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LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 
 
 It is a great source of satisfaction to present for publication 
 the following illustrated Hand-Book of the collection of Chinese 
 Porcelains loaned to the Museum for exhibition by the Honorable 
 A. Burlingame-Johnson. 
 
 The collection numbering 375 pieces has been exhibited in the 
 Museum a number of years and has been a source of great interest 
 to students and to the general public. It is therefore our belief 
 that the present Hand-Book will be greatly appreciated by Museum 
 visitors and those who wish to familiarize themselves with Chinese 
 Porcelains through the study of notable examples of the art con- 
 tained in this collection, which is one of the very few extensive 
 collections on exhibition in American Museums. 
 
 This Hand-Book, designated as Los Angeles Museum Mis- 
 cellaneous Publication Number 3, has been prepared by Mr. John- 
 son personally and has the added value of having been written 
 by the collector and owner of the subject matter. It is intended 
 to serve as a brief introduction to the subject of which it treats and 
 as an illustrated catalogue of the collection. 
 
 _ Respectfully submitted, 
 WILLIAM ALANSON BRYAN, 
 
 Director. 
 
Peer AC 
 
 No effort has been made in this catalogue to give an exhaustive 
 chronological history of the development of the art of producing 
 Chinese porcelains. Chinese literature contains many volumes on 
 the subject, extending over a period of five hundred years. Innu- 
 merable connoisseurs, sinologues and admirers of the lost art have 
 written volumes on the subject, so that those making exhaustive 
 research will find in the libraries of the country sufficient data to 
 meet their most extravagant desires. In preparing a catalogue of 
 his ancient Chinese porcelains for the Los Angeles Museum of His- 
 tory, Science and Art, the author thought that a brief reference 
 to the literature and history of this branch of Chinese ceramic art 
 would give the reader a succinct and convenient epitome of the 
 subject and would add to the usefulness of and interest in this 
 collection. 
 
 There are many old Chinese porcelains in private homes in 
 this country concerning which the fortunate possessors know very 
 little. Sometimes they are in doubt as to the period of production, 
 or have false information concerning its age. The breaking up of the 
 Morgan Collection in the Metropolitan Museum, New York, a few 
 years ago and the fabulous prices those pieces brought served to 
 create a general interest among holders of old pieces. It also cre- 
 ated a new demand for concise and helpful information which would 
 enable one to identify old Chinese porcelains. Those who have 
 access to the exhaustive and technical volumes often become dis- 
 couraged because of a lack of opportunity to compare the terms 
 used with the object described. Since the withdrawal of the Hippis- 
 ley Collection from the Smithsonian Institution and its shipment to 
 London, and the sale of the Morgan Collection which was reported 
 to have brought over three million dollars, there are few general 
 collections on exhibit in America and probably none of greater 
 extent than this one in the Los Angeles Museum. Thus it is that 
 the student of this most interesting branch of ceramic art is handi- 
 capped, however exhaustive the literature at hand. He cannot 
 always distinguish the periods to which a piece belongs, or the 
 genuine from the imitations. It takes time and opportunity to 
 familiarize the eye with distinctions. 
 
 Dr. S. W. Bushell, admitted to be the best authority on Chinese 
 porcelains and a sinologue of renown, has done more to clarify the 
 Chinese literature on ancient porcelains than any writer. Having 
 
spent a quarter of a century in China, being an attache of the British 
 Legation, during which time he devoted his best thoughts to the 
 disclosing and translation of Chinese records covering porcelains, 
 he was responsible for revising the classification of existing speci- 
 mens. In fact, the many authorities whose works were published 
 prior to 1895, it is now well known, were in error in locating the 
 periods of productions of entire groups of early specimens. 
 
 For instance, the earlier writers on Chinese porcelains attrib- 
 uted to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1643) the finest of the blue and 
 white, the Sang de boeuf, the ruby reds, as well as the best of the 
 five color, or polychrome productions, which make up the prize 
 pieces in the best collections. The origin of these rare old pieces 
 was placed prior to the invasion of the Tartar hordes which over- 
 ran China proper and put an end to the Ming Dynasty, as well as 
 destroyed the porcelain industry and burned the factories at King- 
 te-chen. Dr. Bushell discovered Chinese records and painted repro- 
 ductions in colors which proved conclusively that the finest of the 
 cherished Ming pieces were made during the reign of the second 
 Emperor of the succeeding, or Ching Dynasty (Kang-he, 1661-1722). 
 He also demonstrated that while the Ming pieces possess a charm all 
 their own, they were really less refined in artistic design, as well as 
 in technique, when compared with the Kang-he productions. The 
 finest of the Ming productions, being from one to two centuries 
 older than that of the Kang-he ware, carried their own evidence 
 in appearance which bear testimony to their greater age. 
 
 With the hope that the brief history of Chinese porcelains 
 given in this illustrated catalogue will be of some service to lovers 
 of the ancient art and will add to the usefulness of the Author's 
 Collection, he offers to the public this little volume. 
 
 Pasadena, 1923. —A. B. J. 
 
INTRODUCTION AND EARLY HISTORY 
 
 At the request of Los Angeles Museum of History, Science and 
 Art, I have undertaken to prepare a catalog of my collection of 
 Chinese porcelains now on exhibition in the Museum. This collec- 
 tion of old Chinese ceramics was made by me some twenty-five years 
 ago, during an official sojourn in China of many years. 
 
 This was prior to and during the Spanish-American War and the 
 Boxer uprising, two events which completely changed conditions 
 in China, and robbed it of its mythical existence. The influx of 
 foreigners taught the wily traders to prey upon the reckless dis- 
 regard of values which especially characterized the thousands of 
 American tourists and the soldiers from Manila who invaded the 
 open ports. Prior to those events it was less difficult to find beau- 
 tiful specimens of old porcelains than it is today, but it has never 
 been an easy matter since Europe first compelled China to open 
 certain ports to foreign trade. The two principal reasons for this 
 difficulty were, first, because of the scarcity of the articles that had 
 survived the one to five centuries since they were made and, 
 second, because the Chinese were loath to dispose of works of art — 
 of their revered ancestors, as to do so for a pecuniary gain awakened 
 in their innermost souls a dread of utter misfortune as a punishment 
 from the gods. 
 
 While there were large quantities of the old plain and simply 
 decorated pieces, or of the heavy celedons to be found when trade 
 was opened with China more than two centuries ago, even then 
 fine specimens from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1643) and from the 
 Kang-he period (1661-1722) -were scarce and difficult to obtain. 
 It was only in a limited number of factories that really artistic 
 pieces were produced. Many of the best artists were drafted into 
 the service of the Imperial factories, but whether private or official 
 the fine points of the mixture of glazes, and colors, were guarded as 
 secrets by the clans, To make, paint and fire a pair of ordinarily 
 fine five-color vases about eighteen inches high took from three to 
 four months. As artists have always been scarce in all countries, 
 the production of such pieces was limited. They were never plenti- 
 ful in China. According to Chinese records, they sold at higher 
 prices in China three hundred years ago than were paid for them 
 by foreigners during the latter half of the last century. Even broken 
 pieces of the fine ruby reds and the turquoise blue were preserved, 
 mounted and prized as personal adornments, as we today mount 
 and wear precious stones. 
 
 Glazes were used in the manufacture of pottery in China as early 
 as the Han Dynasty (B. C. 206 to A. D. 222). During this period 
 the green glazes, afterwards so popular, first appeared. The art 
 was apparently lost for centuries, then reappeared in the sixth cen- 
 tury. This second appearance of glazes seems to have been intro- 
 duced from India which no doubt had borrowed the art from China 
 
 i 
 
centuries before. New methods of compounding colors were also 
 introduced. 
 
 Not all glazed pottery is porcelain. A glazed pottery was made 
 in Italy as early as A. D. 1300, known as Majolica ware, and faience. 
 The manufacture of Majolica reached its highest perfection in the 
 loth century. The enameled surface was highly decorated and 
 highly prized by lovers of the Ceramic art. But it was not por- 
 celain. 
 
 DEFINITION AND COMPOSITION OF PORCELAIN 
 
 Porcelain has been defined by Dr. S. W. Bushell, C. M. G., 
 probably the greatest authority on the subject, as a “white hard 
 pottery which has been vitrified and made translucent by firing.” 
 The Chinese in their definition give as a test of porcelain as distin- 
 guished from pottery the fact that it will give out a clear musical 
 note when struck and the fact that it cannot be scratched with steel. 
 
 Porcelain is formed of two principal ingredients, one called 
 pe-tun-tse, a mixture of feldspar and quartz. The other material 
 is kao-lin, named for the mountain, Kao-lin, near King-te-chen. 
 It is distinguished from other ceramic products by its whiteness, 
 translucency and vitrification. The feldspar tends to give trans- 
 parency, but alone would not stand up in the kiln. The kao-lin, 
 or clay, which is infusible, gives plasticity and strength. When 
 mixed in equal parts the finest quality of porcelain is produced. 
 As the proportion of the pe-tun-tse over kao-lin increases the quality 
 of the porcelain is lowered. 
 
 HEARSAY EVIDENCE VERSUS Titi 
 
 Mr. Hippisley, a Commissioner of the Imperial Maritime Cus- 
 toms Service of China, and a recognized authority on Chinese por- 
 celain, in his treatise on the subject, written in 1901, gives the 
 following insight into the difficulties encountered when seeking 
 definite data from Chinese records: 
 
 ‘For such information as we possess regarding the history of 
 the ceramic art in China, we have till recently been chiefly indebted 
 to the labors of the famous French sinologue, M. Stanislas Julien, 
 who, under the title of L’Histoire et la Fabrication de la Porcelaine. 
 Chinoise, translated, and published in 1856, the History of the 
 Manufactory of King-te-chen (a small town in Kiangsi province, 
 but for centuries the most important seat of the Chinese Porcelain 
 industry), a work written by a local magistrate in 1815 from older 
 documents, and to the valuable letters from the same town written 
 in 1712 and 1722 by the Jesuite missionary Pere dEntrecolles, the 
 priest in charge there, which have been published in the collection 
 of Lettres edifiantes et curieuses. Within the past three years, 
 however, very valuable additional light has been shed upon this 
 subject by the labors of two gentlemen who are at once collectors 
 
 8 
 
and Chinese scholars, S. W. Bushell, M. D., physician to H. B. 
 M. legation, Pekin, and F. Hirth, Ph. D., a member of the imperial 
 maritime customs service of China. Doctor Bushell has been for- 
 tunate enough to secure from among the dispersed library of the 
 Prince of I the manuscript of a descriptive catalogue (of which 
 native experts see no reason to doubt the authenticity), with illus- 
 trations painted in water color, of eighty-two celebrated specimens 
 of old porcelain seen in the collections of noted connoisseurs or 
 possessed by the author himself, one Hsiang Yuan-p'ien (styled 
 Tzu-ching) a native of Tsui-li, an ancient name of Chia-ho, now 
 Chiahsing-fu, in Chehkiang province, who was a celebrated collector 
 of all kinds of antiquities during the latter half of the sixteenth cen- 
 tury. A translation of this work, with explanatory details by Doc- 
 tor Bushell, has been published in the journal of the Pekin Oriental 
 Society, under the title of Chinese Porcelain, before the Present 
 Dynasty, and it is, I believe, to be shortly republished in an ampli- 
 fied form with reproductions of the original drawings. Should this 
 be done, the work would, in my opinion, form by far the most im- 
 portant and valuable contribution to our knowledge of this interest- 
 ing subject. The information regarding Chinese porcelain which 
 has been bequeathed to us by native authors is to be found in their 
 encyclopedias or in special treatises chiefly based upon the encyclo- 
 pedias. These are, however, compilations of such vast extent that 
 the authors had not, nor could be expected to have, the intimate 
 knowledge of an expert upon all of the very many subjects treated 
 in them. Hearsay evidence or unverified rumors have thus but too 
 often been allowed to crystallize into permanent record, with the 
 result that it is impossible after an interval of centuries to attempt 
 to reconcile the many contradictions of statements contained in the 
 different records. In this catalogue, however (Dr. Bushell’s), are 
 contained the reproductions in color of eighty-two specimens of 
 the choicest productions of a period extending over upward of five 
 centuries, from A. D. 960 to 1521, either possessed or seen by the 
 artist, and scattered notes from the pen of one of the most noted 
 connoisseurs of his age regarding the respective merits and rarity 
 of the various kinds of ware. Existing realities are presented to us 
 in place of the vague generalities and contradictory essays of the 
 encyclopedias, and there can, I apprehend, be little doubt as to the 
 comparative value of the two varieties of evidence.’’ 
 
 It is not possible, as will appear from the foregoing, to give 
 specific dates in writing of the origin of porcelain in China. Its 
 early history is wrapped in mystery. More recent annals are woe- 
 fully lacking in the very details which would enable us to determine 
 the character of the wares referred to by the terms used. 
 
 The Chinese word Yao, which usually means pottery, was also 
 used by early writers when the article referred to was really por- 
 celain and which later was distinguished by the word tza. Julien 
 in his celebrated work on the history and manufacture of Chinese 
 
 9 
 
porcelain places the invention of porcelain as far back as the Han 
 dynasty, 206 B. C. to A. D. 220, and quotes from the records of the 
 district in which the famous old King-te-chen factories are situated 
 to prove his contention. 
 
 Dr. Hirth, a well-known Chinese scholar, whose opinion on 
 any kindred topic is of the highest value, doubts the accuracy of 
 Julien’s dates and concludes that it was pottery and not porcelain 
 referred to in the record quoted. Since there are no known speci- 
 mens of porcelain made during the Han dynasty, and the literary 
 record not being conclusive owing to the doubtfulness of the terms 
 used, it is safe to conclude with Hirth that none existed at so early 
 a date. Hirth places the date of the invention of porcelain during 
 the latter part of the sixth century and shows by quotations from 
 writers at that time that fine porcelain was first made in large quan- 
 tities about the beginning of the Seventh century. 
 
 It is probable that there are no specimens of ancient Chinese 
 porcelains now available which antedate the Sung dynasty—A. D. 
 960 to 1280. Of these only the heavy celedons remain. Owing 
 to the extreme hardness and thickness of these old “Sung Celedons”’ 
 they were enabled to withstand the usage of centuries and specimens 
 may yet be secured. They are usually of some shade of green, 
 but black, brown and white also are preserved. The term celedon 
 is now applied to a certain kind of porcelain in which the color is 
 mixed with the glaze and then applied to the paste before firing. 
 In the older specimens, the exposed paste is usually brown, or if 
 white when broken the exposed unglazed parts, like the base, have 
 turned brown in the firing. This is regarded as proof of the age of 
 the piece, as no specimens made within 350 years are known to possess 
 this characteristic. 
 
