Page:Brinkley - China - Volume 1.djvu/158

 bamboo, and plum; inside, branches of the flowers of the four seasons, garlands of fruit in Mohammedan style, sceptres, the fir, bamboo, and plum, with a border of bamboo leaves and polyporus fungus.

Dishes with, outside, lotus flowers and dragons and phœnixes flying through flowers, the fir, bamboo, and plum, historical scenes with inscriptions in verse, playing boys; inside, a border of flower sprays and dragons, fragrant bamboo leaves and branching fungus, with dragons among clouds and flowers engraved under the glaze.

Dishes with, outside, medallions of fabulous animals and tigers, branching fungus, sceptres, fairy flowers, foreign pomegranates, and fragrant plants; inside, in the centre, dragons holding the characters yung, pao, wan, shou; on the border, phœnixes and fairy flowers, the inscription yung pao hung fu ch’i t’ien and playing boys.

Dishes with, outside, interlacing sprays of lotus with the eight precious emblems, dragons and phœnixes, fruit and flowers, the fir, bamboo, and plum, Sanscrit characters, separate sprays of flowers of the four seasons; inside, in the centre, dragons in the midst of flowers, on the border, flowers of the seasons, historical scenes, bamboo leaves and fungus, longevity inscriptions and peonies.

Saucer-shaped Plates with, outside, phœnixes flying through flowers, flowers, fruit and birds, longevity flower scrolls, floral brocades, flowering plants and animals, lotus leaves and dragons; inside, the eight precious symbols, antique dragons, celestial flowers supporting Sanscrit Buddhist inscriptions, dragons and phœnixes and historical scenes.

Cup with, outside, the peach tree of Taoist fable with antique longevity characters inscribed on the fruit, sprays of flowers of the four seasons, Sanscrit inscriptions; inside, clouds and cranes, pearls emitting flames, a pair of dragons and clouds engraved under the glaze, lotus flowers and fish in azure waves.

Wine Cups with, outside, dragons and phœnixes flying through flowers, the eight immortals worshipping the god of longevity, arabesques of fairy flowers; inside, dragon medallions, lotus flowers and fish, river plants supporting Sanscrit inscriptions.