Page 439 - Oriental Series Japan and China, Brinkly

CHINESE POTTERY

these pots was used, the more attractive did its lustre be-
come, and the more easily was its excellence recognised.
Even as an ornament it possessed most pleasing properties.
Sometimes the lustre of a pot is due to greasy particles

which shine with increased plainness in the sunlight. Vul-

gar people preserve this unctuous brightness and rub the

pot with their sleeves to intensify the effect. They forget

that even the celebrated beauty Si-tsu would lose her charms

were she covered with dirt. To put tea into such a vessel

is like enshrining a god in a mud-heap.

A priest of the Chin-sha temple, who lived during the

Ming dynasty, is said to have been the first to manufacture

choice utensils of pottery for tea-drinking purposes, but his

name has not been preserved. The temple of Chin-sha is

situated about thirteen miles (English) to the south east of

Ti-hsing. Kung-chun, however, who flourished in the

Cheng-t% era (15061521) of the Ming dynasty, was the
Wufirst really great expert. Servant to one
I-shan, an offi-

cer of educational affairs, he attended his master when the

latter was receiving a course of instruction at the Chin-sha

temple, and there succeeded in secretly learning the art of
the old priest. His pots were hand-made, and in most
of them thumb-marks are faintly visible. Generally their

colour is that of a chestnut, and they have a subdued lustre

like oxidised gold. Their simplicity and accuracy of shape

are ininr table worthy to be ascribed to divine revelations.
;

The great artist being of the Kung family, many people em-

ploy that ideograph in writing his name, but the celebrated

potter Shi Ta-pin, whose authority is indisputable, used

other ideographs. From the time of Kung-chun downwards
we have a series of renowned potters. Their names and

specialties are as follow :

Tung-Han, surnamed Heu-chi. He flourished during the

Wan-li era (1573-1629), and is celebrated for his skill in
A characteristic decoration on his pieces was
modelling.
Hethe flower of the water caltrops.
appears to have been

the first potter who ornamented the surface of the Ti-hsing

ware with elaborate designs in relief. He also flourished

Chao, whose artist name was Liang.

during the Wan-li era (1573-1620). His favourite style of

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