Page 360 - Chinese Porcelain Vol II, Galland

404 KEEN-LUNG.

Kang-he period, the particular shade of which it is so difficult
to describe, as it may be anything between sang de loeuf and
colours in themselves uncertain and varied.
peach-bloom,
These dishes appear to have been part of the late loot, as they
had tickets them when arrived in
yellow palace upon they
this country, which, however, have unfortunately been washed
off.
No. 698. Dish on cylindrical stand. Diameter, 6 inches ;
4 inches. No mark. Made of fine
height, porcelain ; the
stand is hollow, showing at the bottom of the With
top cup.
the exception of two blue lines at rim, the inside is left
perfectly plain ; outside the decoration is in blue and white,
with four red five-claw, roughly drawn, dragons round the
sides, and one on the stand, all disporting themselves midst
blue waves. At its best the red is of a rich shade,
yellow
but at wanes into a shade. This has a
places pale peach cup
Yung-ching look ; but there is nothing to guide us for certain
so it may be classed as a borderland piece that might belong
to the These bowls are used the
Keen-lung period. by upper
classes in China much in the same way as we employ finger-
glasses. They are filled with water and placed on a wooden
stand, with a pivot to fit into the stalk of the bowl, so that it
cannot be and from time to time the at table
upset, company
rinse their wine- in the water.
cups
No. 699. or dish, similar to the last, but covered inside
Cup,
and outside with a rich red with dark as in
glaze, spots, sang
de There is, however, as seems usual in the
bceuf. Yung-Ching
and an absence of the shade
early Keen-lung pieces, yellow
common in the hue known by that name. The edges of the
cup and the inside of the stand are left white. As Yung-ching
only reigned thirteen years, where not actually marked, it is
often difficult to decide whether such as this to
pieces belong
the end of the the or are
Kang-he period, Yung-ching, early
Keen-lung. This piece has a look of the latter, but does not
" "
seem to show that sort of blue that can
feeling generally
be noticed on the reds of the when held so
Keen-lung period
that the light falls at an angle.