Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 8.djvu/110

 specimens of this sort belong to the Nabeshima-yaki, which will be described presently, rather than to genuine Imari-yaki, or "Old Japan." The biscuit of the latter, also, ought to be white—the whiter the better—but a perfectly pure white is seldom, if ever, found. This, however, may be stated: that a surface showing a marked tinge of blue is not of fine quality, and that the more pronounced the tinge the less valuable the specimen. With regard to the glaze, too, there is another point which merits close attention. Examined attentively, the glaze of Imari-yaki presents the appearance of very fine muslin. It is pitted all over with microscopic points, which become more and more distinct as a later and less careful period of manufacture is approached. It should be mentioned here that no reason whatsoever exists for the often alleged difficulty of distinguishing between the enamelled porcelain of Arita and that of China. To those who cannot identify the comparatively coarse pâte of the Japanese ware, an easy aid is afforded by the superior lustre and closer texture of the Chinese glaze. It may also be asserted that with the exception of the well-known famille rose porcelain of Ching-tê-chên, no Chinese ware shows decoration as delicate and faithful as that found on almost all specimens of Japanese manufacture. A rough rule, useful in the case of plates and other flat objects, is that on the bottom of Japanese pieces are frequently found "spur marks," three or five in number, being the remains of little clay pillars upon which the specimen was supported in the furnace. These are never seen on Chinese porcelain.

Among the wares of the Arita factories in former times, specimens of pierced or reticulated porcelain