Page 364 - Oriental Series Japan and China, Brinkly

CHINA

from the Chien-lung era are in every respect fine

examples of monochromes, their only fault being
want of brilliancy and purity. Even later specimens

may mislead the unwary, for though their biscuit is

comparatively coarse, their technique is fair, and
their interior and under surfaces are covered with

white, or buff, glaze crackled or not crackled. On

the whole, however, the garish, vitreous aspect, lack
of depth, and weakness of tone of the great majority
of Chi-hung porcelains ought to obviate the numerous

mistakes made about them.

Rich and beautiful as is the Lang-yao, it is rivalled,

and in Chinese estimation sometimes excelled, by a
porcelain of which the colour is called Chiang-tou-

hungy owing to its resemblance to the blossom of a
species of bean. This colour is indescribable except

by recourse to some such comparison. The Chiang-
tou-hung is from the Kang-hsi factories. It may be

regarded as the Tsing representative of the Hsien-

hung of the Ming dynasty, though the latter appears
to have been a darker red. As compared with the

Lang-yao, the distinctive feature of the Chiang-tou red

is delicacy. The tender bloom of the bean blossom
well describes it. The tone varies greatly, but the

closer the resemblance to the natural colour of the

bean blossom, the greater the esteem accorded to a
specimen. It does not appear that a clear distinction
has hitherto been observed by Western collecters
between Lang-yao, Chi-hung and Chiang-tou-hung, but
by Chinese connoisseurs the three wares are never
confounded.

At the head of all red glazes stands the Pin-kwo-
"
ts'ing. This term signifies the green of sprout-

ing plants," or the " of the water-shield,"
green

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