 The celedons were given the green shading by the Chinese in 
 order to imitate their much prized jade stone. The famous old 
 crackles whose antiquity dates back to the 10th and 12th centuries, 
 are celedons. They reached their highest perfection during the 
 Kang-he period (1661 to 1722). 
 
 Celedons appear in almost any shades, as witness the sang de 
 boeuf, the peach bloom, apple green, yellow, etc. They are much 
 prized by collectors of ancient Chinese ceramics, and good speci- 
 mens command large prices. 
 
 The manufacture of the finest grades of porcelains is a lost art. 
 It reached a high perfection during the reign of Ching-hwa (1465- 
 1487). It declined thereafter for a century, then revived during the 
 later reigns of the Ming dynasty. It was during the long reign of 
 Kang-he (1661-1722), China’s greatest and most progressive Em- 
 peror, that the manufacture of porcelains reached its greatest de- 
 velopment. It is also of interest to note that during the reign of 
 his son, Yung-Ching (1723-1736), short as it was, were made some 
 of the finest specimens to be found in any collection, both in coloring 
 and artistic design as well as in execution. 
 
 10 
 
As the formulas for mixing the glazes and gauging the firing 
 were trade secrets, sacredly guarded within the clan, it is easy to 
 understand how insurrections and upheavals in China could have 
 wiped out those who possessed this knowledge. The much-prized 
 blue and white made during the latter part of the Ming dynasty 
 and especially in the Kang-he period of the last or Ching dynasty, 
 as well as the polychromes, are without rivals from any period an- 
 cient or modern. The Japanese, usually so clever in imitation, 
 have spent fortunes during the past fifty years endeavoring to re- 
 produce the deep rich colored glazes of these fine old celedons and 
 polychromes, or even of the plain blue and white. European manu- 
 facturers have gone even farther in their efforts to imitate these 
 products of a former century. 
 
 Speaking of the relative merit of ancient and modern porce- 
 lains, Mr. Burton, the noted English specialist and authority on 
 both Oriental and European ceramics, says: “It is not too much 
 to say that in the development of colored glazes as applied to por- 
 celains, the Chinese have left all other potters of the world far 
 behind, and their masterpieces remained unrivaled in spite of the 
 efforts of the most scientific European potters of our own time. 
 Again, speaking of their beauty, he says: 
 
 ‘We may single out the glazed works of the ancient Egyptians, 
 or the Assyrians, the painted terra cotta-vases of the Greeks, the 
 brilliantly enameled faience of the Persians, or the majolica of the 
 Italians, as worthy of our high regard, yet Chinese porcelain sur- 
 passes all these as much in sheer beauty of color as in technical 
 skill and in the wide range of its accomplishment.”’ 
 
 With each decade these ancient specimens of the ceramic art 
 become more rare. China has been ransacked from end to end, and 
 wherever samples could be found the possessor has been tempted 
 until he parted with his treasure. It is said that prior to the Tai- 
 Ping rebellion which ended about sixty years ago it was difficult to 
 secure any number of specimens of ancient porcelains. During that 
 rebellion, hundreds of villages and cities were razed to the ground 
 and between twenty million and thirty million people perished. 
 It is little wonder that works of art perished with the inhabitants 
 within the radius of that cyclone of destruction. Its path lay 
 through King-te-chen, the center of the porcelain industry. 
 
 The remaining specimens were many of them collected in the 
 great commercial centers of the Empire. The Boxer Upheaval of 
 1900 was the beginning of the last raid upon the limited supply 
 of the ancient ceramics. Today it is practically impossible to locate 
 even small collections that can be bought. Those wishing to ac- 
 quire choice old Chinese porcelains today find it necessary to locate 
 collections already in private hands in Europe, or America, rather 
 than seek them in the Flowery Kingdom which gave them birth. 
 Even as long ago as 1898 Dr. Bushell, one of the best authorities on 
 Chinese ceramics, then in China, advised a collector who wanted 
 
 11 
 
representative specimens to seek them among dealers, or holders 
 in Europe or America, as it would be both easier and cheaper. 
 
 As an indication of values placed upon really fine old porcelains, 
 the sale of the Morgan Collection in 1915 might be cited. For 
 years this collection, which was a loan exhibit at the Metropolitan 
 Museum in New York, was regarded as the largest and finest in the 
 world. There were 1600 pieces. The collection was offered at 
 auction sale as individual pieces, or in small groups. When the 
 sale closed the estate realized over $3,000,000.00 or an average of 
 about $2,000 for each piece, large and small, and the world lost the 
 inspiration which so long had been afforded by this assemblage of 
 these fine examples of a lost art. 
 
 Fortunate, then, is the household which lists among its art 
 treasures a specimen of ancient Chinese porcelain. Should this 
 treasure consist of a sample of the old Ming, or Kang-he, products 
 with the beautiful blue penciling under the clear deep glaze, peculiar 
 to that period, or a sang de boeuf whose sparkling ruby glaze par- 
 takes more of the nature of a precious stone than of a specimen of 
 the ceramic art, or if it be of the delicately tinted polychromes, or 
 even of a still more ancient celedon with its precious jade stone 
 tints and its wonderful crackle glaze, then indeed will the fortunate 
 possessor be pardoned should he list them among his most cherished 
 possessions. 
 
ePeootmIGATION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN 
 
 Probably the most scientific classification of Chinese porcelains 
 would be to follow chronological groups, with subdivisions based 
 upon the character of the fabrics, the decorations, technique and the 
 localities whence they came. Owing to the uncertainty attending 
 many specimens which seem to be on the borderland between differ- 
 ent periods, some connoisseurs prefer to give more attention to 
 artistic distinctions, even to the sacrifice of historical sequences. 
 
 Cosmo Monkhouse, in his exhaustive History and Description 
 of Chinese Porcelain, makes four classifications, as follows: 
 
 Period I, of which no specimens exist, extending from the 
 disputed date when porcelain was discovered to the Sung Dynasty, 
 which commenced A. D. 960. 
 
 Period II, from the commencement of the Sung Dynasty to 
 the commencement of the Ming Dynasty (960-1367), when there 
 was no over-the-glaze painted decoration, and all color was con- 
 tained in the glaze. 
 
 Period III, the Ming Dynasty (1368-16043), during the early 
 reigns of which decoration was mainly confined to painting under - 
 the glaze, or to colored glazes. Over-glaze enamels and painting 
 were introduced near the end of this dynasty. 
 
 Period IV, from the close of the Ming Dynasty to the present 
 time, when decorations of every kind with over-glaze enamels were 
 brought near to perfection (1644-1901). 
 
 Dr. S. W. Bushell, C. M. G., who ranks second to none as 
 authority on Chinese porcelain, follows practically the same his- 
 torical division as does Monkhouse, with the important exception 
 that he divides Period IV into three distinct periods. Frrom the 
 end of the Ming Dynasty to the close of the reign of the second 
 Emperor Kang-he (1643-1722), he names the Kang-he Period. 
 The next he calls the Yung-Ching and Keen-lung Period (1723- 
 1795), the two reigns being conjoined. The remainder of that 
 Dynasty, beginning with the reign of Chia-ching (1796) to the 
 present day, is called the Modern Period. 
 
 This subdivision of the last Dynasty is most important. It 
 was during the long reign of Kang-he (1661-1722) that the manufac- 
 ture of porcelain attained its greatest development and its highest 
 artistic attainment. The over-glaze enamels with their five-color 
 decorations belong to this period. The Kang-he blue and white 
 color under the glaze remain unsurpassed. The ruby red, apple 
 green, peach blow and other monochromes of the Celedons were 
 either originated, or took on added elements of artistic attainments 
 under the fostering care of this, the greatest of Chinese rulers. 
 It is fitting that his name be given to a distinct period of the develop- 
 ment of porcelains. 
 
 The next subdivision given by Dr. Bushell as the Yung-Ching 
 and Keen-lung Period is justified because of a certain refinement in 
 
 iS 
 
technique, especially in the famille rose group, also the production 
 of beautiful plates and cups in five-color decorations. The decline 
 of the art becomes apparent before the close of Keen-lung’s reign 
 (1795); hence the period is properly brought to an end with his 
 reign. 
 
 The Modern Period dates from 1795. During certain reigns 
 of these 125 years many creditable productions came from the 
 royal kilns of King-te-chen. This was especially true of the reign 
 of Taou-kwang (1821-1851), but the Taiping rebellion about that 
 time, in its spread northward from Canton, swept through King- 
 te-chen, burned the city and destroyed the factories. 
 
 During the reign of the last Emperor which ended with the 
 overthrow of the empire and the establishment of the republic, in 
 1911, great progress was made in restoring the factories and recover- 
 ing the secrets of the art. With a generation or two of peace it is 
 possible that even the reproduction of the master productions of 
 the Kang-he period may be accomplished by Chinese artisans, al- 
 though they have baffled the skill of Europe's greatest potters. 
 
 During the early centuries of the manufacture of porcelains 
 the development of the art was often arrested by the failure or ex- 
 haustion of either the clay, or the colors. During the reign of 
 Seuen-Tih (1426-1436), Chinese authorities inform us, an epoch of 
 development was inaugurated which received the highest praise. 
 It was under this Emperor that the beautiful dark blue was first 
 made. ‘This was also the period when the decorations in polychrome 
 first attained artistic success. This development continued during 
 the Ching-hwa period (1465-1487). Owing to failure of the supply, 
 the blue color deteriorated and attention was turned to the poly- 
 chrome decoration, which was brought to a high degree of excellence. 
 
 It was during this period that the distinguished ceramic artist 
 Kao-than-jin lived. Chinese writers speak in the highest terms 
 of his productions, especially of his jars decorated with peonies and 
 chickens. Another artist named Ko-tchou made fine wine cups and 
 vases. Their productions were models for two hundred years and 
 even in the period of Kang-he cargoes of decorated porcelain were 
 turned out bearing the nien hao, or mark of the period made, as of 
 Ching-hwa. That was dating them back 200 years. There are 
 probably more false Ching-hwa marks than of all others combined. 
 However, the imitations are often superior in every way to the ones 
 imitated. 
 
 The “three color’ and ‘‘five color’’ pieces were first introduced 
 during the Lung-king period (1567-1573) and the Wan-leih period 
 (1573-1620). The brilliant green, afterwards known as the famille 
 vert, was also first perfected during these reigns. Polychromes had 
 been used prior to this, but the colors were crude. 
 
 In this period of great advancement of the art, Ngeou-hong 
 was the most distinguished artist. He gave his name to the por- 
 celains made by him. He reproduced the fine Sung porcelains. 
 
 14 
 
His copies included the clair de lune and the violets of Sung’s. The 
 most esteemed were veined porcelains in red and blue enamels. 
 The names of many other potters of merit during this period are 
 also preserved in the records. 
 
 During the latter years of the Ming Dynasty the country was 
 so disturbed by the frequent Tartar wars that again the industry 
 lagged and the quality deteriorated. The dynasty was over- 
 thrown in 1643. It was succeeded by the Tsing, or last dynasty, 
 which in turn was succeeded by the present Republic in 1911. 
 
 The second Emperor of the Tsing Dynasty, was Kang-he, who 
 reigned sixty-one years (1661-1722). He was the most progressive 
 and enlightened ruler in China's long and checkered history. Art 
 and literature especially thrived under his fostering care. He re- 
 built the King-te-chen porcelain factories, arranged through Jesuit 
 missionaries for a supply of Cobalt from Europe, making the won- 
 derful blue and white of this reign possible. He secured the best 
 artists in the empire to do the decorating and ere the close of his 
 long reign the industry surpassed all former achievements. 
 
 Because of errors of the early historians who translated the 
 voluminous Chinese documents on porcelains extending back to the 
 beginning of the art, the excellent products of the closing years of 
 Kang-he’s reign were attributed to the Ming period. Whatever 
 was best was assigned to the Mings. There is a rugged strength 
 and beauty found in the best of the old Ming productions that have 
 a fascination of their own, but in point of technique, in the delicacy 
 _ of tracery, the beauty of form, and in the purity of the white as well 
 as the brilliancy of the colors, the productions of the reign of Kang- 
 he surpass those of the Mings. Kang-he blue and white are unsur- 
 passed by any period. The same is true of the ruby reds, the depth 
 and purity of which make it hard to doubt the correctness of the 
 legend handed down by Chinese writers that rubies and garnets were 
 pulverized and worked into the glaze to get the result. On the 
 other hand, the polychromes of the succeeding reign, that of Yung- 
 Ching (1723-1736), in turn showed even greater artistic merit. The 
 colors are richer, the designs and drawings are more varied and at- 
 tractive and the paintings more artistically traced. Yung-Ching 
 artists also surpassed the former reign in the “all blue’ pieces and 
 of the light pink upon an underground of pale sea green called 
 “peach bloom.” 
 
 At the end of the nineteenth century it was found that in all 
 the European collections where there has been any systematic at- 
 tempt at classification, the most important of the decorated porce- 
 lains and the best of the monochromes were ascribed to the dynasty 
 of the Mings—that is to say they must have been made in or prior 
 to the reign of Won-li, the Ming Emperor, with whom the industry 
 perished in the Tartar invasion. All the fine blue and white pieces 
 were parceled out as far back as the Emperor Yung-lo (1403-1424) 
 with a distinct partiality for Emperor Ching-hua (1465-1487). The 
 
 15 
 
fine ruby reds, and the sang de boeufs were all called Ming pieces 
 and by a curious fatuity were called Lang-Yao; a family of potters 
 named Lang being created for them. These pieces were really 
 Kang-he porcelains and were Lang’s in good faith, having been 
 produced at King-te-chen under the prefecture of the great Lang 
 who had charge of the imperial factories and gave so wonderful 
 an impetus to the art under the protection of the peaceful Tartar 
 monarch. The black pieces, the so-called hawthorns with varied 
 decorations supported on black ground, were all relegated to the 
 dynasty of the Mings and it is only at the beginning of the twentieth 
 century that these errors were dispelled. They too were many of 
 them Kang-he’s. 
 
 The credit for raising the standard of the ceramic art to its 
 loftiest flights belongs to Nien Hsi-yao, who in 1727 took charge 
 of the Emperor Yung-Ching’s Imperial factories at King-te-chen. 
 He was succeeded fifteen years later by his assistant, Tang Ying 
 under Keen-lung when for many years the high standards of artistic 
 productions were maintained. 
 
 Thus it is that while old Ming porcelains maintain a reputation 
 of their own, based upon the boldness and vigor of the designs and 
 the originality of accomplishments, we must turn to the Kang-he 
 period for the last word in blue and white, the ruby red, the celedons, 
 or to the following reign of Yung-Ching for the perfection in colors, 
 artistic painting and designs. These are the periods which have 
 produced the pieces which command the highest prices. Small 
 ginger jars of blue and white with Prunus decoration sell for one 
 thousand to fifteen thousand dollars each, according to the purity 
 and brilliancy of the colors. Yung-Ching ° ‘peach bloom” vases 
 have sold for ten thousand to twenty thousand dollars each. The 
 ruby reds of Kang-he are in the same class. Polychromes, or five- 
 colored pieces of these periods, sell for as high as ten thousand dollars 
 each. The pieces of such rare merit are limited. The sources of 
 supply have practically been exhausted. Future commerce in these 
 commodities will be confined largely to a change in ownership of 
 existing known pieces. 
 
