Page 369 - Oriental Series Japan and China, Brinkly

MONOCHROMATIC WARES

The fact seems to be that they were produced with

almost, though not altogether, equal success in the
Tung-ching and Chien-lung potteries. Whatever dif-
ference existed has no great importance for collectors,

except in respect of the Lang-yao, Chiang-tou-hung,

and Pin-kwa-ts' ing glazes, all of which belong par

excellence to the Kang-hsi period.

Among reds developed at the comparatively low

temperature of the enameller's furnace the first place
is given to the Tsao-hung or "
Jujube Red "
(red of

the Zizyphus vulgaris}. It need scarcely be observed

that the difficulty of verbally distinguishing these

various shades or tones of red is insuperable. The

Chinese showed their appreciation of the fact by
"
gRoeidng" to Nature for comparisons. The Jujube
is a
full, brilliant colour, perfectly opaque even

when applied in the thinnest layers. In this latter

quality lies one of its greatest merits, since, when

employed for decorating over the glaze, it shows all

the points of a perfect enamel brilliancy, smooth-

ness, depth, and uniformity and at the same time

clings to the surface in a layer of such imperceptible

thinness as to seem a part of the glaze itself. Thus

used it plays an important role in the manufacture of
the finest Chinese porcelains, sometimes covering the

whole surface of a monochrome, sometimes com-

bined with coloured enamels, and sometimes sur-

rounding reserved designs in white. Of the Tsao-hung

monochromes generally small pieces little need

be said. Beautiful as they are, they cannot be classed

with such glazes as the Lang-yao, the Chiang-tou-hung,

the 1 and the Fan-hung, which are de-

Pin-kwa-ts ing,

veloped in the open furnace at a high temperature.
But of the Tsao-hung, in combination with other

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