Page 363 - Oriental Series Japan and China, Brinkly

MONOCHROMATIC WARES

manufactured to take a high place. Preserving the

same features as to absence of crackle, presence of
white glaze on inner and under surfaces, careful
technique and fine pate, the Chien-lung Chi-hung passes

through innumerable shades of colour, many pieces

being of the liver-red class, while others approach

the colour of light peach-bloom. The miscrosopic

dappling disappears in the glazes of light tone. All
these porcelains are satisfactory from a technical point

of view, but they vary greatly in beauty according to
colour. Their glaze never assumes the green tinge

so often seen in Lang-yao specimens, from which

alone it may be inferred that the colouring material
differed from that employed by the Lang potters.

Their manufacture continued as late as the Taou-

kwang era (18211851), but in general it may be
said that the younger the specimen the more clumsy

its finish and the less pure its tone.

The commonest and least valuable Chi-hung

manufactured, with rare exceptions during the nine-

teenth century may be placed in a separate class.

It is distinguished by three points, the coarse mot-

tling and poor tone of its colour the thin, vitreous
;

appearance of its glaze, and the presence of scratch-

like crackle. In the worst examples a colour ap-

proaching brick-red is seen the lower rim of the
;

piece is clumsily finished, often indeed rough or
jagged, and the pate, instead of being white and close,

is dark and coarse, an inferior stone-ware. When

such features are present the amateur can be at once

certain that he has to do with a worthless specimen.

Unfortunately, however, guides so distinct are not

always present. Some examples are tolerably rich

and strong in colour, and not a few pieces dating

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