Page:Brinkley - China - Volume 1.djvu/222

 CHINA

Cups with yellow ground surrounding blue clouds and dragons.

Wine Cups and Libation Cups with blue ground surround- ing yellow pheenixes flying through fairy flowers.

Dishes and Plates with deep brown ground enclosing pairs of yellow dragons and clouds.

In the Lung-ching (1567-1572) and Wan-h (1573- 1619) eras artistic taste appears to have undergone a change. Wealth of ornament became the fashion of the time. The enamelled decoration of the cele- brated Chéng-hwa era had been valued not more for brilliancy and purity of colour than for delicacy and fidelity of delineation. ‘The enamel decoration of the Lung-ching and Wan-l eras was valued chiefly for richness and profusion. Blue sows couverte occupies a prominent place in the Wu-tsa7-kz of the period. The surfaces of pieces, evidently manufactured with great care, were loaded with designs in which the heavy, deep blue of the time, brilliant emerald green, and full-bodied rouge mat appeared in nearly equal masses. Dr. Bushell incidentally notices this fact when he writes: — ‘The Imperial Requisition of the Lung- ching era includes table-services, rice-bowls, and saucers, tea-cups and wine-cups of different form, jars, flower- vases and flower-pots, censers and scent-boxes, vinegar droppers, jars with covers surmounted by lions, &c. The decoration is far more elaborate, but is all put under the one class of blue painting on white ground, although parts of the designs are sometimes described as filled up with enamel colours, or painted in gold, over the glaze.’ To the same classes belong the follow- ing, copied from the Imperial Requisition of Wan-h, where they are described as “ Porcelains Painted in

Blue on White Ground ”’ : — 194