... y w .;; _ ^ MM r 'Jmm ; «MBs i 4«F« MI ^ ■COLLECTION-OF- W-T-mTERS • SECTION-TWO- ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART COLLECTION OF W. T. WALTERS EDITION LIMITED TO FIVE HUNDRED COPIES SECTION TWO Marks on Chinese Porcelain. 4: with the same nien hao, and decorated with medallions of Arabic scrolls—another proof of the prevalence of the Mohammedan religion in China at this time. The mark (see No. 1.) Ta Ming Chia citing nien chih , “Made in the period Chia-ching of the great Ming [dynasty],” represents the next reign (1522-1566), which is characterized by the deep blue of its painted decoration on porcelain. The mark often occurs in a vertical or horizontal line written in a panel in the midst of the decoration. In the large round dish, three feet across, which will be described presently, there is a horizontal panel outside, near the rim, with the exceptional inscription, Ta Ming Chia clung hu nien chili , “ Made in the sixth year of Chia-ching" (1527). The big globular vase illustrated in Plate XLIX has the ordinary form of the mark boldly written underneath in the same deep, strong blue with which the jar is decorated. The two marks (see No. 2) Ta Ming Lung ch'ing nien chih , “ Made in the period Lung-ch’ing (1567-1572) of the great Ming [dynasty]” and (No. 3) Ta Ming IVan li nien chih, "Made in the period Wan-li (1573-1619) of the great Ming [dynasty],” are always coupled together by the Chinese with regard to their porce¬ lain, which is very similar in type. The reign of Wan-li , being much longer than that of his predecessor, is more frequently found. The Japanese are fond of coun¬ terfeiting Chinese marks, especially those of Wan-li and Chia-ching, and these very often occur on Imari pieces which have no pretensions to be contemporary, and which at once betray their alien origin by the peculiar style in which the mark is written. The marks (see No. 4) Ta Ming T'ien ch'i nien chih, “ Made in the period T'ien-ch'i (1621-1627), of the great Ming [dynasty]” and (No. 5) Ta Ming Chung chen nien chih, "Made in the period Chung-chen" (1628-1643) of the great Ming dynasty, are very rare, and occur generally on inferior pieces. The only excep¬ tion that I am aware of is in the case of a series of little globular vases marked underneath with the single character T'ien, “ Heaven,” said to be a contraction of the nien hao T'ien-ch'i. I have seen them decorated in color, as well as painted in blue, and in both cases resembling good specimens of the preceding reign of Wan-li. There is one described in the Catalogue of Blue and White Oriental Porcelain exhibited by the Burlington Fine Arts Club in London in i 8 gg, although the mark which is figured in Plate III, Fig. 22, of the Catalogue, is errone¬ ously deciphered there as Tai, “Great.” A mark of dedication on a temple sacri¬ ficial vase, dated the ninth year of Chung-chSn (1636), will be noticed later. The Chinese were too busily occupied during the last two reigns of the Ming dynasty in disputing the advance of the rising Manchu power to pay much attention to the porcelain manufacture, and the records are absolutely silent on the subject. Citing Dynasty. —Date marks of the reigning dynasty are found, like those of the Ming, consisting either of six characters, or of four only, with the first two, the name of the dynasty, omitted. A new fashion of writing the characters in antique script, in the form of an oblong or square seal, came into vogue in the reign of K’ang-hsi, and in the nineteenth century the majority of the pieces made in the imperial factories at Ching-tS-chfin are dated in that way. The mark of the first reign, Shun-chih (1644-1661), is very rare, and it is doubtful whether there is a genuine instance of a seal mark, although one is figured here for the sake of completeness. The seal mark of K’ang-hsi, even, is not common, although I have seen it on authentic pieces. It was not till the reign of Cliien-lung that the date came to be more often inscribed in the seal character than in the ordinary plain script. The first emperor of the new Manchu dynasty reigned eighteen years under the title of Shun-chih (1644-1661). There is a record of large fish-bowls and veranda plaques having been ordered by him from Ching-t£-ch6n for the decoration of the palace at Peking, such as had been supplied in the reign of Wan-li of the Ming dynasty, but the mandarins in charge were obliged to reply that it was impossible to produce them. The mark occurs in the plain K 4 W Hi No. 1. M. K 4 % H Sr No. 2. M K 4 * %% No. 3. Ml K 4 W No. 4. 4 £ M. iA No. s- 42 Oriental Ceramic Art. character (see No. i), Ta Citing Shun chili nien chili , “Made in the reign of Shun-chih of the great Citing [dynasty]," on small pieces both of enameled and of blue and white porcelain, decorated in the style of the later emperors of the Ming. It is almost as rare, however, as the marks of the last two reigns of the former dynasty, and without the mark the few specimens that I have seen could hardly have been distinguished from Wan-li pro¬ ductions. With regard to the seal mark (see No. 2), it is probably always fictitious. The next reign, that of K'ang-hsi (see No. 3), lasted for the long period of sixty-one years (1662-1722). The early part of his reign was occupied in consoli¬ dating the Manchu rule in the south of China, and in fighting with the viceroy Wu San-kuei, who had declared himself independent. The potteries suffered much in this rebellion, and the imperial factories were burned to the ground during the troubles which lasted from the twelfth to the sixteenth year. They were rebuilt in this last year (1677), and a new era in the history of the ceramic art was inaugu¬ rated. Earlier in the reign the manufactory had been under the direction of the governors of the province, among whom Lang T'ing-tso was the most celebrated, as the inventor of the brilliant sang-de-bamf glaze, which is called after him, Lang Yao. In the year 1677 the official in charge issued a proclamation forbidding the inscription of the imperial nien hao, or of any sacred text, upon porcelain, which, in consequence, had to be marked with the hall-mark of the manufacturer, with the signature of the artist decorator, or with some pictorial or fanciful device. Many of the finest pieces of this time were not marked at all, although a double ring in blue is often found underneath, surviving as an empty relic of the old mark. We are not told when the decree was rescinded. The first imperial commission for the por¬ celain works was appointed at Peking in 1680, and arrived in Ching-t£-ch6n in the following year. One of its most important members was Ts’ang Ying-hsiian, who became sub¬ sequently famous for his monochrome glazes, shades of “eel-skin yellow,” varying from brownish old-gold tints to olive, and “ snake-skin green,” with its brilliant iridescent sheen, and who is generally credited with the invention of the mottled “ peach-bloom,” and the pure pale-blue clair de lime , the finest pieces of which have underneath, the six-character mark of the K'ang- hsi (see No. 3) period, delicately penciled in underglaze cobalt blue. The little eggshell winecup (Fig. 18) shows the ordinary method of inscription of the mark at this time, encircled with a doubled ring. The characters are so minute as almost to require a lens for their decipherment. The seal mark also read (see No. 4), Ta C/iing K'ang-hsi nien chili , “Made in the reign of K'ang-hsi of the great C/iing [dynasty],” has been often counterfeited, but, as I have already observed, I have seen it on undoubtedly genuine pieces. The title of this reign means “ Peace and Joy,” and a quaint mark penciled in blue under another eggshell winecup, Fig. 71 which is decorated with a picture of lotus plants and water-birds, painted in blue and filled in with the pure red and the deep bril¬ liant greens of the early K'ang-hsi period, must be referred to it. The mark reads, IT si c/iao chi wan chili chcn, “A gem among rare trinkets of the reign of joy,” and was no doubt written in this pecul¬ iar way to avoid the inscription of the full nien hao , forbidden by statute at the time, lest it should be profaned on the dust heap. The pair of mandarin ducks swimming in the water and the kingfisher flying above are per¬ fect in their miniature painting. The verse, penciled in blue— “ The root is jade buried in the mud: In the bosom lurk pearls of liquid dew"— is sealed with the character Sluing, “A Gift,” inclosed in a small panel. The verse refers to the jadelike whiteness of the lotus root, which makes a favorite sweetmeat, and to the pearly A 4 f f m Marks on Chinese Porcelain. 43 IS- A 4 if flit Fig. 72.—Yung-chfing Bowl, richly decorated with the enamel colors of the famillc rose. II m n-nl>£l|i drops of water which collect upon the leaves, and are taken by the Buddhists as types of the sacred “jewel of the law.” The succeeding emperor, Yung-cheng, reigned from 1723-1735. The porcelain of the time is characterized by its finished technique as well as by its crisp decoration and delicate col- . oring. The superintendents of the imperial factory were Nien Hsi-yao, distinguished for the purity of his monochrome glazes, and T'ang Ying, the most a,] gij famous of all, a fertile inventor and wonderful repro- ducer of ancient colors, whose name we shall meet No ' I- very often in subsequent pages. The private kilns of SnSjEffn the time also turned out a quantity of fine work, in emulation of the imperial manufactory, as shown by the eggshell tea services and the beautiful ruby- backed plates, which were made principally for export to Europe. The Walters Collection is rich in these, and it contains some of the largest imperial pieces as well, like the magnificent round dishes, one of which is illustrated in Plate XLVIII, and the pilgrim bottle shown in Plate XLVII. Both of these are marked in the ordinary script (see No. 1), Ta Citing Yung-cMng nien chih , “Made in the reign of Yung-cheng of the great Citing [dynasty].” A rare eggshell bowl from one of the private kilns, very richly decorated, in enamel colors of the famille rose and gilding, with a scene of family life, surrounded by diapered grounds and floral brocades, is seen in Fig. 72. It is marked in underglaze cobalt blue with the six-character inscription writ¬ ten in stiff archaic style inside a double ring. The seal form of the same mark (shown in No. 2), occurs more rarely. The reign of the next emperor, Ch'ien-lung, ; was nearly as long as that of his grandfather K'ang-ltsi , and he terminated it by abdicating after the completion of a full cycle of sixty years (1736-1795). The porcelain is generally good and very plentiful, and is so similar to the productions of Yung-cheng that the two reigns are often classed together under the same heading. The mark of Ta Citing Ch'ien-lung nien chih, spL. *< Made in the reign of Ch'ien-lung of the great Cit ing [dynasty],” 1 °' 6 ‘ occurs in both the common (see No. 3) and seal characters, though more generally in the latter (see No. 4), one of the forms of which in four charac¬ ters, with the name of the dynasty omitted, is seen in No. 5. The Emperor Chia-c/iing, the son of Yung-cMng , reigned 1796-1820. The best porcelain of the earlier period is equal to that of the preceding reign, but toward the end it indicates a gradual process of degeneration. The mark, which occurs less fre¬ quently in the ordinary script (see No. 6), is Ta Citing Chia-c/iing nien chih , “Made in the reign of Chia-c/iing of the great Citing [dynasty]," which is shown in No. 7. Tao-kuang succeeded his father in 1821, and reigned till 1850. Some of the 'v finest work of this time was lavished upon ordinary table services, and rice bowls with this mark are eagerly sought by collectors, like the medallion bowl with an etched spiral ground of crimson rouge ci’or, brocaded with flowers of Fig. 73, which has underneath it a square seal penciled in blue (see No. 9), Ta Citing Tao-kuang nien chih , “Made in the reign of Tao-kuang of the great Citing [dynasty].” Specimens of the mark in the ordinary script (see No. 8) are less commonly met with. The son of Tao-kuang, who succeeded his father, reigned under the title of Hsien-feng, a. d. 1851-1861. During the early part of his reign some fine work was produced at the imperial factory, which is usually found marked in full (see No. 10), Ta Citing Hsien-feng nien chih , “Made in the reign of Hsien-feng of the great Citing [dynasty],” penciled in red in the common script. The mark from this time onward seems, for m No. 5- A A 4 vf A A 4 mm f a 4 44 Oriental Ceramic Art. the most part, to have been relegated to the private potters, and is usually indifferently pen¬ ciled (see No. i). In the sixth year of this reign the province of Kiangsi was devastated by the Taiping rebels, and Ching-t6-ch£n especially was almost depopulated, and the porcelain industry has never since recovered. The next emperor who ascended the throne adopted the title of T'ung-chih, and reigned 1862-1874. The porcelain is marked (see Nos. 2 and 3) Ta Ch’ing Tung chih nicn chih, “Made in the reign of T'ung-chih of the great Ch'ing [dynasty].” A good idea of the productions of the imperial fac¬ tory is gained from an official list of the palace indents of the year 1864, which we will extract presently from the provincial sta¬ tistics of the time. This last emperor was succeeded by his cousin, who was enthroned under the title of Kuang-hsu in 1875, and is still reign¬ ing. The imperial ware ( kuan yao) of the present day is usually marked in ordinary characters (see No. 4) Ta Citing Kuang-hsu nien chih, “Made in the reign of Kuang-hsu of the great Ch'ing [dynasty].” But the ceramic art is in these days at its lowest ebb in China, and its productions may be dismissed in the native phrase as “not worth collecting.” Still less worthy of consideration is the porcelain of the private kilns (s.w 7 yao), which is sometimes marked with a rudely outlined seal (see No. 5), usually, however, inscribed with a mark of one of the older reigns of the most transparently fictitious character. There is another form of this date mark to be noticed, in which the character yu, “ imperial,” is substituted for nien, “ year.” This form, which means that the piece bearing it was made by special order of the emperor, occurs also on speci¬ mens of carved jade and of cloisonni enamels on copper produced in the imperial works of the period indicated. I have seen the following four instances on porcelain, of which the second, Fig. 73.—Tao-kuang Medallion Bowl, richly deco¬ rated in colors, with flowers displayed upon an etched rougc-d'or ground of crimson tint. K if II SI ■f it & figured in Hooper's Manual (loc. cit), is ill These are: 2. K'ang-hsi yu chih ( Yung-cheng yu chih 1662-1 ( I 7 2 3 - 722). - 1 735 )- No. 5. 