Porcelain Decorated
outside; three rams as emblems of spring, sang yan k’ai t’ai, inside.
Dishes with nine dragons and flowers, outside; clouds and dragons above a border of sea-waves, inside.
Dishes with sea-waves enveloping flying lions and dragons holding up the characters for happiness and longevity.
Dishes with four Taoists, outside; cranes flying in clouds.
Dishes with clouds and dragons, outside; the eight Taoist immortals worshipping the god of longevity, inside.
Boxes with covers for holding fruit, with cranes and dragons flying among clouds.
Boxes with fabulous lions and dragons.
Boxes with dragons and phœnixes and a group of immortals worshipping the emblem of longevity.
Large Bowls for gold-fish, decorated with a pair of dragons.
Fish Bowls with dragons and clouds painted side.
Large Wine Vessels of oval form decorated with sprays of lotus supporting the eight precious symbols and the eight Buddhist emblems, a balance weighing gold, and playing children.
Wine Vessels with sprays of lotus supporting the hundred forms of the longevity character.
This list unfortunately gives no indication of the nature of the wares enumerated. But it is safe to conclude that the greater part, if not the whole, were of the soft-paste (Kai-pien) variety. Porcelain supplied for use in the imperial palace would naturally be of the choicest kind.
The Tao-lu alludes in the following terms to the blue-and-white porcelain of the Chia-ching era:—"Vases in blue monochrome, manufactured with the Mohammedan mineral, were alone in favour, on account of the charming tone of their deep-coloured glaze. For the same reason vases painted with blue flowers of the Chia-ching era also enjoyed considerable reputation."
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