Page 55 - Chinese porcelains collected by Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. Taft, Cincinnati, Ohio, by John Getz
P. 55
CHINESE PORCELAINS
No. 1
Blue Hawthorn Beaker, cabinet size, with wide, flaring neck ; fine white
hard-textured porcelain, perfectly glazed over the blue painting, which
sustains its transparent quality uniformly and agreeably.
The prunus-tree motive starting from the base covers the entire body by its branch-
ing stems, bearing large blossoms and buds, which are carefully held in white reserve
from the relucent blue ground, that is penciled over with darker crossings and reticula-
tions to represent cracking ice, similar in design and coloring to the rare ginger-jars of
this class.
The details of this design are rendered with freedom by a master hand, on a paste
of faultless quality that with its glaze is exceedingly soft to the touch and of rather
oily texture.
The base shows a broad white margin and a clean-cut foot, which underneath bears
Ka double blue ring-mark, under glaze, and typical of its ascribed period, ang-hsi
(1662-1722).
Height, 9^4 inches.
Diameter, 5 ^,4 inches at rim.
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