3 - Ch'ien-lung yii chih (1736-1795). g-. -Jr 4 - Chia-ch'mg yii chih (1796- -l820). filllr ilia The accompanying mark, penciled in red, is found underneath the “ chicken- cups ” (chi hang) made by order of the Emperor Ch'ien-lung, and inscribed with the poem of his own composition, which I translated in the last chapter. One of them is illustrated in the pamphlet which is quoted there, and the illustration is better than Mr. Weston’s grotesque translation of the inscription. These are the most prized of teacups among Chinese virtuosos of the present day, and the curio dealers of Peking ask a hundred taels for a perfect pair—the same price that used to be asked by the dealers of the last dynasty for their prototypes, the tiny eggshell chi hang winecups of the famous reign of Ch’ing-hua. The seal (see No. 7), is to be read Ta Ch'ing Ch'ien-lung fang ku —i. e., “ Copy of antique of Ch'ien-lung (1736-1795) of the great Citing [dynasty].” The cups are deco¬ rated in colors, like the little snuff-bottle with the same inscription in the Walters Collection, with a picture of a rockery with peonies growing upon it, and a boy 1N0 ' feeding a hen and chickens from a basket. See Fig. 64. This seems to be the place for a seal mark of one character of not infrequent occurrence collections, which has not been hitherto deciphered (see No. 8). It is said to signify Chih, PLATE XLI. TWO PRIMITIVE PIECES. r / ^ EACUP (Ch’a Wan), of the Hang-chou J_ imperial ware (Kuan Yao) of the South¬ ern Sung dynasty (1127-1279), of semi- . globular form, curving in at the lip, with a circu¬ larly rimmed, slightly spreading foot, which has a pointed projection in the middle underneath. In¬ vested with a minutely but deeply crackled glaze of grayish-blue color, becoming of more protwunced lavender tint inside the cup. The rim of the foot, where it is not covered by the glaze, shows the char¬ acteristic brownish iron-gray color of the paste, and the tip is reddish gray at the edge, where the glaze is thin. 1 1 is mounted on a carved stand of dark wood, and is of thick, solid material, in order to re¬ tain heat, as prescribed in the ceremonial of the tea clubs of Hu period. 2. VASE FOR FLOWERS (Hua Tsun), of typical Yuan dynasty porcelain (Yuan Tz'u, 12S0-IJ67), of rounded quadrangular form, with two tubular handles, modeled after an archaic bronze sacrificial design. The glaze, which is spread on thickly, runs down in an unctuous mass, which does not completely cover the foot, and shmus a grayish buff-colored paste of intense hardness ; inside the mouth of the vase it runs thrtvn for about an inch, and ends also in an irregularly convoluted tine. It is of grayish-blue color, with a shade of lavender, crackled with an irregular reticulation of deep lines, becoming pale brick-red round the upper rims of the vase and handles where the glaze is thin. The surface is stained in two places with mottled clouds of warm red passing into purple at the edges. Clouds of this kind, the result of some fortui¬ tous oxidation during a firing, are highly valued by Chinese collectors; sometimes they are fancied to take the form of a bird or butterfly, or of some other mtura! object. \\Yw .ZTO&VA 'AMYYmWY O'NT m\\ V* i(nsW t’ri'J) '\V>0\ :V'^' -rljuor! sftfc \'> (obV (teiiM) aaw» Wiaa\«\i V -hw,». \» ,(^&y-^k\\) ^wvi\> gnufi ms -uvtVi n MV» ,«y\ ai\\ Mi M - „ Jv.'nVw ,W»\ • A \u\»wv\\i .VimimAa AaiA -m\ .i\Mismai&«« nVaVwtt m\\ m\ ih,'iV>a\iia\ VA\\V>\ \i, W0V4 ViYVhhm h\\a*> M \4 '(YiMiMm " AWw Wuvs V'>v>u«iw'\ aamm \'> •jjAimwA ,ahVia AiiWiYAtiw^ ,M»\ m\\ V wn mV\ A« > aiVi aYAiA V«A vtoiwnA -m.iVi ai\\ v»«Ai ,ni>\’i aiA ' 4\ Mi lyy-f. MAAisa A \A ai\\ A\uSj \h \nuiM. Y.vruiA i> «n VAmmwv A W .»"k\ A --v »\ aaVim mi .Ui'mMiin ViVvi AmvAy \« A Aim® ,Wn wA mW \« Wnwmyi ?A' Ml \iAi\v.,ivi\ a. ,Miii\ Mi>' \i'i\aa\ ai\\ \« tvsAW'\>V»\A\>va V. ,16k.AV. 116 Ya\aV,» ,>a\Vmii\ VI.\iA»\ V.rt a iYiiAi.t ,•*&> itfl ai>;« 3\. ttv^Yiw nwM ,,v,ii\ muimVamm Mi w\ wmAi avuA ,'AV.uW mi Ynvi\i ,v,iv.i\i Wn ,V»\ a\Vi avw. 'I>Vi\\vm". \u» wto A'illV.i , oamViiiA mmaMA \s aY«» ’• uinkn AV)\ nwiAi >.M\A Ti AM. -, iM\> ta» mV' A,v,m\ VaSwVjWW, <\axAh>aaA Mi Ml "At. Am A \|MU .lYilA mm \« aW\i » Mvw ,A»Vi 'miV\-i\A'H,av V> A W ami\ miAIiAiiaYvaa a«W$»aa\ m. k\V« YiaYXmhaa .aaYmavtiA m\\ Vmm.ia \,aa-'Xa'iaA An\ yuMi.ivA ,mi\ <\>aV \i H» n\^ ai\\ iamVk v.aAiM'.A Wi, imi’i aW V- a«v. aa\\m fcYvn (AA1|\\ W«\ Ml VMMtitt A Vlll\AlU AlVY -MllV\ A M> a\\am<\ ei\iA »Au«>\ Vaa imaimw \» Ani'iY. Y.aWViI" .lA^ni ai\\ A»\am\ Attioi \o Wm.AA aiVi ,\nAi Ai\\ \| iWftYJ Hk VaiiNum ^iVaiX aa«, ,>iin\i. -j.m'vimY. mmiMiViv.h i«m\ n\ \ia\am»i\ aam .|Ai\\ iamv'Asmwi i.ahV.aWaa Y/.AlMlW> Mini). \u am ,hS\aaMmA am W\ ». miam\ AIM vXiA Aaa\Ah \h im\iim aaMu Marks on Chinese Porcelain. 45 “ By Imperial Order," and is found on K 'ang-hsi porcelain of the most artistic decoration, the mark varying considerably, however, in the shape and arrangement of the strokes in different cases. The first form is taken from a magnificent round dish, twenty-eight inches in diameter, decorated in brilliant enamel colors of the K'ang-hsi period, with a party of ladies in boats, gathering lotus flowers in a lake, while other gayly dressed damsels are looking on from a pavilion, the borders of the dish being filled with richly brocaded diapers interrupted by medallions of flowers. The second form (see No. i), which is apparently a variation of the same mark, is taken from a square beaker of the same period, decorated on the four sides with flowers relieved by a black ground in the style of Plate IX, and is a rare instance of an inscription in this peculiar class of decoration, which is almost always unmarked* The third form (see No. 2) is taken from a large blue and white dish belonging also to the K'ang-hsi period. This appears to me to be intended for another character called chili , a synonym of chili, “to make,” which, however, also means “ by order.” They are examples of a large and varied category of marks introduced at a time when the use of the proper nien hao was forbidden by the authorities. 2. Hall-Marks. The term “ hall ” is used here in its most comprehensive sense, reaching from the palace or pavilion of the emperor down to the shed of the potter, so as to include the reception hall of a noble, the library of a scholar, the studio of an artist, and the shop of a dealer. The Em¬ peror of China stamps his ode with the seal of the pavilion in which he has just composed it, the official in charge of the imperial manufactory attaches his hall mark to the porcelain pro¬ duced there, the artist or writer uses the name of his studio as a nom de plume , the dealer has his trading hall-mark inscribed on the porcelain made for sale at his shop, and the potter occasionally authenticates his productions with his own mark. The hall-mark on porcelain may belong to any one of these different classes, and it may mean made for the particular hall, as well as at the hall, the name of which is inscribed on the piece, the clew being sometimes sug¬ gested by the meaning of the name. For example, of two new hall-marks supplied by this collection, the one Yi yii fang chili must be “ Made at the Ductile Jade Hall,” while the other, in which the name Ssu kan ts'ao fang is taken from a line in one of the Ancient Odes of Chinese classical times, would in all probability be “ [Made fof\ the Straw [i. e., thatched] Pavil¬ ion on the River Bank.” The usual word employed for “hall” is fang, but we find also other terms of similar meaning used occasionally in its stead in inscriptions on porcelain, such as f$], ko, a “ palace pavilion,” fing, a “summer-house,” ^, chai, a “studio,” jjff, hsiian, a “balcony or railed terrace,” or a porch projecting beyond the eaves, |Jj J§, shan-fang, a “mountain retreat,” and other synonyms. T— The mark (see No. 3) Jen ho kuan, “ Hotel of Benevolence and Harmony,” is often cited as the earliest instance on record of a hall-mark, and it would appear to denote the establishment for which the vase was made. It is quoted from the Ni ku lit, a little book on antiquarian subjects, published early in the sixteenth century, in which the f ' 0 ' 3 ' author describes a bottle-shaped vase of white Tingchou porcelain of the Sung dynasty in his own collection, as “having upon it this inscription, fired in the glaze, in the handwriting appar¬ ently of one of the Ni family, father or son,” referring to two famous calligraphists of the eleventh century. The fashion of inscribing upon porcelain made for the imperial palace the name of the particular pavilion for which it was intended seems to have begun in the reign of Yung-cheug. * Another form of this mark, in which the first part of the character is more correctly penciled, is given in the Franks Catalogue, Plate XIII, Fig. 130. It is deciphered there as “ Fan, the maker's name," but the Chinese experts that I have con¬ sulted refuse to pass this reading. 46 Oriental Ceramic Art. m Of the two examples which I give, the first (see No. i), Lang yin ko, "Pavilion for Moonlight Recitation," occurs on a flower-pot decorated in colors of the reign of Yung-cMng (1723-1735), the second (see No. 2), Tz'ii shu ko , “ Pavilion for Presentation of Books,” is inscribed upon the covers of a pair of circular boxes of the kind used for hold¬ ing incense or chips of fragrant wood. They are eight inches in diameter, and are painted in red and blue with bats flying among clouds, and marked on the foot with the ordinary seal of the Chia-ch'ing period (1796-1820). There are two other hall-marks which are gen¬ erally referred by Chinese authorities to the palace, viz. (see No. 3), Ching ivei fang chili, “ Made at the Hall of Reverent Awe,” which is attributed to the Ch'ien-lung period (1736-1795), and (see No. 4) Shen Made at the Hall for the Cultivation of Virtue," which is said to have Fig. 74.—Rice Bowl of the Tao-kuang period, painted in enamel colors. Mark, ShSn-tl-t'ang. M -* -ti« te fang chili, been the name of a pavilion founded by the Emperor Tao-kuang (1821-1850), and by him given a name chosen from the classics ( The Great Learning, chap, x, p. 6). “ Hence the sovereign will first take pains about his own virtue.” This ^ mark is much sought after by Chinese collectors. There is an example Aj) ^ of it here in the bowl (Fig. 74), which is decorated in delicate enamel ^ colors with butterflies relieved by a monochrome ground of soft coral-red N °' 3 ’ tint. It has been conjectured that it might be the hall name of the official in charge of the imperial factory, but this could hardly be, as in China it would be contrary to etiquette for a subject to select one from such a text. There is a saucer dish in the Franks Collection (No. 387 in the catalogue) marked (see No. 5) Shen te fang po ku chili, “Antique {po kit) made for the Shen te Pavilion," and the learned author thinks that “from peculiarities of make it is probable that this dish is of the early part of the reign of Kang-he',' so that the “antique ” must be well executed if our account of the origin of this mark be correct. The form of the ordinary seal of the reign with po ku is common enough on jade carvings from the imperial workshops, which are usually fashioned after ancient models, and are marked in this way to indicate the fact. A hall-mark quoted in Hooper’s Manual ( loc. cit., p. 205) as taken from a bowl, one of a pair, the other being marked as above, is (see No. 6) Chan ching chai chili, “ Made for the Retreat of Quiet Stillness,” so that this mark would prob¬ ably belong to the same period as that of Sh£n tS t’ang. The last palace marks which we will give here are taken from a pair of beau¬ tiful bowls, examples of the finest work of the present day; inferior, however, it must be confessed, both in technical details and in tone of coloring, to the porcelain of the reign of Ch'ien-lung, which is said to have furnished the models. These bowls are in the possession of Sir Nicholas O’Conor, K. C. B., her Britannic Majesty’s late envoy plenipotentiary at Peking, who has kindly permitted me to copy the marks. They are decorated in enamel colors inside and out, with floral sprays of roses and wistaria, the stems of the latter winding over the rim, so as to cover the interior of the bowl with gracefully trailing blossoms; a single magpie is perched on one of the -Jc h- branches; and the whole is relieved by a monochrome ground of soft gray-green tint. On the outer surface near the rim is the hall-mark (see No. 7) Ta Ya Chai, “Abode of Grand Culture,” and near it, in a small oval panel framed by dragons, the motto (see No. 8) Tien ti yi chia ch'un, “ Spring throughout heaven and earth as one family! ” Underneath there is another mark penciled in red (see No. 9), Yung ching chang ch’un, “ Eternal Prosperity and Enduring Spring 1 ” These bowls are interesting from If No. 6. >S>h-h Marks on Chinese Porcelain. 47 t ft $L i No. i. *¥• £ f j t Fig. 75.—Teapot of early K'ang-hsi period, painted in blue with touches of “Nan¬ kin yellow ” and black. the fact that they are part of a dinner service made specially at the imperial factory at Ching- te-chen for the empress dowager, who has ruled China for so many years, and who is noted as being herself a clever artist and calligraphist. She is said to have sent down some bowls and saucer dishes of the Ch'ien-hmg period from the palace at Peking as patterns to be copied at Ching-tfi-chfin. Ta ya Chat is the name of one of the new pavilions in Ch 'ang Ch 'un Knng , “ The Palace of Enduring Spring,” on the western side of the “ Prohib¬ ited City,” at Peking, where this empress, the " Western Buddha,” as she is colloquially called by the Pekingese, resided until she removed to the new palace which was prepared for her at the termination of the emper¬ or's long minority. The propitious mark underneath the world-embra¬ cing motto in the dragon label, and the decoration, all point to spring, of which season the Wistaria Sinensis is one of the floral emblems. The ordinary hall-marks are so numerous that it would be quite useless to attempt to give a complete list They are found on porce¬ lain of the present dynasty from the reign of K'ang-hsi downward. It would be useful to arrange them in chronological sequence had we sufficient material at our command. At present it is only possible to make a short selection for illustration here, beginning with the two unedited marks in the Walters Col¬ lection, that have been already quoted. The first, one of the earliest of the class that we have met with, is inscribed on the bottom of the square teapot (Fig. 75), which is deco¬ rated with dramatic and domestic scenes in blue and white of the K'ang-hsi period, and has rims and borders of canary or “ Nankin yellow.” The upright rim is sur¬ rounded by small panels of floral sprays of the four seasons; the knob of the cover is carved in open work, with the character In (" rank ”) encircled by a four-clawed dragon penciled in blue; and the handle is tinted black on a pale-yellow ground to imitate ^ basket work. The mark is (see No. 1) Vi yii fang chih, «Made at the Ductile Jade Hall,” and is such as would be likely to be chosen by a pot- 1 °' 3 ‘ ter, using white jade as a well-worn simile for fine porcelain. Jb The other is a Ch'ien-hmg vase with the rim and foot incased 'i in metal mounts (Fig. 76), which is enameled with a minutely ^j crackled turquoise glaze of soft, charming tone. The decoration, djp delicately etched in the paste under the glaze, consists of a pair No of five-clawed dragons pursuing the effulgent disk of omnipo¬ tence in the midst of cloud scrolls and lightning flames. The foot, colored brown underneath, has the mark engraved in the paste (see No. 2), Ssu kan ts'ao fang , “The Straw (i. e., thatched) Pavilion on the River Bank.” The name is taken from a text in the ancient Minor Odes of the Kingdom, Book xiv, Ode 5, the first line of which is, “ By these banks (Ssh kan) has the palace risen.” The above mark is curious for the omission of the word chih, “made,” in which it agrees with the two hall-marks that follow (see No. 3): Lu yi fang, “ The Pavilion with the Waving Bamboos,” and (see No. 4) Feng hsien fang, “ The Hall for the Worship of Ancestors.” The former occurs on K’ang-hsi pieces decorated in colors, with either a white or a mazarine blue ground; the latter on more modern porce¬ lain, is that which is usually inscribed on ritual vessels, perhaps as an indication of their being intended for use in the ancestral temple. Another unpublished mark occurs more than once in the Walters Collection, which must be included in this class, although the word “ hall ” happens to be omitted in its composition. The first piece (Fig. 67) is a rice-bowl of lotus-flower design, with an eightfold foliated wavy rim, Fig. 76.