 HOW TO IDENTIFY OLD CHINESE =PORCER AT = 
 
 There is no short road to a knowledge which will enable one 
 definitely to name the period to which a given specimen of Chinese 
 porcelain belongs. Nor is it always easy to definitely locate a piece 
 however expert one may become. 
 
 There are a few characteristics which a lover of old ceramics 
 fixes in his mind, not easily definable, and which like an unerring 
 instinct leads the homing pigeon to return to its cote. This knowl- 
 edge can only be acquired by training the eye, by having access 
 to samples and being able to compare them. The literature on 
 ceramics only serves as an aid. Alone it will accomplish little. 
 
 16 
 
There is a family likeness which envelops the productions of 
 each distinct period. For instance, the rugged celedons made in the 
 Sung Dynasty (A. D. 960-1279) are entirely distinct from all others. 
 The color usually used was green, and was made to imitate green 
 jade. ‘The pieces were heavy, hence not easily destroyed. This ac- 
 counts for the fact that many of them have been preserved through- 
 out the centuries. In this collection are several specimens which 
 belong to this period. One is a large dish, sixteen inches in diameter 
 and three and one-half inches high (See Plate I, No. 1). The glaze is 
 of a light green shade, crude and free from crackle. There is en- 
 graved in the paste, under the glaze, an indistinct mark showing it 
 was made about the middle of the Sung Dynasty (A. D. 960-1276), 
 or about 1150 A. D. The next in point of antiquity is the oviform 
 green crackle vase (Plate II, No. 2), which was made during the 
 later part of this dynasty. The remaining pieces belonging to this 
 dynasty and the Yuan dynasty (1280-1367) are Nos. 5, 6 and 7 in 
 Plate III; No. 8, Plate IV; and No. 18, Plate V. Without regard 
 to age, No. 8 is the most interesting and of greatest value. It is an 
 incense burner of brown celedon, with an exceedingly fine crackle. 
 In the brown glaze when the sun's rays strike it are reflected the - 
 colors of the rainbow. These colors change as one moves about the 
 piece. They respond as readily as do the colors of a piece of ‘shot 
 silk.” Early Chinese writers attribute these rare productions to 
 the latter part of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. They 
 were first made at Ting Chou, A. D. 1111-1125. The unglazed 
 portion on the bottom of specimen No. 8 reveals a white paste which 
 in the firing turned reddish brown, where not covered with glaze. 
 No productions of the kilns in the last three hundred years possess 
 this characteristic. Nor is it known what caused these unglazed 
 parts of the white paste to turn reddish brown, when none of them 
 did do so later. This, then, is a negative proof of age that often 
 enables one to exclude from ancient productions those modern pieces 
 which are erroneously classified, or wilfully misrepresented. In all 
 old Sung porcelains the paste is white within and brown after firing. 
 
 One must study the nien hao, or mark, if there is one on the 
 piece, to determine its age. The nien hao is the name of the reign- 
 ing emperor and usually appears in either six or four characters. 
 The first two characters signify the dynasty; the next two the 
 nien hao, or emperor, and the last two mean “‘period made.’ Here 
 is a six character mark of the Emperor Hsuan-te (1422-1435). Be- 
 
 ginning at the right and reading down it reads: Ae & 
 S 
 
 Ta Ming, Hsuan-te nien chin (Great Ming, 
 
 Hsuan-te, period made). The seal marks SF BF 
 found on porcelains are another form of writ- ae 
 e 
 
 ing the same characters. ) 
 
 17, 
 
One must always bear in mind that Chinese, who have great 
 reverence for the achievements of those dead and gone, strive to 
 reproduce the works of ancients; hence late Ming potters placed 
 the nien hao of former emperors, especially of Ching-hua (1465-1487), 
 on many of their productions to indicate that they were striving to 
 reproduce the ancient ware when, as is now apparent, their own 
 production often excelled in the quality of the glaze, in colors as 
 well as in artistic accomplishments. Modern porcelains are often 
 given the nien hao marks of Ming or Kang-he, with intention of 
 creating a market among those who are seeking ancient Chinese 
 porcelains. 
 
 Many of the finest pieces, both in blue and white and in poly- 
 chromes, bear no mark at all. Yet to the collector who has learned 
 his lesson these unmarked pieces are as unerringly classified as are 
 those bearing the nien hao, or marks. A large division of por-. 
 celains, the Celedons, are seldom marked. This is true even of the 
 famed ruby reds, apple greens and peach bloom which bring as 
 much as $10,000 to $30,000 each. 
 
 During the Kang-he reign (1661-1722), the superintendent of 
 the King-te-chen Imperial factories issued an order forbidding 
 the use of the Emperor's name in the nien hao, lest the vase be 
 broken and people might trample upon the pieces, causing a dis- 
 respect to the Emperor. This was in the year 1677. The order 
 was in force until about 1690. During that period many of the 
 fine pieces of that reign were made. ‘The marks substituted were 
 varied. The principal ones were a leaf, a fish, or two fishes joined 
 by fillets, the Chinese character for jade, two blue rings, lotus blos- 
 som, the sacred fungus, a Chinese cash and many others. 
 
 It was during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1643) that the practice 
 of placing on the bottom of the polychrome porcelains the nien hao, 
 or the name of the reigning emperor, became general. It was never 
 the practice to place any mark on monochromes. During the Ming 
 Dynasty, when blue decoration was employed, the color or painting 
 was always put on the bisquit ware before the glaze was applied. 
 This practice continued through the Kang-he period. 
 
 With this knowledge, one seeking to identify a given piece of 
 Chinese porcelain by a process of elimination may, for instance, 
 readily exclude a celedon from the Sung period, because of the 
 color of the unglazed parts, or the presence of some color not then 
 used, or because of the artistic perfection in form or execution, or 
 because the color is over the glaze. The same tests may also move 
 the piece down to the very close of the Ming Dynasty. If the piece 
 is a polychrome, then other elements enter into the matter of identi- 
 fication. ‘The over-glaze decoration was developed during the Ming 
 period, especially after the native blue became scarce and the supply 
 of kaolin, or clay, deteriorated. These colors concealed the defects 
 of the coarse finish. If the blue appears over the glaze, we know at 
 least it is not a Ming piece. 
 
 18 
 
The sang de boeuf, or ox blood, pieces of the Ming and Kang-he 
 periods have no bluish tinting at the top, or mouth, where the 
 colored glaze ran down as it liquefied in the firing. It is red to the 
 rim (which is white) while Keen-lung pieces (1736-1795) and modern 
 pieces have a purple or bluish tinting near the top, or on the flaring 
 rim. The glaze is not so clear or deep. These pieces are neither 
 old nor so valuable. On Ming and Kang-he pieces, the color at 
 the top often fades into a pale light yellowish color. The very 
 edge of the rim is white. It was not until the early Kang-he period 
 (1661-1722) that the ruby reds were developed. These show a 
 perfectly clear solid ruby surface, deep brilliant and free from the 
 clots which show in the Ming sang de boeuf. So it is not the oldest 
 of these productions that are the most valuable, or beautiful. 
 
 The finest of the green, or famille vert, were produced during 
 the late Ming and Kang-he period, although the color was used in 
 the early Ming period. The five-colored pieces of the Kang-he 
 productions are remarkable for their beauty of design, as well as 
 the artistic skill and brilliancy of the colors. It was during this 
 period that the blue and white, with color under the glaze, reached _ 
 its highest perfection. The white of the Ming period is not so 
 clear, or speckless, and the blue lacks the delicate sky blue charm. 
 With the close of this reign begins the decline of the blue and white, 
 the like of which we shall never see again. 
 
 Perfection in shape, purity of glaze, artistic execution, do not 
 belong to the productions of the Ming period. They belong rather 
 to the Kang-he and Yung-Ching. The “old Mings” have rugged 
 charm that appeals to the lover of ceramics which nothing can sup- 
 plant, but many collectors have reluctantly been compelled to admit 
 that the choicest pieces of their collection, considering form, glaze 
 and technique, were not ‘old Mings,’ as they supposed, but be- 
 longed to the following dynasty and to the Kang-he period. The 
 apple greens of the Kang-he period have the same markings as the 
 sang de boeuf. 
 
 As the famille vert reached its highest development during the 
 Kang-he period, the famille rose distinguished the succeeding reign 
 of. Yung-Ching (1723-1736). The following reign, that of Keen- 
 lung, is often classed with the Yung-Ching because of the beautiful 
 productions then turned out by the Imperial kilns of King-te-chen. 
 The reign was long (1736-1795) and it was only during the early 
 years of the reign that products of the factories can be classed with 
 those of his predecessors. With Yung-Ching we pass the highest 
 peak of accomplishment reached in polychrome, just as with Kang-he 
 the blue and white, also the monochromes, reached their greatest 
 perfection. It was during the Yung-Ching reign that the famille 
 rose tints appeared and became popular. ‘The refinement of the 
 art, the greater perfection of the technique, as well as the grace and 
 charm of the artistic lines governing the productions of the Imperial 
 factories, bear testimony to the great progress made in the art 
 
 19 
 
during the long reigns of the illustrious Kang-he and his son, Yung- 
 Ching. 
 
 The next revival of the porcelain industry occurred in the Tao 
 Kuang reign (1821-1850). This revival was largely confined to 
 the enamel ware, or colors over the glaze. The fine blue and white, 
 the ruby and apple green of Kang-he are wanting, although many 
 of the productions bear marks of that period and are frequently 
 imposed upon the unskilled collectors. As the Tartar invasion 
 crippled the industry in the last reign of the Mings, so the Tai 
 Ping insurrection wiped out the King-te-chen factories at the close 
 of the Tao Kuang reign. However, it is encouraging to add that 
 during the last quarter of a century great advancement has been 
 made in redeeming the industry. The Imperial factories at King- 
 te-chen during the reign of China's last Emperor, Kwang-Shiu, 
 went far in their recovery of enamel decoration. Yellow was the 
 Imperial color and predominates in the polychrome productions. 
 In this collection will be found several examples of great merit. 
 This is exemplified in this collection by the rice bowls with five- 
 clawed dragons, also a set of ten tea cups with dragons in colors on 
 a yellow background. These pieces were taken from the palace 
 in Pekin during the Boxer uprising. (See Plate No. LIX.) 
 
 VICEROY TIEN S*2EGA 
 
 It may be interesting to relate an incident connected with my 
 search for ancient porcelains in China. It will indicate why, as is 
 frequently claimed, it is more difficult to secure really worth-while 
 pieces in China than it is in Europe or America. Here is the story: 
 
 When the Tartars conquered China in A. D. 1643 they did not 
 take possession of Canton and the two Quong provinces for many 
 years, because of the powerful opposition of the unyielding natives. 
 Hence, a Viceroy for four or five southern provinces was established 
 at Chin-Chiu, in Foh-kien province, from whence the work of pacifi- 
 cation was carried on. One of the earliest Viceroys, whose sur- 
 name was Tien, was appointed by the second of Manchu Emperors, 
 Kang-he, China's greatest emperor. Viceroy Tien succeeded in 
 bringing the southern provinces under subjection and was highly 
 honored by his emperor. Among the presents sent him were many 
 imperial pieces of the fine porcelains then being produced at the 
 Imperial kilns at King-te-chen, only a few days’ journey north of 
 Chin-Chiu. Kang-he reigned for sixty years. He was a patron of 
 the fine arts, especially the ceramic art. So the porcelains given 
 Viceroy Tien were produced during the period of their greatest 
 development. This Viceroy died in the service and his family re- 
 mained in his adopted country. To this day the descendants of 
 that powerful Viceroy reside in that city, although in the two hun- 
 dred and fifty years that have passed misfortune has overtaken the 
 proud family. In 1898, when I first met the elder member of the 
 family, he had lost practically all except the old homestead and his 
 proud, uncompromising dignity. 
 
 20 
 
Knowing the family needs, an effort was made, through an 
 official, a mutual friend, to have a price named for some fifty beau- 
 tiful specimens which had been presented to his ancestors by the 
 great Kang-he more than two hundred years ago. He refused to sell, 
 saying that great as was his humiliation at being in need of funds, 
 that burden was light compared with the burden of disgrace which 
 would oppress him if he parted with the precious legacy from his 
 illustrious ancestor, which were gifts from the Emperor. 
 
 My friend advised me to await a more opportune time. Other 
 efforts failed. Later, my Chinese friend came to me saying he had 
 secured the rare Imperial porcelains for me; that he had induced 
 the family to form an alliance with a wealthy merchant of Chin- 
 Chiu by marrying the’son to the daughter of this merchant and that 
 I was to provide the present for the bride's father. When a daughter 
 is taken as a bride, the parents of the groom must make a gift, or 
 present, to the bride's father. ‘These gifts vary according to the 
 wealth and dignity of the families. This ceremony is sometimes 
 erroneously called selling the daughters to become wives. It has 
 no such significance. I was advised that the amount of the largess 
 was settled and that I was to secretly get the funds to the old aris- 
 tocrat, so as to ‘save his face, as the Chinese express it. In due 
 time the collection was removed at night and carried away by ser- 
 vants from a distant town; the settlement was made; and it is to 
 be hoped that the wedding resulted in as much happiness as those 
 art pieces imparted to their new owner. 
 
 In this manner were secured many of the beautiful specimens 
 in this collection. Among them are vases with the five-clawed 
 dragon, which were only made for the emperor. There is a set of 
 blue and white egg shell bowls with the Empress’ crest, the fing 
 huang, or phoenix, which are of the purest white and a brilliant blue 
 of that kind which the Chinese describe as ‘‘like the blue sky as it 
 appears between the clouds after the rain.’ There are mazarine 
 and powdered blue with mandarin decoration; plain turquoise blue 
 and polychromes; and sky blue with five-clawed dragons in gold. 
 
 MARKS AND SEALS 
 
 Authorities agree there is so little known with regard to the 
 whole system of marking Chinese porcelains, that at present, with 
 the exception of date-marks, when apparently reliable, there is little 
 
 or nothing to be learned as to the age or history of the piece from the 
 ' mark thereon. Dealers and collectors, therefore, pay but little 
 attention to marks, taking the pieces on their merits, whether 
 marked or unmarked. It never was a custom to mark the mono- 
 chromes, but there are some exceptions. Chinese Porcelain marks 
 may be divided into three classes, according to W. G. Gulland, 
 whose volumes on ‘Chinese Porcelain” are considered among the 
 best treatises on the subject. These are date marks in the plain 
 and seal characters, Hall and other inscribed marks and Third 
 Symbol marks. 
 
