Page 169 - Chinese Porcelain Vol I, Galland

CLASSIFICATION. 135

CLASSIFICATION.

M. Jacquemart seems to have been the first to attempt the
classification of Chinese porcelain, and in doing this he appears
to have been guided chiefly by the colouring. Sir A. W.
Franks followed with a more extended and scientific arrange-
ment, but for that very reason, perhaps one less easily under-
stood by the uninitiated. In the present instance, the latter has
in the main been followed, the sections of M. Jacquemart being
used as subdivisions, and in cases where neither of these authors
have a name, the is referred
provided particular description
to by the appellation under which it is now generally recog-
nized. The various classes run so into one another, that it is
difficult sometimes to decide to which section certain pieces
while there are others the
should belong, which, following
of M. can be dealt with as
example Jacquemart, only
"
exceptional."
Plain White Porcelain.
This section does not refer to the ordinary porcelain manu-
factured and glazed in the usual manner with a view to being-
in colours over the but is finer in texture, the
painted glaze,
better pieces being more like ivory than anything else. It is
to be met with in the of
generally shape seals, statuettes,
and other small vessels, which are
figures of animals, cups,
sometimes pierced, at others decorated with ornaments in relief.
The of these are unmarked, and there is little
majority pieces
to guide us in arriving at a just estimate as to their age.
According to native accounts, this porcelain was made during
the earlier dynasties, and there is reason to believe that from
dates the Chinese endeavoured to imitate in the
early ivory
same way that they did jade. It would seem that, to begin
with, porcelain was not valued by the Chinese for its own sake
so much as a means of imitating more costly articles. It is
known in France as blanc de chine, and no doubt varies greatly
in age, some pieces being much older than others.
No. 196. South Kensington description : " Group white
The Kouan-in seated with a child on her
porcelain. goddess