—Ch'ien-lung Tur¬ quoise Vase, with imperial dragons engraved under the finely crackled glaze. European mounts. Fig. 77.—Winecup, one of a pair, with processions of Taoist immortals painted in delicate enamel colors. and eight petals molded in relief round the foot, decorated with dragons and tiny sprays of flow¬ ers relieved by a coral-red ground. The second, illustrated in Fig. 77, is one of a pair of four-lobed winecups, with indented rims, painted in delicate enamel colors, with the eight Taoist genii crossing the sea. Chung-li Ch’iian and Lu Tung-pin are seen on the left of the picture mounted upon a dragon, which is guided by a damsel swimming in front, holding up a flaming jewel. Lan Ts'ai-ho and Ho Hsien-ku are still upon the shore; the former is scattering flowers from his basket, as if to propitiate the waves; the latter, the virgin member of the sacred group, carries a lotus cup upon a stick and a small branch of twin peaches upon her shoulder. A few white jasmine flowers and buds, painted in soft tints, are sprinkled over the interior of the cup, as if to imbue its con¬ tents with their fragrance. The mark in all three cases is in the seal character, penciled in red (see No. 1), Hsieh chu tsao , “ Made for [or at] the Hsieh Bamboo [Hall].” Compare the mark figured in the Franks Catalogue (Plate VI, Fig. 72), which is read (see No. 2), Hsieh chu chu jin tsao, “Made for [or by] the lord [Chu jen] of the Hsieh Bamboos.” Hsieh is the name of the valley in the Kun-lun Mountains where Ling Lun, minister of the fabulous Emperor Huang Ti, is said to have cut bamboo tubes of different lengths when he is supposed to have invented the musical scale and fashioned the first musical instruments. The style and coloring of these bowls indicate the reign of Tao-kuang (1821-50), or perhaps Chia-ch 'ing (1796-1820). The next mark, which is taken from a brush cylinder (pi t’ung), carved in open work to simulate a clump of bamboos growing from rocks, and tinted in delicate enamel colors of the Ch'ien-lung period, is to be read (see No. 3) Lit chu shan fang chin ts'ang, “ Precious Treasure of the Green Bamboo Mountain Lodge.” Another six-character hall-mark of the same time is (see No. 4) Ching lien fang fang ku chih, "Made as a copy of an antique at the Ching-lien Hall.” This would be the mark of an official or scholar posing as an admirer of Sung Ching-lien, a sup¬ porter of the founder of the Ming dynasty in the fourteenth century, and a distinguished commentator on the classics. A hall-mark indicative of a lover of flowers, which was first published by Jacquemart and Le Blant (loc. cit., p. 188), is Tzti tzu fang chih, “Made at the Hall of Purple Thorn” (see No. 5), taken by them from a charming vase, decorated with figure subjects, in the possession of M. Holtrop, librarian to the King of Holland. There is another hall-mark (see No. 6) published on the following page of the same book, taken from a bowl enameled green outside, yellow inside, with fish and water plants, with the reading, T'ien mao fang chih, “ Fabriqui dans la salle du del voili.” The second character, however, is ch'ang (“prosperity”), not mao, which has an extra horizontal stroke at the bottom, so that we must read instead, “Hall of Heaven¬ sent Prosperity,” which is a common trading-hall name in China. e/ I have been permitted to select four winecups from my own collection to illus- Nq 6 trate the subject of hall-marks. Fig. 78 is a cup of the thinnest eggshell texture and most translucent glaze, decorated in colors, with pale-green bamboo and red dianthus flow¬ ers; a bat, emblem of happiness, is flying across with chi cit ing, the jade symbol of good Fig. 78.—Eggshell Winecup of K'ang- hsi period, decorated in brilliant col- a n 0i d) No. 3. •£ ;|L M- It No. s. i A PLATE XIII. FVCHIEN WHITE PORCELAIN. JjyiNE-POT (Chiu Hu), y y of ivory-while Fuchien por¬ celain (Chien Tz'ii), mod¬ eled in the shape of an inverted pome¬ granate, and of about the natural size of the fruit, the deviated apex of which forms the foot. The handle is mod¬ eled as a branch which sends off two twigs to supply a relief decoration for the bowl as it winds up to make a loop on the cover, which it envelops in a crown of leaves. A line of verse is engraved on the back of the bowl. 2.CYLINDRICAL TEA¬ POT (Ch'a IIu ), of the same ivory- white porcelain, in the form of a joint of bamboo bound around with a knot¬ ted cord, with a pair of bearded drag¬ ons of archaic lizardlike design with spreading bifid tails attached to it; the one crawling downward with its back bowed to make the handle, the other lifting up its gaping mouth as the spout. The round cotter is sur¬ mounted by the tiny figure of a gro¬ tesque Hon. The design, freely and artistically treated, is clothed with a soft-looking lustrous glaze of the char¬ acteristic ivory-white tone of the finest old porcelain of the province of Fu¬ chien, and the base, unglased, shows the smooth, even texture of the paste. .WYX. JVWKA'a.OAOA TOM VflOT ,(uH uitl§> 'tOS.-awV -w\ umVavY ill'iteHjw V 'VA -W« .(CsT n'jiil">) £ui» -w.\ V>'«-.«» «*• \'.' 'A'>' v '-"' y,\, \iA«USt vYi 1 VU4&W (\dWtt .WfcWw*>fa 1 - l‘f'(1 v g I'OU 0'. I The second • Ji[gi- ^''’ v vVmV- -Ww w*A \n *>r» i\m\Vb i. -va\ wdYumv*. \m\is o xV\\"i. 'A vy™' \<*,\ » vXam VwA i. n\ ^\«k£ \V,nVn ,«<»■. n\\ -,.\ um > m\W K .ivtoA V> "' AwA v\\ > AMSSi m\\ mtoin® -K'a.T AKOwxcw.W'r.i/- ■Twn wn s% \" .((iHr^'rl’J) O \>> -te«A i. toVn'^aWki WwA ***»}*> - •.iv<\, V.VwA > " *Sv« .V">1 Wt \Y\Viv «>£wfc> vXYAiMisW sfuAvwi \j> i«o , u i\ WA M a, vW««w y<\\h\ iVx \« . uu u ivwi Vtui'n m\"? wW a \\ IttAV'sSf 'A ViUvuov" Wn i\v>a\ ,*%«.*I vYY .w<>\\ vs<$v* \ ,\iVuvvW 'AYriAxYiah pair, with genii crossing tlv are seen on the ' which is guided t>\ a flaming jewel. L-n upon the shore; th 1 basket, as if to . ■ . member of the and a small bran a few white jasmine 1 sprinkled over the .v. tents with their fra the seal character ■ -u,* 1 \M \i» w»\^ Wf Ault »A \ft m v '"kYv>M. Y.Vj xw*! S»wA •.<" *m> fourteenth ccnturt ar.-I * Ilsnngwt-Jir t ■*-'■ •: • ► ; ’ i '•' on the chi'- - A hall- urV : h which was iii ' .•* | and Le Blant 1/1 tc. a/., p. 188), is TzH t£& fang cini ••! 1 Thorn (see No. 5), taken by them from a chan; 4 * feuM d Wl in the possession of M. Holtrop. librarian tu k Mb( hall-mark see No. 6) published on the folin.'.. from a bowl enameled green outside, yellow in !< h fr the reading, T'ien who fang chik, '*Fabriquc second , character, however, is ch'ang (“ pro-[ • rit\ horizontal stroke at the bottom, so that we must sent Prosperity," which is a common tr.; I ll -hall ii.i I I have been pennitted to select four winccup - tratc the subject of hall-marks. Fig. 78 is a CUj and most translucent glaze, decorated in ■ is, we.; ers; a bat, emblem of happiness, is flying aero Marks on Chinese Porcelain. 49 fortune, in his mouth; there is a short inscription penciled in black behind, “A propitious prayer for a thousandfold harvest ”; and a couple of fragrant jasmine blossoms are painted inside. The mark penciled in red on the bottom of the cup is Chili hsiu ts'ao tang, “The Straw (i. e., thatched) Pavilion adorned with Variegated Fungus.” It is a specimen of the reign of K’ang- hsi (1662-1722). The next, Fig. 38 (a), delicately painted in gold with sprays of chrysanthemum flowers, is attributed to the reign of Yung-cheng (1723-35); it is marked underneath in red, Clung ssit fang chih, “ Made for the Pavilion of Classical Bookcases.” * The third is a tiny cup, Fig. 79, of the reign of Ch'ien-lung (1736-95), decorated in delicate enamel colors with a combination of the three propitious plants, symbols of longevity— the fir, bamboo, and blossoming prunus {Sung, chu, mei). The mark penciled underneath in red is Pao shen chai chih, “ Made for the Retreat where Virtue is Precious.” The fourth, Fig. 80, one of a pair of winecups referred to the reign of Chia-ch'ing (1796-1820), which are covered inside and out with flying bats painted in red, fifty on each cup, and have the circular form of the character shou (“longevity”) emblazoned on the bottom of each in red and gold. The decoration conveys the felicitous phrase, Shuang shou fto fit, “ Twofold longevity and the hundred happinesses.” The mark penciled underneath in red is Fit ch'ing fang chih, “Made at the Hall of Happiness and Good Fortune.” The Chinese potter lavishes some of his choicest work on the decoration of these little winecups, and many more might be selected with other marks, but space is limited, and these few must suffice for the present. Toward the end of the reign of K’ang-hsi, glass works were founded at Peking under the direct patronage of the emperor, with the assistance of the Roman Catholic missionaries. The production was known as Kuan liao, or " imperial glass ”; it included pieces colored in mass, pieces made of layers of different color superimposed and subsequently carved, and pieces either of clear or of opaque white material, painted with translucent enamels of different wt --r» colors. These last are commonly known in the present day as Ku Yueh Hsiian, a? because the hall-mark, Ku Yueh Hsiian chih, “Made at the Ancient Moon Ter- PI race,” is often inscribed underneath. Tradition says that one of the directors of the factory named Ku, whose patronymic was a character composed of Ku, “ancient," and yueh, “ moon,” broke it up into its two component parts to form his studio name. The accompanying mark is engraved underneath a bowl of this kind, which is fabricated of white glass and is colored brown, the outside of the bowl being etched with a landscape of hill scenery touched with the same brown enamel. The Emperor Yung-cheng is said to have been enam¬ ored of the new art and to have sent down to Ching-tS-chen some of the finest specimens, to be reproduced in porcelain under the auspices of the celebrated T’ang Ying. The objects which were produced in this and the succeeding reign of Cliien- lung are among the most precious of treasures; they have a paste of peculiarly vitreous aspect, white, and fine-grained, and are decorated in translucent enamels, often with European subjects. The variety is known as Fang Ku Yueh Hsiian, “ Imitations of the Ancient Moon Terrace [Work].” The teapot figured in the last chapter is a notable example of this beautiful style of decoration. The Chinese exquisite will pay in the Fig. 80.—Chia-ch’ing Winecup, painted in red with touches of gold. * There is a pair of teacups with this mark in the Hippisley Collection ( Catalogue, Nos. 120 and 121), "Teacups (a pair) with covers, of thin white Yung ChSng porcelain, decorated with two imperial five-clawed dragons pursuing sun amid clouds, all in deep red, the clouds, the dragons, and the scales of the latter being outlined in bright gold; covers bear similar decoration. Mark, Ching ssil t'ang, an imperial or princely hall-mark as yet unidentified." 50 Oriental Ceramic Art. -ft!) A. £2 *i ^ » 5 , t -f * >S present day over a hundred taels for a little Ch'ien lung snuff-bottle of clear glass, lightly touched with a design in colors, authenticated by this mark; and much more for a small porce¬ lain vase of the variety, decorated with a pastoral scene of European style in enam¬ els of the famille rose. Another unedited hall-mark with the word Asuan, found on decorated porce¬ lain of the Ch'ien-lung period, is (see No. i) Chen ting Asuan cAih , literally, “Made in [or for] the Dust-fixed Terrace.” “Dust” (ch’Sn) is the “world” in Buddhist metaphor, and ting (“ immovable ”) is the word used by Buddhists to convey the idea of mental abstraction, so that we should render this hall-name, “Terrace of Abstraction from Mundane Affairs.” Some of the earliest hall-marks have names referring to the quality of the porcelain, distinguishing either the fineness of the paste or the brilliancy of the coloring. One of those already given, “ Hall of Ductile Jade,” refers to the fine fabric, while the accompanying mark (see No. 2) of the same early period, which is penciled in blue under a small vase with celadon-glazed body, with a ring of choco¬ late-brown tint round the shoulder, and having the neck decorated with peaches in underglaze blue touched with peach-color, refers to the coloring, being Pi yun tang chili, “Made at the Hall of Moss-Green-Jade Clouds.” To the former class, also, belong the following marks: (see No. 3) Chi yii fang chih, “ Made at the Hall of Rare Jade ”; (No. 4) Lin yii fang chili, “ Made at the Hall of Forest Jade”; and (No. 5) Yii fang chia clii, “Beautiful Vessel of the Hall of Jade,” which occurs both in the ordinary script and in “ seals ” of varied style, of which one with the third character imperfect is given here in No. 6. Of the latter class, No. 7, which reads, Tsai jun fang chih, “Made at the Hall of Brilliant Colors,” a frequent mark on porcelain decorated in enamel colors, is another example. Among other marks of commercial character, which may be either those of potters or of dealers in the ware, are: (No. 8) Yi yii fang chih, “ Made at the Hall of Profit and Advance ”; (No. 9) Yang ho fang chih, “ Made at the Hall for the Cultivation of Harmony ”; (No. 10) Ta shu fang chih, "Made at the Great Tree Hall”; and (No. n) Cliii 47 . shun Mei yii fang chih, “Made at the Beautiful Jade Hall of Riches and Success.” The last of these is a compound name, of which the No - 7 ’ first part, Cliii shun, must be that of the shop or trading firm, who eulogize their ware under the title of beautiful jade, a comparison often met with. The above hall-names represent generally the marks of the factory. The indi¬ vidual name of the potter is rarely found attached to his work in China, which differs in this respect from Japan. In the ivory-white porcelain of the province of Fuchien it is sometimes found, etched in the paste under the glaze. In the colored stoneware of the province of Kuang-tung the name of the potter occurs more frequently, being stamped in the paste under the foot of the piece, so that the inscription appears either in intaglio or in relief. The mark (No. 12) Ko Ming hsiang chih, “ Made by Ko Ming-hsiangfor instance, is not uncommon on vases of reddish paste from these potteries, of such archaic aspect that they have been mistaken for ancient specimens of the Sung dynasty. One curious seal, shown in No. 13, taken from an antique crackle vase of por¬ celain of gray tone, decorated with propitious inscriptions worked in reserve and filled in with colored glazes of the Ming period, gives the name of an individual potter. Read in inverse fashion, from left to right, it is Wu Chen hsien yao —i. [from the Kiln] of Wu Ch&n-hsien.” x £ #- a x No. 5. * jlU a £ L X m m n’nll “ Pottery Marks on Chinese Porcelain. 