 24 
 
These marks are generally painted in blue, but in the later 
 pieces, in red or blue; sometimes the characters are engraved or in 
 relief. The mark is found on the base of the piece. 
 
 Instead of centuries, the Chinese measure time by means of 
 cycles of sixty years. This system is seldom employed in marking 
 porcelain. The second method of denoting time and the one used 
 in marking china is by the nien hao, or title, assumed by the various 
 emperors on ascending the throne, which must consist of two words, 
 or signs. In ancient times the nien hao was changed so as to denote 
 any very important event occurring during the reign, but since the 
 accession of the Ming Dynasty there is only one instance of such 
 change. The marking of porcelain in this way seems to have origi- 
 nated through the Emperor Chin-tsung, during his nien hao King- 
 te (A. D. 1004-1007), giving orders that all china made for the 
 palace should be dated in this way. The year in the reign is seldom 
 or never given. The six signs when in the ‘plain character,’ are 
 made up thus—the upper one at the reader's right hand ta (great), 
 the next below is the name of the dynasty, the third is the first 
 sign of nien hao, the second sign of the title being at the top of 
 the second column, followed by the word nien (or period) and chi 
 (made). 
 
 Often the first two characters giving the name of the Dynasty 
 are omitted, when the mark is reduced to four signs arranged in 
 two columns; of these the first two are the nien hao, or name of 
 Emperor, and the second two the formula, nien chi (period made). 
 
 Unfortunately, these date-marks have been so forged and 
 imitated on modern pieces that they cannot alone be accepted as 
 proof of age. The most favorite mark seems to have been “Ching- 
 hwa’’ (14605-1488), under which immense quantities of china appear 
 to have been made and shipped to Europe some two hundred years 
 after that date. Why this mark was in such favor with Europeans 
 it is difficult to say, since the porcelains of the previous reign as well 
 as the productions of the period when the frauds were -perpetrated 
 exceeded in merit the earlier productions of Ching-hwa. 
 
 With the seal marks we get on firmer ground. The Keen- 
 lung (1736-1795) is sometimes given in the “‘plain characters,”’ 
 but most frequently in the seal style, and this system of marking 
 is generally considered to have been first used during this reign. 
 It is safe to conclude that Kang-he dates, given in seal characters, 
 are fraudulent. 
 
 Other marks are used. Some called hall marks indicate the 
 origin of the porcelain. One frequently encountered reads Shun- 
 tih-tang-chi meaning, “Made at the cultivation of virtue hall.” 
 Sir A. W. Franke says, “This mark is on specimens of different 
 kinds and very varied quality. The name is derived from the 
 classics— The Great Learning. The other marks are in various 
 characters and sometimes are commendations of porcelain, stating 
 that it is jade, a pearl, elegant, antique, precious, etc, 
 
 ae 
 
The eight ordinary symbols are also used. The leaf is the 
 favorite and it appears on Ming and Kang-he production, especially 
 during a decade of the latter's reign (1677-1690), when the use of 
 the Emperor's name was forbidden to be placed on porcelain lest 
 the pieces be broken and trampled under foot, thus showing dis- 
 respect to the Emperor. 
 
 Some of the eight Buddhist symbols were also used. The fa- 
 vorites were the fish, the lotus, the knot and the shell. Then follow 
 many other marks, such as the swastika, the four-legged vase, 
 tripod incense burners, the hare, the bat, the stork, the butterfly, 
 CLC) 
 
 Zo 
 
Plate I 
 
 24 
 
No. 1 iba 
 OLD SUNG DISH 
 
 Of pale green Celedon with scrolls engraved in the paste under 
 the glaze. Brown unglazed base. The work is crude and the piece 
 is warped in the firing. In the center of dish on the face is an en- 
 graved mark of the Dynasty. This authentic Sung specimen is 
 valuable because of its age, it dating back to the earliest period 
 of known existing Celedons. 
 
 Period—Sung (A. D. 960-1120). 
 Diameter 16% inches. 
 Height 314 inches. 
 
Plate II 
 
 26 
 
No. 2 PEACE Ti 
 Siew Ghee N CELEDONS 
 
 Ovoid Celedon Vase with a double series of crackle, one of 
 small mesh, the other in large cracks running the length of the 
 piece. Very heavy and thick which accounts for it having survived 
 usage for a thousand years. Brown unglazed base rim helps to lo- 
 cate its period of production. Secured from the collection of a 
 Foo-Chou Mandarin and pronounced, by Chinese collectors, to be 
 a genuine Sung Dynasty production. 
 
 Period, Sung (960-1279). 
 Height, 13 inches. 
 
 Base, 4 inches. 
 
 Top, 3 inches. 
 
 No. 3 
 
 Water Container, for writing brushes. A pale green celedon, 
 almost white and sometimes called rice color. Crackle. 
 
 Period, Ming, Ching-hwa (1456-1487). 
 No. 4 
 Incense Burner. Bright green celedon free from crackle and 
 
 has engraved scrolls under the glaze. On both the rim and base is 
 a circle of raised knobs, or beads. Unglazed brown base. 
 
 Period, Sung (960-1279). 
 
 Nose) 
 
 A small dish of Brown Celedon with fluted rim and unglazed 
 brown base. 
 
 Diameter 4 inches. 
 
 Period, Sung (960-1279). 
 No. 6 
 
 Gray Celedon Plate, with crackle glaze inside and out. The 
 base rim is unglazed and of reddish tint. 
 
 Period likely of late Ming—Wan-leih (1573-1620). 
 
 Diameter, 101% inches. 
 
 2) 
 
Plate III 
 
 28 
 
No. 7 PLATE III 
 
 PRACKLE CELEDON VASE 
 
 With deep jade green. An example of Sung porcelain, in which 
 the paste is white but turns reddish brown when fired on unglazed 
 parts. For 350 years this characteristic has not been discovered 
 ‘in products of any factory. 
 
 No marks. 
 
 Period, Sung (960-1279). 
 Height, 11 inches. 
 
 Base, 31% inches. 
 
 Top, 3 inches. 
 
 No. 8 
 CELEDON CRACKLE VASE 
 
 With swelling base and flaring mouth; same period and char- 
 acteristics as No. 7. 
 
 Period, Sung (960-1279). 
 Height, 13 inches. 
 
 Base, 41% inches. 
 
 Top, 51% inches. 
 
 No. 9 
 GREEN CELEDON VASE 
 
 With feint crackle under the glaze. Has ears with rings. 
 Brown unglazed rim at base. A good specimen of the products 
 of the Sung Dynasty (960-1279). 
 
 Height, 101% inches. 
 Base, 3 inches. 
 Top, 3 inches. 
 
 29 
 
Plate IV 
 
 30 
 
 SO ee a ee es ee 
 
No. 10 PEALE LV. 
 
 INCENSE BURNER 
 
 Brown Celedon, with teakwood base and cover, with block of 
 coral as knob. 
 
 This is a remarkable production, as well as a most fascinating 
 piece. Chinese writers of the thirteenth century frequently men- 
 tion these brown porcelains, giving them the highest praise. The 
 glaze is very smooth and deep. ‘The surface is covered by a fine 
 crackle called fish roe. When placed in the sun's rays, or even 
 in a strong shaded light, colors of brilliant purple, red and green 
 appear and disappear on the crackled surface, as one changes the 
 position of the piece. These shades respond as readily as do those 
 of a piece of shot silk. It is said that there is not to exceed a half 
 dozen such pieces in existence. First made about A. D. 1111 to 
 1125. They do not appear in later periods at all. 
 
 This valuable piece is part of Viceroy Tien’s collection, an ac- 
 count of which is given on page 20. 
 
 Period, Sung (960-1279). 
 Diameter, 11 inches. 
 Height, 5 inches. 
 
 3] 
 
Plate V 
 
 J2 
 
No. 11 3 PLATE V 
 CELEDON VASE 
 
 Pear shape, with swelling neck. The color is of pale greenish 
 white, sometimes described as rice color. The glaze is smooth and 
 clear. The crackle is very prominent and adds much to the beauty 
 of the piece. 
 
 Period, Ming, Ching-hwa (1456-1487). 
 Height, 161% inches. 
 
 Base, 7 inches. 
 
 Bowl, 11 inches. 
 
 Top, 6 inches. 
 
 No. 12 
 CELEDON LANTERN VASE 
 
 With cylindrical stand and half neck. This is a perfect example 
 of old Sung crackle. The color is a rich jade green, smooth and with- 
 out blemish. 
 
 Period, Sung (960-1279). 
 Height, 734 inches. 
 Base, 234 inches. 
 
 Top, 234 inches. 
 
 No. 13 
 ARCHAIC OVIFORM VASE 
 
 Of glazed crackle pottery, with ears and rings in bas relief. 
 A most interesting and valuable specimen of the early Sung pro- 
 ductions. Owing to its form and the thickness of the ware, it would 
 not easily break if upset, hence it has survived the centuries. 
 
 Period, Sung Dynasty (960-1279). 
 Height, 16 inches. 
 
 Base, 51% inches. 
 
 Diameter, 111% inches. 
 
 Top, 3 inches. 
 
 33 
 
Plate 
 
 val 
 
 34 
 
 cr 
 codes 
 
 aes koe EE 
 : . 
 oo 
 Seca | 
 Reh IR, 
 
 Zi 
 
 20 
 
 19 
 
 18 
 
 17 
 
 16 
 
 ci 
 
 14 
 
No. 14 to 21 PLATE VI 
 
 ple GeuNL) MING CELEDON CRACKLES 
 
 Nos. 16, 18, 19, and 21 are unquestionably Sung Dynasty pro- 
 ductions. They were part of specimens obtained from a collection 
 made by a Chinese Mandarin at Foo-Chou during the last century. 
 
 Period, Sung (A. D. 960-1120). 
 
 No. 17 
 
 A Celedon dish 14% inches in diameter is of pale green jade 
 color, free from crackle. The decoration consists of engraved scroll 
 work and conventionalized foliage in the paste under the glaze. 
 
 Period, Ming—about A. D. 1500. 
 
 No. 14 
 
 pee DONPPLATE: OF BRIGHT JADE GREEN 
 
 The decoration is in blue of the Ming period. The reddish 
 brown unglazed foot and other features locate the piece about 
 A. D. 1600. 
 
 No. 19 
 
 Small Water Container for writing brushes. Coarse crackle 
 with rice colored glaze. Has furrigineous lion head ears and carved 
 wood base and cover. 
 
 Mark, Ching-hwa (1456-1487). 
 Height, 234 inches. 
 
 No. 20 
 
 Apple green Celedon, with square shoulders and bottle neck. 
 Has fish roe crackle. The glaze and coloring are of the best quality. 
 One of a pair in this collection. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 35 
 
Plate VII 
 
No. 22 PLATE VII 
 
 KIEN-TSE IVORY WHITE VASE 
 
 Blanc de Chine porcelain. Made at Te-hau in Fu-kien prov- 
 ince, also known as ivory white. In fact, it was made to represent ~ 
 ivory and differs widely from other white Chinese porcelain made 
 during the Kang-he period. The glaze is of a creamy white tint 
 closely resembling ivory. It is covered with a thick rich glaze 
 which has a satiny aspect and blends closely with the paste under- 
 neath. Good examples of this ware are extremely rare. This 
 vase is a perfect example, free from fault or blemish. Chinese 
 historians claim that the Fu-kien factories were destroyed at the 
 close of the Ming Dynasty in the Tartar invasion. They were 
 never reopened. After that, under Kang-he, the Imperial white 
 porcelain was made at King-te-chen, but it is a different article. 
 
 Period, Ming, Wan-leih (1573-1620). 
 Height, 161% inches. 
 
 Base, 51% inches. 
 
 Top, 6 inches. 
 
 37 
 
Plate: V tit 
 
 38 
 
INOS» 23: tor 27 PEA PERV FI 
 
 PU-KIEN KIEN-ISE VASES 
 
 Blanc de Chine, or sometimes called Ivory White. In this 
 group are some charming pieces of the old Kien-Ise made at Te- 
 hau in Fu-kien province. The rarest and most valuable specimens ~ 
 of Ivory white are those made at Te-hau during the reign of the 
 Ming Dynasty. Some pieces date back to the thirteenth century, 
 but those are heavy and lacking in the velvety finish which char- 
 acterize later productions. 
 
 The large vase with lion head handles, 121% inches high, is of 
 exquisite ivory finish and in fact it was the intention of the makers 
 to imitate ivory. 
 
 The small statuette, over four-hundred years old, a blanc de 
 chine, is covered by a clear crackle glaze under which are engraved 
 scrolls in the paste. On the breast of the robe of the god is a lion's 
 head and a dragon in raised figures. 
 
 The small vase on a carved stand is apparently of the same period 
 as the statuette, while the other pieces are of later date. Chinese 
 and Japanese connoisseurs place high values on these old Fu-kien 
 Ivory whites. 
 
 39 
 
Plate IX 
 
 28 
 
 40 
 
No. 28 PLATE IX 
 TEMPLE VASE (One of a pair) 
 
 Cylindrical in form, with flaring trumpet mouth. Sang de 
 boeuf of the Ming period. The clotted blood appearance of the 
 glaze, from which it derives its name, is somewhat reproduced in 
 the picture. The color being brilliant and unbroken, it is not 
 possible to give an adequate idea of the beauty of these ox bloods, 
 or of the ruby red pieces, by photogravure. The glaze on the 
 flaring neck sustains its color to the very rim where it stops, and a 
 white rim, or edge, appears. There is no tint of purple to be seen 
 near the top as is the case with productions of a later period. By 
 this means the age is definitely established. 
 
 These large vases were used in the temples for decorative pur- 
 poses. Sang de boeuf was invented in the late Ming period, and 
 the ruby reds in the reign of Kang-he, by Lang-jao, an Imperial 
 artist at King-te-chen. The Chinese call the ruby color Lang-jao. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Wan-leih (1573-1620). 
 Height, 23 inches. 
 
 Base, 8 inches. 
 
 Top, 7 inches. 
 
 41 
 
Plate X 
 
No. 27A Fis Aa een 
 
 Pm eUriie aN Che VASE 
 
 Sang de boeuf, or ox-blood. The color clear and deep. The 
 red coloring reaches the edge of the rim free from the purple tint, 
 which characterizes modern pieces. Shape that of a Persian water 
 bottle with flaring mouth. A good example of the early ox-bloods. 
 Called by Chinese Lang-jao. 
 
 Period, Early Kang-he (16601-1722). 
 Height, 14 inches. 
 
 Base, 51% inches. 
 
 Top, 5 inches. 
 
