Page 395 - Oriental Series Japan and China, Brinkly

MONOCHROMATIC WARES

which it is sometimes mistaken. Not infrequently the
two colours occur in combination, the turquoise blue
appearing as clouds or broad streaks among the pea-
cock green. There is crackle of varying fineness,

and the pate of the choicest specimens is close-grained,

white porcelain. From the second half of the Chien-

lung era until the middle of the nineteenth century
( Taou-kwang era) an inferior, dark, pottery pate was
often used, though the glaze and colour were of a

high order of merit. That peacock green was among
the monochromes produced during the Ming dynasty

is proved by the lists of wares requisitioned for im-

perial use at that epoch, rice-bowls and saucers of

peacock-green colour being among the articles men-

tioned in the requisitions of the Lang-eking era

(1567-1572).

The cucumber-rind green is perhaps best known

to Western collectors and most highly esteemed by

them. It is a dark, opaque colour, rich, full-bodied,

and lustrous. The glaze is finely crackled. What

has been said with regard to the pate of turquoise

blue and peacock green applies to this variety also
;

namely, that the choicest specimens have fine porce-

lain biscuit, pottery of varying coarseness being a

mark of comparatively modern and inferior tech-

nique. In the Tao-lu there is mention of three kinds
of " imperial ware," produced during the Kang-hsi

era under the direction of the celebrated Chang.

Two of these eel-skin yellow and olive-green

spotted with yellow have already been described.

The third is called "snake-skin green" (She-pi-lu},

a term said to have been applied at that time to

the glaze subsequently known as " cucumber-rind."

Cucumber-rind green of really fine quality is one of

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