5 : ^4 Another mark which must not be omitted from the list is that of Hao Shih-chiu, the cele¬ brated and scholarly potter who flourished at Ching-t£-ch6n in the reign of IVan-li (1573-1619) a poet, too, whose merits were often sung in contemporary verse. He chose as his sobriquet Hu yin Tao yen, “The Taoist hidden in a pot (No. 1), a sympathetic device for a ceramic artist, which was adopted from an old legend of a Taoist recluse who, according to an ancient book on the Taoist No. 1. Immortals, possessed the magic faculty of concealing him¬ self within the pilgrim’s gourd which he carried on his girdle. This mark was inscribed by him underneath his delicate eggshell winecups of pure white and dawn-red tints, each of which was said to have weighed less than the forty-eighth part of a Chinese ounce. A verse may be quoted here which a fellow-poet wrote to him: “ In your search after the philosopher’s stone, you strive in the market place. Far from the rustling furs and changing clouds, your heaven is a teapot. I know you, sir, only as the maker of those dawn-red winecups, Fit to be launched from the orchid arbor to float down the nine-bend river." The last stanza refers to the Lan T'ing or “Orchid Pavilion,” where, in the fourth century of our era, a party of celebrated scholars used to meet to drink wine and compose verses. The scene with the cups floating down the river has been a favorite subject for Chinese pictorial art ever since. This section may be closed by two unusually elaborate hall-marks, both of which happen to be written in circular form. The first (see No. 2) comes from the foot of a large rice-bowl, decorated with flowers, fruit, and birds, in enamel colors of the Ch’ten-lung period. Our Chinese wood engraver, who was instructed to mark the top of each block for the benefit of the printer, was nonplussed by this one, and when asked why he had omitted the usual mark, he exclaimed, “ How could I tell where to begin to read ? ” To obviate this difficulty, we have put it with the first character at the top, and, proceeding in the ordinary way to the left, we find the quaint inscription, Yuan wen wu kuo chih c/iai , “ The Retreat \chai\ where I wish to hear of my transgressions." The second (see No. 3), which is penciled in red round the circumference of the hollow foot of a tazza-shaped bowl, exhibits, in combination, the men hao, the cyclical date, and the hall-mark of the maker. It is read, Tao kuang yi ssu nien Kuang yii fang chih —i. e., “Made at the Hall of Brilliance and Riches, in the cyclical year yi-ssti of the reign of Tao- kuang." This year will be found, on referring to the Tables in the last chapter, to correspond to A. d. 1845. The bowl, which is mounted upon a tall, hollow stem, spreading at the foot, is decorated in blue, with the eight Taoist genii crossing the sea, the intervals being occupied by waving fillets, and the stem covered with sea-waves; the interior of the bowl is painted with a large circular shou (“longevity”) symbol, encircled by a ring of five bats, emblems of the wu fit, or five happinesses or blessings, namely, longevity, riches, peacefulness and serenity, the love of virtue, and an end crowning the life.* Fig. 81.—Tall Ewer, painted in blue, with phcenixes and storks flying in clouds in the characteristic style of the Ming dynasty, mounted in metal and studded with turquoises and garnets. * See Mayer's Chinese Reader's Manual, p. 312. 52 Oriental Ceramic Art. 3. Marks of Dedication and Felicitation. This heading is selected to comprise all the marks, not included in the last class of “ Hall-Marks,” that imply dedication to some particular institution, individual, or purpose, as well as those expressive of wishes of happy augury for the future possessor of the piece. The next heading, “Marks of Commendation,” will take the remainder of the written marks—viz., those eulogizing the material or referring to the decoration of the porcelain. Some of the hall¬ marks might have come under these headings, as the official in charge of the imperial manu¬ factory will sometimes have a set of sacrificial vases, or a dinner service, inscribed with the hall-mark of the friend or patron for presentation to whom it was specially made; or the potter, as we have seen, will choose a hall name descriptive of the jadelike texture of his porcelain or the brilliancy of its color. It was more convenient, however, to treat the No , hall-marks separately. One of the earliest marks of dedication is that of (No. 1) Shu fu, “Imperial palace,” which was inscribed on some of the porcelain made for the use of the emperor during the Yuan or Mongol dynasty (1280-1367). We shall find a specimen described in our manu¬ script album of the sixteenth century, in which this mark is incised on the foot of a little vase underneath the ivory-white glaze. The decoration of this vase consists of dragons and cloud- scrolls lightly etched in the paste; and the author, in his description of the piece, gives us the interesting information that the porcelain of this period was fashioned on the lines of that of the Ting-chou manufacture of the early Sting dynasty, and that it in turn supplied models for the pure white porcelain which distinguished the reigns of Yung-lo and Hsiian-te of his own (Ming) dynasty, which was also ornamented with designs incised at the point underneath the glaze. The sacrificial vessels intended for use in religious worship often used to have the object for which they were designed marked upon them, like the white altar cups of the reign of Hsuan-te (1426-35), which were inscribed if, fan, “altar," according to the author of the Po wu yao Ian. The same book describes sets of white altar cups made at the imperial factory in the reign of Chia-ching (1522-66), which were marked inside with the characters cha, “tea”; Jg, chin, “wine”; g*- tsao fang, decoction of jujubes”; and jjf, chiang fang, “ decoction of ginger ” ; in¬ dicating the different offer¬ ings presented in the cups when the emperor officiated at the Taoist altar. Inscriptions of dedica¬ tion to particular temples are not uncommon, and are often lengthy. Jacquemart quotes one (loc. cit., page 166) inscribed on a trum¬ pet-shaped vase, which is composed of twelve charac¬ ters, indicating that it was a ritual vase “made for the temple of Fou lou tsiang in [1636] the ninth year of Ts'ung-ching, in summer, on a propitious day.” Marks of this reign, the last of the Ming dynasty, are very rare, and there is no little reason for regarding them as, for the most part, apocryphal. The longest I have met with is that reproduced above in No. 2. It is inscribed on the base of a pricket candlestick of elaborate design, painted in blue with conventional scrolls and formal foliations, one of a pair twenty-eight inches high, now in my own possession. They were made in the year 1741 (the sixth of Ch'ien-lung), by T’ang Ying, the famous director of the imperial porcelain manufactory, the successor of the still more illustrious scholars and artists Lang and r*J m as * M & % % 3g- % W a& 13 m AS k M. § A® f -ft 4H .SSL m aa k.v\ \?A\-OVW7i AO ZAO&VA O'M A .3.TWI1 aVLK AVJA&. C\AAY% sWVss VA\\ via ,\i‘Asa Van -taWVii. 'uVi \si sA\awrsA\ i'Asi’b .iMUi'S s\s vsAusvS ,v\VUA a« a» ,wVwA\tws Vm si Visa ■jaVssi'is AVv'ss \ai\aVsvi -hVsi 'iVNvv&i Vita sAawss VsVnort sVsViv .ranin x;uvvrt\\ \'i Aiisswj ,Ai\v»\4 MVy'tA at Visrta'ta\ iVivb iV(\i iarl-guc'X ss\ '^ssVswvj iVm Van i'Wita\ isrta\ ■)N\*.'is\ \iasi ,AlWBt ';aV<\ ,'Asvb \t> l saiys\ •aVX .Wis\i \ii'i'i\’s.-ii\-i\vXi \\A \wrvi\a\ a s\ a's ,mi\\iYti iva>! \tVt \'ai\-sA'saa^ n ,ist>rtsiinvi\i \mts\ \ ■ MV» iV\* w •>M »\ «V wQltova \|i wyyv ivjbYttwM ii - v\ iv<_n \ j, \'l .kw^baV »M Mi .Wtwsm uVuVn ll ,TOj\l M.'wniV iM w i 3 .— Statuette of K'uci i.he Mar-gixJ f Iliem-. M.d upon u |i»h-vi",\\m i :u ri..-ii :. " v. same direction, w) " X j"'"-' and ]- found i www^rcelain, either plain or inch** in a h yc-nge 111 a ' vavin o This symbol is .Aar!;, sh panel upon the swelling neck of-the v;ise. A " t ««i gram, to be read Wan s/ion, “Foi myriads of ages.' A birthday vow of his subjects for the Emperor of China, and it AV “ to. the Persian “O King, live forever!” The monogram v tika symbols, one on cither side, is displayed prominent! of the pilgrim bottle illustrated in Fig. 50, develo; tiie bosom of a sacred lotus blossom. Fig. 85, the enameled in K'ang-hsi colors with rich design* ( pattern, also exhibits on the neck a combination \ \ svastika and yellow shaft symbols. Many of the marks which arc passed ‘ cipherablc arc curious forms of these 1 . “longevity.” symbols. The mark (No. 2) " :b * Burlington Fine Arts Catalogue 1 he. at., Plate II, Fig. ine-c basin decorated in blue with alternate asters and lotu i there as “ To-da-kichi-hci, probably name of maker Ale that any one with this curious name, which is Japanese, : to do with the making of it :I should venture to read tin .1 variation, of Fit s/tou, “ Happiness and Longevity." ither v v. of similar meaning is often found inscribed in large s upon bowls as part of their external decoration, or put un written either in the seal character or in common script. It Uvm a x\w&k \a ,(gni'‘i) a.y.K'\N •■j.'A'.A ^uYv>\&\ A^\\>. ,i«a«\ v\hto u\ VAtW>17.A U W AAAlVl! -Xiamvi \ivji ,W\ \iawm\a iYmAu'iaVi 11 lYlllVlt ,lWt\aM a!|\ \iaW«ii\ wwSo tw -Jill gJ'AWi n\n im wY-mW i_ 4 V>\tt»y»v\uu i\ -'ivyiVl \i> .gnul-rii'rf") m\A . 1 "i' A iia\i m ViYiVnw >.\ >^u*i mvhY.mi VviviiYi YuiA'j, a\ ui m. YViYja ■V«iuy-»vi\i> XnViW '"';iiiu\‘i \im uia \Wi WtoV» i\ pv^baV iAA AiyXauXX Vi ■iM iV\V« 'AWi1aii\ \mn W .miiV^ bdmiiR -mini ( B»vi'>.-a , siYi Ya\m«iiiv» A \ai>\ nV'i aii^iwiXyA m\\ •, \ivYv\uui ’Xamw mi iWviv iM itoiiWj wiVibaovAi \a »V»U Wa ,(lW-\V) Wni\ gmil-nai'iP -a»\‘‘ ah nsiq-OfiY uiX\ ta'uViT ^jiiaiiXi »l iVllll" WMI ISttX’i "V>\»\VU«IiA\-Yljm Marks on Chinese Porcelain. 61 a hammer. It is usually made of jade carved in the form of a mason’s square, with a hole pierced near the angle for suspension. Being a homonym of Ch'ing, " Good Fortune,” it often figures with that meaning on the rafters of houses, etc. 2. Chung, “Bell,” made of metal, clapperless, and suspended, to be struck by a mallet. Bells as well as sounding stones are hung in sets upon frames to produce musical chimes. 3. Ch'in, “ Lute,” with strings of silk. This often occurs as a mark, usually wrapped in its brocaded case. 4. Ti, “ Flute,” made of bamboo. 5. Chu, “Box,” made of ordinary wood, with a metal hammer inside. 6. Ku, “ Drum,” covered with skin. 7. Sheng, "Reed Organ,” a mouth instrument dating from very early No - '• times, in which the body or wind-chest is made of gourd, with seventeen reed pipes of different lengths inserted at the top. 8. Hsiian, “ Icarina,” made of baked clay, in the shape of a cone pierced with six holes. Several of these musical instruments are seen inclosed in small medallions in the decoration of the vase shown in Fig. 89. They may all be found figured in a learned paper on Chinese Music, by Mr. J. A. Van Aalst,* who is himself a cultivated musician. The next series of symbols derived from ancient Chinese lore are the Twelve Chang, or “ Ornaments,” with which the sacrificial robes used to be embroidered. They are referred to in the earliest of the Chinese classics, where the Emperor Shun desires at this remote period “to see these emblematic figures of the ancients.” f The robes of the emperor had all the twelve figures painted or embroidered upon them; the hereditary nobles of the first rank are said to have been restricted from the use of the sun, moon, and stars; those of the next two degrees were further restricted from mountains and dragons; and by a continually decreasing restriction five sets of official robes were made indicating the rank of the wearers. The figures are taken from an official edition of the Shu Citing, or Historical Classic, referred to below, the illus¬ trations of which date from the Sung dynasty. The series comprises: 1. Jill, the “Sun” (No. 1), a disk supported upon a bank of clouds, with the three-legged solar bird inside. In the works of Hwai Nan Tzu, who lived in the second century b. c., this fabulous bird is alluded to as inhabiting the sun. The sun in Chinese dualism is the concrete essence of the masculine prin¬ ciple in Nature, the source of brightness and energy. 2. Yueh, the “ Moon ” (No. 2), a disk supported upon the clouds, containing a hare, under the shade of a cassia tree, occupied with pestle and mortar, pounding the drugs of immortality. The moon is the concrete essence of the feminine principle in Nature; it is inhabited by the hare and the three-legged toad, and there grows the tree (the cassia) which confers immortality on those who eat its leaves. The Chinese “old man of the moon” (Yueh n * China. Imperial Maritime Customs. Chinese Customs, Shanghai, 1884. f The Chinese Classics. Translated by Dr. Legge, v. iii. The Shoo King, p. 80. By J. A. Van Aalst. Published by order of the Inspector General of 62 Oriental Ceramic Art. Lao) is popularly said to tie together with an invisible cord the feet of those who are predestined to a betrothal. 3. Hsing Chen , the “ Stars,” represented by a stellar constellation of three stars con¬ nected in Chinese fashion by straight lines (No. i). 4. Shan , “Mountains,” which have been worshiped in eastern Asia from prehistoric times (No. 2). 5. Lung , “Dragons,” a pair of the fabu¬ lous five-clawed scaly monsters (No. 3), resembling somewhat in shape the hugi paleontologists have brought to light in recent years. 6. Hua Chung , the “ Variegated Animal ” (No. 4)—i. e., the pheasant, or e saurians which flowery fowl ” of the Chinese. 7. Tsung Yi, the “Temple Vessels” (No. 5), used in the services of the ancestral temple, of which one was said to have had the figure of a tiger upon it, another that of a kind of monkey—animals distin¬ guished for their filial piety, according to the com¬ mentators on the classics. 8. 7 s’ao, “Aquatic Grass” (No. 6). 9. Hua, “ Fire ” (No. 7). 10. Fen Mi , “Grains of Rice” (No. 8). These are also often represented on the pierced medal- 1 of ancient jade, the earliest tokens of value in China. 11. Fu , an “Axe” (No. 9). 12. Fu (No. 10), a “Symbol” of distinction, to which no special signification is attached, and which seems to have been of purely ornamental origin. It is used in the sense of “ embroidered,” in modern phraseology, and often occurs as a mark on porcelain of decorative character. 