 No. 28A 
 PEAR SHAPED VASE 
 
 Mirror black, with surface covered with Imperial five-clawed 
 dragons in gold. These old Kang-he pieces in mirror black are 
 very rare and much prized by collectors. ‘The surface glaze is very 
 smooth, deep and well preserved. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 Height, 11 inches. 
 
 Base, 4 inches. 
 
 Top, 4% inches. 
 
 43 
 
Plate XI 
 
No. 29 PAD a 
 
 PEAR-SHAPE BOTTLE-NECK VASE (Ruby Red) 
 
 Celedon, known as the ruby red, called by Chinese Lang-jao, 
 in which like all Celedon the color is mixed with the glaze before fir- 
 ing. This is one of the pieces which Chinese claim that pulverized 
 rubies and other precious stones were mixed with the glaze and de- 
 clare that the depths and clearness of the ruby-like glaze is due to this 
 fact. The correctness of this theory is not accepted; however, just 
 how the wonderful glaze was made has been lost, and the few pieces 
 that have survived the three hundred years since they were made 
 have a value which would seem to give credence to the fable con- 
 necting them with the melting of precious stones to secure the glaze. 
 
 There are but few specimens extant equal to this old ruby 
 vase, and probably none superior. There is one other specimen of 
 the Ruby Red in this collection. It is smaller in size and when taken 
 alone is a gem of great value; but when placed side by side with this 
 rarest of the productions a degree of inferiority is apparent. While 
 one seems to be real ruby glaze, the other has the appearance of a 
 marvelous imitation of ruby. They are the rarest and most valuable 
 of lost art porcelain. When broken, Chinese saved the pieces and 
 had them mounted as personal ornaments, as we mount precious 
 stones. Glazed bottom, but unglazed rim. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 Height, 18 inches. 
 
 Base, 6 inches. 
 
 Top, 2% inches. 
 
 Bowl, 101% inches. 
 
 45 
 
Plate X11 
 
 30 
 
 46 
 
No. 30 Bie otis! 
 
 PRI PEE’ GOURD =VASE 
 
 An odd shape, as the diminishing sizes of the gourds taper off 
 into a slender neck. The decorations deserve special note. ‘The 
 entire surface of the piece is covered with pictures of Chinese, each 
 character complete and possessing a personality differing from all 
 others. [here are one hundred of these characters and the group 
 is known as the I Pai Ming, or “one hundred names.” Several 
 thousand years ago Chinese were divided into one hundred families 
 and each given a distinct name. For many centuries these were the 
 only family names. These one hundred portraits represent the 
 “IT Pai Ming” of those early times. Each of these elders is repre- 
 sented with sword of authority in hand. The portraits are in colors, 
 artistically drawn and overlapping each other as they spread over 
 the surface from neck to base. Note the distinction, or individuality, 
 both in countenance and raiment. It is a splendid artistic accom- 
 plishment, wrought in all shades of colors known to the late Ming 
 Dynasty. A rare piece. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Wan-leih (1573-1620). 
 Height, 25 inches. 
 
 Base, 7 inches. 
 
 Top, 3 inches. 
 
 47 
 
Platesx. E11 
 
 ot 
 
 48 
 
No. 31 PEAT ESAT] 
 INVERTED PEAR-SHAPED VASE 
 
 Very slender and a charming piece. The surface is covered 
 with purple brown and green trelliswork, with two large white ~ 
 leaf-shaped reserves on opposite sides; one filled with a battle scene 
 in brilliant enamel, the other with mandarins in official robes. Be- 
 tween these large reserves are four small reserves in white, two on 
 each side, filled with landscape paintings. On the shoulder diamond 
 fretwork in colors and reserves filled with flowers, sweet flags, trellis- 
 work and Joo-e heads on the neck. ‘This piece is regarded by con- 
 noisseurs as one of the most beautiful examples of Chinese poly- 
 chrome porcelains in existence. As to form, it leaves nothing to be 
 desired. As to technique, its coloring and drawing are evidently by 
 a master artist. If one seeks an example of the choicest of the 
 ancient Chinese porcelains he will find it in this simply designed 
 piece. It is easily the gem of polychromes. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 18 inches. 
 
 Base, 5 inches. 
 
 Top, 4 inches. 
 
 49 
 
PlateX1LV 
 
 50 
 
Nos. 32-33 PEACE XIV. 
 
 mePAIR’ OF LIONS 
 
 One with the brocaded ball (hsiu cheiu), the other with its cub. 
 The body of the lions are in pale blue and green. Bangles of pearls 
 and jade ornaments are suspended from collars on their necks. The 
 top of the head and shoulders are red. The bases upon which the 
 lions are mounted are rectangular in shape and beautifully decorated. 
 On each side is a white reserve surrounded by delicately traced trellis- 
 work in various colors. In the reserves are vases and flowers, each 
 side representing one of the four seasons of the year. These speci- 
 mens are flawless and of great value. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 Height, 181% inches. 
 Base, 614x81% inches. 
 
 el 
 
Plate XV 
 
No. 34 PLATE XV 
 GINGER JAR AND COVER 
 
 Famille Vert. Entire surface covered with black fretwork and 
 small Joo-e heads filled with green enamel. On this background are 
 large butterflies with the brightest of colors. Around the base is a 
 band of conventional flowers with reserves filled with Prunus blos- 
 soms, and on the shoulders diaper bands. A strikingly beautiful 
 piece. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 13 inches. 
 
 Base, 5 inches. 
 
 Top, 4 inches. 
 
 a0 
 
Plate XVI 
 
 on 
 
No. 35 Pdigs IS, 2 QNAl 
 BEAKER VASE 
 
 The body of the vase is covered with a pale sea green under the _ 
 glaze. [he decoration consists of eight horses drawn in bas-relief, 
 in pink and blue colors, also under the glaze. The decoration tells 
 the story of Emperor Muh Wang, who lived one thousand years be- 
 fore Christ, and who with these horses drove all over his vast empire. 
 On their journey he visited Si Wang Mu, a fabulous being of female 
 sex, who entertained him at the Lake of Gems on Mount Kw’en Lun. 
 
 Mark: A leaf in two blue rings. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 18 inches. 
 
 Base, 61% inches. 
 
 Top, 8% inches. 
 
 5D 
 
Plate XVII 
 
No. 36 PLATE XVII 
 
 CYLINDRICAL VASE. MANDARIN CHINA’ 
 
 Short bottle neck and club shaped. Main body covered with a 
 beautiful powdered blue. Two large rectangular reserves in pure 
 white; one a harbor and mountain scene, the other a group of man- 
 darins attended by banner men. On each of the opposite sides are 
 three small white reserves of different designs. Also two white re- 
 serves on the neck. In each of these small reserves are different 
 scenes of animals, flowers, etc., in various colors. An excellent ex- 
 ample of the powdered blue Mandarin decoration. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 181% inches. 
 
 Base, 6 inches. 
 
 Top, 41% inches. 
 
 Mark, two blue rings. 
 
 57 
 
Plate XVIII 
 
 oF 
 
 58 
 
No. 37 PLATE XVIII 
 PEAR-SHAPED VASE, FAMILLE VERT 
 
 This large vase is one of the most elaborately decorated pieces 
 _ in the collection. The main body is covered with landscape scenes 
 of mountains, sea, forests and temples, of which green is the prin- 
 cipal color. There are bands of scrolls, Joo-e heads, trelliswork, 
 diaper pattern, or of solid aubergine. All colors known to the period 
 are used. On the upper section of the neck are white reserves in 
 which are painted dragons. On the shore of the sea are temples and 
 fish traps. The glaze is of first quality and unblemished. 
 
 Hall mark. © 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 26 inches. 
 
 Base, 8 inches. 
 
 Top, 7 inches. 
 
we higte io. 
 
 | 
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 i. 
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 i 
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 ; 
 ae 3 
 
No. 38 PUA Py OXEX 
 IMPERIAL WATER VASE 
 
 Cylindrical vase, with tiara-fronted top and divided transversely 
 by moulded double lines into three sections, the upper one bearing a 
 porcelain spout. Said to be used for iced fruit syrups. The entire 
 surface is of brilliant green peculiar to the late Ming period. Each 
 section has painted over the green background three five-clawed 
 _ dragons in five colors. Prunus blossoms in white and red mingle with 
 clouds in which the dragons float. An Imperial piece and of most 
 exquisite beauty. 3 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Wan-leih (1573-1620). 
 
 Height, 18 inches. 
 
 Diameter, 51% inches. 
 
 61 
 
Plate XX 
 
 oy 
 
 ee La oO le 
 
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 4 
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 oe eS HR 
 
 id ee 
 
 62 
 
 kar 
 
 A a eae 
 
No. 39 BEATER Xo. 
 IMPERIAL VASES 
 
 Imperial vase, with five-clawed dragons painted in blue, purple, 
 brown, green and black over a clear white glaze. The dragons spread 
 all over the surface of the piece. The five claws distinguish the 
 vase as having been made at the Imperial factory and for the use of 
 the Emperor in distributing favors. This piece is from the collection 
 presented by Emperor Kang-he to Viceroy Tien of Chin-Chieu in 
 1670. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 18 inches. 
 
 Base, 5 inches. 
 
 Top, 6 inches. 
 
 No. 40 
 IMPERIAL CLUB VASE 
 
 Powdered blue vase with decorations in colors in large white 
 reserves. [hese vases are classed as splendid examples of that rare 
 product, the powdered blue. The white is of the purest, and the 
 blue, which is blown on in the manner of the suffle, covers the main 
 body of the pieces. Aside from the two large rectangular reserves it 
 
 has also three small circular reserves on each of opposite sides. The 
 ‘center one of these, in red, has five-clawed dragons, showing that it 
 too, was made for the Emperor, as the penalty for the private use of 
 the crest was death. 
 
 Mark, two blue rings. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 18 inches. 
 
 Base, 45 inches. 
 
 Top, 6 inches. 
 
 No. 41 
 POWDERED BLUE VASE 
 
 Powdered blue vase, same character as the above. While not 
 bearing a crest of the Emperor as the other two of this group, they all 
 are from the same collection, the history of which is given on page 20. 
 In this vase the motif is taken from a little Chinese love story en- 
 titled, “When Dreams Come True.’ The decoration illustrates the 
 dream. A lover asleep at his table dreams of the daughter of a 
 distant friend and how after many adventures he wins her and brings 
 her to his home in a wheelbarrow. The story is illustrated in a series 
 of scenes running around the vase. These are charming pieces. 
 
 Mark, two blue rings. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661- 1722). 
 
 Height, 18 inches. 
 
 Base, 41% inches. 
 
 Top, 5 inches. 
 
 63 
 
Plate XXI 
 
 42 
 
 64 
 
No. 42 BeAr ex 
 POWDERED BLUE DISH 
 
 White circular reserve in center, with sides divided into six white 
 sections. In each of these pure white reserves are flowers of all sea- 
 sons, artistically painted in red, green, blue and gold. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 Diameter, 121% inches. 
 Depth, 3 inches. 
 
 65 
 
Plate XXII 
 
 _——s 
 
 43 
 
 66 
 
No. 43 PLATEEXXII 
 OVOID VASE 
 
 Imperial yellow body, covered with fishes in aubergene, blue and 
 black; a two-inch band of sea green at base representing waves of the 
 sea. Sprayed over the surface are sprigs of Prunus blossoms, paeon- 
 ies, asters and chrysanthemums. Joo-e band at rim. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, late Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 Height, 17 inches. 
 
 Base, 5 inches. 
 
 Top, 5 inches. 
 
 67 
 
Pinte nel id 
 
 68 
 
No. 44 BEAM Bex iii 
 ~BOTTLE NECK, BULBOUS VASE 
 
 Mazarine blue. The mouth is slightly flaring with a band of 
 Joo-e heads at the rim. The decoration consists of one hundred 
 medallions in gold, each containing a miniature painting, no two of 
 which are alike, and ranging from Chinese good luck characters to 
 sundry flowers, animals, insects and sacred emblems. Each picture 
 is hand-painted and represents infinite time and patience. ‘The 
 piece takes on an added interest because of a label pasted on it show- 
 ing that it was presented to Prince Ching of the Emperor's family as 
 a birthday present, in which it is called an “Imperial toy.’ It is a 
 product of the King-te-chen factories and the finest of modern ware. 
 From Peking Imperial palace. 
 
 Mark, Kwang-shiu (1875-1895). 
 Height, 16 inches. 
 
 No. 45 
 BULBOUS VASE 
 
 Bulbous vase with long bottle neck. Decoration powdered blue 
 with two large carp, one on each side, reaching from the neck to the 
 base in famille rose colors of the Yung-Ching period. The painting 
 is well executed, the glaze fine. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, 1723-1736. 
 
 Height, 16 inches. 
 
 No. 46 
 BOPETLE NECK VASE 
 
 Bottle neck vase with cylindrical body and flaring mouth. The 
 body is covered with mazarine blue under the glaze. Over this there 
 is painted in gold large Imperial five-clawed dragons, four on the 
 body and two on the neck. This piece is from the collection pre- 
 sented to Viceroy Tien of Chin-Cheu by Emperor Kang-he about 
 1670, from whose descendants the collection was obtained. 
 
 No mark. 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 Height, 17 inches. 
 
 69 
 
Pilate XX1V 
 
 70 
 
No. 47 PLATE, XXIV 
 
 STATUETTE OF KWAN-YIN 
 
 ‘This statuette of the Buddhist goddess of conjugal felicity, with 
 a spotted deer by her side, is a beautiful example of the best of the 
 five-colored productions of the Kang-he period. It is indeed seldom 
 that a Chinese statue or painting of a woman gives as natural, or 
 beautiful, features as is here portrayed. The draping of the costume 
 is the work of a master sculptor. The colors are artistically blended. 
 Each detail is worked out to the minutest point. The pose is fault- 
 less. The deer is one of the emblems of conjugal happiness and often 
 appears in connection with portraits of Chinese female characters. 
 Owing to the exquisite beauty and unsurpassed technique this piece 
 ranks as one of the most valuable of the collection. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 Height, 111% inches. 
 
 71 
 
No. 48 PLATE XXV 
 
 pede NECK VASE 
 
 With flaring mouth. The decoration is in pale blue, clear and 
 deep under the glaze. The white is of the purest known. This piece 
 was classed as a Ming production by the Chinese Mandarin from 
 whose collection it was obtained. The purity of both the white and 
 the blue would indicate it was the product of the Kang-he period, 
 as known Ming pieces do not equal this in artistic accomplishment. 
 The motif is that of an aged man dismounted from his horse greeting 
 two maids beneath a tree. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 161% inches. 
 
 Base, 5 inches. 
 
 Bowl, 9 inches. 
 
 BLUE AND WHITE 
 
 The most charming section in this collection of ancient porce- 
 lains is that of the Kang-he Blue and White. Representative pieces 
 of the collection are illustrated in the following fifteen plates. There 
 are more than a hundred pieces of the old blue and white in the col- 
 lection, including three Hawthorn Ginger Jars of rare beauty and 
 worth. 
 
