Page:Brinkley - China - Volume 1.djvu/323

 MONOCHROMATIC WARES

manufactured to take a high place. Preserving the same features as to absence of crackle, presence of white glaze on inner and under surfaces, careful technique and fine pate, the Chzen-lung Chi-hung passes through innumerable shades of colour, many pieces being of the liver-red class, while others approach the colour of light peach-bloom. The miscrosopic dappling disappears in the glazes of light tone. All these porcelains are satisfactory from a technical point of view, but they vary greatly in beauty according to colour. Their glaze never assumes the green tinge so often seen in Lang-yao specimens, from which alone it may be inferred that the colouring material differed from that employed by the Lang potters. Their manufacture continued as late as the Taou- kwang era (1821-1851), but in general it may be said that the younger the specimen the more clumsy its finish and the less pure its tone.

The commonest and least valuable CAs-hung — manufactured, with rare exceptions during the nine- teenth century — may be placed in a separate class. It is distinguished by three points, the coarse mot- tling and poor tone of its colour; the thin, vitreous appearance of its glaze, and the presence of scratch- like crackle. Inthe worst examples a colour ap- proaching brick-red is seen; the lower rim of the piece is clumsily finished, often indeed rough or jagged, and the p@fe, instead of being white and close, is dark and coarse, an inferior stone-ware. When such features are present the amateur can be at once certain that he has to do with a worthless specimen. Unfortunately, however, guides so distinct are not always present. Some examples are tolerably rich and strong in colour, and not a few pieces dating

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