2. Buddhist Symbols. Buddhism was first heard of in China some two centuries before Christ, and Buddhist priests came from India as early as the first century of the Chris¬ tian era, bringing with them images, pictures, and books, and a knowledge of the elaborate symbolism of the new religion, much of which had been borrowed from pre-existing Indian sources. Lamaism, the Tibetan form of Buddhism, was introduced much later, under the influence of the Mongol dynasty which ruled China in the thirteenth century, and this is the cult which is chiefly affected by the Manchu Tartars who now occupy the throne at Peking. Of the Buddhist symbols found upon porcelain the most frequent are the eight symbols of good fortune, known by the name of Pa Chi-ksiang, pa meaning “ eight,” chi-hsiang, “ happy omens.” They were among the auspicious signs figured on the sole of the foot of Buddha; they are constantly used in the architectural decoration of temples, and are displayed in porcelain, stone, or gilded wood No. 6. No. 7. PLATE XVIJ. K'ANG-HSI VASE DECORATED IN COLORS. '•LUB-SHAPED VASE (Pang-chih P’ing), tp'j, inc/us high, decorated in the brilliant enamel colors, with touches of gold, of the best period of the reign of K'ang-hsi (1662-1722). The decoration is arranged in two large oblong panels and four larger circular panels, displayed upon a ground of floral brocade. The scrolled coral-red ground is studded with chrysanthemum blossoms, alternately tinted apple-green and celadon. The large panel in front has a picture of a gayly plumaged bird perched upon a branch of blossom¬ ing prunus, penciled in brown, with red flowers touched with gold, mingled with sprays of bamboo having the leaves filled in with bright green and over-g/ase blue. The dish of the rising sun is seen above, partly hidden by the clouds of dawn tint, indicated in pale coral-red. The corresponding panel at the back has a bird on a branch of hy¬ drangea shrub, interwoven with sprays of Hibis¬ cus rosa sinensis. The circular panels contain landscapes below, insects above, the Mantis religiosa, with millet and wild pinks in front, the grasshopper perched on a grass, with trifid panicles and single chrysanthe¬ mums behind. The shoulder slope of the vase is decorated above with a band of scrolled chrysanthemum, with large red flowers and green leaves studding a pur¬ ple ground, which is interrupted with four foli¬ ated medallions containing butterflies. The colors of the gadroon border round the foot, and of the diverse rings of conventional feet and diaper which encircle the upper part of the vase, are perfectly shown in the illustration. \WA SCtkAA rlirb • gneS) ?vV.V-/\ aMh.W-Wi'A m\S «i ,A'^A tiAwi \v ,(gni'‘I J .\i\ft-5, v>Aluw\ Mon ,n»te \mwmw limiWYiA teri-gmCX \ji ivyyi iA\ \a \vA ->A\ > ■S.wbVVi v A '\n\ w«\ tit Vvyjuyvui i\ wAWwiAi VvnAtyiV ,i\vtu\ uAwyvYi tttn\'u»ti WWwvk tt\"£ \ttwS\_ \i> 'nuHdt'j, w n«<\u mwwvnWwwiruYi MVu VAA.wYv. u Wo\- A WYiyw, .'.">\it>\si Wit ivm^V\\ii r\M»W'v.l\w .twwwAfc n.A \wvv\ vu Y,w»>\ yjmA mVY •wiwwAA \> \V.\sn wS o' w4\w VAyv>\ WA V,yjtmuv\\ VV»OTl>\ Wi AVwm .tviwM ti\ VtftwA ,vwu-v\ twAmiA \i, vyiV\i Mwt VtYjjtm .\iVs>. A\V» W\i«n\ Wo oivvj, 1 A' A w\ AY«i ttt \vA\5\. ivsoi\ m\\ ■jjmuA oym. t\ wwi v.'-'x't-v y>\ \o MCo mVY ,s»V\ aefA^vvso wwitAi \ti iW’Ai mVi ’|A wAAAA '(\V\o\ ,vi»'\o iAt : AmAirw, ->\o\ ttt VAt>nWt \o Ainf^ ft v\« o iot\ A->iA vA\ \o Yiwsi<\ -?idiH \o iwv\* AWn wwwmmAm ,AwiAi itvjpinV iian-jflia jshoi ei.ro ,MtoW\ -/.v\oy.Vwi>\ iVtoWuy) iVi»n\ •\o\ovtit. mV’C W»W\w MV« .csoisibt aiiiifiM ii\\ ,voAo lYvaw'i v. wo \im\vvi\ -v\<\<\w\Vhbiv, uAY A"0'\ w't >.An«\ \AV» -'.AYwiivoAl nYjw'vi. \|WU fiYStwu^ AYwa ,uo'V;. .WiA-A uwuvw V.Unoy.'o it yum m\\ \o y^Ai wAAwiAt uV'C MV» .wv«w\yA\»bi'<;\A-i YjAWvu Aw WiA o A\V» ywAb - » -JwWAiwti Wt> i wm\ Vyt YyitA . j -t\o\ tuo\ A\W 'o^^smotwYTu AAA'w .Ywwovj, y\<\ *• ««W vV\ .iyiYvvAYuA • a whi«Awwy v.woYAoVww Wo ■>v\\ \o Wb"$A\ n\\ \iwuot tJivtoA woowVjvj n\Y \ji- » Yt'V Yowortnywoo \o t’ A wVt wsntV ? ttVY \ o Vto\ ti^\w -.AY ;»ot\ot\nt\Yi -vAt ttt w'tioAi the huge • linn of ancient jade, th>: 11 /'u, an “ Axe " (J\ . 12. Fu (No. 10), a “ Syml ifttti i logy, anil • I- decorative chai .u c 2. Budtiliist Symbols. !■ i ie Chi t, \ -xxx .(ii^x-t^tix) Wi\x\ isil-gnj ; "A sx\\ \l vxxxWi W«> ,V>x ,x\x«Yxxxxxys ,\xx 4 .raT), \itovxm% »xYx>xxYi VxsxVxvjxx '(\\iix\\y vy w» 'xxxxxxxvx’i '.m\4 ■jiV'C .iwYN \xxxxxji\x\»wm \" \lV»% XXX WjxWw.*) foVx X) fcxvxs \u /fataWQ V' ’■'"'>''•‘1 W» \xr\xx\ .xxxisxxxvx wxxx xv>x>x\ ’Avro taxxVxx mVx vtX ixi WxWxxi -iwviiyx tt\"C ,v\Vr>>j'<>\ Vtttb -\w\ maYmx-xoxVx svnx'uVO mwixvuAwv) wxxxWxAxaxxa lA AVxxxxxx *x\X xxx VVX^xaa'xXxxx vuXxixVsYX) \x.VmTE 7 j xvxWx\<,yxaxx-\ m\\ \>i •xyxxxvaY Vyxi\xjVx> » xVYx'it ,\xx»a\ xxx i/"I aAidaxhYx AxVt .sYuVxkx x.x\1 xxx ixxjxWxiVixxx -x»\xmn> xi xx>x\ ,Vxxxm' A XXX) ,wmxx\\»x\ \a Wv,-xm\i ■xxW .griieH iiH xVVios -\D ,\X)\l VaVxBIX' 4 n XX«\U ■JttUX&Vx A>.xxxx«lxx^ W/p Vxxu \jxi\ xxx\x>\ x> yx'xHAAoi ii\Yx\i wivX 'i>\ VbxxaY ,-\,xA «\X \xi uotlS •x')V)i)-vx>x\-, 'siVY AuxVxx 'A\ b - xs\xxx ix , x-)(\x>x\) \)YX'>Wi -(VxtiVxxvv'xt o x\Vx xVxxw ,Vxxxu\ Wijita-{xisn>\ " ’(A Vx\«a xxx .-.Wxx'x ,iXVn^xx')\ \« W;.-ax>\). mVx .gniall uoilS -y\»\V>VXxh-vxt xWi'XV vxxx^v. \>^x> xxxi \x) iixxi^ x\xxw\i ixx\ U'vvxX) xx'XJuwVx imVxXia<\ jjxx'bxxyx^ uxwxV^jxm X) xVX'vm- ,a\x>vi\ixxd\ yiwx x> .vxxx\x'x\ m\X \>s -iiixi MXX> xxo ))Xx'i\ • /A ' >.Q) ,*v * Marks on Chinese Porcelain. 65 4. The ' 5 - The ' 6 . The Chang Kuo. 7 - The 8 . The Castanets (Pan) of Ts’ao Kuo-ch’iu, who always has a pair in his hand. Basket of Flowers ” (Him Lon), borne by Lan Ts’ai-ho. ‘ Bamboo Tube and Rods ” ( Yu Ku ), a kind of miniature drum carried by Fig. 92.—The mark shown on the foot of the tall vase in Fig. 93; the sacred Ung-chih fungus envel¬ oped in tufts of grass. “ Flute ” ( Ti ), upon which Han Hsiang Tzu plays. “ Lotus Flower ” (Lien Him) of the virgin damsel Ho Hsien Ku. The fan is sometimes replaced by the fly-whisk (ying shua), the pilgrim’s gourd is nearly always accompanied by the crooked iron staff (him) of the lame beggar, and the flower basket by the spade (chan) of the florist. These Taoist symbols are con¬ stantly met with in Chinese art as architectural designs, patterns of wall paper and domestic furniture, etc., as well as in the decoration of jade, bronze, and porcelain. They occupy the large central medallion on the two sides of the Ch’ien-lung pilgrim bottle deco¬ rated in colors, shown in Fig. 50, being represented there as bound together in pairs with waving fillets, displayed upon a ground filled with cloud scrolls and sprays of conventional flowers. The palm-leaf fan and the sword are seen tied together, the casta¬ nets and the drum with its two rods inside, the gourd, crooked staff, and flute, the basket of flowers and the lotus. The emblems of longevity which so frequently occur as marks are mostly of Taoist origin, or con¬ nected with Taoist mythological legends, and they may consequently be referred to here. The greatest desire of a Chinaman is for long life, which is reckoned as the first and chief of the five happinesses, and the Taoist hermits, like the mediaeval alchemists, spend their time in the search after the elixir of immortality. The most prominent position in the mystical fancies of the Taoists is given to the peach. The most ancient superstitions of the Chinese attributed magic virtues to the twigs of the peach, and the fabulists of the Han dynasty added many extravagant details to the legends already existing. The divine peach- tree which grew near the palace of the goddess Hsi IVang Mu, whose fruit ripened but once in three thousand years, was celebrated by them as conferring the gift of immortal¬ ity. The peach as an emblem of longevity is found as a mark (No. 1) in combination with a bat, the homonym of fu, “ happiness.” A still more common emblem of longevity is the sacred fungus ( ling-chih ), the Polyporus lucidus of botanists, distin- guished by the brightly variegated colors which it develops in the ordinary course of its growth. When 'CsP dried it is very durable, and it is placed upon the altar of Taoist temples and often represented in the hands of their deities. It is occasionally seen held in the mouth of a deer, and one of these animals always accompanies Shou Lao, the longevity god. The fungus is specially valued when a tuft of grass has grown through its substance, and this is carefully preserved with the dried specimen. The tuft of grass is generally found, too, in the mark, and has been a puzzle to collectors, who have ^pften described the peculiar combina¬ tion as a cockscomb or some other flower, under the idea that a fungus could not have leaves. In the mark photographed in Fig. 92, from the foot of one of a pair of blue and white gourd- Fig. 93.—Tall Vase, one of a pair, richly decorated in pure cobalt blue with medallions of diverse form in the midst of floral scrolls. 66 Oriental Ceramic Art. shaped vases of the K'ang-hsi period, Fig. 93, the fungus is represented in the middle of five such tufts of grass. In the other mark (No. 1), a more frequent form, it is accompanied by a few blades only. Three other plants which figure as emblems of longevity are the Sung, Chu, Mei y the Pine, Bamboo, and the Prunus, the first two because they are evergreen and flourish throughout the winter, the prunus because it throws out flowering twigs No. 1. from its leafless stalks up to an extreme old age. The accompanying mark (No. 2), reproduced in facsimile from a large bowl with flaring mouth, decorated inside and out with dramatic scenes in the most brilliant blue, of the K'ang-hsi period, is composed of two tiny twigs of prunus blossom encircled by the usual double ring. Fig. 94.—Large Flat Dish of the K'ang-hsi period, decorated in colors, including red, yellow, black, overglaze cobalt blue, pale purple, light green, coffee-brown, and touches of gold. Among the animal emblems of longevity are the deer, the tortoise, and the stork, all of which occur occasionally as marks. The hare (No. 3) is found more frequently than any as a mark. It is the animal sacred to the moon, where the Taoists believe it to live, pounding with pestle and mortar the drugs that form the elixir vitce. It is said to live a thousand years, and to become white when it has reached half its long span of life. The stork, in the form that is usually figured as a mark, is seen inclosed in a small circu¬ lar medallion in the decoration of the gourd-shaped vase in Fig. 85; it is the patriarch of the feathered tribe, attaining a fabulous age, and is the aerial courser of the Taoist divinities, often represented bringing from a paradise in the clouds the tablets of human fate which it carries in its beak. The tortoise is also sometimes seen No. 2. accompanying the longevity god, and the common felicitous phrase No. 3. PLATE XIX. IRIDESCENT IRON-RUST EASE. 4 SE (P'ing), egg-shaped, with a small round mouth and a cir cularly rimmed foot, enameled with a dark-brown monochrome glass, thickly speckled with minute points of deep metallic lustrous aspect, and ir¬ regularly flecked all over with clouds of vermilion color, the Up being cov¬ ered with a ring of the same red. It is a striking example of the t'ieh-hsiu yu, or “iron-rust glaze," of naturalistic color and inimitable metallic luster. The foot is enam¬ eled underneath with a dark olive- brown monochrome glaze of rugose " bubbly " appearance. There is no mark inscribed, although it is evi¬ dently an early Ch’ien-lung piece (H36-95)- .k\'k A'tki'V •\w\3a-vaow\ ■Wiaozaam .'AWKN Atatt JuiOph.-ygi .(gni -1 !) iX?.W\T -Vn a Woo AWuiitt ittaw Worn). u VAnvunvi ,V>v>\ W\m 'AivAui vw«'«Vmi\i»ro awM-XuAi o i\Vw \« <.\wVn<\ -A\num Mw» Vn\fcn<$ nVXjuVl -■Vi Vnn A'A 1 " i\Wt>V»u \v.\> 1WA-1 &\V» -wso Wo VAvA\ ’(VuAw^ia -aoa gp'nA mW , \'Awi wiitam \s> im Irani. m\\ \o 'fim » M’vw W« n\\ \« aVyumtA -jjvVX'nW n ii V\ ",W»Y^ \wvtvm“ ■» ,u^ uiarf-rfsi'l iiui the stork, all of \ :hv,- than any a^ • live, pounding Marks on Chinese Porcelain. 67 Kuei ho clit shou means, "May your longevity equal that of the tortoise \kuei\ and stork [ho] ! As a mark, however, it is rare in China, although more commonly used in Japan in the form of a tortoise with a hairy tail composed of strings of confervoid growth. 4. The Hundred Antiques (Po Ku). The expression Po Ku, which is constantly used in the description of Chinese art, refers to the almost infinite variety of ancient symbols and emblems, derived from all kinds of sources, sacred and profane, which form a common motive in the decoration of porcelain and other art objects. Although the word “ hundred ” is used vaguely as a noun of multitude, it is not a mere figure of speech, as it would not be a difficult matter to enumerate more than that number of antique symbols appertaining to this category. These antiques sometimes form the sole decoration of vases; sometimes they are grouped in panels of diverse form, as in the blue and white “hawthorn ’ jars in which the floral ground is interrupted by medallions; in other cases they are arranged singly within the bands of floral brocade or diaper which encircle the borders of a round dish or other piece. The tall two-handled blue and white cup illustrated in Plate XIV is decorated, for in¬ stance, with groups of these symbols, the intervals of the conventional borders of foliated design being filled with paraphernalia of the scholar and artist—books on tables, brushes in vases, water receptacles, and scroll pictures, enveloped with waving fillets and mixed with tasseled wands and double diamonds, symbols of literary success. The large and beautiful plate (Fig. 94) painted in brilliant enamel colors of the K'ang- hst period, with a broad band of peony scrolls penetrated by archaic dragons around the rim, succeeded by narrower rings of fret, displays in the interior a typical example of the Po Ku style of decoration, artistically carried out. The center piece is a tall, graceful vase with rings hanging upon open scrolled handles, decorated with sprays of lotus, standing upon a tripod pedestal, filled with a bouquet of peonies, floral emblems of literary success leading to wealth and honor. A low vase with wide, bulging body, decorated with dragons at the side, holds peacocks feathers, emblems of high rank. On the other side, a lion-shaped censer upon a four- stand is emitting a cloud of incense shaping above into the forms of a pair of storks, symbols of long life and of conjugal felicity. A second set of incense-burning apparatus, a bundle of scroll pictures tied up in a brocaded wrapper, a ju-i (“wish-fulfilling”) scepter or wand, a musical stone, and other felicitous symbols, and a sword with a paper-weight in the foreground, fill in the picture. The background is a scroll picture partially unrolled to show a pine-clad mountain with pavilions and temples, a representation of the Taoist paradise, the immemorial hills ( Shou Shari) where their immortal hermits are wont to wander. The Po Ku symbols, like those of the Buddhist and Taoist cults, are also often arranged in numerical categories. The sets most frequently met with are the Pa Pao or “ Eight Precious Things,” and the “ Four Accomplish¬ ments of the Scholar. These occasionally occur in the ornamental borders of plates and vases, generally bound with fillets, and they are also found singly as marks. The usual set of the Pa Pao comprises: 1. A sphere (No. 1), representing a jewel or pearl (chu), often drawn with effulgent rays issuing from its surface. The dragon is generally depicted in pursuit of such a jewel. It answers to the Buddhist jewel of the law, the special symbol, also, of a universal monarch. 