Page:Brinkley - China - Volume 1.djvu/46

 the glazing material is applied by absorption to ware that has already been fired, a uniform surface is easy to obtain. But when the glazing is effected while the paste is still raw, globules or "tears" are not unlikely to make their appearance. That such a feature should have been esteemed by connoisseurs was doubtless because, in the first place, it pointed to times when technical excellence had not yet been attained; and in the second, the tear-marks would naturally occur upon ware of such exceptionally thin pâte that manipulation before stoving was difficult. Another point to be noted with reference to the manufacture of this early Ting ware was that the cups and bowls were stoved in an inverted position, the consequence being that the upper rims remained without glaze, whereas the bottoms were often completely covered. To correct the unfinished appearance of such pieces, a thin slip of silver or copper was usually applied to their rims.

In the Illustrated Catalogue of H'siang, mentioned above, forty-two specimens of Sung ware are depicted. Twelve of these specimens belong to the Ting-yao class, six being white; of the rest five are purple, or the colour of ripe grapes; and one is black. From the pictures of these pieces and from the descriptions given by H'siang himself, as translated by Dr. Bushell, it is seen at once that there is question of keramic productions exhibiting an advanced condition of expert skill. If the Sung Ting-yao has been spoken of above as semi-porcelain, it is rather because of the softness and comparative opacity of the pâte than with any reference to the rank which the ware ought to occupy. It is probable that the manufacture of hard porcelain was within the competence of the Pechili