 73 
 
Plate XXVI 
 
 ane ee ~~ ae Se 
 ies aca 
 
 RENEE AE SNES 
 
 ASS AAO ARLENE EE 
 
No. 49 PLATE XXVI. 
 
 RECTANGULAR VASE, BLUE AND WHITE 
 
 With main body pure white and decoration in deep dark cobalt 
 blue. Each side is divided into two scenes. Each scene is a land- 
 scape in which the mountains, streams, bridges and boats are artisti- 
 cally drawn, with a perspective more perfect than usually attends 
 such old Chinese productions. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 Height, 17 inches. 
 
 Base, 4x5 inches. 
 
 Top, 4x5 inches. 
 
Plate XX VII 
 
No. 50 | PLATE XXVII— 
 BLUE AND WHITE VASE 
 
 Main surface covered with foliage and flowers. On each of four 
 sides is a reserve of pure white in which are bamboos and sprigs of 
 blossoms. About the base is a panel band. On the shoulder are 
 bands of Joo-e heads, trelliswork and of scrolls. Sweet flags sur- 
 round the white neck with another band of large Joo-e heads at rim. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 171% inches. 
 
 Base, 7 inches. 
 
 Top, 7 inches. 
 
 vit 
 
BiateskexveLit 
 
Nos. 51 and 53 Pea Cex LI 
 My eo ARREL STOVES. BLUE AND WHITE 
 
 These pieces were made during the Kang-he period. They were 
 used as stoves and chairs combined. A brazier of live coals was 
 placed inside the chair from beneath. The top is perforated in the 
 same manner as is shown on the side to permit the heat to escape. 
 With the long Mandarin gowns extending to the floor the heat from 
 the coals was effective. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 19 inches. 
 
 Ends, 121% inches. 
 
 No. 52 
 UMBRELLA STAND. BLUE AND WHITE 
 
 This piece is a beautiful example of the best of the old blue and 
 white. The decoration consists of many varieties of feathered ani- 
 mals on foot and wing, also of shrubs painted in brilliant blue under 
 the glaze. The field of the purest white is marked out with bands of 
 trellis and fret-work. Because of the perfection of glaze and color 
 this piece is often chosen as an example of the best of the Kang-he 
 blue and white. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 24 inches. 
 
 Diameter, 9 inches. 
 
Plate XXIX 
 
 ts 
 
No. 54 BEATE XX LX 
 IMPERIAL BEAKER VASE 
 
 The entire surface is covered with conventional paeonies and 
 foliage. [wo fabled phoenixes on the neck of the vase and two on 
 the body seem to float among the foliage, as if in the clouds. This 
 fabled bird, the fung-kwang, is the Empress crest. Only pieces made 
 at the Imperial factory and for the Imperial household carry this 
 crest as a decoration, hence such pieces are highly prized and valu- 
 able. The porcelain is of purest blue and white, and unblemished 
 glaze. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 171% inches. 
 
 Base, 51% inches. 
 
 Top, 8 inches. 
 
 81 
 
Plate XXX 
 
 82 
 
Nos. 55-57 | PIES LEO 
 BLUE AND WHITE SEMI-EGGSHELL RICE BOWLS 
 
 Three of a set of eight in this collection. They are from the 
 Viceroy Tien collection and were gifts from Emperor Kang-he in 
 1670, while Tien was Viceroy at Chin Cheu, where his remains were 
 buried and his descendants still reside (see page 20). 
 
 There is no finer example of blue and white than these pieces 
 afford. The fung-kwang, or phoenix, a fabulous bird with a verte- 
 brate tail, is the outstanding figure on each piece. The phoenix 
 was the emblem of the Empress. To place this crest on any work 
 of art not intended for the Imperial family was punished by death, 
 so no question arises as to the authenticity of these pieces. 
 
 Mark: ‘Two fishes joined by fillets within two blue rings. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Nos. 62, 65, 67-69 
 
 Beer. PATTERN. CURS 
 
 This beautiful decoration was made by cutting out the designs 
 in the body of the paste, then filling in the apertures with glaze. 
 The designs were usually leaves or flowers or stars, made of small 
 holes cut in the thin paste, each hole being in form that of a grain of 
 rice. When filled with the glaze, the design shows up as translucent, 
 giving a charming effect. ‘This interesting ware was produced during 
 the Kien Lung period (1736-1795). In the set are two bowls and 
 two tea cups with covers. 
 
 Nos. 78-79 
 A PAIR’ OF BRUSH HOLDERS 
 
 Blue and white covered with varied scenes running at will 
 around the pieces. Mountains, sea, trees, pagodas, junks, sampans 
 and arched bridges combine to make up the ensemble. These 
 pieces, because of their perfection in all that goes to make the best 
 of the old blue and white lost art pieces, are often used as examples 
 
 Mark, four Chinese characters. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 81% inches. 
 
 Diameter, 3 inches. 
 
 83 
 
Plate XXXI 
 
 96 01 08 “SON 
 
 84 
 
Nos. 80 to 96 PEATE AA X! 
 peer ON OF BLUE AND. WHITE 
 
 On this plate is a group of sixteen small pieces of blue and white. 
 The two vases with bird decorations are of the Keen-lung period, 
 1736-1795, as is the lower bowl at the left on a stand and the two 
 small bowls on either side of the center piece. The saucers in the 
 rear with cups in front are beautiful examples of the popular old 
 willow patterns as they were produced in the Kang-he period. 
 The other pieces are also Kang-he productions (1661-1722). 
 
 The center piece, an incense burner, is especially worth calling 
 attention to. The glaze is of the purest white. [he decoration 
 consists of Buddhist emblems and of symbols and signs in blue. 
 
 Mark, two blue rings. Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 SAM SUI CUPS 
 
 Four of a set of eight small Samsui cups in foreground. These 
 are beautiful little examples of the old ware. They bear on their 
 base in blue under the glaze the Chinese written character denoting 
 jade, by which the artist indicated that he produced an article 
 “as valuable as jade.” The decoration represents horses feeding on 
 the overhanging branches of weeping willows. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 114 inches. 
 
 Width, 214 inches. 
 
 85 
 
went 2D HE RR a 
 
No. 97 PLATE XX X11 
 PERSIAN WATER BOTTLE 
 
 With long, slender neck, slightly flaring at top. Blue and white. 
 The entire bowl, above a border scroll at the base, is covered by 
 small scrolls, woven so closely that the white base is almost obscured. 
 Among these scrolls are numerous conventionalized paeonies, and 
 chrysanthemums. The neck is covered with sweet flags. About 
 the shoulders and the rim are bands of flowers and foliage. The 
 decoration is odd and unusual, but artistic and attractive. 
 
 Mark, two blue rings. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 131% inches. Base, 51% inches. Top, 31% inches. 
 
 No. 98 
 BLUE AND WHITE GINGER JAR 
 
 Of rare beauty and unsurpassed quality. The pattern is usually 
 called hawthorn, or Prunus. The blossoms appear in the flaked 
 blue, as reserves of white. There are no branches, or stems. The 
 blossoms appear to have fallen upon small pieces of cracked ice. 
 These old unblemished pieces are rare and very valuable. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 4 inches. Base, 2 inches. Top, | inch. 
 
 No. 99 
 PERSIAN WINE BOTTLE 
 
 Of blue and white. The decoration consists of dragons floating 
 among the clouds. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Keen Lung (1736-1795). 
 
 Height, 111% inches. Base, 44% inches. Top, 2 inches. 
 
 No. 100 
 INCENSE BURNER, WITH COVER AND CARVED STAND 
 
 Blue and white. While the form of this piece is not attractive, 
 experts have pronounced the glaze and both the white and the blue 
 as superior to any piece they ever examined. Unfortunately the 
 rim at some time has been nicked, then ground down, which detracts 
 from its appearance. 
 
 Height, 31% inches. 
 
 Diameter, 91% inches. 
 
 No. 101 
 BEAKER VASE 
 
 Blue and white. The wide flaring trumpet-shaped mouth and 
 graceful outlines of the piece, as well as the fine smooth glaze, pure 
 white and exquisite blue all combine to make one of the finest 
 specimens of Kang-he blue and white, among the scores of fine 
 specimens in this collection. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 15 inches. Base, 5 inches. Top, 8 inches. 
 
 87 
 
Plate XX XIII 
 
 102 
 
 88 
 
No. 102 PEATE XXXII 
 
 BEAKER® VASE 
 
 With trumpet mouth and powdered blue under the glaze. 
 The decoration consists of ascending and descending branches of 
 hawthorn in the form of white reserves in the purest of blue. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 Height, 18 inches. 
 
 Base, 51% inches. 
 
 Top, 91% inches. 
 
 89 
 
Plate XXXIV 
 
 103 : 
 
 90 
 
No. 103 PISA XX LV 
 
 GINGER JAR 
 
 Decoration, clouded flaked blue in which the white reserves 
 are glob Prunus blossoms. ‘There are no examples of ancient Chinese 
 porcelains more highly prized than these old “hawthorn” blue and 
 white ginger jars. [hey have frequently sold for from five thousand 
 dollars each to as much as twenty thousand dollars. 
 
 The blue is laid on in flakes to represent cracked ice upon which 
 the blossoms of the Prunus were supposed to fall in early spring as 
 the ice floated down stream; at least a poetic conception well executed. 
 
 Mark, two blue rings. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (16061-1722). 
 
 Height, 81% inches. 
 
 Body, 9 inches. 
 
 ot 
 
Plate XX XV 
 
No. 104 PLATE XXXV 
 BEAKER VASE, WITH FLARING TRUMPET MOUTH 
 
 Blue and white. The decoration consists of sprays of foliage 
 running at will all over the surface, with here and there a Hibiscus 
 flower protruding through the leaves. A small diaper band about 
 the shoulder is the only break in the profusion of leaves. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Mark, two blue rings with Chinese private seal. 
 
 Height, 161% inches. 
 
 Base, 6 inches. 
 
 Top, 9 inches. 
 
 Nos. 105-106 
 TWO SMALL IMPERIAL VASES 
 (Seven Inches High) 
 
 With five-clawed dragons floating in the clouds. The white is 
 pure, the blue dragons and clouds are touched with rose colored 
 tints. On the bottom are also painted in blue with the same rose - 
 tints, two dragons. The pieces are finely executed and the quality 
 fe Dest...) -. 
 
 Period, Yung-Ching (1722-1736). 
 
 No. 107 
 INVERTED PEAR SHAPED JAR 
 
 Of brilliant flaked blue representing cracked ice, in erick the 
 decoration consists of reserves in the purest white. The Prunus, 
 or plum blossoms, spread over the entire surface in both ascending 
 and descending branches. This decoration is also known as the 
 hawthorn pattern. The broken ice flakes are in the finest sky 
 blue, and the apparent depth of the glaze and the skill of the artist 
 in piling the flakes one against the other carry out the aim of the 
 artist to represent cracked ice. 
 
 The form is most attractive. The top is without flange, the 
 bowl is large and tapers down to the small base upon which it stands. 
 
 Marks: ‘Two blue rings within which are the four characters 
 
 of the Kang-he period (1661-1722). 
 Height, 16 inches. Base, 7 inches. Mouth, 4 inches. 
 
 No. 108 
 BEAKER VASE, WITH FLARING TOP 
 
 Blue and white of the late Ming period. The glaze is clear 
 and smooth, the white pure and the color of a pale blue, more com- 
 mon to that period and in contrast to the rich cobalt colors of the 
 Kang-he reign. The motif is that of fishermen, in the lower panel, 
 hauling in a seine, one man pulling from the shore, another from a 
 boat; next above are reserves of flowers and foliage; on the neck 
 nd flaring top is a mandarin in official robes, presenting to his son 
 his future bride who is accompanied by her maid. 
 
 Mark, two blue rings with a leaf. 
 
 Period, Ming. Height, 181% inches. Base, 61% inches. 
 
 Top, 834 inches. ‘ 
 
 3 
 
Plate XXXVI 
 
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Ros. 109, 110; 111 PICA ae oo Vil 
 BLUE AND WHITE VASES (A set of three) 
 
 The main surface is in pure white on which are numerous im- 
 mortals, characters, emblems and foliage. Valued for the purity 
 of glazes and color. 
 
 Mark, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 Height, 9 inches. 
 
 95 
 
Plate XX XVII 
 
 96 
 
No. 112 PLATE XXXVII 
 ~ FLOWER VASE (Blue and White) 
 
 Flower Vase with long neck slightly flaring toward the mouth 
 The body is in the purest white, the decoration in deep cobalt blue. 
 At the base is a deep panel band above which the bowl is covered 
 with dragon floating in the clouds chasing the pearl of great price. 
 There are also reserves containing flowers of the four seasons alter- 
 nated with large Joo-e heads. 
 
 On the neck are sweet flags and near the top are four bands of 
 trellis and diaper work. This is a most valuable and rare example 
 of the blue and white of the best period. 
 
 Mark, Kang-he (1€61-1722). Height, 10 inches. 
 
 No. 113 CYLINDRICAL VASE 
 Cylindrical Vase, one of a pair, in blue and white. The decora- 
 tion is peonies and foliage running at will all over the surface of the 
 piece. Both the white and the blue are of the purest and the glaze 
 smooth and perfect. Nomark. Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 Height, 1214 inches. Base, 3 inches. Mouth, 4% inches. 
 
 No. 120 PLATE (Blue and White) 
 
 Plate, Blue and White. The entire surface is covered with 
 branches of shrubs the leaves of which are arranged in concentric 
 circles. 
 
 No mark. Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). Diameter, 14 inches. 
 
 No. 121 GINGER JAR (Hawthorn Pattern) 
 
 Ginger Jar, Hawthorn Pattern. Short unglazed neck. The 
 entire surface is covered with flaked blue of unexcelled quality. 
 In the blue are reserves of pure white in the form of prunus blos- 
 soms without stems. The flakes of blue represent broken ice chips 
 piled one against the other on which the blossoms have fallen when 
 the ice had floated down stream to warmer climes which is the idea 
 the artist sought to convey. 
 
 There are no examples of ancient porcelain more popular or 
 more valuable than these Kang-he blue and white ginger jars. 
 This small specimen is worthy of its class. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 5 inches. 
 
 No. 122 BOTTLE NECK VASE (Blue and White) 
 
 Bottle Neck Vase, blue and white, with long slender neck. 
 One of a pair in this collection. Decoration in bright blue of birds, 
 flowers, butterflies and other insects among foliage which covers 
 the entire surface. Period, Keen-lung (1736-1795). 
 