2. A circle inclosing a square (No. 2). This represents a “ cash ” ( cliien ), the ordinary money of the Chinese, which is a round copper coin pierced with a square hole in the center for convenience of stringing. A couple of them may be united by a fillet, or a long line form an ornamental border to a plate. Sometimes the god of riches will be seen emerging from the clouds at night, with a string of such “cash” whirling round his shoulders, in the act of filling a treasure chest, while the guards are sleeping beside it. 68 Oriental Ceramic Art. No. 5. 3. An open lozenge ( fang-sMng ) with ribbons entwined round it (No. 1). This is a symbol of victory or success. A pair of such objects interlaced make a common symbol, a pattern for jewelry, or worn in the front of the caps of boys, conveying the idea T'ung hsin fang shSng, or “Union gives success.” 4. A solid lozenge (No. 2), another form of the same symbol [fang sheng). A musical stone of jade or a plaque of bronze may be fashioned in this shape. 5. A ch'mg, or musical stone of jade (No. 3). Also cast in sonorous metal. Struck with a hammer, it is a very ancient musical instrument, and minute directions for its manufacture are found in old books. A set of six¬ teen, of different size and thickness, form the fieri ch'mg , or “stone chime.” It is also a Buddhist musical instrument. On account of the similarity of the sound of its name with that of the word ch’mg, which means “ happiness ” and “ good luck,” it is often seen in symbolical decorations on the rafters of a house, the side of a winecup, etc. 6. A pair of books (s/m) strung together by a ribbon (No. 4). This symbol is generally found as one of the four which represent the elegant accomplishments of the Chinese scholar, the other three being chin , chi, and hit a, the lyre, the chess-board, and scroll paintings. 7. Chueh , a pair of horns (No. 5). The rhinoceros horn used to be considered an object of great value in China, and was elaborately carved into winecups, girdle clasps, and many other things. A horn brimming with good things is emblematic of plenty, like the cornucopia of our own classical times. 8. An artemisia leaf (the ai yeh, shown in No. 6). A fragrant plant of good omen, used from ancient times for the “ moxa.” The Buddhist priest at his ordination places small balls of the dried leaves upon his head and ignites them to burn a number of spots into the skin. At the festi¬ val of new moon in the fifth month every householder nails to the posts and windows of his house some leaves of the artemisia and sweet flag, tied together in bundles, to dispel noxious influences. These objects are sometimes seen borne by a procession of fantastic figures representing tribute bearers from abroad. The set is variable, and any one of the members may be replaced by a branch of coral, a silver ingot, a brush and cake of ink, etc., or by a svastika symbol, or by one of the Buddhist emblems of good fortune, such as a lotus flower, conch shell, or pair of fishes. These symbols, as the eight aquatic jewels (S/mi fa fao ), represent the treasures of the sea, and are pictured in combination with winged sea-horses and other monsters floating upon the waves of the sea—a common decoration of the interior of bowls and dishes. Frc. 95.—Decorated in brilliant enamel colors of the K’ang-hsi period, with medallions displayed upon a scrolled ground of coral- Fig. 96.— Vase of the K'ang-hsi period, painted in coral-red, pale green, and gold. Marks on Chinese Porcelain. 69 The “ Four Accomplishments ” of the Chinese scholar—music, chess, calligraphy, and paint¬ ing are known by the collective title of Ch'in Ch i Shu Hua , and are represented by the articles named in the title, viz.: (1) a lyre wrapped in its embroidered case; (2) a chess- or rather ^y-board, with round boxes for the white and black “ men ”; (3) a pair of books placed side by side or tied together with a fillet; and (4) a couple of scroll pictures. They are inclosed in panels within a diapered band encircling the shoulder of the vase illustrated in Fig. 95, and each one of the four occupies a prominent position in the successive panels of the vase shown in Fig. 96, so that it is unnecessary to illustrate them separately. They all occur, be¬ sides, as marks. The exercise of the four accom¬ plishments is a common motive of decoration for figure subjects, and some of the finest vases of the K'ang-hsi period, both blue and white and brilliantly enameled in colors, exhibit bevies of busy damsels or parties of literati gathered in four groups, which are depicted either on the same vase, or on a pair of bowls of the same set, two of the groups being displayed in the latter case on the sides of each of the bowls. The vase just alluded to (Fig. 96), which is referred to the K’ang-hsi period, is decorated in coral red and pale green with touches of gold, with floral brocades and diapered bands of varied pattern, surrounding four large panels with indented corners which are filled with selec¬ tions of these Po Ku designs. The four sides have been separately photographed, to give an idea of the variety of the devices. The first picture (Fig. 96) shows the out¬ line and decoration of the vase; the other three give the successive panels, starting from the first and proceeding round the vase from left to right. The first panel has in the center a three- legged censer of complex form with dentated ribs, and a cover surmounted by a one-horned grotesque lion; the corners are occupied by a folding chess-board, with two boxes for the "men,” a pair of horn cups bound with fillets, an open book, and a magic wand \ju-i) with its fungus-shaped jeweled head, a cylindrical pot (pi-fung) with a picture scroll, a feather whisk, and two brushes inside, and a water receptacle with tiny ladle near at hand; two cups and a fluted incense box with palm-leaf cover fill in the intervals. The second panel (Fig. 97) contains a vase of “ hawthorn ” pattern interrupted by bands of triangular fret, mounted upon a stand, with an emblematic spray of blossoming prunus inside; in the corners a lyre in its brocaded case tied with ribbons, the staff and fan of the mendicant friar, a jar of wine (chin tsun) with a ladle inside and a winecup near at hand, a censer deco¬ rated with trigrams, and a covered incense box beside it: in the intervals are a waterpot (shui- clieng), a libation cup, the round “cash” symbol, a lozenge displaying a svastika symbol, Fig. 97.—One of the panels of the vase shown in Fig. 96, exhibiting the Po Ku style of decoration. 7 ° Oriental Ceramic Art. and two interlacing rings, an archaic form of money and of the earliest hieroglyph representing it. The third panel (Fig. 98) has as its center- piece a tripod censer with dentated ribs and upright loop handles; two books, having their volumes inclosed in the usual cloth cases, and a Ju-i wand tied with a fillet, below, a sacred alms- bowl, the holy grail of Buddhism, reposing on a bed of Ficus religiosa leaves, and a pair of casta¬ nets, above ; a palette and pair of brushes, the “ cash ” symbol, a palm leaf, and the interlacing lozenge-symbol ( fang-sheng) filling in the intervals. J The fourth panel (Fig. 99) exhibits a tall vase of graceful form, decorated with an archaic dragon, containing a branch of coral and two peacock's feathers, emblems of high rank, with a couple of scroll pictures tied together with a cord half hid- Fig. 99 .—The fourth panel of the vase shown in Fig. ,6. den by the , bondle of roIls of m and a flute, a palm-leaf fan and Buddhist rosary on either side of its neck; a low table with four divisions filled apparently with nuts, having two tea¬ cups in their saucers beside it, a waterpot and a foot rule, a third small cup, and the inter¬ lacing ring-symbol, complete the emblematic decoration. This is enough to show the great variety of the Po Ku symbols. Two of them, which often occur separately as marks, are the pao ting (No. i), or precious censer, a bronze antique with either three or four legs, which is often roughly shaped, so that it was mistaken by Jacquemart for a model¬ ing table; and fit, the ornamental symbol (No. 2) which formed one of the designs embroidered in olden times upon sacrificial robes. 5. Devices intended to be read in “ Rebus ” fashion. The Chinese language being monosyllabic, and hav¬ ing comparatively few vocables to express the myriads of written characters, lends itself readily to puns, and a subclass is necessary for devices of this kind. The idea of Ling Hsien Chit Shou — i. e., “The Sacred Genii worshiping the Lon¬ gevity God ”—is involved, for instance, in a floral device consisting of interlacing sprays of No. 1. polyporus fungus, narcissus flowers, bamboo ____ twigs, and peach fruit; * the fungus is called [E~~5T| ling-chih , the narcissus, shut hsien hua, or “the c — 1 water fairy,” chit, “bamboo,” is used as a “re¬ bus ” for “ worship,” which has the same sound, and the peach suggests the deity of longevity, whose special attribute it is. Again, a device which often occurs as a mark on porcelain is composed of a bat, Fig. ioo.—A rtistically decorated Vase of the Ch’ien-lung period, enameled with a celadon glaze of typical shade. * This floral device is carved in the bottom of a magnificent dish of white jade, the “ brush-washer ” (pi-hsi) of a Chinese writer or artist, now in the Walters Collection. Marks on Chinese Porcelain. r a peach, and a couple of “ cash ” united by a fillet, and is read Fit Shou Shuang Cliiian — i. e., “ Happiness and Longevity both complete ”; the bat {fit) is a homonym of {fit) “ happiness ”; the peach is the sacred fruit of longevity [shou), and cliiian, the ancient term for “ cash,” means also " perfect.” We have had this last character already as a single mark. Dozens of such curious conceits might be cited. The richly decorated vase of the Ch'ien-lung period enameled in colors with gilding, illus¬ trated in Fig. ioo, which has flowers of the four seasons in its four large panels — the magnolia Fig. ioi.— Yung-cheng Dish, decorated in brilliant enamel colors, with sprays of magnolia, pyrus, and tree-peony. (Companion in Plate XLVIII.) yulan and peonia of spring, the hydrangea, pinks (dianthus) and flags (iris) of summer, the oak with acorns and russet leaves and the chrysanthemums of autumn, the blossoming plum and early roses of winter —has the two oblong panels on the neck occupied by an emblematical device of this kind, which is composed of a chain of symbols hung with knotted ribbons and jeweled beads. It suggests the felicitous motto, Chi cfiing yu yii —i. e, “ Good Fortune and Abundance of Riches ”; the hanging musical plaque of jade of triangular form (chi-cliing) suggests the homophone “good fortune”; and the pair of fishes ( yii ) involves the idea of pros¬ perity and abundance {yii), which is read with the same vocable, although written with a different character. The accompanying mark (No. i) has already been pub¬ lished in the Franks Catalogue, so often referred to (Plate VII, 88), taken from a pair of circular trays, which are decorated, in colors with gilding, with ladies engaged in two out of the “ four accomplishments,” viz., painting and chess. The first exhibits “ two ladies, one seated at a table with a brush in her hand, the other (her attendant) standing with a hand-screen behind the former, a Fig. 102—Snuff-botUe, s t an d with vases, etc.”; the second has “three ladies seated on a carpet inscribed with the char- 1 acter shou, “ longevity.” and playing at a game somewhat like chess, in the background a stand 72 Oriental Ceramic Art. with vases, stool with tea things, etc.” The mark, which is composed of a pencil-brush {pi), a cake of ink {ting), and a magic wand ( ju-i ) symbolizes the phrase Pi ting ju-i —i. e., “ May [things] be fixed as you wish! ” The same mark occurs also on blue and white porcelain of good style. The decoration of the pair of eggshell winecups, of which one is shown in Fig. 78, includes another “ rebus ” in the shape of two flying bats {fu), with triangular plaques of jade {chi- c/iing) in their mouths, suggesting the felicitous phrase Sliuang fu chi c/iing —i. e., “Twofold Happiness and Good Fortune.” The magnificent Yung-Cheng dish, illustrated in Fig. ioi, would also be suggestive to a Chinese mind, and it would imply, from its floral decoration, the felicitous sentence, Yu t'ang fu kuei, or “Jade Halls for the Rich and Noble,” the three flowers displayed in the interior of the dish being the magnolia ( yii-lan ), the double pyrus {hai-fang), and the tree-peony, which is often called the fu-kuei flower, as the special floral emblem of riches and high rank. Many of the titles of Chinese art designs are of this alliterative character, and suggest at once the conventional details which make up the composition. Fig. 103.— An Eggshell Plate, of very fine, white, translucent paste; the decoration, in gold and sepia, composed of an inscription in Arabic. The central design embodies the familiar Mohammedan Confession of Faith : "La Ildh i/ta-l Idh via Muhammad rasBl-a-Udh ,” or, “ There is no deity but God, and Muhammad is his messenger.” The border embod¬ ies the opening lines of the Quran, as commonly recited in prayer: “ Bismi-l-Idhi-rra/mdni-rra/iSm. Al hamdu lilldhi rabbi-l ala min arrahmdni rrahJm md/ihi yaumi-ddin. lyydka n'abudu wa iyydka nasta'in. T/idtua- ssirdta-l-M ustagSm Sirafa-llastua an'amta 'alayhcm. Gayri-l-magdubi 'alayhem wala-ddallhi." Which, being translated, reads: “In the Name of God the Compassionate, the Merciful! Praise be to God, the Lord of the Universe, the Compassionate, the Merciful, the Ruler of the Day of Judgment! Thee do we worship, and Thee do we ask for assistance. Lead us in the right path, the path of those upon whom Thou art gracious, and not of those upon whom Thou art angry, nor those who go astray!" PLATE XX. BUDDHIST ECCLESIASTICAL VASE. T T'ASE (P’ing), one of a pair, i6 3 / t inches y high, of hexagonal section ami complicated oulliiu, elaborately decorated in brilliant enamel colors with gilding, for the altar set of a Buddhist temple; each at tar set consisting of a tripod censer and two pricket candlesticks, flanked by a pair of vases, five pieces in all. The body of the vase, of reversed conical form, is modeled in the shape, of a d.igaba, or relic shrine, with a sank pane! in each of the six sides containing a vase, which stands out in relief from the floral background, displaying the sacred wheel of the law surmounted by the trisula symbol. The edges and borders are Jilted with floral brocades and bands of conventional flowers, sprays of fruit, and birds, relieved by grounds of different color. The neck of the vase, channeled externally, and correspondingly fluted inside, is painted with pend¬ ant chains of flowers and jewels, relieved by a red ground. The fool is painted in green, with rings of palmetto foliations on a yellow ground, and with gilded chrysanthemum sprays upon a red ground round the rim. The interior of the vase and the under surface of the foot are enameled pale green. A small panel is reserved in the middle, underneath, in which is inscribed the seal in underglaze blue, Ta C'hing Yung-cheng nien chih— i. e., "Made in the reign of Yung-cheng (1723-35), of the great C’hing [dynasty]." . 