Page 148 - Chinese Porcelain Vol I, Galland

U6 CHINESE PORCELAIN.

SHAPES.

Chinese has been worked into so
porcelain many shapes
that it is to do more than notice a few of those
impossible
most met with. To
generally begin with, the form varies
as the was intended for home use in China
according piece
or for the moulded to suit the
exportation, porcelain being
customs of the for which it was intended. The demand
country
for old china has been so that these countries, as well
great
as China herself, have been ransacked, and whatever could be
unearthed has been shipped to Europe, so that we now find
of wares made in that to us seem
specimens shapes strange,
and to understand the were intended
purposes they for, we
have to refer to the usages of many eastern countries, as also
of particular localities in Europe.
The following, taken from one of Pere d'Entrecolles' letters,
shows how the trade was carried on at King-te-chin : " The
porcelain sent to Europe is always made after new models,
often whimsical, and difficult to execute. The mandarins, who
know what is the of the as
genius Europeans regards invention,
have often begged me to have some new and curious designs
sent from in order to to
Europe, present something singular
the emperor. On the other hand, the Christians entreated me
not to furnish such models, for the mandarins are not
always
so ready to give in as our merchants when the workmen say
that a work is ; and there are often bastina-
impracticable many
does inflicted before the mandarin gives up a drawing from
which he promised himself great advantage."
The illustrations now will at least enable
given, it is hoped,
the to understand the terms in
beginner employed describing
pieces in auction and other catalogues.
Plates and Dishes.
has a face and a back. The face of the
Every plate plate
is made up of the bottom, side, rim, and edge; the bottom
and side taken are of as " the
together spoken well," or
"
centre," of the plate. The back of the plate is made up of
the back, stand, back of the side, or "rise," and back of rim.
Some have no stands, in which case the back of the
plates