Page:Brinkley - China - Volume 1.djvu/251

 PORCELAINI DECORATED

ing out the floral scrolls or arabesques — for which purpose the body colour is always used — and by the thinness of the biscuit.

The use of Indian ink for decorating porcelain above the glaze had its origin during the reign of Chien-lung. Sucha method requires little comment. It is still largely practised, every variety of design being thus produced on a white ground. C/zen-/ung specimens are, however, easily distinguished by fine- ness of pdéte and general excellence of technique. The same style of decoration is applied to a light green ground, with charming and artistic results.

Among the choicest and rarest glazes of Chinese potters yellow stands near the head of the list. Fur- ther reference will be made to it in the section on monochromes. It is noticed here only as a body colour for enamelled decoration. Its association with blue under the glaze after the ‘‘reserved”’ fashion is a conception already credited to the Mimg keramists. The same style was successfully continued at the Kang-hst and Chien-/ung factories, the blue design — generally floral or arabesque — being applied sous cou- verte and the spaces between its parts covered with yellow enamel. In addition to yellow and blue, a third colour, light green enamel, was sometimes used in decorating specimens of this class. Another favour- ite and less uncommon type had green designs sur- rounded by yellow glaze. This style also dates from the Chéng-hwa era (1465-1478), for in the “ Illus- trated Catalogue” of H’siang a miniature box of that period is depicted having spiral scrolls in green on a yellow ground. The box is shaped like a cash of the time, and is said to have come out of the palace where it had been used by one of the Court ladies

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