Page:Brinkley - China - Volume 1.djvu/36

 factured in the northern province of Pechili. At its best it had uniform muddy white glaze, compared to ice or silver by the author of an early treatise on tea-drinking. Another contemporary production was the Shu-yao, manufactured in the province of Szechuen. The eulogies of this ware are sung by a poet of the time who says that it was light yet solid; that the lustre of the glaze exceeded the brilliancy of snow, and that its timbre resembled that of jade. There is, however, no valid reason to suppose that the Shu-yao excelled its predecessors so greatly as to indicate any marked advance in the keramic art. It was probably semi-porcelain at best. One other ware deserves to be included in the catalogue of Tang productions; namely, the Tsin-yao, manufactured in the province of Kiang-su. Bowls and cups alone are said to have been produced. They are described as pure white, sometimes having fishes moulded in relief or wave pattern incised in the pâte; fashions of decoration that occur frequently in choice wares of later date.

The closing years of the Tang dynasty being only eleven centuries distant from the present time, it might reasonably be expected that some specimens of the wares of that age should still survive. On the other hand, if the conclusions reached above be correct, no great inducement can have existed for preserving such wares as objects of attractive art of remarkable technique. A few, however, are to be found in the hands of Chinese collectors, and there is no apparent reason to doubt their authenticity. They support in every respect the views thus far expressed. Their pâte, not very carefully manipulated, is of dark colour, coarse in grain, and although nearly heavy enough to be called stone-ware belongs rather