Page 428 - Chinese Porcelain Vol I, Galland

CHINESE PORCELAIN.
234
The ornaments at foot are blue with
cartouch-shaped green
centres and red streak. Inside, the decoration is on white
with the same coloured enamels as the lotus-work
porcelain
outside, but water-reeds and butterflies are introduced.
This decoration is much the same as that on the incense
burner, No. 397, both being similar to No. 330, and is still
very often to be found on pieces made for everyday use in
China. This particular bowl might be said by many to belong
to the rose family, but as this style of decoration is employed
on grounds of various colours, most commonly on blue, the only
plan seems to be to class them as pieces covered with coloured
enamel.
This enamelled is decorated in a of
porcelain great variety
Some covered with are said
ways. pieces being plain yellow
to have been made for the exclusive use of the emperor ; but
years ago this ware was reported to be extremely rare, and the
we now meet with are, for the most imitations
pieces part,
thereof, made in the south of China.
Very often we find porcelain enamelled, to represent agate
or other such stones.
One of the most curious methods is that of covering the
surface with a bluish, greenish-coloured ground, relieved by
brown specks and little white circles, probably in imitation of
the souffle of celadon. This description goes by the name of
"robin's
egg.''
Pieces are to be met with enamelled in plain colours, no
doubt the of the whole-coloured of
following example style
decoration in the celadon class.
No. 400. South
Kensington description: "Plate, porcelain.
The inside in red and with various forms of the
painted gold,
character shou and outside Chinese.
(longevity), glazed green.
Diameter, 7| inches." Not including the character in the
centre, shou is here written in a hundred different wavs.
No. 401. South
Kensington description: "Saucer, porce-
lain. Painted inside and out with formal foliated mar-
design,
gined by five haloes, symbolical of the five jewels of the
Buddhist law, alternating with Sanskrit characters ; a band also
of similar characters. Mark, Ts'ai T'ang. Chinese. Diameter,
6§ inches." The mark is really, Tsai JS.ua Tang Chi, " Made
at the Elegant Flower's Hall."