Page 365 - Chinese Porcelain Vol I, Galland

PAINTED IN COLOURS OVER THE GLAZE. 211

dish the motive which covers the whole surface.
beyond picture,
The the thereof —
following explains subject :
"
One of the prettiest shows of lanterns is seen in a festival
observed in the or autumn
spring by fishermen, to propitiate
the spirit of the waters. One indispensable part of the pro-
cession is a dragon, fifty feet or more long, made of light
bamboo frames, of the size and shape of a barrel, connected
and covered with strips of coloured cotton or silk ; the ex-
tremities rer>resent the gaping head and frisking tail. This
monster the ruler of the and is carried
symbolizes watery deep,
through the streets by men holding the head and each joint
to which are lanterns ; and, as
upon poles, suspended they
the a motion.
walk, they give body wriggling, waving Huge
the and music
figures of fish, similarly lighted, precede dragon,
and fireworks — the never-failing warning to wayside demons to
keep out of the way — accompany the procession, which pre-
sents a brilliant as the
very sight it winds its way through
"
dark streets Middle vol. ii.
(" Kingdom," p. 83).
In all there are men in this com-
ninety-four represented
while colour in enamel.
position, nearly every is employed
The with red backbone and
dragon is green, spikes, while its
head is The is blue with white the stone-
pink. bridge panels,
work forming the arch being yellow. The steps of the house
are also blue, the roofs being of brownish tiles. The rock at
the end of the of various blues. One man
bridge is composed
near the house carries a blue and of a fish, and
green figure
another below him that of a sheep in white. The two leading-
personages under the umbrella of state carry figures of horses,
probably to look as if they were riding on horseback. The
men are dressed in all manner of colours, and the figures they
as also the 53^
carry, dragon itself, are lanterns. Doolittle, p. :
" '
This is a popular sport, and is called playing with a dragon
"
lantern.'
Mandarin with Swastika Grounds.
No. 347. A porcelain hand-warmer or charcoal stove.
Diameter, 9^ inches ; height, 5 inches. No mark. This is
really a double-bottomed bowl with cover, and biscuit cylinder
in the middle, into which the lighted charcoal is put. The
cylinder is perforated at foot, so that the ashes fall through to