog {shih tzu k'ou), and the former is often loosely named the " dog of Fo

(Buddha)," because he is the usual guardianof Buddhist temples and images.

^^ is'ang, azure or hoary.