Page:Brinkley - China - Volume 1.djvu/382

 have brought it into notice. At all events the Ching-tê-chên experts thought it worthy of imitation, and succeeded so well that no attempt is made by Chinese connoisseurs to distinguish between the Kwang-tung originals and the Ching-tê-chên reproductions. Both have the same red, or reddish brown pâte, and both the same curiously mottled and often very beautiful glazes, unlike anything else in the range of Chinese keramics. Japanese connoisseurs attach great value to good specimens of Kwang-yao, the characteristics which they consider essential being rich but soft blue, finely and uniformly speckled with white, lustrous glaze, and general accuracy of technique. For pieces satisfying these conditions they have always been ready to pay high prices, and the natural consequence is that choice specimens of Kwang-yao are more numerous in Japan than in China. It seems strange that this ware has not commanded larger appreciation in the West, for its beauty is unquestionable and its successful production has become completely a thing of the past.

The third principal variety of Kwang-yao has already been spoken of. Reference is made to it again merely for convenience of classification. It is distinguished by its peculiar viscous clair-de-lune glaze. The pâte resembles that of the flambé Kwang-yao described above, but is usually finer. This ware is often confounded with Yuan-tsu (Yuan dynasty ware), the two having very similar pâtes and general likeness of colour. Fine specimens of this kind of Kwang-yao, with their rich velvety glaze and soft bloom of bluish creamy white, passing into light and deep tints of lilac or azure, rank high among keramic productions. It is, however, probable that many of the best speci-