Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 8.djvu/239

 (Kōchi is the Japanese name for Cochin China) were procurable. They were chiefly in the form of little quaintly-shaped boxes, and these had become the orthodox incense-holders of the Chajin. It was by his dexterous imitations of this much esteemed faience that Mokubei first attracted public attention. From his time it became possible to be perplexed in choosing between an original specimen of so-called Kōchi-yaki and a copy by some Kyōtō artist. He produced also excellent pieces of céladon, and in Japanese collections there are preserved a few specimens of his enamelled porcelain which show elaborate and minute processes. As an imitator he was no less successful. He could reproduce, with perfect fidelity, early specimens of Chinese enamelled and blue-and-white porcelains, copying every blemish and imperfection as accurately as each admirable feature. There is no doubt that had he depended more on his original genius and less on his technical skill, he would have left many remarkable examples of the Kyōtō keramic art. His imitative ability sufficed, however, to procure him among his own countrymen the title of the most expert potter of modern times. His name is also associated with the first employment of moulds in the manufacture of porcelain. The idea of this process was derived from a study of Chinese wares. The moulds were in two pieces. They were applied externally, and after the vase had received the desired form by pressure from within, its inner surface was finished off upon the wheel. Porcelain and pottery with designs in relief thenceforth occupied an important place among the productions of the Kyōtō workshops. At present specimens of this nature are often disfigured by evidences of the haste and negligence