Page 37 - Chinese porcelains collected by Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. Taft, Cincinnati, Ohio, by John Getz

HISTORICAL

and famed as "Mohammedan blue," or "Su-ma-ni," to distinguish it from

the native blue, found to be very much inferior.

This epoch was also noted for a brilliant-red decoration, employed on

vases and sometimes on the exterior of bowls or cups having a blue and

white interior design.

Mention is made by native and other authors of fine egg-shell porcelain

produced during this period, called "T'ho-tai"or "T'o-tai," "bodiless,"^

Aand being "as thin as paper." series of fine cups and bowls are de-

scribed, as used either for wine or tea, with dragons and phoenixes among

clouds, and other delicate ornamentation of flowers, faintly engraved and

glazed in white enamel, this decoration appearing only when held to the

light, or showing more plainly when filled with liquid.
The period of Hsiian-te (1426-1435) is most highly praised by the na-

tive authors, sharing with the former era of this dynasty considerable dis-

tinction, on account of the fine "Mohammedan blue" used for decora-

tion. Some authorities state that this beautiful dark-blue ("Su-ma-ni")

material (for embellishing porcelain) was first used under this Emperor,

although the annals of the Imperial factories refer to this blue under Yung-

Alo, as above shown. brilliant red like fresh blood, also valued, was said

to have been obtained by crushing a precious red-colored stone brought

Anhorn the West (Julien). author styled Hsiang Tzu-ching, a native of

Chia-ho, writing on porcelains of his dynasty, the Mings (near the close

of the sixteenth century), stated that this highly prized red glaze was

derived from powdered rubies, so that after baking in the kiln this bril-

liant coloring shone through the red glaze." It was known as "Pao-shi-

hung," or "precious-stone red."'^

One of the descriptions left by this author (Tzu-ching) reads:

A wine-pot 6.50 inches high, copied from a similar vessel of carved jade used by the

Emperor. " The body, slender below, swelling toward the top, is decorated with en-

^" Bodiless" may also indicate objects made "Dr. Bushell believes that this red was From
copper silicate, and not from powdered rubies.
throughout of pure porcelain instead of (as in the
case of some productions of this period) showing ^AnalyzedbyM.Salvetat at Sevres, and proved
a combination of coarser materials only coated merely to be "oxyde de fer avec du fondcint."
with porcelain.

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