7 . 7 . OTKV& AV.KN AKAXV.KYA'AA'MA TiWX'NWA tiAviu ,\'t>v 7wi\ i> \i i»>> ,(gni'‘I) VAs>i'iVyw>t Wb vWiY&t tawypx&A '\vi N ‘^ WvYvvtA vvv VyvvjwWvi A'.iU. uijinVi .nv.'.U', «* \m Vm -«A\o -AY -"A ,-j«As\\’^ iVvvu v»Vi Yawai i. v. , A\\uu'Sft V.i ^iA«- vW. . iV\w\\ YiaAVbvX \ivWuA\ VA-jy-W^ wft W# v/uv,, Wv^rt ,\\ft w\ w.vA\vj\ ,'/,vavr \« vWy i> -(A Wj«»V 3itaflm \« pm* iv\\ \> tW\ aYY ■w\« •» ,Kdj;g/ib u \d *ta>i\t 'ii\\ \u VvVifom tv tiVvt /At nYl \u vY.uS vv'v YlttWy -WM. V. vVvViT i'au-vvV **A,^%v vv'vVws >,V"Vi vSSuVn ,ii» » yi'nv'vWvwi \wV.; V.'wivit n\\ »iVivA<\t\Vi JiittWy^YivA \vv\'A\_ n\\ nVV .W\iwt_t’i;lr/ahl mWM \i$6uvtnvvwt >«tiY n\\ \« fAaiVivA W\ft\\. Mvn VA\v\_ twi tnV«"\ »»»*> 'V"'* \i >nv\Vi \v\vv»\«Y \« tWwiVj, *rt \ivrvv\w ,iV>V\ Yvvb V vvvi ,i\W\ vAxt V'lVivwvJiiVi pm* iv\\ \n 4.«vv iiCt A,wv\ v\Yvw ViVa'vvi^A , 'Vvi.tt\ \Wvv\ 'iVjyvYYwy'i' w. V) VmVYvv ,»Vvjr>\ Y\u. YSvjV® V' '»" vWvvi A'Viv/. \tv VAnvv>\ t\ ta»\ 'aYY .'towjj Vyt ,Wvwj. wAVvy b «o tv w«\» n* w\>. v«\uvivV\«vvi.ruYi 'tf&Av'sy fairS ivhi .to vi iv\\ Aiu»«n VtouW' ■. viti\vvu 'vAiv'w ifa \ivui W)'i ->vV\ \i -\v,V\Wv\t wYY Wiii" V. .tvswg ViViwvjivw yvvi V*\ i\Vi \j i\v ,i\\vr>vv\ A'«» .WtAi'u" mW h'v \ivi-ittw tv Ym&Cy BT .vivVv ->!ViV^v»\>«w w\ \tiv. tfa Wm»i A vVAW vv’v -WtV. ” ,.i a— riirl-j noiri griitto-gnoY gnirl".) >fa \w gnSto-gnuY > "->y,i tiW ",| iVtiiwAi | gnitl'U • , hi.!, the lrtc-p. • n M « W Fig. 104.—Tz'a-chou whiteware: (a) Wine Flask, decorated in shades of brown; (i) Double Gourd, painted in brown ; (r) The Twin Genii of Taoist Fable, mounted with a tube for incense, painted in brown. CHAPTER V. CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE PORCELAIN.-PRIMITIVE PERIOD.-SUNG DYNASTY.—JU YAO.—KUAN YAO - TING YAO-—LUNG-CH’UAN YAO. —KO YAO. TUNG-CH'iNG YAO. CHUN YAO.—THREE FAC¬ TORIES AT CHI-CHOU, CHIEN-CHOU, AND TZ’u-CHOU.—UTENSILS OF SUNG PORCELAIN. I I has already been shown in Chapter I, from the evidence of contemporary writers, that porcelain must have been known in China at least as early as the T'ang dynasty. But the jadelike resonant white ware of Hsin-p’ing, the modern Ching-te-chen, in the province of Kiangsi, and the cups of Ta-yi, in the Ssuchuan province, so often cele¬ brated by the poets of the period, together with the enameled bowls of Yueh-chou and the other colored fabrics described in the early books on tea, have long since disappeared. Even the famous porcelain of the After Chou dynasty, which reigned a. d. 951-960, known at the time as imperial ware, subsequently as Ch’ai Yao, after the name of the reigning emperor, who decreed that it should be produced “ blue as the sky, clear as a mirror, thin as paper, resonant as jade,” is described by modern collectors as almost a phantom, and as being so rare that in the present day fragments are set in gold like jewels, to be worn in the front of the cap* The author of the C/iing pi ts'ang.\ a little book on art published in 1595, writes: “ I have seen a broken piece of Ch'ai Yao made into a ring and worn on the girdle, the sky- blue color and brilliant polish of which corresponded to the description as given above, but it differed in being thick." It seems hardly necessary, therefore, to include these different wares in our classification, or to occupy our space with any of the other less important productions which are described in the older books, but are not seen in collections of the present day. It is different when we come to the Sung dynasty, which began in 960 and lasted till 1280, when it was overthrown by Kublai Khan, the grandson of the famous Genghis Khan and the founder of the Yuan dynasty, which ruled China till it was in its turn succeeded by the native Ming dynasty in the year 1368. We have actual specimens of the porcelain of these times in our possession and can compare them with the descriptions of the writers on ceramic subjects. They agree in having a certain primitive aspect, being invested generally with glazes of single colors of uniform or mottled tint, with plain or crackled surface, so that the two dynasties are justly classed together by M. Grandidier.f whose classification of Chinese porce¬ lain I propose to follow here, arranged as it is in chronological order after a Chinese model: * This practice of cutting fragments of broken porcelain into oval plaques for mounting into buckles for girdles, or buttons for the tobacco pouch, is useful for the study of the rarer glazes, and for comparison with any unbroken specimens which we have before us for classification. They show the thickness of the glaze as well as the texture of the paste, both of which are important criteria for determining the age of a piece. f La Clramique chi noise, avec 42 heliogravures par Dujardin, par Ernest Grandidier, Paris, 1894. 73 74 Oriental Ceramic Art. 1. Primitive period, including the Sung dynasty (960-1279) and the Yuan dynasty (1280- 1367)- 2. Ming period, comprising the whole of the Ming dynasty (1368-1643). 3. K'ang-hsi period, extending from the fall of the Ming dynasty to the close of the reign of K'ang-hsi (1662-1722). 4. Yung-cheng and Ch'ien-lung period (1723-1795). 5. Modern period, from the beginning of the reign of Chia-c/iing in 1796 to the present day. This classification gives five fairly well marked ceramic classes, and as a rule it will not be found difficult to decide from the style, from the method of decoration, or from the colors employed, to which of these classes a par¬ ticular piece should belong. The first, or Primitive period, is named from the comparatively simple character of its ceramic productions. This must be stated with some qualification, however, as many of the different processes of decoration were in¬ troduced, and it will be seen that there were considerable advances in the ceramic pro¬ ductions, before the end of the period, when they are compared with the really primitive porcelain of the T'ang dynasty. At first the pieces were either plainly fashioned on the wheel, or molded, and invested with glazes of different color, the brilliance of which constituted the chief charm. Afterward more work was lavished on the paste, which was worked in relief, engraved, or carved in open-work designs. The delicacy of some of the molded decoration of this period in the interior of the white bowls and platters of the Ting-chou kilns, with phcenixes flying through floral scrolls, and other elaborate designs, has, indeed, hardly been surpassed since. Among the monochrome glazes are found whites of various tones, grays of bluish and purplish tints, greens from pale sea-green celadon to deep olive, browns from light chamois to dark tints approaching black, bright red, and dark purple. Especially notable are the pale purple, often speckled with red spots; the brilliant grass-greens of the Lung-ch’iian porcelain, called ts'ung-lu, or “ onion-green,” by the Chinese; the yueh-pai, or clair de lime, a pale gray blue, and the aubergine, or deep purple ( chieh tzu), of the Chun-chou ware; these last kilns were also remarkable for the brilliance of their yao-pien, or “ transmutation ” mottled tints, due to the varied degrees of oxidation of copper silicates. Painted decoration was more sparingly employed, although in the province of Chihli both the Ting-chou and Tz'u-chou porcelains were painted with brown flowers, as we learn from the Ko kit yao lun, a work published in the fourteenth century. The same book describes the vases produced at Yung-ho-chfin, in the department of Lu-ling- hsien, in the province of Kiangsi, as ornamented with painted designs. The potteries here were closed during the wars at the end of the Sung dynasty, and the majority of the potters fled to Ching-tfi-chen, and seem to have initiated the potters there in new methods of deco¬ ration. As early as the tenth century cobalt blue, as we learn from the official annals of the Sung dynasty (Sung Skill, book 490, f. 12), was brought to China by the Arabs, under the name of nm-ming-yi It had long been used in western Asia in the decoration of tiles and other articles of faience. It was first employed in China, probably, in the preparation of colored glazes, as we know nothing of painting in blue before the Yuan dynasty. Fic. 106.—Small Water Ves¬ sel of Wan-li porcelain, in the form of one of the large fish-bowls of the time, dec¬ orated in under-glaze blue and enamel colors ; mark of the period in blue under¬ neath, within a double ring; carved wood stand ; silver cover of Japanese work. ' ig , 105. —K'ang-hsi Bowl, with a broad band of svastika fret n white relief, interrupted by medallions; mark, a lotus flower. Classification of Chinese Porcelain. 75 The decoration of porcelain sur biscuit with glazes of different colors, which prevailed in the early part of the Ming dynasty, must also have begun in the Sung, if we are to accept the statement quoted in the T’ao Shuo, that the celebrated image of Kuan-yin * enshrined in the Buddhist temple Pao-kuo-ssu at Peking dates from that dynasty. The bonzes of the temple confidently assert it, claiming also that it is a miraculous likeness, in that the goddess herself descended into the furnace while it was being fired and fashioned the ductile clay in her own image; and they point triumphantly to the laudatory verses composed by the Emperor Ch'ien- lung, which are engraved upon the carved blackwood pedestal of the shrine, which supports and screens the sacred image, made by imperial order in the palace workshop of the Nei-wu-fu, as sufficient evidence. It is a finely molded figure about a foot high, seated upon a lotus pedes¬ tal of the same material, colored crimson, with the chin supported by the right hand, the long taper fingers drooping gracefully, and the elbow resting upon the knee. The face, the right arm, the breast, and the left foot, which is extended in an awkward pose to exhibit the sole, are bare, covered with an opaque white enamel. From the necklet, which is yellow, hangs a square network of yellow beads attached to the inner garment girdling the waist, which is colored red-brown of charming mottled hue. The figure is loosely wrapped in flowing drapery of purest and bluest turquoise tint, with the wide sleeves of the robe bordered with black and turned back in front to show the yellow lining; the upper part of the cloak is extended up behind over the head in the form of a plaited hood, which is also lined with canary yellow. The brow is encircled by a tiara of gold and crimson, with a tiny image inlaid in the front, and flower designs in relief on either side. The right hand holds a cir¬ cular mirror, with Sanskrit characters carved in open work, enameled, of dark-brown color, surrounded by a halo of golden flames, f The ordinary decoration of painting in enamel colors upon porcelain previously fired, and subsequently fired again in the muffle stove to fix the colors, was certainly unknown at this period. We read occasionally, it is true, of butterflies, birds, fish, or fabulous beasts, outlined by some magic transformation on the surface of celadon vases, but these appear to be merely accidental resemblances of the colored patches so often produced during the firing of these glazes. Such reddish or purple stains occurring on ancient pieces, from partial oxidation of the coloring material, are specially prized by collectors as marks of authenticity, and an arti¬ ficial patch is usually daubed on in modern imitations to deceive the unwary. A general idea of the form and coloring of the porcelain may be gathered from the water- * The Goddess of Mercy. f I have had the privilege of paying several visits to the shrine of this goddess, who has, somehow, an irresistible fascina¬ tion. The prior of the monastery assures me that his records show that the image has been there since the foundation of the temple in the thirteenth century, and I see no reason to doubt his assertion. The colors are of the same type as those of the finest flower-pots and saucers of the ChUn-chou porcelain of the Sung dynasty. A Chinese author of the Ming period writes that there must have been porcelain decorated in colors during the Sung dynasty, basing his statement on this very image of Kuan- yin. Most people have been led astray by its traditional name of Yao-p'ien— i. e., “Furnace Transmutation”—and imagined, like Dr. Hirth, that it was invested with an ordinary flamin' glaze. The colors, the turquoise-blue, canary-yellow, brown of “old gold” and “ dead leaf ” tones, crimson and red-striped purple, are laid on in perfect contrast, and make one almost understand the rhapsodies of some of the older ceramic writers about the brilliancy of the colors produced at the ChUn-chou kilns. The image is considered too sacred to be photographed or even portrayed in colors by a profane artist. 7 6 Oriental Ceramic Art. color illustrations of the album of the sixteenth centuiy to which I have already briefly referred. It was described in a paper read by me before the Peking Oriental Society in 1886, and pub¬ lished there in the journal of the Society, which is, however, difficult to procure, so that I may perhaps be forgiven for repeating part of the description. The album, bound in four volumes, between boards of sandalwood, came from the library of the palace of the hereditary princes of Yi. It is entitled Li tai ming tz'u t'on pit, Jfjf ft [11 lit’ Illustrated Description of the Celebrated Porcelain of Different Dynasties. The writer, gpj 7C ft'. Hsiang Yuan-p’ien, who himself drew and colored by hand the eighty-two illustrations copied from pieces in his own collection and in the collections of his friends, was a native of Chia-hsing-fu, in the province of Chekiang, a celebrated con- teenth century. The author referred to, includes his name by him in book ii, f. 3, and is relied upon by connoisseurs the authenticity of a picture to The first leaf contains an ace, which runs: "In ancient living in the midst of the and made pottery as a that even before the ties the art of molding existence. But very elapsed, and his gen- that no examples of vived. Passing on to and Chin dynasties, we mention of potters, in cups of Chi Shu-yeh and Ching-shan. Successors daily work produced 1 the reign of the house of C/iai, celebrated for its ceramic ware, search for mere fragments of able to find any, and declare it “ Next to the Ch'ai pot- Ju, Kuan, Ko, and Ting fol- we come to our own dynasty, the reigns of Yung-lo, Hsiian- ‘ vi.v •’ n‘ 4. hPK-.l.' -0 Fio. 108.