Page 15 - Old Hyderabad China : (history, legend, and characteristics)

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" anything harmful. Celadon was probably
" originally the outcome of the desire of

" the Chinese to imitate their favourite
*' jade stone in all its shades, from dark
" green to milky white."

I have quoted these authors at length, and my

excuse is that Hyderabad is particularly rich in
specimens of this ware. Some specimens from here
which I have sent to England have been compared

with the " New College Bowl," and have been found
identical in make. A third author who is well worth
reading on the subject is Burton, who deals with the
chemical aspects of the question. He points out

that the Chinese, from a very early period, learned to

fire their pottery at a very much higher tempera-
ture than was used in other countries (2700° F.), and
that they fired the paste, or body, and the glaze, in
one operation. The materials they used enabled
them to do this. As a result, the oxides of iron and

copper which were present in the glaze were reduced
to the lowest stage of oxidation and the Chinese thus
arrived at the green glazes first, whereas these were

among the last to be discovered in other parts of the

world.

This early green ware was everywhere looked
upon as a mysterious substance, and the " poison "
legend is by no means the sole legend which was con-
nected with it.

" Thus to this day the Dyak of Borneo

" regards as his most sacred treasure ves-
" sels of old Chinese Celadon porcelain

" which have been handed down with the

" utmost reverence from generation to gene-