Page:Brinkley - China - Volume 1.djvu/210

 CHINA

bouring province of Fuhkien, a steady trade was car- ried on by Japanese junks. It is known also that the province of Chékiang contained several important potteries, and that the celebrated Kuan-yao and Lung- chuan-yao of the Sung dynasty were manufactured there. Japanese experts, however, do not assert that the Gosu Aka-e was a product of Chékiang. They profess no knowledge about its provenance, merely claiming that it came to them from the place by the name of which they designate it. On the whole the student may perhaps accept their testimony, and regard the Gosu Aka-e as the earliest representative of Chinese ware decorated with vitrifiable enamels. Several specimens are still carefully preserved and highly esteemed by Japanese vzrtuost. They consist chiefly of bowls, plates, or small boxes, the last originally intended to contain vermilion, but used in Japan as incense-holders. Red — as the name a-e denotes — is the dominant colour of the decoration. With it is associated, in small quantities, a green enamel, brilliant but not very pure, and the designs are usually picked out with gold of rich, leaf-like character. The ware derives its value chiefly from historical considerations, and is not ac- corded any appreciation by Chinese connoisseurs. During the first half century (1368-1400) of the Ming dynasty no appreciable progress took place in this branch of the art. But in the Yung-/ era (1403— 1424) a new departure was made. Red came to be used as a body colour on which were laid elaborate scroll patterns or formal designs in gold. This beauti- ful style of decoration, though it cannot have failed to obtain favour at the time, did not rank high in the estimation of Chinese connoisseurs. No specimen of it is given in the “ Illustrated Catalogue ” of H’siang. 182