Page 29 - Chinese porcelains collected by Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. Taft, Cincinnati, Ohio, by John Getz

HISTORICAL

AHonan. variety of colored glazes was produced at these kilns ; native

documents describe the aubergine purple of manganese, or the violet of the
skin of wild apples (" Kia-pi-pe ") ; another shade is likened to the color of
prune-skins ("Mei-tseu-tsing"); a vermilion-red is also referred to; and

the "moonlight" glaze we know as "clair de lune." Objects were also

produced showing a variegated glazmg, called " Yao-pien " by the Chinese,
" transmutation " by the English, and " flambe " by the French. From this

we may gather that the potters of Chiin have attempted innovations, at

least in colors, if not in forms.

It is also evident that the paste varied much in quality, as a sandy-yellow-
ish paste is referred to in the annals, made at other factories, which could

only have been coarse and inferior to the paste used on the "transmuta-

tion" and celadon objects at the Chiin kilns.

In the Chinese Chronicle translated by M. Julien it is stated that in the
district of Ki-tcheou (Chi-chow : later called Lou Lin-h'ieng) two clever
artist potters worked together : Chou-ong (" venerable Chou ") produced
many curiosities in porcelain, such as birds and animals ; but the daughter,

Chou-ciao("belleChou"), surpassed her father in fineness of workmanship

and ornamentation. Their productions, of whatever color, sold for almost

as high as the porcelams of Chang, the elder of the two famed brothers

before referred to. Five kilns in the district are mentioned, and their com-

bined product came to the market at Yong-ho, and was called" Ki-tcheou-

yao" ; but the porcelain of the Chou family was most highly esteemed.

When the dynasty of Sung passed southward to Hang-chou (A.D. 1 1 27),

a superintendent or officer named Shao Ch'ing Chang established a small

factory or kiln in the new capital, and made porcelain of a good quality,

called "Nei-yao" (porcelam of the palace), and specially noted for its bril-
liant color and transparent enamel. It was also called " Kuan-yao " (porce-
lain of the government), to distmguish it from that made under the Sungs

of the North, or at the eastem capital.

Under the Mongolian dynasty of Yiian (1260-1367), a tax was put
upon all porcelain not made for the palace, for which reason the industry

materially suffered and also retrograded.