 No. 124 BEAKER (Blue and White) 
 Beaker, Blue and White. One of a pair. Remarkable for the 
 purity and depth of its glaze and the sky blue of the decoration. 
 Mark, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 Height, 11 inches. : 
 9 
 
Plate XX XVIII 
 
 98 
 
Nos. 125-126 RIA EOC Lt 
 
 PAIR OF CYLINDRICAL HOLDERS (Blue and White) 
 
 Main body covered with fret-work in brilliant blue. Two 
 white reserves, one on each side, in which are two warriors mounted 
 on horses, armed with long lances, in combat. The decoration is 
 marked off by narrow bands, flowers and fruits at top and bottom. 
 
 Mark, in four characters—Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 14 inches. 
 
 Diameter, 4 inches. 
 
 INO: 127 
 BEAKER (Blue and White) 
 
 The white is of the purest and the blue the deep cobalt of the 
 Kang-he period. The decoration on the upper and lower sections 
 consists of the Eight Immortals, said to have lived a thousand years 
 before Christ and possessed the elixir of immortality. They are 
 mounted on animals, some of them mythical, and hold their emblems ~ 
 in their hands. One of a pair. 
 
 Mark—Four Characters—Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 10% inches. 
 
 Base, 31% inches. 
 
 Top, 41% inches. 
 
 ios128 
 EAS POT 
 
 Tea Pot, with porcelain handle and spout. Blue and white. 
 Decoration paeonies, chrysanthemums, rocks and shrubs, also a few 
 magpies to give life to the scene. A key pattern band surrounds 
 the neck on the outside while on the inside of the flange swastika 
 emblems, bees. and peaches, all emblems of happiness, alternate in a 
 band artistic and expressive. The white is pure, the blue of the 
 best of the Kang-he period. 
 
 Mark: Four Characters. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 5 inches. 
 
 Base, 4 inches. 
 
 Top of flanged rim, 41% inches. 
 
 No. 129 
 PEAR SHAPE VASE (Blue and White) 
 
 Pear Shape Vase. Blue and white, with short bottle neck. 
 The decoration is spread all over the piece, consisting of scrolls, 
 emblems and charms. About the neck is a band of sweet flags. 
 The drawings are most artistic, the glaze and coloring brilliant and 
 uninjured. 
 
 Mark—Four Characters—Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 11 inches. 
 
 Base, 3% inches. 
 
 Top, 2 inches. 
 
 99 
 
Plate XXXIX 
 
 A 
 
 130 
 
 100 
 
No. 130 PLATE XXXIX_ 
 BULBOUS GINGER JAR 
 
 Blue and white, the blue being laid on in flakes representing 
 broken ice. The white appears in the form of branches of hawthorn, 
 or Prunus, spreading over the surface as reserves from the blue. 
 A valuable specimen. 
 
 Mark, two blue rings. 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 Height, 13 inches. 
 
 Base, 7 inches. 
 
 Top, 41% inches. 
 
 Bowl, 101% inches. 
 
 101 
 
Plates <> 
 
 102 
 
No. 131 PRATEeXL 
 
 PE enmON VASE, PEAR SHAPED (Flambe) 
 
 The flambe, or splashed celedons are freaks which sometimes 
 result in producing pieces of wondrous beauty. They were intended 
 to be sang de boeuf, or ruby red colors, but instead came out of the 
 furnace with splashes of purple and blue, sometimes in grotesque 
 forms. On this vase the colors are divided into four sections run- 
 ning from rim to base. On two opposite sides the ox-blood red came 
 out with brilliant perfection, while the two opposite quarters are a- 
 mixture of purple and blue oddly blended with the edges of the red. 
 
 Period, Yung-Ching (1723-1736). 
 Height, 13 inches. 
 
 Base, 4% inches. 
 
 Top, 5 inches. 
 
 Io; 132 
 
 CELEDON BEAKER VASE (Color: sea green) 
 
 The glaze is very smooth and without flaw. The decoration 
 consists of engraved scrolls, foliage and flowers running at will all 
 over the piece with a band of Joo-e heads on the shoulder. The rim 
 is flaring. [he figures seem to stand out as if in bas-relief, but the 
 surface of the glaze is smooth. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Yung-Ching (1723-1795). 
 Height, 15 inches. 
 
 Base, 41% inches. 
 
 Top, 51% inches. 
 
 103 
 
Plate XE] 
 
 104 
 
No. 134 PEATE OAL] 
 PEAR SHAPE VASE 
 
 Mirror, black. One of a pair, with slender neck and thin 
 flaring mouth. The glaze is beautifully clear and, as its name indi- 
 cates, reflects objects clearly like a mirror. The pieces were pro- 
 duced both in the Kang-he and Yung-Ching periods, with equal 
 merit. Being unmarked, it is not easy to determine to which reign 
 a given piece belongs. 
 
 Period, 1700 to 1730. 
 
 Height, 81% inches. 
 
 Base, 3 inches. 
 
 Top, 314 inches. 
 
 No. 135 
 SMALL FLAMBE VASE 
 
 Splashes of blue and purple streaks over brilliant ruby red. 
 With ears in light blue tint. Secured in Imperial palace in 1900, 
 during Boxer uprising. 
 
 Mark, Keen-lung (1736-1795). 
 
 Height, 9 inches. 
 
 Base, 214 inches. 
 
 Top, 1% inches. 
 
 FLAMBE 
 
 Flambe is a freak. Many of the beautiful flambes were intended 
 to be sang de boeufs but in firing, instead of coming out with the 
 ox-blood, or ruby red, they are splashed with blue and gray in various 
 tints and splotches. So much were some of these prized by the 
 Chinese that they experimented by making sudden changes of 
 temperature in firing, hoping to obtain the splashes of color in some 
 desired fantastic shapes. The best of these flambes were produced 
 during the Yung-Ching and Keen-lung periods. However, fairly 
 good pieces are produced today, many of which are placed on the 
 market as genuine Keen-lung productions. The clear, bright red 
 pieces, free from clots, with a bluish tint at the top of the flaring 
 rim and extending down the neck are characteristic of modern pro- 
 ductions. 
 
 105 
 
Plate XLII 
 
No. 136 BeA TE XEIL 
 
 BOgsEP INE GIS VASE 
 
 With long neck, slightly flaring mouth and cylindrical body 
 with sloping shoulders. Pigeon blue of the most brilliant, deep 
 glaze. This is a charming piece because of the perfection of its 
 single color, as well as its graceful form. It is one of the most highly 
 prized pieces in the collection and of great value. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 Height, 21 inches. 
 
 Base, 51% inches. 
 
 Top, 234 inches. 
 
 107 
 
Plate XLIII 
 
 SP Re 
 IEE 
 
 oe 
 
 Pitas oe 
 
 LESS 
 
 108 
 
Iasi! 375,138; 139 ial ie SSF] 
 eee eve i | WO PEAR SHAPED VASES TO MATCH 
 
 A monochrome decoration of sky blue, or mazarine blue. The 
 depth and brilliancy of the glaze and coloring gives this trio an 
 attractiveness despite their want of variety in decoration. They 
 have been well preserved and are free from blemish. Just as the 
 unrivaled ruby red pieces reached their highest perfection in the 
 period of Kang-he, so the best of the monochrome blues came in 
 the succeeding reign of Yung-Ching (1723-1736), and to this period 
 this trio belongs. 
 
 Beaker: Height, 22 inches; Base, 8 inches; Top, 10 inches. 
 
 Vases: Height, 18 inches; Base, 6 inches; Top, 8 inches. 
 
 109 
 
Plate XUEV 
 
 110 
 
 140 
 
No. 140-141 PEA esl 
 
 FAMILLE ROSE VASES 
 
 Cylindrical in form. Made during brief reign of Yung-Ching, 
 when the most valuable porcelains in existence were produced. The 
 decoration is all the soft rose tints which first appeared in this reign. 
 The motif is that of a garden scene extending around the body of 
 the piece, in which loiter Chinese ladies beautifully costumed and 
 gracefully posed. 
 
 The beauty of this exquisite pair is enhanced by five bands 
 whose varied width and form, in artistically balanced proportions, 
 bear testimony to the superior genius of the artist who painted the 
 pieces. Only two vases with similar decorations were ever painted 
 by these old master artists. It is only in rare instances that both 
 pieces have survived free from blemish, as are these beautiful ex- 
 amples of the best period. 
 
 Period, Yung-Ching (1723-1736). 
 
 Height, 23 inches. 
 
 Base, 5 inches. 
 
 Top, 4 inches. 
 
- 
 -. 
 
 © 
 & 
 — 
 
No. 142 PEATE @XEV 
 Dud leR Ei ye PEALE 
 
 The face of the plate is white, on which are painted numerous 
 butterflies of varied sizes and gorgeous colors. On the rim these 
 insects are so crowded and overlapped that they form a band of 
 brilliant colors. The butterfly is the sign of conjugal felicity. 
 In fact, it is sometimes called the Chinese Cupid. The origin of 
 this is to be found in the story told by the Taoist philosopher, Chuang- 
 tzu, of a young student who, running after a beautiful butterfly, 
 unknowingly intruded into the private garden of a retired magis- 
 trate, whose daughter he thus saw and was so struck with her charms 
 that he determined to work very hard and try to obtain her for his 
 wife. In this he was successful and rose to high rank. 
 
 No Mark. 
 Period, Yung-Ching (1723-1736). 
 Diameter, 101% inches. 
 
 Nos. 143, 144 
 
 FAMILLE ROSE RICE BOWLS 
 
 Each is one of a pair in this collection. The decoration is in 
 polychrome in which the rose tints govern. These bowls are beau- 
 tiful specimens of a period when the finest five-colored porcelains 
 in existence were produced. 
 
 Period, Yung-Ching (1723-1795). 
 Diameter, 7 inches. 
 Height, 3 inches. 
 
 113 
 
5 ails 
 
 ae 
 
 Plate XLVI 
 
 114 
 
 146 
 
Nos. 145, 146 PUATLESXL V1 
 BOTTLE NECK VASES WITH FAMILLE ROSE DECORATION 
 
 All over the large swelling bowl and the neck are flowers and 
 foliage in green, red, blue, violet and yellow, among which are the 
 most brilliant butterflies in gorgeous colors. The butterfly is the 
 emblem of happiness. The painting as well as the glaze, by its 
 high degree of artistic skill, places this piece as either that of the 
 Yung-Ching, or the first decade of the Keen-lung reign, when the 
 famille rose reached its nearest perfection. Glazed base. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Yung-Ching (1723-1736). 
 
 Height, 171% inches. 
 
 Base, 6 inches. 
 
 Top, 3 inches. 
 
 115 
 
Plate XLVII 
 
 116 
 
 148 
 
 147 
 
No. 147 PEA TEX VI 
 Mey CINDRICAL? VASE 
 
 Short bottle neck with flanged rim. The entire surface is 
 covered with soft pale pink of the famille rose type, on which the 
 decoration is painted. Branches of hawthorn in black and auber- 
 gine spread over the entire surface of the vase, with blossoms in 
 pale yellow. On the branches rest magpies. With the early blos- 
 soms of the Prunus before the leaves have made their appearance ~ 
 and the mating magpies, the scene is intended to represent Spring. 
 The vase is remarkable for its delicate tints, its fine penciling and 
 artistic execution. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Yung-Ching (1723-1736). 
 
 Height, 18 inches. 
 
 Base, 4 inches. 
 
 Top, 4% inches. 
 
 No. 148 
 
 Soe ane RETICULATED VASE 
 
 With round neck and flaring mouth. The network of the 
 reticulated sides is so designed as to follow the outline of the decora- 
 tion, which for each of the four sides shows a different scene. Man- 
 darins, horses, tigers, elephants and mythical animals go to make up 
 the various pictures. The five colors of the Yung-Ching period, 
 together with the pale pink employed as a background all over the 
 piece, as well as the excellence of the technique, place this as a 
 product of the Yung-Ching period (1723-1735). 
 
 Height, 171% inches. 
 
 117 
 
XLVITI 
 
No. 149, 152 PRAT aA Lyi Tt 
 
 RIGE BOWLS 
 
 One each of two pairs of fine, hard, translucent porcelain bowls 
 of the best period of the production. The decorations are in three 
 colors. One set with two dragons encircling the bowl, the other with 
 bamboo and flying insects. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Yung-Ching or early Keen-lung (1723-1736). 
 
 119 
 
Plate XLIX 
 
 120 
 
 166 
 
 164 
 
 159 
 
 157 
 
 153 
 
 163 
 
Nos. 153-172 BIA Ext ix 
 PSVARTED GROUP OF SMALL PIECES 
 
 Consisting of vases, dishes, bowls and tea-cups, being repre- 
 sentative of many others in the collection. The vases are Kang-he 
 pieces (1661-1722). The large dish is Yung-Ching; decoration the 
 Phoenix (1723-1736). The bowls and cups Keen-lung (1736-1795). 
 The cups are egg-shell porcelains, translucent and frail. 
 
 121 
 
Plate L 
 
No. 173 BUA Se 
 Poin GriROME” VASE 
 
 Of pure white decorated with Chinese mandarins mounted 
 on mythical animals in green, rose, blue, vermilion red and yellow. 
 They are followed by attendants bearing banners. The neck is 
 circled with swordsmen fencing. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Keen-lung (1736-1795). 
 Height, 14 inches. 
 
 Base, 4 inches. 
 
 ec.) inches, 
 
 123 
 
Plate Li 
 
No. 174-175 edkaaed Mate 1 ha | 
 
 POLYCHROME VASES 
 
 A Pair of Polychrome Vases, of the Keen-lung period. In — 
 form they are square with increasing size up to the shoulder. The 
 neck is also quadrilateral with concave sides. There is a broad 
 band of paneled lattice work around the base, one at the shoulder 
 and another at the rim. The decorations consist of mandarins in 
 elaborate robes with attendants. The portraits are finely drawn 
 and the color, which is of the famille rose type, includes green, blue, 
 brown, rose and yellow. 
 
 While these pieces are excellent for the period they do not 
 equal in artistic execution the products of the Imperial factories 
 of the Kang-he and Yung-Ching reigns which preceded Keen-lung. 
 Doubtless these pieces were made during the early part of the reign, 
 or about A. D. 1740. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Keen-lung (1736-1795). 
 
 Height, 23 inches. 
 
 Base, 514 inches. 
 
 Top, 614 inches. 
 
 125 
 
Plate LII 
 
 126 
 
 187 
 
 176 
 
 178 
 
No. 176 | PLATE LII 
 
 KEEN-LUNG IMPERIAL DISH 
 
 With five-clawed dragon. Imperial yellow covers the face of 
 the dish with a key pattern band at the rim in aubergine, pale blue 
 and light pink colors. Over the yellow surface is enamel scrollwork, 
 flowers and fruits in blue and rose tints. There are five circular 
 reserves in white, each with an Imperial five-clawed dragon in gold 
 and famille rose, lightly touched with green. The center disk has a 
 border of blue on which is laid a band of Joo-e heads in rose tint. 
 
