Page 430 - Oriental Series Japan and China, Brinkly

CHINA

have brought it into notice. At all events the Ching-
te-chen experts thought it worthy of imitation, and
succeeded so well that no attempt is made by Chinese
connoisseurs to distinguish between the Kwang-tung
originals and the Ching-te-chen reproductions. Both
have the same red, or reddish brown pate, and both
the same curiously mottled and often very beautiful

glazes, unlike anything else in the range of Chinese

keramics. Japanese connoisseurs attach great value to

good specimens of Kivang-yao, the characteristics
which they consider essential being rich but soft blue,
finely and uniformly speckled with white, lustrous
glaze, and general accuracy of technique. For pieces
satisfying these conditions they have always been
ready to pay high prices, and the natural consequence
is that choice specimens of Kwang-yao are more
numerous in Japan than in China. It seems strange

that this ware has not commanded larger appreciation

in the West, for its beauty is unquestionable and its
successful production has become completely a thing
of the past.

The third principal variety of Kwang-yao has already
been spoken of. Reference is made to it again merely

for convenience of classification. It is distinguished

by its peculiar viscous clair-de-lune glaze. The pate

resembles that of the flambe Kwang-yao described
above, but is usually finer. This ware is often con-
founded with Tuan-tsu (Yuan dynasty ware), the two
having very similar pates and general likeness of
colour. Fine specimens of this kind of Kwang-yao,
with their rich velvety glaze and soft bloom of bluish
creamy white, passing into light and deep tints of

lilac or azure, rank high among keramic productions.
It is, however, probable that many of the best speci-