Page 484 - Oriental Series Japan and China, Brinkly

CHINA

he chose figure subjects to adorn his pieces, he too
often fell into the mistake, without possessing the

graphical ability, of the early Delft potters, who

thought that elaboration of detail could supply the

place of artistic conception. And the grotesque per-

spective of the Chinese decorator helped to heighten

the confused effect of his scenes. Even in depicting
a landscape he was generally the slave of convention-
ality. His rocks and trees bore little resemblance to

anything common in nature. When he treated floral

subjects he was certainly happier. But even then he
seldom rose above the level of a copyist, for his
designs were faithfully borrowed from the pictorial
scrolls with which his country abounded. So, too,
of his shapes, and of the wealth of diapers, arabesques,
and scroll patterns which he employed. For these
he went direct to the innumerable bronzes which the

genius of Chinese workers in metals genius exer-
cised through long centuries had bequeathed to the

nation. It is true that upon some specimens of Kai-
pien blue-and-white and of Famille Rose decoration is
found which in grace, delicacy, and artistic concep-
tion leaves nothing to be desired. But these are nota-

ble exceptions. In a majority of cases the mechanical

element is conspicuous. When the connoisseur comes,

however, to consider the quality of the Chinese pot-

ter's pates ; the remarkable skill with which he varied

their composition according to the nature of their
covering ; the marvellous softness and lustre of his
glazes ; his extraordinary range of fancy in respect of
colours, and the brilliancy and purity of his enamels,
it is necessary to admit that in everything relating

to the technique of his art, he has no equal. The
remarks upon this subject by the eminent expert, M.

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