 The outside is in rice-tinted white over which are scrolls and 
 flowers in enameled colors. It is a piece of striking beauty and as 
 the crest shows was made for the Imperial household. 
 
 Period, Keen-lung (1736-1795). 
 
 Height, 21% inches. 
 
 Diameter, 12 inches. 
 
 No. 178 
 IMPERIAL YELLOW DISH (One of a pair) 
 
 With five-clawed green dragon on face, also encircling the outer 
 side. The piece was made during the early part of the reign of the 
 last Emperor. It does not equal in artistic beauty the Keen-lung 
 dish in this picture, but is of good quality. As it was obtained from 
 the Imperial palace during the Boxer uprising in 1900 it takes on 
 added interest. 
 
 Mark—Kwang-shiu (1875). 
 
 Height, 21% inches. 
 
 Diameter, 11 inches. 
 
 Nos. 179 to 190 
 
 The other pieces in this plate are Keen-lung productions in 
 famille rose colors. 
 
 t27 
 
Plate LITI 
 
 128 
 
No. 191 PEATE III 
 
 CYLINDRICAL VASE (Polychrome) 
 
 Cylindrical Vase, polychrome, with bottle neck and flanged 
 rim. At the base is a broad trellis band in colors. The main body 
 of the vase is in white. The scene, or motif, is of a lover presenting 
 a pearl to his lady love standing beneath a weeping willow. The 
 ladys maid attends near by, while the groom holds his master’s 
 horse. On the shoulders of the vase is a band of trellis work in 
 which are four small reserves filled with symbols and emblems. 
 On the neck are seven different bands of various colors and designs. 
 
 Mark—Leaf in two blue rings. 
 
 Period, Kang-he (1661-1722). 
 
 Height, 18 inches. 
 
 Base, 6 inches. 
 
 Top, 414 inches. 
 
 Nos. 192, 193 
 
 PAIR OF TEA CADDIES 
 
 Fine porcelain decorated in famille rose. Unglazed base. The 
 decoration consists of mandarins and attendants, one with the 
 official umbrella, painted rose vert colors of the Keen-lung period. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Keen-lung (1736-1795). 
 
 Height, 5 inches. 
 
 Size, 214x3% inches. 
 
 No. 194 
 BOTTLE NECK’ VASE, FAMILLE ROSE 
 
 The neck is long and slender with flaring mouth. The colors 
 are deep and rich, the drawings and technique of rare merit. The 
 costumes of the persons in the decorations as well as the beautiful 
 scroll work and diaper bands are in the rose and green tints which 
 have made the productions of the Yung-Ching and early Keen-lung 
 periods so popular. 
 
 Mark—Two blue rings. 
 
 Period, Keen-lung (1736-1795). 
 
 Height, 18 inches. 
 
 Base, 5 inches. 
 
 Top, 4% inches. 
 
 129 
 
Plate LIV 
 
No. 195 QL OGRe inal 
 
 PEAR SHAPED VASE (With flaring mouth and ears) 
 
 The main body of the vase is of soft unglazed pottery, in light 
 yellow tint and grained surface. On each of four sides are large 
 medallions of pure white porcelain surrounded by raised border in 
 colors. In the medallions are landscapes and Chinese persons— 
 in some males, others females. Outside these reserves are con- 
 ventionalized and mythical animals, as well as branches and flowers. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Taou Kwong (1821-1851). 
 
 Height, 16 inches. 
 
 Base, 5 inches. 
 
 Top, 6 inches. 
 
 131 
 
Plate LV 
 
No. 196 PLATE LV 
 CELEDON VASE 
 
 With brown crackle glaze over which is a blue enamel decora- 
 tion, consisting of a tree and fungus plants. The background for 
 the tree is gray crackle in which appear splotches of the brown, 
 while the rest of the surface is a fine brown crackle. Two storks, 
 emblems of conjugal happiness, complete the picture. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period, Keen-lung (A. D. 1736-1795). 
 Height, 181% inches. 
 
 Base, 51% inches. 
 
 Top, 51% inches. 
 
 133 
 
Plate LVI 
 
 197 
 
 200 
 
 134 
 
No. 197 ; PEATE CVI 
 
 GRAY CRACKLE VASE 
 
 One of a pair. With bottle neck and flange rim. Glazed 
 pottery on soft paste. Decoration Chinese figures on mythical 
 animals done in colors. 
 
 No mark. 
 
 Period—A Ming production, about A. D. 1600. 
 
 No. 200 
 
 GRAY CRACKLE VASE 
 
 One of a pair, with ferruginous bands at the base, on the shoulder 
 and on the outer rim of the mouth. On the neck are iron-colored 
 ears in the form of lions, while the dragons in raised figures encircle 
 the shoulder of the pieces. The decoration on the body represents 
 a battle scene in red, green, blue, yellow and aubergine, applied 
 as an enamel. Mark Ching-hua (1465-1488), but are doubtless 
 an imitation. Made during the Keen-lung period (1735-1795). 
 There are many modern imitations of this ware with same marks, in 
 the markets of Canton and Shanghai. They are inferior in glaze 
 and artistic decoration. On the other hand, they could not be 
 imposed on one familiar with ancient ware and recent imitations. 
 
 Height, 14 inches. 
 Base, 5 inches. 
 Top, 6% inches. 
 
 135 
 
PiAd ieee vit 
 
 802 
 LOZ 
 
 x | 
 
 $55 
 
 tC 
 
 fa; 
 
 136 
 
Nos. 201-214 PEE V IT 
 Beales OF VARIED PERIODS 
 
 In this group of fourteen plates are samples of productions 
 of three hundred years. The two central pieces are celedons of an 
 early Ming period. The lower one is of special merit. It is very 
 heavy and the celedon glaze is of pale green jade color, remarkably 
 smooth and clear. The decoration in blue, of mountains and sea, 
 with fishermen and their huts is the work of an artist. 
 
 The other pieces are representative of their period and date 
 from Kang-he (1661) to Taou-Kwang (1857). 
 
 137 
 
Nos216-220 PLATE LVIII 
 | IMPERIAL BOWLS AND CUPS 
 
 In this plate are shown five tea-cups and one rice bowl, there 
 being five more cups and one more bow! in this collection. They 
 are all of Imperial yellow, decorated with five-clawed dragons with 
 beautiful fretwork and bands together with flowers in profusion 
 in delicate tints of pink, blue, red and green. The pieces are mod- 
 ern and bear the mark of the last Emperor, Kwang-shiu, and were 
 taken from the palace at Peking during the Boxer uprising, in 1900, 
 by a European officer from whom they were obtained along with 
 other pieces in this collection, which is acknowledged in each instance. 
 
 They were made at the Imperial factories in King-te-chen 
 and are the best example of modern Chinese porcelain to be had. 
 
 139 
 
Plate LIX 
 
 234 
 
 EK Fs 
 
 231 
 
 E 
 f 
 
 230 
 
 140 
 
ANCIENT BRONZES 
 
 The art of casting, moulding and chiseling of bronze by the 
 Chinese dates back to the third millenium B. C. During this 
 half-mythical period the methods employed were crude, the designs 
 fantastic and inscriptions, if any, consisted of Archaic pictorial 
 characters. 
 
 To the reign of the great Yu, the founder of the Hsia dynasty, 
 are attributed the first bronzes containing records, or inscriptions 
 of historical significance. He is recorded as having cast the metal 
 sent in as tribute from the nine provinces of his Empire into nine 
 tripod caldrons (ting) of bronze. These tripods are said to have 
 been carved with maps and figures giving lists of resources of the 
 province from whence each came. These were also representations 
 of evil spirits, of the sources of storms, of demons, of the woods and 
 wild places, so that the people might recognize them and avoid 
 them. The nine tripods were long preserved as palladia of the king- 
 dom, till they were lost or destroyed in the wars which attended 
 the close of the Chou Dynasty. 
 
 The model was preserved in the form of other tripods made 
 about the beginning of the Christian era. Eighteen of these large 
 tripods representing the eighteen provinces into which China is 
 now divided still stand on the sides of the open Court of the principal 
 palace at Peking. These tripod vessels, called ting, may be illus- 
 trated by numbers 241 and 242, in Plate LXI. These pieces were 
 made during the Han dynasty (B. C. 206-A. D. 220). They were 
 obtained from a European officer at the close of the Boxer rebellion 
 and were said to have been taken from the palace of one of the reign- 
 ing princes. 
 
 One of the oldest forms of ancient bronzes is that of a sacri- 
 ficial wine vase known as the Ku, with slender body, slightly spread- 
 ing foot and flaring trumpet-shaped mouth—(see figure 234, Plate 
 LIX). It is moulded with four vertical dentated ridges projecting 
 from the sides of the stem and foot, between which appear in re- 
 lief the lineaments of the too-t’ieh, ogre, on a ground of fretwork 
 representing clouds. The design extends up to the neck, on which 
 are four conventional palm leaves. (Period B. C. 1766). 
 
 There is an Archaic inscription Fu-Keng, ‘For my father Keng,”’ 
 within a cartouche (ya) supposed by Chinese Archaeologists to figure 
 the outlines of a temple. 
 
 This graceful bronze vessel dates back to the Shang Dynasty 
 (B. C. 1766-1122), and has been pronounced to be genuine by 
 Chinese Archaeologists. It is one of the oldest examples of Chinese 
 bronze productions in existence. It is covered with a heavy coat of 
 corroded metal which it has taken almost four thousand years to 
 produce. The same corroding covers the other ancient pieces, al- 
 _ though those made since the beginning of the Christian era bear 
 evidence of fewer centuries than does this piece and the brazier 
 which dates back eight hundred years before Christ. 
 
 141 
 
Plate LX 
 
 142 
 
The large incense burner, No. 232, Plate LIX, is a production 
 of the Han Dynasty (A. D. 960-1287). This particular piece is 
 inlaid with fine silver wire in the form of scrolls and conventional 
 figures. It was not part of the original design. Chinese records 
 show that this decoration was often added to old bronzes about 
 four hundred years ago by artizans of Foo-Chou where this spec- 
 imen was obtained. As a work of art this old censer ranks high. 
 The base and cover are of carved wood, being the root of the tea 
 tree, which is very hard and durable. The knob is a lump of beau- 
 tiful red coral. Height, 12 inches. Bowl, 14 inches in diameter. 
 
 Another piece in the collection is a small temple bell 13 inches 
 high and 10 inches across the mouth, in which large splotches of 
 gold appear, being mixed with the metal when it was cast. 
 
 Figure No. 237, Plate LX, shows an ancient bronze brazier 
 on a carved teak-wood stand, a row of loose rings swinging from 
 below the outer rim. On the bottom of the inside of the piece 
 are two fishes. This piece dates back to eight hundred years B. C. 
 and is highly prized by connoisseurs. 
 
 143 
 
Plate LXI 
 
 F 
 t 
 
 evc 
 
 lve 
 
 144 
 
CLOISONNE 
 
 The art of casting, chiseling and carving bronzes has been 
 somewhat neglected in China during the past six hundred years 
 except as exemplified by Cloisonnes. It is a mistake to attribute 
 the origin of Cloisonne to either China or Japan, as is often done , 
 or the Cloisonne of either country to an early period. Cloisonnes 
 were first introduced into China by artizans from Arabia and Con- 
 stantinople about the year A. D. 1556. It spread rapidly over 
 China and later was introduced into Japan. There are many exam- 
 ples of the art to be found dating back to the late Ming period, but 
 they are crude and the enamel in the Cloisonnes is pitted although 
 they possess great beauty in form. 
 
 During the reign of Yung-Ching (1723-1736) the Cloisonne 
 production reached its highest perfection, both in technique and 
 artistic accomplishment. Hitherto the base was copper or brass 
 and the wiring which marks off the decoration was of the same 
 metal. Yung-Ching artists sometimes used copper over which was 
 a heavy plate of gold, and gold wiring. Figure No. 244, Plate LXIII, 
 is of this period. The body and wiring is of pure gold; the Cloi- 
 sonnes are marked off with gold wires and the glaze is of the same 
 high degree of perfection which characterized the porcelain pro- 
 ductions of this reign. They have never been excelled. 
 
 145 
 
DATE MARKS 
 
 The nien haos given on the following pages are from Gulland’s 
 “Chinese Porcelain” and said to be correctly written. The reader 
 will see by looking at the formula at the top where the nien haos 
 fit in, and the difference between that in the formula and the same 
 date as given beneath will afford some idea of the allowance that 
 must be made for variations in writing. 
 
 146 
 
MARKS. 
 
 Mina Date Marks. 
 Hwa, : Great. 
 ie K Zt 
 Period. so aR Ming: fH 
 Made, Bf PL Ohiing. | 
 
 wy, 1% A» x 2 a 
 se z 1T~# Bt 
 1 
 
 » 
 aie 
 
 Hung-woo, 1368-1399. Yung-lo, 1403-1425. Seuen-tih, 1426-1436. 
 
 YR t qi Li 
 we ae {B. 
 
 Ching-hwa, 1465-1488.  Hung-che, 1488-1506. Ching-tih, 15061522. 
 
 = ye & 
 i mo J. & ig 
 ee 
 Oi pt 
 pf B E] 
 Kea-tsing, 1522-1567. Lung-king, 1567—1578. Wan-leih, 1573-1620. 
 147 
 
CHINESE PORCELAIN. 
 
 Tsing Date MARKS. 
 
 Chin. iL k Great. zk 
 Period. ash } 3 Tsing. iW 
 Made. J 3 Yung. . 
 
 3 J 
 
 Shun-che, 1644-1661. Kang-he, 1661-1722. 
 
 ri ca ME -¢ 8 
 rN ye ‘ 
 [z [yes Ke 
 Keen-lung, 1736-1795. Kea-king, 1796-1821. Taou-kwang, 1821-1851. 
 ae =y fl pb # 
 Me a5 } | a (er fa 
 
 Jl WA a 
 
 Heen-fung, 1851-1861. Tung-che, 1862-1875. Kwang-shiu, 1875. 
 
 Yung-ching, 1723-1786, 
 
 148 
 
MARKS. 
 
 Taou, 
 
 ce 
 Period, Nien. nae 
 
 Made, Chit. thar Ve 
 
 mee 
 
 Shun-che, 1644-1662. 
 
 Keen-lung, 1736-1795. 
 
 ats = 
 
 Heen-fung, 1851 -1862. 
 149 
 
 Kang-he, 1661-1722. 
 
 Kea-king, 1796-1821. 
 
 Tung-che, 1862-1875. 
 
 Ta, Great. 
 
 Tsing, Tsing. 
 
 Yung-ching, 1723-1736, 
 
 Taou-kwang, 1821-1861.. 
 
 rc, 
 fies 
 
 Kwang-shiu, 1875. 
 
ae 
 
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