Page 49 - The art of the Chinese potter By Hobson

AN INTRODUCTION

red medium. Another decoration, remotely related to these biscuit
designs, is traced in white slip on a coloured, or under a colourless,

glaze. Plates CXIV and CXXXIII show good examples of this

type.

The Ming monochromes, which as already stated are relatively rare,

include celadon green, brown-black, and a variety of blues, besides

the lead-silicate glazes and enamels which are used on the three-

and five-colour ware, viz. green, aubergine, turquoise, and yellow.

The porcelain made in the early Ming reigns is naturally very rare

and precious to-day, especially that proclaimed by its fine execu-

tion to be Imperial ware. None is more highly prized than the

finer types made in the Hsuan Te and Ch'eng Hua periods, the

two classic reigns of the dynasty. The former of these reigns was

noted for its " blue and white " and underglaze red ; and the latter

Afor its underglaze red, and enamelled wares. fair number of the

larger and more stoutly constructed of the 15th-century porcelains

is still to be seen ; but very few of them are in perfect condition.

Such pieces were not preserved from their early youth in silk-lined

boxes. They have had to stand the usage of many centuries and
to pay the forfeit of their longevity. The 16th century is more
fully represented in our collections, which include many fine

specimens of three-colour ware with engraved designs and " blue

and white " of the Cheng Te period, together with a great variety

of Chia Ching porcelains. Both these reigns have a high reputa-

tion among Chinese connoisseurs. The surviving Wan Li wares

are comparatively numerous, and, in general, display less refine-
ment in material and manufacture. This is partly explained by
the fact that the mines at Ma-ts'ang, which had supplied the best
porcelain clay to Ching-te Chen, were worked out by this time.

Apart from Ching-te Chen, a fine white porcelain was made at
Te-hua in Fukien in the last half of the Ming dynasty. The
Fukien ware is distinguished by a soft-looking, luscious glaze of
great transparency, which blends very closely with the body

material. In general it is milk white, or cream white, with a
pinkish tinge in some cases ; and the texture of the glaze has been
aptly compared with blancmange. It is the blanc de chine of old
French writers ; but as its manufacture continues on the old lines

to this day, it is very difficult—in many cases impossible—to

distinguish the Ming productions from those of later periods.

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