Page 440 - Oriental Series Japan and China, Brinkly

CHINA

decoration was that indicated by his name, Liang ; i.e., mil-
let, the stalks, ears, and leaves of which he moulded with

great skill.

Tuan Chang, another great potter of the Wan-li era.

Shi Ming, a contemporary of the above and the father

of Shi Ta-pin. He, together with Tung, Chao, and Tuan,

are commonly known as the four celebrities of the Wan-li

era. Tung 's forte was beauty of decoration, and the other

three were renowned for the excellence of their pottery.

Shi Ta-pin, surnamed Shao-shan, flourished during the

closing years of the Ming dynasty (16201640). He was

celebrated for his dexterity in combining coloured clays.

He took Kung-chuns works as a model and ultimately de-

veloped remarkable skill. Among neither his predecessors

nor his successors was there any one who could equal him,

and he has always been regarded as a potter endowed with
Amore than human ability.
verse of poetry associates his

name with those of Li Ta-chun-fang and Shi Ta-yin-chuen as

the three pqtters of greatest eminence at Ti-hsing.

Li Chun-fang was a pupil of Shi Ta-pin. He was a dex-

terous modeller, but the pate of his early wares was not of

the very highest quality, and it is said that on this ac-

count his master often found fault with him. One day he

brought a vase which he had made, and which was of excep-
" Does this pot
tionally fine quality, to Ta-pin, and said :

meet with your approval, honoured Signior?" It is with

reference to this incident that dilettanti acquired the habit
best productions Lao-hiung-hu, or " pots of
of calling Li's

the honoured Signior." Ultimately Li became so skilful

that Ta-pin was content to put his own name on pieces

manufactured by his pupil. In point of fact, most of the

specimens now attributed to Ta-pin were really made by Li

Chun-fang. Connoisseurs, knowing this, are wont to refer
to such ware as " Li-ta work, Shi-ta-cachet." 1

Su Tiu-chuen, surnamed Shi-hang, was not a potter by

trade. His father, who was a great admirer of Ta-pin s
wares, visited the latter's house one day, in company with

1 The ideograph ta, which occurs so frequently in these names, is an honor-

'' ''

ary addition, signifying great.

358