Page:Brinkley - China - Volume 1.djvu/199

 ching, which lasted only thirteen years (1723-1736). So far as concerns blue-and-white porcelain, nothing need be said of this era except that the manufacture of all the varieties of the preceding reign was continued with undiminished success. The Ching-tê-chên factories were then under the direction of Nien, of whom the Tao-lu records that he himself selected materials for the imperial porcelains and personally supervised the processes of the potters. Pieces thus produced were said to be "of a high degree of fineness and elegance," which verdict is unquestionably endorsed by the experience of modern collectors, to whom everything bearing the Yung-ching mark—Ta-Tsing Yung-ching nien chi—is of beauty and value. Nien, or Nien-Kung (the Sieur Nien) as he is commonly called, was unquestionably an artist of conspicuous ability. It will be seen by and by that under his guidance the experts of Ching-tê-chên manufactured monochromatic and polychromatic glazes of great variety and remarkable quality, and that delicate processes of enamel decoration (over the glaze) were also carried to a high degree of excellence. The wares of his era were called Nien-yao. Twice a month quantities of them used to be forwarded to Peking for imperial use, and at frequent intervals the Emperor was solicited to convey his wishes to the factories. Thus stimulated the keramic art could scarcely fail to flourish. But it added nothing to the catalogue of choice productions in respect of decoration sous couverte.

In the absence of year-marks the connoisseur will find it almost impossible to distinguish between Kang-hsi and Yung-ching specimens of the classes now under consideration. The quality of the pâte is identical,