—Ch'ien-lung Vase, with souffle body flecked with rouge-d'or, and bands of floral scrolls in rich colors of the fami/le rose. noisseur who lived in the six- of the Citing pi ts’ang, already in the list of collectors given the seal of Hsiang Yuan-p'ien to this day as a guarantee of which it is attached, introduction by way of pref- times, while Shun was still fields, he tilled the ground means of livelihood; so Three Ancient Dynas- clay was already in many years have eration is so remote his work can have sur- the Chin, Han, Wei, come to the earliest the case of the wine- the wine-vessels of Hsu of these two men in their abundant quantity, down to which was the first to become so that in the present day men this porcelain without being to be but a phantom, tery, we have the porcelains of lowing for inspection, till finally and have before us porcelain of tc, Ch’eng-htta, and Hung-chih, to compare with the specimens of the Sung, which it even surpasses, excelling both in texture and form as well as in brilliancy of coloring. “ I have acquired a morbid taste for refuse (literally ‘ scabs ’), and delight in buying choice specimens of the Sung, Yuan, and Ming, and in exhibiting them in equal rank with the bells, urns, and sacrificial wine-vessels of bronze, of the Three Ancient Dynasties, the Chin, and the Han. “With the aid of two or three intimate friends, who meet constantly both day and night for discussion and research, I have selected a series of pieces out of those that I have seen and that I possess myself and compiled this book. I have painted the specimens in colors and given the source of each one, so that I may preserve them from being lost and forgotten, and be able to show them to my friends. Say not that my hair is scant and sparse and yet I make what is only fit for a child’s toy! ” “Written by Hsiang Yuan-p'ien, styled Tzu-ching, native of Chia-ho.” The signature is accompanied by two seals in antique script, impressed in vermilion, “The PLATE XXI. VASE DECORATED WITH THE TAOIST TRIAD. JfASE (P'ing), ij inches high, of cylindrical Jr form, slightly enlarging upward and reced¬ ing at the neck, painted in the brilliant en¬ amel colors of the Yung-cheng period (1723—35). There is a group of figures on the vase, the three principal of which represent the Triad of the Taoist cult, called Fu Lu Shou San Hsing, or “ The Three Star Gods of Happiness, Rank, and Longevity." the other smaller figures being attendant sprites. Lu Hsing, the “ Star God of Rank," has the place of honor in the middle, dad in imperial robes, representing Shang Ti, the su¬ perior ruler of the Taoist pantheon, whose throne is the Great Bear, round which a// the other stars revolve in homage ; he holds a baton of rank, and has a peony, the “ mandarin's fiower," stuck in his winged hat. On his right is Shou Hsing, the “Divinity of Longevity," an aged, bent figure with wrinkled, smiling face and bald, protuberant brow, leaning upon a gnarled staff, dressed in robes brocaded with sprays of peach blossoms, and carry¬ ing a peach, the “fruit of life," in his hand. A stork is flying overhead, and a tall pine, another of his emblems, covered with flowering bignonia, rises in the background. He is attended by three playful sprites, dancing under the flmuers and striving to reach Hu peach. On the left stands Fu Hsing, the personified “Star of Happiness." his /wad covered with a blue hood, his girdle em¬ broidered with the sacred fungus and bat, while two other bats, his special attributes, are flying in the air above: he holds a child in his arms, and another is dancing behind. The neck of the vase is decorated in front with a group of fruit, composed of a little branch with twin peaches upon it, surrounded by twigs of water caltrop, Buddha's hand citron, pomegranate, olive, melon, and lotus. The foot, excavated to make a circular rim, is unglazed. Classification of Chinese Porcelain. 77 78 Oriental Ceramic Art. H C *7 Jd Yao. The Ju Yao was the porcelain made during the Sung dynasty at Ju-chou, in the province of Honan, the modern Ju-chou-fu. We are told that the porcelain hitherto sent to the capital from Tung-chou was found to be too fragile, and that a supply was therefore ordered for the use of the court from Ju-chou. The new porcelain resembled the celebrated Ch'ai ware of the preceding dynasty, which was made in the same province, and which the emperor ordered should be of the color of the clear sky in the in¬ tervals between the clouds after rain. The glaze is described as being so thick as to run down like melted lard, and as often ending in an irregularly curved line before reaching the bottom of the piece. The surface was either crackled or plain, and the latter was pre¬ ferred if the color was perfectly pure and uniform. The color is de¬ scribed by the artist as that of the pale azure-tinted blossoms of the Vitex incisa, the “ sky-blue flower ” of the Chinese, a flowering shrub which is common upon the hillsides in summer throughout central and northern China; it is the yueh pai , literally “moon white,” of the mod¬ ern Chinese silk dyer, which we know in ceramic parlance as clair de lime, and this is the name given also to the tint of the Ju Yu, or “Ju Glaze,” of the modern reproductions of the ancient color. This is well shown in Plate LI, 2, an illustration of a clair de lime vase of the K'ang-hsi period. The tint of the ancient Ju Yao nearly approached that of the Sung cup illustrated in Plate XII, 1, only it was of brighter hue and of purer blue. Three pieces of Ju Yao of the Sung dynasty are illus¬ trated in our ancient album, and described by the artist: “ Vase {Ku), of slender, upright, hornlike form, with wide, trumpet-shaped mouth, modeled after an ancient bronze design, with four prominent vertical dentated ridges. It is ornamented with grotesque dragons’ heads on a rectangular scroll ground upon the body, and with conventional palm leaves filled in with scrolls round the neck. Specimens of Ju-chou porcelain are extremely rare, and when found are usually plates and bowls, so that a perfect unbroken vase like this is almost unique, and it makes, like other sacrificial wine-vessels of the time, a charming receptacle for flowers. Moreover, it excels in material, form, and color both Kuan and Ko porcelain, and is far more valuable than either. I saw it at the capital, in the possession of Huang, General of the Guards, who told me that he had given 150,000 ‘cash’ for it.”* H. 6 }i in. “ Vase ( Ku ), of solid, rounded, beaker-shaped outline, copied from an ancient sacrificial vessel of bronze, with a band of ogre (t'ao-t’ieli) faces on the body, invested, like the last, with a plain uncrackled glaze of pure “ vitex-blue ” color. A choice speci¬ men of this rare fabric, it makes also a perfect receptacle for flowers.” H. 4 j 4 in. “ Wine Jar [Fit Tsun ), fashioned in the shape of a duck, after an ancient bronze design, the body being hollow to contain the wine, and the beak form¬ ing the spout. From the back springs a vaselike neck, with a movable cover, and a loop handle * The copper “cash" of China has varied in value at different times, but the normal rate of exchange is 1,000 for a tael, or Chinese ounce of silver, which is worth intrinsically about one Mexican dollar and one third. Fig. hi. — Vase of gray-blue color sparsely crackled with red lines, foot rim simulating the ancient Ju Yao of the Sung dynasty. Fic. no.—Finely crackled Turquoise Gourd of early K’ang-hsi or late Ming date, with archaic designs worked in the paste; old- bronze stand an.d cover. .WAY. •VTKA.'A Yfto'ii - awa .v-mv w^> mmu \nr.\ MW ,\\'au\ -\V"\ \u ViWwi'Ai ,’M'£\c\w &-\wn-nV(i» xv\\ \„ lYjB'im VvviWi \v«ii\ gniil-nai'iK) -uM «A '‘A vwA wvAiuA iM \'> nVu T.vt m\T i'«v? v.VAvrt MW \wm\ iW»\ 'ajtoVNq ’AVUWWVUU .i\v\rt\»\ \BYVi\,V Wil\ \<1 xM «\ uWftnW* -\iA\mV, V rtxv'wi ViWTC niVV ,rtv\<£ \BV1W1YU1 «ii i>\ V,uu,\ Bi Vl\\\ >.V\Ii J i,WlA Bi Vv\H' A \ YU, ,IV»\ ./';\u\\,\W«TUVl. 'AllVvifn^l, ,V\W ,liVV}\\x\ V'VlUl SiM ,W1\ ii-OvrtUl'IA’u \muiv i,\\ tvu>-> Wb .ayiV Vi\W\», Wu ,nvV.ii'i\ ,A'u\i-'A'uV vs, Mu,. ,»\,u\V,Vu, •,'> ,b«4 ,iAax& Vur tAYHv.\\_ iwAuiA -\iW>S\B m\\ \n YB'I AiAU'i’A IBiVvjW^ wi\ VuMi’i » \u iVW\ rttti, \n v.u,"».M A vA'ifttt i, iV.'uVw »\»\»\»» iVj'uW J itiVwX vW ,iVuu,<\ -lift, MW ViAwuvAt Vw, W\u\ MW u-vMW\ Kpvt'lV \;, l w\ „C1 'i'S Xiy\«vX ti \wiA Ai>Vn,ui K .anid'J sb sniiibv. Vl £.1 iu VAasA .WAV. YV Classification of Chinese Porcelain. 79 supported upon grotesque figures. Ornamented with encircling bands of spiral pattern worked in the paste under the 1 starch-blue ’ {feu ch'ing) glaze, which is coarsely crackled. The perfect finish of the fabric and the antique character of the coloring and crackled pattern make this a rare specimen of ancient wine-vessels. The duck floats gracefully upon the waves, and men of old made wine-jars in its form, as a symbol that one ought to swim lightly on the surface, and not be drowned in the wine like the drunkard.” H. in., L. 5 in. 1=f Hi. Kuan Yao. The Kuan Yao is the “ imperial porcelain ” of the Sung dynasty, kuan meaning “ govern¬ ment ” or “ imperial.” The manufactory was founded in the capital Pien-chou, the modern K’ai- feng-fu, in the beginning of the twelfth century. A few years later the dynasty was driven southward by the advancing Tartars, and a manufactory was founded in the new capital, the modern Hang-chou-fu, to supply the palace with porcelain of the same kind, and the produc¬ tions of the new kilns founded in the city near the Temple of Heaven was also called Kuan Yao. The same name is used, in fact, for por¬ celain made in the imperial manufactory at Ching-t£-ch£n to-day. The porcelain produced at the old capital seems to have resem¬ bled the celebrated Ch’ai ware, which was fabricated probably at the same place, as it was the capital of the After Chou dynasty at that time. The glaze of the Kuan Yao was generally crackled, of various tints, of which yueh pai (clair de lime ) was the most highly esteemed of all, followed by fen ch'ing, “ pale blue,” ta Hi, “ emerald- green ” (literally gros -vert), and lastly hui se, “ gray.” The Hang-chou ware was made of a reddish paste covered with the same glazes, and we read of iron-colored feet and brown mouths, the upper rim being more lightly covered with glaze and showing the color of the paste underneath. There is a typical example of this class in the little crackled teacup in this collection figured in Plate XII, 1, and the illustration exhibits very well the tone of color of the crackled glaze and the characteristic brown rim round the edge. The album contains ten illustrations of the imperial por¬ celain of the Sung dynasty, of which the pallet figured as No. 8 indicates clearly the red color of the fabric, exposed in the parts which are left unglazed. “ Tripod Censer ( Ting), fashioned after an old bronze design, with a rounded, three-lobed body composed of three monstrous ogre-like faces with frightful features and protruding eyes projecting from a finely etched scroll ground, three cylindrical feet, and two upright looped ears. The glaze of light bluish tint, as clear and lustrous as a precious emerald, is covered through¬ out with a network of icelike crackle, so that it is a most choice example of the grand im¬ perial porcelain of the time. This piece likewise came from the palace at Peking. I saw it at Nanking, at the palace of the Governor Chu Hung, Grand Tutor of the Emperor.” H. 4 in., D. 4 in. “ Censer ( Lu ), of depressed globular form, with two curved loop handles and three mam- millated feet, a shape adapted from the bronze work of the T'ieu-pao period of the T'ang dynasty, and often reproduced in the celebrated bronze urns of the reign of Hsuan-te of our own dynasty. It is covered with an antique glaze of brilliant depth, pale blue in color, fis¬ sured with a reticulation of icelike cracks throughout. From the collection of Chang Chui- chang of Su-chou.” H. in., D. 5 in. “ ink Pallet {Yen), copied from a pallet used by the emperor in the Hsiian-ho Palace. The outline is like that of a vase, with loop handles at the sides for passing a string through for hanging the pallet upon the wall. A large oval patch is left unglazed in the middle for Fig. 112.—Blue and White Bottle, of the Ch’ien-lung period, painted in shades of blue. 8o Oriental Ceramic Art. rubbing the cake of ink upon, leaving the red paste exposed. The under surface (which is also illustrated) has the figure of an elephant etched upon it, surmounted by a hexagram, which, taken with the vase shape, make the ‘rebus’ T’ai ping yu hsiang, ‘An augury of great peace.’ Like the upper surface, it is invested with a pale bluish glaze crackled throughout, encircled by a red-brown ring left unglazed." L. 5J^ in., Br. 4 in. “ JVater Pot (Shui Clieng) of ovoid form, with a slightly flaring mouth, and two small loop handles from which movable rings hang suspended. A band of cicada pattern is engraved round the body, a ring of palmations encircles the foot, and a chain of rectangular scroll, be¬ tween two lines of dots, surrounds the neck. The glaze of pale bluish tint is uniformly crackled.” H. 3 in. “Pencil Rest (Yen Shan), modeled in the form of a miniature range of hills with a high peak in the middle, covered with a glaze of bluish tint as bright as the vitex-tinted azure sky, crackled throughout with icelike lines. The antique color and the luster of the glaze far excel those of the Ko Yao pencil rest figured beside it. It cost me twenty taels of silver at Peking.” H. 3 in., L. 4 y 2 in. “ Vase [Fang Hit), of flattened quadrangular section, with a bulging body and a cover surmounted by four spiral projections. Two handles of grotesque heads supporting rings are worked in relief on the front and back of the vase. The glaze of bright greenish-blue is covered with icelike crackle. This vase was in the collection of K'uo Ch’ing-lo, who bought it for fifty taels without the cover. The owner, happening to be fishing one day, found in the boat a cover which had been drawn up in the net, and {pur¬ chased it for ten strings of cash. It proved to be the original cover, and he wrote some verses in commemora¬ tion. Since Ch’ing-lo’s death I know not what has become of the vase.” H. 8 in., D. 4.% in. “Teacup (Ch'a Pei), of upright form, with wavy out¬ line and vertically ribbed sides, molded in the shape of a Buddha’s-hand citron. Invested outside with a pale blue glaze, white inside, both surfaces traversed with a coarse network of lines like crackled ice.” H. 3 in. “Libation Cup (Chueh), of ancient bronze design, with three feet and a wide channeled lip. A double band of rectangular scroll ornament encircles the body, which has a loop handle on one side springing from a dragon's head. The glaze is pale blue with icelike crackle throughout.” H. 6 in. "Libation Cup (Chueh), of design somewhat similar to the last, but more elaborately orna¬ mented with projecting dentated ridges and geometrical scroll patterns. The glaze of sky-blue color without a single line of crackle, and the delicate and complicated ornamentation, executed without a blur, make it a remarkable specimen of this imperial fabric.” H. 4% ' n - “Saucer (Tieh T'o), of complex form, modeled after a red lacquer carved saucer of the period, with an engraved decoration executed in the formal scroll patterns characteristic of lac¬ quer work. The glaze is of the light bluish tint of an egg, and is marked with no crackled lines.” D. 4% in. Fig. 113.—Vase, bestrid by relief, coated with a grayish gl; tied clouds of olive brown. % H, Ting Yao. Ting Yao is the name applied to the porcelain fabricated in the Sung dynasty at Ting- chou, in the province of Chihli. This is well described in the Ko ku yao lun, published in 1387, one of the principal works on antiquarian subjects of the Ming dynasty: