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-jQQ WHISPERING PINES ON A MOUNTAIN PATH

By T'ang Yin (1470-1523, Ming dynasty)

Hanging scroll in ink and light colors on slllt, 76>Jx40% In. (194.5x102.8 cm)

In a majestic landscape setting, a scholar, followed by a servant carrying

a zither, has stopped on the bridge under a magnificent group of twisted

pines, hung with tangled creepers. Mountains and rocl

^Q'lSECLUDED FISHERMEN ON AN AUTUMN RIVER

By T'ang Yin (1470-1523, Ming dynasty)

Handscroll In Ink and colors on silk, ^^%x 138% In. (29.4 x 351 cm)

A group of pines and other trees growing on a rocl^y shore introduces usto the river, and to the first of the amateur fishermen who are boating on it.In a thatched lodge two gentlemen are chatting and drinking. Autumn leavesfloat on the water. Further along, two other scholars have stopped their boats

by a waterfall ; one Is playing the flute and dangling his feet in the water; the

other is l^eeping time by clapping his hands. By a rather elegant lodge an old

gentleman walks in the garden ; another is watching from a terrace over the

water, while a third is angling from another boat. A final tree group brings usback to the shore.

Color is used in a rich and harmonious way. Autumn foliage and fallen leavesare red ; washes of blue-green and red-brown tones help to give substance to

the rocks. The texture of the rocks is rendered by "axe-cut" strokes with a

partly dry "squeezed brush" in the manner of Li T'ang (No. 36). Elsewhere,

in a kind of reversed texture stroke technique, the artist has applied darker

washes and wash-like strokes in such a way as to leave lighter areas bet-

ween them in shapes which resemble brushstrokes.

The drawing is strong but elegant; the poetic atmosphere of the leisurely

scene is rendered with precision and taste. Thus, the painting is closer in its

content than in its style to the works of the artist's literati friends.

The painting is inscribed with a poem by the artist.

The first colophon, by Wang Ch'ung, is dated 1523; others are by Ch'engTa-lun, Lu Chih (1496-1576), Ku Te-yu and Chu Chiehall artists and scholars

of the sixteenth century, as is Ho Liang-tsun, whose seal appears on the

painting.

192

193

1Q2 WAITING FOR THE FERRY IN AUTUMN

By Ch'iu Ying (first half sixteenth century, Ming dynasty)

Hanging scroll in ink and colors on silk, 61 x 52% In. (155.4 x 133.4 cm)

In a harmonious and well balanced composition, rocky shores and spits of

land interrupt the expanse of the river and lead our eyes in a zigzag movement

to the distance v\/here high mountains rise above the mist. Red maples alternate

with pines and other trees, interspersed with bamboo. In the foreground is

a group of people waiting for the boat; the figures are well drawn, with some

white highlights along the fold-lines. Fine, outlined reeds grow along the bank

;

the greyish-green rocks with accented contours are modelled with darker

washes and "axe-cut" strokes in the manner of Li T'ang (No. 36). Every detail

is carefully drawn with great precision;yet the whole composition has atmo-

sphere and depth, and breathes a serene mood undisturbed by the narrative

element.

Ch'iu Ying, a native of the Shanghai region and a man of very humble origin,

moved to Soochow where he worked as a painter's apprentice. He was dis-

covered by T'ang Yin's teacher, Chou Ch'en, who took him on as a disciple.

Ch'iu Ying was a proficient copyist of T'ang and Sung masters and a figure-

painter and illustrator, like T'ang Yin. Both were much influenced by Li T'ang,

in whose tradition their teacher Chou Ch'en worked. Ch'iu Ying betrays this

influence particularly in his landscapes. He enjoyed the patronage of the

collector Hsiang Yuan-pien, and, despite the fact that he was considered an

artisan, the appreciation of the literati painters of his time.

The painting bears several seals of the artist. It was in the collection of Hsiang

YiJan-pien (1525-1590) and An Ch'i (born 1683).

194

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1Q3 CONVERSATION UNDER FIRMIANA TREES

By Ch'iu Ying (first half sixteenth century, Ming dynasty)

Hanging scroll in ink and light colors on paper, llOy, x 39% in. (279.5 x 100 cm)

Two scholars and their boy attendant stand in the shade of an old wu-t'ung(Firmiana Simplex) tree, beneath a towering rock. In the foreground, a large

boulder closes off the garden scene giving the conversation more privacy.

The tree, delicately colored in light blue-green wash, contrasts sharply with

the dark and powerful rocks with their strong outlines and bold, black modelling.

Blue is used also for some of the bamboo. The somewhat mannered lines of

the figures recall the Ma-Hsia school of the Southern Sung Academy.

The subject of this painting as well as its rather bold and fluid execution bring

it within the realm of the "literary" taste of the period. Every detail shows the

elegance and technical competence which characterizes the artist's work

regardless of the manner employed.

The painting is signed and sealed. It was in the collection of Hsiang Yuan-pien

(1525-1590).

197

1Q4 IN THE SHADE OF SUMMER TREES

By Tung Ch'i-ch'ang (1555-1636, Ming dynasty)

Hanging scroll In Ink on paper, 126% x W/, In. (321 .9 x 102.3 cm)

A mountain landscape is here piled into a powerful and grandiose compositionbuilt of rounded conical rocks, boulders, and slopes which are echoed in the

conical, simplified pines. Foreground vegetation is done in broad, wet Ink

strokes, along with the foliage of the large tree group ; the trunks and branches

are drawn with strong, sure contours. The reduction of natural shapes to a

nearly abstract pattern corresponds well with the cool and intellectual mood

of the picture. Classical traditions are discernible, but have been thoroughly

transformed; here we can trace memories of Tung Yuan, Mi Fu and Kao

K'o-kung (Nos. 14, 28, 70).

Tung Ch'i-ch'ang, a member of a distinguished gentry family from Huating

(Shanghai), made his home at Sungchiang (Kiangsu). He was a brilliant

scholar, a prominent official (he rose to be President of the Board of Ceremo-

nies), an outstanding calligrapher (No. 122) and the foremost authority on

painting, both during his lifetime and for centuries after.

The painting is inscribed by the artist, who felt inspired by the memory of a

painting attributed to Tung Yuan (No. 14) which had opened his eyes to an

understanding of Huang Kung-wang (No. 74).

198

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105 SIXTEEN SCENES FROM A HERMIT'S LIFE

By Ch'en Hung-shou (dated 1651, Ming-Ch'ing dynasty)

Album in ink and colors on paper, B'A x 11% in. (24.3x31.1 cm)

The activities of the secluded scholarly gentleman, as portrayed in this album,

are centered around books and poetry, writing and painting, rubbings and

music, drinking and the enjoyment of nature and of beautyof a flower as

well as of a woman. Fittingly, they end with the reading of the Sutras.

The figures are playfully distorted, in a highly personal style based upon the

study of T'ang and even earlier painting. The archaizing element is evident

in the continuously flowing lines of the robes, unrelated to the body; in the

fine, even lineament and the light shading in ink or color washes. The particular

rhythm of the lines, which seem to have a life of their own, the elegance of

drawing combined with a conscious awkwardness, the exaggeration of the

200

ugly as well as of the beautiful to a point close to tfie grotesque, the withdrawn

and sensitive moodall are products of the sophisticated taste of the artistand of his time.

Ch'en Hung-shou (1599-1652), from a gentry family of Chekiang, was a gifted

poet, calligrapher and painter. He accepted an honorary academic title, but

refused that of a court painter. After the fall of the dynasty, he was associated

with loyalist outlaws and artists and became a Buddhist monk.

The album is inscribed by the artist, who painted it for Shen Hao, anotherpoet-painter and kindred spirit.

It was in the collection of Chu Chih-ch'ih (seventeenth century).

201

-|Qg VERDANT PEAKS

By Wang Shih-min (dated 1672, Ch'ing dynasty)

Hanging scroll In Ink and colors on silk, 64% x 39 In. (163.4 x 99.1 cm)

A majestic landscape of olive-green and brown hills and slopes, rocks andtree groups, carefully balanced and spaced, is built up around the river and

over the clouds on which the peaks appear to float. Long, wet Ink strokes

and piled-up horizontal dots are used for texture and modelling ; clouds and

water have no interior drawing and are left blank. There is very little emphasis

on line, especially in the contours. We recognize the influence of Tung Ch'i-ch'ang's "abstract" constructions (No. 104); we also see reflections of Tung

Yuan and Chij-jan as transmitted by the great Yuan masters. There is a remark-

able technical consistency throughout the whole picture.

Wang Shih-min (1592-1680), the oldest of the so-called Four Wangs, belongedto a prominent family of Kiangsu scholars. His grandfather had been a Prime

Minister; his father a Compiler in the Literary Academy and a dramatist.

Wang Shih-min served as Keeper of Seals and as Sub-director of the Courtof Sacrificial Worship, but retired because of ill health several years before

the fall of the dynasty. He was a distinguished scholar and man of letters, and

was much influenced by his teacher, Tung Ch'i-ch'ang, and the latter's friends.

He also followed Tung in his preference for the Yuan painters, in particular

Huang Kung-wang (No. 74).

The painting is signed by the artistthen 81 years oldwho tells us that he

painted it after a picture by Huang Kung-wang. It obviously is not a copy, but

a free creation inspired by the spirit of the great Yuan painter to whom hepays homage.

202

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204

"107 LANDSCAPE AFTER HUANG KUNG-WANG

By Wang Chien (1598-1677, Ch'ing dynasty)

Hanging scroll In ink and colors on paper, 31 x ^5% in. (78.8 x 38.8 cm)

Another landscape in the tradition of the great Huang Kung-wang (No. 74),this is constructed in a way similar to the preceding one, and likewise showsthe influence of Tung Ch'i-ch'ang (No. 104). The details of the executionillustrate how the same general elements may be translated in a differentway and with a different result. The piled-up flat dots are used more freely andloosely; foliage patterns are more boldly simplified; contours of tree trunksand cliffs more roughly sketched. Buff pink, light blue and light green washescover rocks and slopes; the highest peak is done in grey and pink.

Wang Chien, great-grandson of the scholar-artist Wang Shih-chen (1526-1590),was a distant relative of Wang Shih-min (No. 106). They lived for some timeat the same place and became close friends. After having passed the literaryexaminations, Wang Chien served as a prefect in Kwangtung, under the lastMing emperor. As a painter, he was inspired by exactly the same artists asWang Shih-min ; between him and the latter there was a good deal of mutualappreciation, as well as influence.

The painting has a poetic inscription by the artist. On the mounting are highlyappreciative inscriptions by the painter Huang Jih-ch'i, dated 1728, and thecritic Wang Wen-chih (1730-1802).

205

206

1Q3 COUNTLESS PEAKS AND VALES

By Wang Hui (dated 1693, Ch'ing dynasty)

Hanging scroll in ink and light colors on paper, 99y, x 40% In. (254.1 x 103 cm)

This truly monumental landscape is executed with perfect consistency of

style and quality, in a brilliant display of technique. Carefully modelled peaks

rise higher and higher above the clouds ; a waterfall threads its way from vale

to vale. From the foreground rocks the river leads us, in a zigzagging diagonal

movement, far into the distance. On the right, a group of temple buildingsare placed on tree-clad hills. Ink and color washes are carefully graded; the

size of the vegetation is well scaled down from the splendid foreground trees

to the distant groves. Rows of dots, in a manner reminiscent of Wang Shih-minand Wang Chlen, accent the contours of the foreground rocks and the far-offhilltops.

Wang Hui (1632-1720), son and grandson of professional painters, was acceptedas a disciple by Wang Chien and Wang Shih-min, and became a diligentstudent of the old masters. His copies were famous, and his paintings in the

styles of various old masters, selected in a rather catholic way, were highly

appreciated by the scholarly gentlemen-painters of his time. They brought

him a considerable fortune. The output of his long and industrious life is

large and of varying quality. This painting is one of his best.

It is inscribed by the artist who tells us that he was inspired by a certain

T'ang poem about a waterfall near a Taoist monastery, and that he painted it

in the style of Tung Yuan and Chij-jan (Nos. 14,15). Wang Hui stamped itwith a special seal which indicates that he himself considered the painting

a masterpiece.

207

109 LANDSCAPE

By Yijn Shou-p'ing (dated 1678, Ch'ing dynasty)

Hanging scroll in ink on paper, 33% x 19% in. (86.1 x 49.4 cm)

The simple but powerful composition is balanced by the long poetic inscription

above. Strong and solid trees and rocks are done mainly in light, wet ink with

some dry, darker texture strokes ; some contours are reinforced in a very richblack ink which is also used for the dots and distant trees that have taken on

the appearance of musical notes. Washes are used only on the roofs and dis-tant hilltops. A solitary scholar sits in the lodge overlooking the water.In the inscription, the artist tells us that he painted this picture in the manner

of Tung Yuan and Chij-jan (Nos. 14, 15) ; once more we realize the degree to

which the style of these tenth century painters was conceived through the

eyes and works of the great Yuan masters. This painting is, in fact, closest

to Huang Kung-wang (No. 74).

YiJn Shou-p'ing (1633-1690) came from an impoverished gentry family in

Kiangsu. His father was an ardent Ming loyalist, and the son did not want to

enterthe service of the new dynasty. He studied poetry, calligraphy and painting,

and by selling the products of his art barely managed to support himself and

his father. When he died, the expenses of his burial were met by his intimatefriend, Wang Hui (No. 108). It is said that YiJn gave up landscape paintingafter having realized that he could not surpass Wang Hui, and thereafterspecialized in the painting of flowers and insects. The present painting shows

him, nevertheless, to have been an accomplished landscapist. A favorite ofthe artist himself, it was acquired by his older friend, the poet-painter T'ang

Yij-shao. Later, It was in the collection of An Ch'i (born 1683).

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11Q FLOWERS AND LANDSCAPES

By Yiin Shou-p'ing and Wang Hui (dated 1672, Ch'ing dynasty)

Album (12 leaves) in ink and/or colors on paper, ca. 11% x 17 in. (28.5x43 cm.)

The flower studies depict magnolia and cherry, tree-peony, hemerocallis,

poppy, begonia, and narcissus. Nos. 2-5 are done in colors only, without

any ink; the veins of the leaves are either left blank or painted in color. The

artist tells us in his inscriptions that the first was done in the manner of Hsu

Ch'ung-ssu (eleventh century). The narcissus flowers in ink are, according

to Wang Hui, in the style of Chao Meng-chien (No. 67). Other leaves alsoare inscribed by Wang Hui who invokes the memories of tenth and eleventhcentury artists and of Chao Meng-fu (No. 69). The following six leaves are

landscapes by Wang Hui, done in the manner of1. Chao Meng-fu after Chao Po-chii (ink and colors)

2. Kao K'o-kung (ink)

3. Li Ch'eng (ink)

4. Fan K'uan (ink and colors)

5. Ts'ao Chih-po after Lu Hung (ink)

6. Wang Wei (ink)All these leaves bear witness to the wide historical knowledge as well as

to the brilliant skill of Wang Hui. However, more attention is paid to the general

design and appearance of the model that he evokes than to the more intimate

individual features of style. It reminds us of the manner in which a motif from

a classical composition in music may be used for modern variations.

All the leaves of the album are inscribed or sealed by the artists.

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landscapes after sung andyUan masters

By Wu Li (1632-1718, Ch'ing dynasty)

Album (10 leaves) in ink and/or colors, IS'/jxIOJiin.(39.7x26.8 cm)

The album, ostensibly in homageto the old masters whose compositional devices are used or suggested in themanner of an intellectual exercise, in fact displays nearly everywhere the individual style of the artist himself.

The curiously leaning conical peaks and slopes, derived from Tung Ch'i-ch'ang (No. 104), are quite typical ; sois the insistent repetition of rows of flat dots along the contours of rocks and trees in a manner related to thestyle of Wang Shih-min and Wang Hui (Nos. 106, 108). The brushwork is crisp and brilliant throughout.Wu Li was the descendant of a Kiangsu gentry family, a scholar-poet and musician who studied painting underWang Shih-min and Wang Chien (No. 107) and became an intimate friend of Wang Hui. Around 1679 he wasconverted to Christianity and baptized under the name Simon-Xavier ; a few years later he entered the Jesuitorder. In 1688, in Macao, he was ordained a priest and took the surname "a Cunha". The rest of his life wasdevoted to missionary work around Nanking and Shanghai. His friendship with Wang Hui continued, thoughthey hardly saw each other any more. There is no trace of western influence in his painting.

The album is inscribed by the artist ; there are postscripts by Wang Hsiian (seventeenth century) and Pi Lung(1781).

211

']']2 AUTUMN MOUNTAINS AFTER HUANG KUNG-WANG

By Wang YiJan-ch'i (dated 1707, Ch'ing dynasty)

Hanging scroll in ink and light colors on paper, 32% x 19% in. (81 .3 x 50.2 cm)

The literary painters' tradition of using old forms and techniques in fresh

ways and for new pictorial expressions is once more evident. The dry brush-

strokes which reinforce and model the lighter wet under-drawing, the gradual

accumulation of strokes held together by limited areas of wash, the subtle

color scheme, are all derived from the Yiian painters, but employed in a

modern and individual way. The weightiest masses of this imaginary landscape

have been shifted back to the middle and far distance. Rocks and mountains

are built up by a repetition of abstract shapes in a manner recalling Tung

Ch'i-ch'ang and Wang Shih-min (Nos. 104, 106) but even further removed fromoutward likeness to nature. The rows of repeated flat dots have become a

more painterly device; the accent dots are placed in a highly arbitrary way.

A cool rhythm moves through the arrangement of masses and space (includingwater), which are held in a precarious balance.

Wang Yuan-ch'i (1642-1715), the last of the "Four Wangs", was the grandsonand pupil of Wang Shih-min (No. 106). He entered the civil service and becamein turn a magistrate, a censor, a member, and finally Chancellor of the Literary

Academy. During his last years, he was Senior Vice-President of the Board

of Finance.

He was highly appreciated as a painter and often summoned to paint in the

imperial palace. He also was one of the compilers and editors of the encyclo-

pedia of calligraphy and painting commissioned by the emperor.

The picture is inscribed by the artist, who once had heard his grand-father

praise such a painting by Huang Kung-wang.

212

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113 EULOGY ON PIED WAGTAILS

By the T'ang Emperor Hsiian-tsung (reigned 713-755)

Calligraphy in handscroll form, in ink on paper, 9% x 72"/i, in. (24.5 x 184.9 cm)

The writer is the same emperor, posthumously named Ming-huang, who isseen in the painting titled Emperor Mir)g-huang's Journey to Shu (No. 2).

He was an amateur painter himself, and a distinguished calligrapher, besidesbeing a patron of poets and artists. The present work is in the Running script

(hsing-shu), with the individual characters quite close to their standard (k'ai)

forms but rendered in more fluid brush-line.

The eulogy, in the form of a prose-poem, was composed by a certain WeiKuang-ch'eng, presumably a court poet. In his prose preface, the emperor

relates how, while he and his five brothers were enjoying a reunion in one of the

palaces, a flock of a thousand pied wagtails perched in the trees outside.

This sight so touched the emperor that he ordered the poem composed to

commemorate it.

The calligraphy is signed with a flourish-writing of the character ch'ih,

"imperial writing", and furnished with a seal of the K'ai-yiJan era (713-741).

There are also seals of the Sung emperor Hui-tsung, several Ming dynasty

palace seals, and those of a number of private collectors. The noted scholar

Wang Wen-chih (1730-1802) has contributed a colophon.

214

114 AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY

By the Monk Huai-su (dated 777, T'ang dynasty)

Calligraphy in handscroll form, In Ink on paper. 11*^K295^i in. (28.3x755 cm)

Born in 725 of a poor family In Changsha (Hunan province), Huai-su entered

tine Buddtiist order early in his life. He was passionately fond of calligraphy, and,

lacking money to buy enough paper for the constant practice required, planted

banana palms and used their broad leaves instead. Eventually he was able

to travel to the capital, Changan, and learn from the great calligraphers of his

day. He died in 785. The essay written here is an account of his development,

with some comments on earlier masters and quotations of praise for Huai-su's

own writing, which his contemporaries called "the calligraphy of the Drunken

Monk."

This work is a rare early example of the "Wild" Draft script (K'uang-ts'ao)

of which the eighth century Chang HsiJ, called "the Sage of the Draft Script"

and reportedly Huai-su's model, was the all-time master. The characters are

composed with great freedom, and executed with a fluency and fervor that

suggest both the untrammeled nature of the writer and the state of drunkenness

he was probably in when he wrote.

Among the many inscriptions attached to the scroll is a record of its havingbeen remounted at the court of the Southern T'ang emperor Lieh-tsu in 940.

There are eleven colophons and short notes by Sung writers, dated from 1010

to 1133, and others by later writers, including the famous collectors Hsiang

YiJan-pien (1525-1590) and Kao Shih-ch'i (1645-1704). Seals include those of

the Chin emperor Chang-tsung (reigned 1190-1209) and of the palace inventory

of the years 1373-1384.

215

115 THE RED CLIFF

By Su Shih (dated 1083, Sung dynasty)

Calligraphy in handscroll form, in ink on paper. 9'/uX 101X in. (24x258.5 cm)

The writer, Su Shih (1036-1101), better known as Su Tung-p'o, was one of the

most brilliant and versatile men in Chinese history, distinguishing himself inpoetry and prose composition, painting, calligraphy, scholarship, and politics,

among other fields. Along with several outstanding painters who were his closefriends, he accomplished a revolution in the theory and practice of painting,

laying the foundations for the wen-jen hua or "literati painting" school. Amonghis literary productions, the best known by far is his prose-poem The Red Cliff

which most educated Chinese memorize in childhood. For a summary and

illustration of it, see No. 46.

This manuscript of the prose-poem was copied by the poet himself. In a prose

posttace appended to it, he writes that since he composed the poem the year

before he hasn't shown it to more than one or two people. Ch'in-chih (or

Ch'uan Yao-yii, d. 1091, a famous scholar and calligrapher himself) has asked

him for an example of his recent writing, so he has written this manuscript

of the poem to send to him. He asks Ch'in-chih to keep it safely, and not show

it to everyone. He has also composed a second Red Cliff ode, he writes in

conclusion, but his brush is tired, and he can't copy it out nowhe will sendit with a later letter.

The writing is classified as being in the Running (hsing) script which was

Su Shih's speciality among the script styles, but is actually very close to the

k'ai or Standard script. The brushstrokes are full-bodied and sure. The writer

signs with his given name "Shih". The Ming dynasty calligrapher and painter

Wen Cheng-mi ng has added a few lines that were missing from the text becauseof damage. His seals are on the scroll, along with those of his contemporary

Chia Shih-tao, his son Wen P'eng (1498-1573), and Hsiang YiJan-pien (1525-1590). There is a colophon by Tung Ch'i-ch'ang (1555-1636) (No. 122).

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216

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116 THE HALL OF PINES AND WIND

By Huang T'ing-chien (1045-1105, Sung dynasty)

Calligraphy in handscroll form, in ink on paper. 12"/ii x 86'/,e in. (32.8 x 219.2 cm)

Huang T'ing-chien Is counted, along witli Su Shih, Ml Fu, and Ts'ai Hsiang,

as one of the four great calllgraphers of the Sung dynasty. As a prot6g6 ofSu Shih, he reached high rank at the imperial court, and was noted for his

political Integrity, which, the Chinese maintain. Is reflected In his writing.

He excelled In both the Running and Draft scripts ; the present scroll is In theformer style. The text Is a poem that Huang composed around the year 1100on the theme of the Hall of Pines and Wind at Hul-chou In Kuangtung province.

Su Shih had visited this tower, and had made it the subject of a poem of his own.Huang's calligraphy Is in his usual bold manner and firm brushwork; the

formation of the characters Is original and Interesting without suggesting

willful eccentricity.

The first colophon Is by an unidentified Sung writer, dated 1212. He comments

that although the materials used by the calllgrapherbrush and Inkwere notIdeally suited to each other, the quality of the calligraphy compensates for this

defect. The scroll was later owned by the late Sung prime minister Chia Ssu-tao

(d. 1275), and by the Princess Ta-ch'ang of the Yuan dynasty, who had colo-phons composed for It by a number of noted scholars and officials, the first

dated 1323. Seals on the scroll Include those of the Ming dynasty painter

Ch'lu Ying (No. 102) and his patron Hsiang YiJan-pien (1525-1590), and the

Ch'Ing collectors Sun Ch'eng-tse (1592-1676), Plen Yung-yu (1645-1702) and

An Ch'i (born 1683).

217

118 Po^""

By the Sung Emperor Hui-tsung (reigned 1101-1125)

Calligraphy In handscroll form In ink on silk. 10>^x ^0A% In. (27.2x265.9 cm.)

The text consists of a poem of eight five-character verses, and is signed:

"Executed in the Hsiian-ho Palace", i.e. by the emperor during the HsiJan-ho

era (1119-1125). A gourd-shaped seal is impressed over this.For information about the aesthetic and ill-fated emperor, see No. 31. As acalligrapher, he is distinguished for skill and elegance rather than for ver-

satility ; he created a special script style known as "slender gold script" (shou-

chin shu) and used it for virtually all his writing. The characters are composed

of taut, attenuated lines, swelling and thinning gracefully. Some strokes taperevenly to points, while the ends of others are emphasized by thick, diagonally

placed accents, where the movement of the brush was reversed before it was

lifted. The shapes of some downward strokes are remarkably like those used

by the Chinese in painting the leaves of the epidendrum, or Chinese orchid.

The result has a special reedy strength and considerable beauty, although it

verges on preciousness.

There is a short colophon by Ch'en Pang-yen (1603-1647). Collectors' seals

include those of Keng Chao-chung (1640-1686).

219

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'ligIMPERIAL ORDER TO GENERAL YO FEIBy the Sung Emperor Kao-tsung (reigned 1127-1162)

Calligraphy in handscroll form in ink on paper. 14>j x 24'/,, in. (36.7 x 61.5 cm)

Kao-tsung, the ninth son of Hui-tsung, was the first emperor of the Southern

Sung period and the one who re-established the capital at Hangchow after thenorth of China had been invaded by the Chin Tartars. Like his father, he was

proficient as a poet, calligrapher and connoisseur, and is said to have been a

connpetent painter as well, although none of his works in this medium survives.

As a calligrapher, he began by studying the style of Huang T'ing-chien(No. 116), but later turned to the more remote past and imitated Wang Hsi-chih(321-379). He worked in three of the main scriptsStandard, Running, and

Draftand was the author of an essay on calligraphy. The writing of the present

scroll is classified as "Running-Standard" (hsing-k'ai shu); the individual

characters vary considerably in their degree of cursiveness. The name of therecipient and the emperor's cipher follow the text proper.

The "Imperial Order" is actually in the form of a personal letter sent to Yo Fei

in the field, in which Kao-tsung expresses his gratitude to the general for his

unceasing efforts and endurance of hardships in protecting the now-diminished

Sung territory. Yo Fei (1103-1141) was one of China's greatest military leaders,

and it was largely due to his achievements that Kao-tsung was able to retain

control of the area south of the Yangtze River. Eventually, with a shift in patron-

age, Yo Fei fell Into disfavor, was recalled, imprisoned and executed. He has

been revered ever since, and those responsible for his death reviled. Part of

the value of this letter for Chinese connoisseurs arises from Its poignant

associations.

220

120

TWO ODES ON THE RED CLIFFBy Chao Meng-fu (dated 1301,Yuan dynasty)

Calligraphy in the form of an album of 21 leaves, inink onpaper. Each leaf about 11% X 4% in.(27 .2x11.1 cm)

The text consists of the prose-poems bySu Shih concerned with his two visits to theRed Cliff. For a r6sum6 of the first, see

No. 46. The second outing tool< place on awinter night in the following year, 1083. Onthis occasion, Su climbs to the top of thecliff, then descends and embarks once more

on the Yangtze River with his two friends.

A crane flies over their boat as they passthe Red Cliff. Later that night a figure in a

feathered cloak appears in a dream to Su,

who recognizes him as the Taoist immortalhe had seen earlier in the guise of a crane.

Chao Meng-fu is best known in the west

as a painter (Nos. 69, 90a), but for the

Chinese his achievements as a calligrapher

were equally great. The present scroll

includes a minor sample of Chao's painting,

a portrait of Su Shih mounted as the first leaf.

The calligraphy is in the Running-Standard

(hsing-k'ai) script which Chao used with par-

ticular brilliance. The writer's seals follow

both odes, and one seal, reading simply

"Chao", is impressed above the portrait.

Chao has added at the end a date corres-

ponding to February 17, 1301, and the

following note : "My young friend Ming-yuan

has given me this paper and asked me towrite the two odes on it. I have written them

for him in my Pines and Snow Studio, andalso made a portrait of Su Tung-p'o on thefirst page." He signs with his style (tzu),

"Tzu-ang."

There is a colophon by another famous calli-

grapher of the time, Hsien-yiJ Shu (1256-

1301), dated in correspondence with Sep-

tember 7, 1301 , and others by the landscapist

T'ang Ti (No. 83) and Chao Meng-fu's son

Chao I, the latter dated 1357. There are

many collectors' seals.

221

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123DOVES ON A FLOWERING PEACH BRANCHAttributed to Shen Tzu-fan, Sung dynastySilk tapestry fk'o-ssuj 37% x 15% in. (96x38.5 cm)

Some uncertainty surrounds the beginning of the tapestry technique in China, but students of the subjectgenerally agree that it was first used in western Asia and then later borrowed by the Chinese, perhaps from

the Uighurs of Central Asia about the eleventh century. Earlier examples, such as those unearthed in the

Buddhist sites of Central Asia were probably made locally. In Chinese hands the technique was refined and

elaborated ; the early all-over patterns of birds and flowers that covered the whole area with a dense mass

of rich colors were continued ; and variations of that style were used for sutra covers, robe decorations, and

wall hangings down Into Ming and Ch'ing times. In the case of wall hangings another trend developed, and

the tapestry became a medium for copying all the subjects customarily found in painting. It is not clear when

this began, but although the traditional Chinese attribution places this piece in the Sung dynasty, westerners

are inclined to consider it later.

224

124 LANDSCAPE

Attributed to Shen Tzu-fan, Sung dynasty

Silk tapestry (k'o-ssu) 31% x 14 '/n In. (96 x 37.5 cm)

Here on a jutting foreground of rock a scholar is seated in a pavilion sheltered

by two trees. Across the water and beyond a small pine-covered islet, a moun-

tain peak rises from the misty valleys of the surrounding hills. The picture

is in effect a woven facsimile of a landscape painting complete with collectors'

seals. Again the traditional attribution to Sung is not altogether convincing.

225

125 IMMORTALS IN A MOUNTAIN PALACE

Attributed to an anonymous artist of the Sung dynasty

Silk tapestry (k'o-ssu; 10Vix13'/i. In. (25.5x41 cm)

In a palace surrounded by mountain peaks, clouds, and flying storks, people

are eating and drinking and enjoying the view. The foreground mountains

are covered with flowering and fruiting trees among which are birds and

monkeys. Evidently the scene represents a Taoist paradise; and the densely

crowded composition and formal stylization of the mountains, trees, clouds,

etc., true to the tapestry medium in which they are rendered, and quite unlike

a painting, suggest that this piece may well be earlier than Nos. 123 and 124.

226

126 EAGLE ON A PERCH

Attributed to an anonymous artist of the Sung dynasty

Silk embroidery. 42>ix21% In. (109x55 cm)

A hunting eagle fastened to its perch with elaborate leash, swivel, and jessesis embroidered in white and some colored silks on a dark blue ground. Seals

are seen around the upper edges and on the mount. The Sung attribution

reminds us that the Emperor Hui-tsung (1107-1127) was traditionally famous

for his paintings of eagles, but this embroidery is probably later.

227

127

128

SMALL BRONZE TRIPOD

Shang dynasty, before 1028 B.C.Type li. H. 4 in. (10.5 cm)

Tripods with hollow legs, the type called //, are very ancient in China and are

peculiar to that country. This one is simple but strong in both form and decora-

tion and seems closely related in both respects to the pottery prototypes of

prehistoric times. Cast on the inside are the three characters shu-fu-ting,

"Uncle Ting", the name of the ancestor to whom the vessel was dedicated.

LARGE RECTANGULAR BRONZE VASEShang or Early Chou dynasty, ca. eleventh century B.C.Type fang tsun. H. 17% In. (45 cm)

This large vessel for ceremonial wine is cast very thin for its size, and the

patination of the bronze has a curious yellowish brown tinge. Both the quality

of the metal and the rather flat character of the relief places it in a small group

that, while carrying on the Shang tradition, may have been made later and far

to the south of the site of the Shang Kingdom in the Yellow River Valley. The

style of certain elements in the design seems further to support the theory

of a southern origin for the piece : the crested birds at the four corners recall

some that were excavated at Changsha in Hunan ; and the birds that swoopdownwards in the middle of each side have triangular heads with bulging

eyes like those of the frogs that sit atop the bronze drums of South China

and Tonkin a thousand years later. There is no inscription.

228

229

^29 CEREMONIAL TRIPOD

Chou dynasty, Reign of King Hsiian (827-781 B.C.)

Type ting. H. 20% in. (53.5 cm)

The only decoration on this vessel is the single band of horizontal scale pattern

around the top of the deep, more than hemispherical, bowl. Two handles standstrongly on the thick rim, and the vessel is supported on three sturdily curved

legs. Inside is an inscription of 497 characters arranged in 32 lines.

This, the longest bronze text to have come to light in China, records gratitudefor favors received by a certain Yin, Duke of Mao, and the vessel has always

been known as the Mao-kung Ting, the tripod of the Duke of Mao. It was dug

up in Ch'i-shan Hsien in Shensi in the last years of the Tao-kuang reign (1821-

1850) and remained in private hands for about a century before it was presented

to the Chinese Government in 1948 by its last owner, Mr. Yeh Kung-tso. The

text of the inscription was first published in 1896 by Wu Shih-fen, and sincethat time a good many of the leading Chinese epigraphers have considered it

a relic of the time of King Ch'eng, the second ruler of the Chou dynasty, in spite

of the fact that, as is all too often the case, the subject matter of the inscription

provides no solid evidence for dating. Evidently these early scholars were

convinced by the very size of the vessel and by the magnificent long inscription

that it must have been made in the golden age following the founding of thedynasty. In recent decades further study has shown that both the style of the

script and of the vessel itself are those of the second half of Western Chou,

and a period about the time of King Hsiian (827-781 B.C.) seems to be indicated.

230

231

130 CEREMONIAL BRONZE BASINChou dynasty, Reign of King Li (861-827 B.C.)Type p'on. D. 25 in. (64.5 cm) with handles

The large shallow basin Is supported on a broad circular foot flaring outward

at the base ; two plain handles protrude from the sides and curve up to above

the level of the rim. Basin and foot alike are decorated with relief designs cast

in the bold style known as "Middle Chou". Inside the basin is cast an inscription

of 357 characters in 19 lines.

One of the great historical documents of ancient China, this bronze, known asthe San P'an, records the settlement of a territorial dispute between the feudal

states of San and Nieh which were in the western part of modern Shensi pro-

vince. As usual, the inscription is undated, but internal evidence indicatesthat the events recorded must have taken place in the ninth century B.C. and

probably in the reign of King Li (861-827 B.C.).

Sometime thereafter, we have no clue as to the date, the piece was buried.

It lay in the ground some two and a half millennia until it was brought to light

in the Ch'ien-lung reign of the Ch'ing dynasty about A.D. 1770, and thereafter

passed through the hands of a series of private collectors whom it attractednot only because of its great size and remarkable condition but even more

by the length and interest of its inscription. The text immediately occupied

the attention of antiquarians, and the first published attempt to render it into

modern script was made by the celebrated scholar Juan Yuan in his Chi-ku-

chai-cbung-ting-i-chi-k'uan-shih which first appeared in 1804. Five years later

the Governor of the Kiangnan Provinces (Kiangsi, Kiangsu, Anhui) presented

it to the Emperor Jen-tsung (Chia-ch'ing reign 1797-1820) on his fittieth birthday

and thus it entered the Ch'ing imperial collection. Since then the inscription

has been studied by almost every Chinese epigraphist of any stature, and

may be found in most of the principal books on bronze inscriptions. The text

is also a landmark in the history of western sinology for its publication in 1906

by the Rev. Frank H. Chalfant in his Early Chinese Writing (Memoirs of the

Carnegie Institute, Vol. VI, No. 1) marks the first attempt by a westerner to

undertake the translation and interpretation of a document in archaic Chinese.

232

131 LARGE BELL

Chou dynasty, Reign of King Li (861-827 B.C.)

Type chung. H. 27% in. (70 cm)

The instrument consists of a hollow elliptical bell surmounted by a verticalshank at the lower end of which is a flange with a ring for suspension. On theupper part of each face of the bell are two rectangular areas each framing nine

nipples ; in the horizontal panels between each row of three nipples, and also

on top of the bell are cast relief designs in the "Middle Chou" style; twocoiled dragon patterns appear in the bottom center of each side, and incised

designs and protruding eyes are seen on the ring flange. On the front of the bellin the center panel are cast 32 characters in four lines ; below, on the lett side

are 57 characters in eight lines ; and on the back at the lower right are 33 charac-

ters in Ave lines. Taken together these three groups make up a single inscription

of 122 characters.

There seems to be no record of the discovery of the bell, but it was known

to the great epigrapher Juan Yuan who published the inscription and attemptedto render it into modern Chinese in 1804. His interpretation of the text led him

to place the bell in the early part of the dynasty, and in this he was followed by

most scholars for more than a century. But since the 1950's such scholars

as Sun l-jang, Kuo Mo-jo and Jung Keng have found various grounds forassigning it to the reign of King Li (861-827 B.C.), a period much more inkeeping with the style of the ornament.

233

132 WINGED BEAST

Han dynasty

Carved jade. L. 6 in. (15.5 cm)

This is a miniature version of the large winged lions used as tomb guar-

dians in ancient times. The Chinese called them p'i-hsieh which means "to

ward off evil". On the chest is an imperial poem of the Ch'ien-lung emperorcarved in A.D. 1774. Although this small jade copy made for ornamental

purposes has traditionally been called Han, the stylistic resemblance to the

famous beasts at the Liang imperial tombs near Nanking is too striking to be

overlooked ; and although this is not positive evidence for dating the jade beast

as late as the stone lions (i.e. in the sixth century A.D.), it does suggest that

it might be later than Han.

133 LEAF-SHAPED CUP

Han dynasty

Carved jade. L. 6 in. (15.5 cm)

Carved of brown jade in the form of a curled-up lotus leaf with its stem, this

cup is described as a washer, and may have been used on a scholar's desk

for rinsing the ink from brushes. The wooden stand is also in lotus form.

In spite of the traditional attribution to Han and the acknowledged difficulty

of dating jade carvings precisely after the Han dynasty, we feel that the

naturalistic representation of this piece and the realistic softness of the carving

point to a later date.

234

134

SMALL VASE OF BRONZE FORM

Sung dynasty

Carved jade. H.A'/, in. (11 cm)

The white jade vessel is carved in the form of a Shang dynasty

sacrificial bronze of the type chih, and the surface is covered

with low relief patterns suggesting those found on the ancient

prototypes. Inscribed on the wooden stand are two simulated

seals of Hsiang Yiian-pien (1525-1590), and under the stand

is an inscription dated in the eighth moon of 1555 referring

to the collection of the T'ing-yCin-kuan. This was the studio

of the celebrated painter Wen Cheng-ming (Nos. 97, 98, 121)who owned it at one time. On the side of the stand are the wordsWen Fu chih, indicating that the stand itself was carved byWen Fu.

135

ROUND SHALLOW DISH

Sung dynasty

Carved jade. D. 5}J in. {14 cm)

The small dish, described as a brush

washer, has an uneven edge which

upon closer inspection proves to be

the backs of a series of little dragons

and phoenixes carved in relief around

the rim. Underneath are the two

characters Hsuan-ho, carved in the

seal style and referring to the period

of that name (1119-1126) in the reign

of the Sung Emperor Hui-tsung.

235

136LEAPING FISH

Ming dynasty

Carved jade. H. 6>< In. (16 cm)

The fish is carved in such a way that the body is largely white while the blackish outer crust of the stone hasbeen used to accent the tail, dorsal fin, horn, eyes, lips, etc. A small hornless dragon clings to the fish's belly.The accompanying wooden stand is carved to represent waves. No doubt the whole composition Is to beregarded as the symbol of scholarly success: the carp leaping above the waves.

137HEAD FOR A STAFFCh'ing dynasty, Ch'ien-lung reign (1736-1796)

Carved jade. H. 6 in. (15.5 cm)

The carving shows a rock pigeon on an arching perch which rises from a base in the form of a beast withcurling horns. A socket In the latter is designed to receive the end of a staff. An imperial Ch'ien-lung poemdated in the year 1774 is incised in tiny characters on the perch.

Ever since Han times the Chinese have regarded the carrying of a staff as one of the prerogatives of an elderly

gentleman ; and the figure of a pigeon, usually carved in jade but sometimes cast in bronze, was the appropriate

finial for such a staff. Explanations of the origin of this custom are various. Most generally accepted is the

belief that because pigeons are omnivorous and appear able to digest everything they eat, the figure of the

pigeon expresses the wish that the old gentleman may continue to enjoy unimpaired digestion with advancingyears.

138SQUARE VESSEL WITH COVERCh'ing dynasty, Ch'ien-lung reign (1736-1796)

White jade. H. 5% in. (13 cm)

The square form with cylinder-shaped corners terminating in small feet has a dragon carved in the round on

the cover; and the whole thing is in the shape of an ancient bronze. On the bottom is inscribed Ta Ch'ingCh'ien-lung-fang-ku telling us that it was made in Ch'ien-lung times in imitation of an antique.

139BELT HOOKCh'ing dynasty

Carved jade. L. 3% in. (8 cm)

The brilliant green of parts of this piece is the color known by the Chinese as ts'ui, "kingfisher", and is what

westerners normally expect when they hear the term jade.

Ancient belt hooks, or garment hooks as they are commonly called, are known in bronze usually embellished

with inlay of precious metals or turquoise, jade, glass, crystal, etc., but almost invariably the part that receives

the hook is missing. This eighteenth century version elaborately carved with dragons, gives an idea how they

may have functioned.

237

140 DOUBLE VASECh'ing dynasty

Carved iade. H. 4X in. (10.5 cm)

Two small covered vases are carved out of a single block of yellow jade withoutseparation. By way of decoration, small dragons are carved in relief on thesurfaces.

'141 SCHOLARS SEALCh'ing dynasty, Ch'ien-lung reign (1736-1796)

Carved Ch'ang-hua stone. H. 3% In. (8 cm)

In the miniature landscape carved on this seal, a boat with three passengers

and a boatman floats on a turbulent river beneath a towering cliff. This is the

Sung dynasty poet Su Tung-po and his companions visiting the historic RedCliff on the Yangtze River, an outing that inspired him to write the famous

prose-poem (fu) of that name (see also Nos. 46, 115, and 120). Inscribed onthe seal are some lines about the Red Cliff by an unidentified man who signshimself "the retired scholar Ch'ang-ch'un", and another inscription dates

the seal in the year 1737 and gives the name of the carver, Shih T'len-chang.Ch'ang-hua stone comes from the district of that name in Chekiang provinceand was highly esteemed by seal carvers for Its color and texture.

238

142

BOWL

Sung dynasty

ChiJn ware. D. 8% In. (22.5 cm)

The rim of the bowl is cut to resemble the tips of lotus petals and the sides are slightly moulded to match.

A thick blue-grey glaze covers the surface, showing slightly yellowish where it runs thin near the rim. Lackingthe rich purple coloring and the number impressed on the base that are generally associated with Chiin wares,

this bowl may, in fact, represent the best early Chun type.

143

VASE

Sung dynasty

Ju ware. H. 6^ in. (16.5 cm)

The shape, imitating an archaic bronze tsun, hasa high

foot, rounded belly, flaring rim, and four thin vertical

flanges on each section ; a fine crackle covers the

greenish blue glaze; incised on the base are the two

characters feng-hua, probably cut in Sung times; feng-hua is said to have been the name of the pavilion occupied

by one of the concubines of the Sung Emperor Kao-Tsung

who established the southern court at Hangchow andreigned there from 1127 to 1162.

239

144

VASE

Sung dynasty

J u ware. H. 8X In. (22.5 cm)

The vessel of paper beater form is covered with

a cracl

146 LOTUS BOWL

Sung dynasty

Ju ware. D. 6% in. (16.5 cm)

The rim is deeply scalloped, and the high sides are moulded into nine corres-

ponding lobes; the greenish blue glaze is finely crackled all over.

241

147 BRUSH WASHER

Sung dynasty

Ju ware. L. 5X in. (14 cm)

A shallow oval dish covered w/ith a crackled glaze of the color traditionallydescribed by the Chinese as "egg blue" ; the reference, of course, is to duck

eggs rather than chicken eggs.

148 PYRAMIDAL VASE

Sung dynasty

Kuan ware. H. 4J< in. (12 cm)

A rectangular vessel on a low foot, this piece consists of three tiers of diminish-ing size topped by a short lip; the light greenish grey glaze is covered with

large irregular crackle; on the base is incised an imperial Ch'ien-lung poem

of 40 characters plus the date when it was carved, corresponding to the month

between 21 February and 23 March 1773, signature and two seals.

242

149 SQUARE INCENSE BURNER

Sung dynasty

Kuan ware. W. 5% in. (15 cm)

Four scrolled feet support this vessel which is covered with a grey-green glaze

with large crackle ; the imperial Ch'ien-lung poem of 90 characters on the basewas incised between 9 February and 11 March 1785.

150 FLOWER RECEPTACLE

Sung dynasty

Kuan ware. H. 6% In. (15.5 cm)

The slender, beaker-shaped vase is covered with a thick glossy greenish blue

glaze interrupted by a bulging roll (over a flanged ring ?) near the base ; on the

bottom an imperial Ch'ien-lung poem of 27 characters was incised in the

summer of 1778.

*-fc^

243

151 BRUSH BARREL

Sung dynasty

Kuan ware, H. 3% In. (9.5 cm)

Of cylindrical shape with low foot, this piece is covered with glossy greenish

blue glaze with some areas of large crackle ; on the base is an imperial Ch'ien-

lung poem of fifty-six characters inscribed in the month between 2 February

and 3 March 1783.

152 NARCISSUS POT

Sung dynasty

Kuan ware, L. 9 in. (23 cm)

The shallow oval dish on four low feet, like No. 145, is covered with uncrackled

light grey-blue glaze of the color described by the Chinese as "sky blue" ; the

imperial Ch'ien-lung poem of eighty-four characters was on the base sometime

between 26 May and 24 June 1778. The important difference between this piece

and No. 145, which is classified as Ju ware, is that the latter shows light buff-

colored clay in the six spurmarks while on this piece they are black.

244

153 VASE

Sung dynasty

Chiao-tan Kuan ware, H. T/, in. (18.5 cm)

The vessel of gourd shape (usually, but redundantly, called "double gourd")

rests on a low, finely cut, black foot; the glaze, described by the Chinese as

"ash blue", has an even medium crackle all over. Chiao-tan is the so-called

"suburban altar" of the Southern Sung capital at Hangchow. Wares of this type

have been identified by comparison with fragments recovered from the site.

154 ROUND BRUSH WASHER

Sung dynasty

Chiao-tan Kuan ware, D. 6'/i in. (15.5 cm)

This shallow dish with straight sides and slightly incurving lip has a convex

base with five spurmarks, and no foot; the crackled blue glaze is the shade

described by the Chinese as "ash blue".

245

^55 *-^^ ^^^

Sung dynasty

Chiao-tan Kuan ware, D. 6y, in. (17.5 cm)

The circular dish, perhaps a brush washer, has flaring sides and rests on

a low foot with chocolate brown rim; the glaze is pale bluish grey with large

crackle; carved in the base is the character chia, evidently numbering the

piece as one of a series.

Igg SQUARE DISH

Sung dynasty

Chl Chou ware, W. 5% in. (14 cm)

The foliated rim has a scroll pattern in relief on the flattened top and a moulded

design of rams among clouds in low relief appears in the bottom ; the greyish

white, mat glaze is the color described by the Chinese as "ash white"; an

imperial Ch'ien-lung poem of twenty-eight characters is incised on the base.

Chi Chou was a town In southern Kiangsi province that was famous in Sung

times for its white wares and brown wares. Many of the former were copies

of Ting wares from the north, and distinctive white wares like this were also

made in very fine quality. The Chi Chou brown wares often imitated the Chien

wares of Fukien. These two copies of other wares are often described in the

literature as Chi-an or Kian Ting and Kian Temmoku.

246

157 VASEMing dynasty, late fourteenth century (Hung-wu)*

Yu-li-hung ware, H. 12'/, In. (32 cm)

This bottle-shaped vase, of the type called yu-hu-ch'un by the Chinese, is painted in copper oxide under the

glaze, but because of imperfectly controlled firing conditions the design came out grey instead of red.

Beginning at the top, the horizontal bands of decoration include plantain leaves, thunder pattern, fungus scroll,

rocks and plants (banana, orchid, bamboo, etc.), lotus panels, and classic scroll around the strongly cut foot.

Traditionally the Chinese classify ail Ming and Ch'ing porcelains made at Chingtechen under the several reign names whether they

bear the reign marks or not. In this catalogue we have followed the Western practice of assigning them to definite periods only when

they are so marked; unmarked pieces are given approximate chronological dates, and the reign classification of the Chinese follows

in parenthesis.

158 LARGE BOWLMing dynasty, late fourteenth century (Hung-wu)

Yu-li-hung ware, D. 16'/i. In. (41 cm)

Like No. 157 this piece was decorated with copper oxide under the glaze, but here the firing was more successful

and some of the design came out in red ; inside the rim is a border of fungus scrolls above the main design

of scrolling lotus; on the outside are waves, peony scrolls, lotus panels, and thunder pattern in that order

from lip to foot.

247

159 TEAPOT

Ming dynasty, early fifteenth century (Yung-lo)

White ware, H. 4% In. (11.5 cm)

A cap-like cover fits over the opening and around it on the shoulder are threesmall vertical loops ; the handle is segmented to simulate bamboo ; this shade

of white is described by the Chinese as t'ien pai, "sv\^eet" or "pleasant"

white.

160WIDE BOWL

Ming dynasty, Yung-lo reign (1403-1424)

White ware, D. 8% In. (22 cm)

So thin is the clay in this ware that the Chinese call it t'o-t'o/, "bodiless"

;

under the glaze the Eight Treasures of Buddhism are drawn in slip in the

technique known as an-hua, "hidden decoration", and in the same medium the

four-character mark of the period is drawn in archaic script in the bottom of

the bowl.

248

161

162

STEMCUP

Ming dynasty, Yung-lo reign (1403-1424)

White ware. D. 4% in. (11 cm)

Not quite as thin as the bowl, this stemcup is called pan-t'o-t'ai, "semi bodiless",

by the Chinese who describe the tone as t'ien-pai, "sweet white"; the an-huadecoration inside the bowl consists of two dragons, and the four-character

mark of the period is written in archaic script in the bottom.

STEMCUP

Ming dynasty, Yung-lo reign (1403-1424)

Red ware, D. 6y, in. (16.5 cm)

This deep red glaze which the Chinese called chi-hung, "sacrificial red", was

one of the great triumphs of the early fitteenth century potter; later attempts

to imitate it, although they produced some wonderful reds like the K'ang-hsilang-yao, invariably fell short of the early prototypes. In this cup two dragons

chasing a pearl and the four-character mark in archaic script are drawn in the

an-hua technique and remain almost invisible under the glaze.

249

163 MONK'S HAT JUG

Ming dynasty, early fifteenth century (HsiJan-te)

Red ware, H. 7% in. (20 cm)

Named from the shape of its lid, this jug is a type relatively uncommon in Chi-nese ceramics ; the color in this instance is called pao-shih-hung, "precious

stone red" or "ruby red", by the Chinese today. In the forty-character Ch'len-

lung poem cut in the glaze under the base in the spring of 1775, however, theEmperor calls it chu-sha, a term that now translates our word cinnabar; hetoo identifies the shape with that of a monk's hat.

164 BOWL

Ming dynasty, early fifteenth century (HsiJan-te)

Red ware, D. 8% in. (20.5 cm)

Another example of the red ware called pao-shih-hung by the modern Chinese,this bowl bears an Imperial Ch'ien-lung poem of twenty-eight charactersincised on the base In the spring of 1777 in which the Emperor uses the word

tan-sha, another term used today for cinnabar.

250

165 OCTAGONAL BOWL

Ming dynasty, early fifteenth century (Hsiian-te)

Red ware, D. 6 in. (15.5 cm)

This bowl, also covered with the glaze currently called pao-shih-hung, has no

mark or inscription but is attributed by the Chinese to the HsiJan-te reign

(1426-1435) and may well have been made at that time.

'155 STEMCUP

Ming dynasty, early fifteenth century (Hsiian-te)

Red ware, D. 6 in. (15.5 cm)

Much like No. 162 in general proportion, this cup is also similar in that theglaze is described as chi-hung, "sacrificial red". In this case, however, there

is a dragon inside and two dragons chasing pearls among clouds on the

outside with conventional cloud and scroll forms below. These decorations

are executed In a flat bluish grey by some technique that has yet to be explained.

251

-Igy SAUCE POT

Ming dynasty, Hsiian-te reign (1426-1435)

Red ware, H. 4X In. (10 cm)

The small covered pot with spout and handle is decorated with four rows of

lotus petals carved In relief and covered v\/ith a glaze of "sacrificial red".

Underneath on the vifhite base is the six-character Hsuan-te mark in under-

glaze blue.

252

253

168

SAUCE POT

Ming dynasty, HsiJan-te reign (1426-1435)

Blue ware, H. i'/. In. (10 cm)

This pot is like the preceding in every

respect except that the glaze is dark blue

of the shade the Chinese call chi-ch'ing,

"clearing sky blue".

169

STEMCUP

Ming dynasty, HsiJan-te reign (1426-1435)

Yu-li-hung ware, D. 4% in. (12 cm)

The small stemcup is decorated on the outside

with three fruits (pomegranate, apple, and

peach) in underglaze copper red. Inside the

bowl is the six-character HsCian-te mark in

underglaze blue.

254

170 COVERED VASEMing dynasty, fifteenth century (HsiJan-te)

Blue and white ware, H. 14% In. (36.5 cm)

The vase is of the type called mei-p'ing or "prunus vase". The decoration in

underglaze blue, produced by painting on the clay with an inl

"I"72 FLASK

Ming dynasty, fifteenth century (HsiJan-te)

Blue and white ware, H. 13 In. (33 cm)

A variant of the preceding form, thiis flasl< is still called pien-hu by the Chinesebecause of its characteristic flatness. Like No. 170 it sits rather uneasily in the

Hsuan-te reign to which the Chinese have assigned it and may v/eW have been

made somewhat nearer the mid-century.

173 FLASK

Ming dynasty, early fifteenth century (Hsiian-te)

Blue and white ware, H. 9>^ In. (24 cm)

Still another variant of the pien-hu form, this flask stands on a low flaring foot

and has a bulbous mouth ; the main decoration of rectilinear panels symmetric-

ally disposed around a central six-pointed star and serving as frames for

waves and floral and geometric motifs reflects the influence of Islamic designs

on the potters of early Ming.

256

174

COVERED GOBLET

Ming dynasty, Hsijan-te reign (1426-1435)

Blue and white ware, H. 5% In. (14.5 cm)

This small covered vessel Imitates the shape of

the ceremonial bronze tou of late Chou times;

the six-character marl^ of the period is written

in a horizontal line on one side above the main

decoration of scrolling vines.

175

BOWL

Ming dynasty, Ch'eng-hua reign (1465-1487)

Yu-li-hung ware, D. 8X in. (20.5 cm)

The broad bowl with slightly flaring rim is deco-

rated on the outside with three fish painted in

underglaze copper red ; under the base is the

six-character mark of the period in underglaze

blue.

257

176 BOWL

Ming dynasty, Ch'eng-hua reign (1465-1487)

Blue and white ware, D. 8% In. (21 cm)

Inside the slightly flaring rim is a scroll band, and the outside is decoratedwith phoenixes flying among lotus scrolls with a row of lotus panels below;the six-character Ch'eng-hua mark is written on the base.

177 BOWL

Ming dynasty, Ch'eng-hua reign (1465-1487)

Blue and white ware, D. T/, In. (19.5 cm)

Around the slightly flaring rim is a wave border, and the main design is ofsea beasts flying over tumultuous waves ; the six-character mark of the period

is written under the base.

258

17g STEMCUP

Ming dynasty, late fifteenth century (Ch'eng-hua)

Blue and white ware. D. 7 in. (18 cm)

The two mythical animals painted on this stemcup are the ch'i-lin and thedragon ; the latter, quite unlike the normal Chinese dragon, has a proboscidian

snout, small wings, a lotus spray growing from the tip of the tongue, no hind

feet, and an enormously long and elaborately foliated tail. Dragons of this

small but distinctive family seem to appear most often on late fifteenth century

porcelains; and this fact combined with the superb quality of the pottery, the

drawing, and the blue on this unmarked stemcup suggest the attribution to

Ch'eng-hua.

179 STEMCUP

Ming dynasty, late fifteenth century (Ch'eng-hua)

Blue and wliite ware. D. 6% in. (16.5 cm)

Inside this stemcup are egrets in a lotus pond, and outside are birds perched

on the branches of fruit trees. The quality of the work points to a date in the

second half of the fifteenth century, perhaps Ch'eng-hua.

259

180 SAUCE POT

Ming dynasty, late fifteenth century (Ch'eng-hua)

Blue and white ware, H. 5 In. (13 cm)

The decoration of this small covered pot with wildly cavorting dragons over

tumultuous waves is related in spirit to that on the bowl No. 177, and the quality

of the porcelain and of the workmanship suggests a comparable date.

181SAUCE POT

Ming dynasty, late fifteenth century (Ch'eng-hua)

Enamelled ware, H. 4% in. (12 cm)

On this pot the usual blue and white technique has been supplemented in the

main design where the wave pattern has been incised in the clay, and the

dragons have also been incised and then covered with a green enamel fired

on over the glaze.

260

182PAIR OF CHICKEN CUPS

Ming dynasty, Ch'eng-hua reign (1465-1487)

Enamelled ware, D. y/, in. (8 cm)

This well-known design of cock and hen with chicks beside a rock and flowering

plants was outlined first In underglaze blue and then, In a second firing, covered

with the delicate enamel colors known to the Chinese as tou-ts'ai, often

mistranslated "fighting colors" but no doubt using the second meaning of

tou which is "agreeable" or "harmonious". The six-character Ch'eng-hua

mark Is characteristically written in underglaze blue in a double square on

the bases.

183 WIDE BOWL

Ch'ing dynasty, K'ang-hsi reign (1662-1722)

White ware, D. 8 in. (20.5 cm)

So famous were the "bodiless" bowls of the Yung-lo reign in early Ming that

they were frequently copied in later times. This Is a K'ang-hsi version of No. 160

decorated again with the Eight Treasures drawn in the an-hua technique and

bearing the six-character K'ang-hsi mark also written in slip in archaic script

under the glaze in the center of the bowl.

261

184 LARGE DISH

Ch'ing dynasty, K'ang-hsi reign (1662-1722)

Yellow ware. D. 15% in. (40.5 cm)

This large dish with flattened rim is decorated entirely with designs Incised in

the clay under the pale yellow glaze ; the rim and the central area are covered

with dragons among clouds, and the cavetto is filled with flower and fruitsprays ; under the base the six-character mark of the period is similarly incised.

185 COVERED JAR

Ch'ing dynasty, K'ang-hsi reign (1662-1722)

Enamelled ware. H. 5% in- (14 cm)

The finely drawn dragon and phoenix are in overglaze iron red while the rest ofthe decoration is in underglaze blue and tou-ts'ai enamels; the six-character

mark of the period is written under the base.

262

186

187

SMALL DISH

Ch'ing dynasty, marked K'ang-hsi (1662-1722)

Enamelled ware, D. A% In. (12 cm)

The outside of this dish is solidly covered with enamels, white for the back-

ground, and colors (green, blue, pink, etc.) for the flowers and foliage. In

Chinese this technique is called fa-lang-ts'ai, and the same term is used for

enamels painted on copper and for cloisonne. As a result there is some confu-

sion when, in translation, this ware is described as cloisonn6. That word is

properly used only for metal objects on which wire c/o/sons are applied to

separate the colored enamels. On the base is the four-character imperial

mark K'ang-hsi-yU-chih written inside a double square in red enamel implying

that the piece was made under imperial order in the K'ang-hsi reign. But the

technique of making pink enamel which came from Europe does not seem to

have reached China before 1717 when it first appeared in crude form on copper

grounds. Such a highly refined pink as we see on this dish was not perfected

until later. For this reason a late Ch'ien-lung date seems more likely for extre-

mely sophisticated enamelling of this kind.

BOWLCh'ing dynasty, marked K'ang-hsi (1662-1722)

Enamelled ware, D. 6 In. (15.5 cm)

Solidly decorated in enamel colors on the outside, this bowl has lotus flowers

in green panels separated by large leaves on a pink ground. The four-character

imperial K'ang-hsi mark is written on the base as on No. 186, but in this case

too it seems more reasonable to assign the piece to the latter part of the Ch'ien-

lung period.

263

188

PAIR OF BOWLSCh'ing dynasty, Yung-cheng reign (1723-1735)

Enamelled ware, D. 6'/, in. (16 cm)

The decoration in overglaze enamels shows rocl

265

193 TEAPOT

Ch'ing dynasty, Yung-cheng reign (1723-1735)

Enamelled ware, H. 4% in. (11 cm)

In a ground pattern of dense sepia floral scrolls are reserved two panels; on

one side are two quail among rice ears, peonies, and chrysanthemums, andon the other two magpies with bamboo trees, roses and chrysanthemums.In each panel is a small poem in black followed by a simulated seal in red.On the base Is the four-character mark of the period in blue enamel.

194 TEAPOT

Ch'ing dynasty, Yung-cheng reign (1723-1735)

Enamelled ware, H. 3% in. (9 cm)

On this teapot the dense ground pattern is done In colors, and the reservedpanel on each side of the pot frames a landscape scene minutely painted in

blue enamel with a line of poetry and a simulated seal in the upper front corner

of each. The customary four-character mark of the period is in blue enamel

on the base.

266

195

196

LARGE VASECh'ing dynasty, Yung-cheng reign (1723-1735)

Blue and white ware, H. 21% in. (71 cm)

Most of the decoration, finely and precisely painted in rich, deep underglazeblue, is in the Chinese taste ; but certain details, such as the elaborate pendentscrolls on the shoulder, reflect the fact that the Chinese court was in touchwith Rococo Europe. In fact, the influence of Europe on China and that ofChina on Europe at this time resulted in such an intermingling of styles thata vase like this, were it not made of porcelain, could easily be taken for a pieceof Rouen faience. The four-character mark of the period is written in under-glaze blue in seal script under the base.

LARGE VASECh'ing dynasty, Ch'ien-iung reign (1736-1796)

Blue and white ware, H. 25>i In. (66 cm)

Hexagonal in section with tall neck and flaring lip, this vase is finely paintedin deep underglaze blue; the decoration, like that on No. 195 which must bevery close to this in date, combines several Chinese motifs with others whichreveal the Chinese knowledge of and interest in designs from contemporaryEurope. The six-character mark of the period in seal style is written in under-glaze blue on the base.

267

197 LARGE VASE

Ch'ing dynasty, Ch'ien-lung reign (1736-1796)

Monochrome ware, H. 17% in. (45 cm)

The shape of this vessel is based on that of an ancient ceremonial bronze

of the type hu, and two pendent rings are indicated In relief as though hanging

from the handles. The light grey glaze with stained crackle is described by the

Chinese as simulating the Ko ware ("elder brother" ware) traditionally included

In the lists of Sung dynasty ceramics. But It should be noted that In actual

fact there Is no certainty about the identification of that ware among the Sung

porcelains known today. Under the base the six-character Ch'ien-lung mark is

written In underglaze blue.

198 LARGE VASECh'ing dynasty, Ch'ien-lung reign (1736-1796)

Monochrome ware, H. 20% in. (50.5 cm)

The shape of this vessel is similar to that of No. 197; there is strapwork in

relief around the body, and the handles are modelled in the shape of animal

heads. A thick even glaze of the greenish brown color called "teadust" coversthe surface, and the six-character mark of the period In seal style is impressed

in the clay under the base.

>68

199 TEAPOT

Ch'ing dynasty, Ch'ien-lung reign (1736-1796)

Enamelled ware, H. 5% in. (14.5 cm)

A finely painted ground pattern of lotus scrolls in coral red and gold surroundstwo reserved panels, one with lotus in colored enamels, the other with an

imperial poem. The six-character mark of the period is written in red enamel

in seal script.

200 PAIR OF STEMCUPS

Ch'ing dynasty, Ch'ien-lung reign (1736-1796)

Enamelled ware, H. 3% In. (9 cm)

The painting of a pair of quail amid roses and chrysanthemums is particularly

delicate; and the birds constitute a rebus, for the phrase shuang-an ("double

quail") is homophonic with the phrase "double peace". Under the foot of

each cup the four-character mark in underglaze blue is written around the

aperture of the stem reading top to bottom and right to left.

269

201 VASE

Ch'ing dynasty, Ch'ien-lung reign (1736-1796)

Enamelled ware, H. BY, in. (20.5 cm)

Like the pair of cups (No. 192) this vase is also decorated with black mynahs

in a setting dominated by red accents, but in this case the latter is provided

by the prunus blossoms. A poetic couplet in black and simulated seals in redcomplete the composition. The four-character mark of the period appears in

blue enamel on the base.

202 VASE

Ch'ing dynasty, Ch'ien-lung reign (1736-1796)

Enamelled ware, H. 6% in. (17.5 cm)

This vase is topped by a bulbous mouth of lobed form, of the type the Chinese

call "garlic mouth", and a short lip. Birds and trees again make up the decora-

tion v\/ith bamboo, peach, and weeping willow providing the setting for magpies

and orioles; and the scene is accompanied by the usual poetic couplet and

simulated seals. On the base is the four-character Ch'ien-lung mark in a double

square in blue enamel.

270

203TOOTHPICK CASESCh'ing dynasty, eighteenth century (Ch'ien-lung)

Enamelled ware, L. 3% in. (9.5 cm) closed

Each case slides into a sheath-like cover, and the two parts are held together by a silken cord fitted with coral

beads, seed pearls, etc. The porcelain enameller reaches the peak of his virtuosity (albeit a peak just short

of decadence I) in these wares where, not content with merely decorating the glazed surface, he transforms

it into a realistic imitation of silk brocade as a setting for the floral and calligraphic subjects in the panels.

204TINDER BOXESCh'ing dynasty, Ch'ien-lung reign (1736-1796)

Enamelled ware, H. ca. 2% in. (6.5 cm) average

The Chinese term huo-lien-tai, literally translated "fire chain boxes", describes these elegant cases used for

carrying flint and steel and tinder, the ancient prototype of the pocket lighter of today. As the most elaborateand costly lighters are the work of gold- and silversmiths and jewelers, so these early fire chain boxes were

made for wealthy noble and aristocratic clients by the most skillful porcelain workers ; and here again (cf.Nos. 203 and 205) they have displayed their virtuosity in the simulation of other materials. The boxes resemble

single-case Japanese inro and the surface texture imitates sharkskin embellished with gold ; on one of them

is a landscape with European figures and a Christian church minutely painted In enamel colors. On the baseof each the six-character Chien-lung mark is written in the seal script in red enamel.

271

205 THUMB RINGS

Ch'ing dynasty, eighteenth century (Ch'ien-lung)

Enamelled ware, D. ca. ^y, In. (3 cm) each

These ornamental rings made of porcelain but imitating wood, stone, inlaid

bronze, lacquer, etc. represent the last manifestations of an ancient tradition.

In Asia the bowstring was drawn with the thumb curled under the first two

fingers of the right hand and with its tip held against the side of the third. Asprotection against the tension of the draw and whip of the cord at the moment

of release, the thumb of the Asiatic archer was encased in a ring of horn,

ivory, jade, or some other hard material. The forms varied through the centuries

and across the continent from Turkey to Japan ; and the thick cylindrical type

shown here has been current in Eastern Asia for most of the Christian era.

Elaborate imitations of other materials executed in porcelain were for the most

part used as jewelry by Manchu princes who, in the midst of the elegant luxury

and decadence of the court life of Peking, wanted always to be reminded that

their hard-riding nomadic ancestors were, first and last, archers.

272

206 SMALL GLASS VASECh'ing dynasty, Ch'ien-lung reign (1736-1796)

Enamels on glass, H. 4X in. (10.5 cm)

Although glass appears to have been known and nnade in China for some two millennia, it never achievedthe artistic or commercial importance in the Far East that it did in the Near East or in Europe. One possibleexplanation of this is that the Chinese did not need glass because from very early times they developed such

great skill with high-fired ceramic wares, particularly porcelain. And porcelain, which was unknown in Europeuntil the eighteenth century, is in many ways a finer, more durable and more versatile material serving the samepurposethe manufacture of vessels for the storage of liquids and for the serving of food and drink. The richly

colored opaque glass that was carved at Peking in the Ch'ing dynasty is known by the name of that city, andthe opaque white glass with delicate painting in enamels on the surface was largely Inspired by the European

contacts that played such an important part in the Chinese culture of the period. The scene on this small vase

shows a woman reading to a child in an autumn landscape, and while the subject matter and the personagesare Chinese they are rendered in a European style of painting that became popular in China at this time. Thefour-character mark of the period is written in a double square in blue enamel on the base.

207 SNUFF BOTTLECh'ing dynasty, Ch'ien-lung reign (1736-1796)

Enamels on glass, H. 2% in. (7 cm)

This small rectangular bottle in opaque white glass is decorated on two sides with a Chinese girl and baskein the same style as the painting on the vase No. 206, and on the othertwo sides with landscapes includingEuropean buildings. The four-character mark of the period is written in blue enamel within a doublesquare on the base.

273

208-209 '*'^"' ^ VASES

Ch'ing dynasty, marked K'ang-hsi (1662-1722)

Enamel on copper, H. 5% In. (13.5 cm)

On a main background color of strong yellow for the body and lighit blue for

the neck, these vases are decorated with floral patterns and ornamental scrolls ;

one carries four different auspicious fruits ("Buddha's hand citron", pome-

granate, lichee nuts, peaches) together with flowers of the four seasons;

the other has grapes, melons, lotus, and apple blossoms. The eight seal

characters in the medallions with jeweled pendants are read together as a

couplet of good wishes which may be rendered in English:

May your longevity be like that of the mountains and the peaks.

May your happiness be as vast as the seas and the heavens.

The imperial K'ang-hsi mark in four characters is written in blue enamel on

the bottom of each ; but as in the case of the enamelled porcelains Nos. 186

and 187, these seem more likely to date from the later decades of the eighteenth

century.

274

210 TEAPOT

Ch'ing dynasty, marked K'ang-hsi (1662-1722)

Enamel on copper. W, 6% In. (16.5 cm)

Like the vases this teapot has a background of strong yellow, but the decoration

consists entirely of chrysanthemums shown on vines, separately, and in large

raised medallions on the four sides. The imperial four character mark of the

period is written in blue enamel on the base; but the piece is probably late

Ch'ien-lung.

MA SQUAT VASECh'ing dynasty, marked K'ang-hsi (1662-1722)

Enamel on copper. H. 3 In. (7.5 cm)

The decoration here consists of peony blossoms and scrolls densely disposed

over the strong yellow ground. Again the four character imperial mark of the

K'ang-hsi reign is probably an interpolation on a piece made some fifty years

later.

275

212 TALL VASE WITH HANDLES

Ch'ing dynasty, Ch'ien-lung reign (1736-1796)

Enamel on gold. H. 8'/, in. (21 cm)

On a ground pattern densely covered with floral scrolls, which the Chinese

call "brocade pattern", are reserved lour panels in ornamental frames. Around

the neck, between the dragon shaped gold handles are two swallows on apricot

branches on one side, and two birds among plums and bamboos on the other.

The two main panels on the body frame landscapes with European figures and

buildings. On the base is the four-character mark of the reign.

213 SMALLCOVERED JAR

Ch'ing dynasty, Cti'ien-lung reign (1736-1796)

Cloisonne enamel on gold. H. 3% in. (8.5 cm)

The colored enamels are kept from running together by metal wires (cloisons)

soldered to the surface of the vessel; this is the true cloisonn6 technique.

On this piece the cloisonn6 ground surrounds four panels on the vessel and

four on the cover In which are painted landscape scenes with European figures.

A coral bead serves as finial, and the four-character mark of the reign is on

the base.

276

214

EWER WITH CUP AND CUPSTAND

Ch'ing dynasty, Ch'ien-lung reign

(1736-17%)

Champlevi enamel on gold. H. (ewer) 7% In. (19 cm)

Here the compartments for the enamel

are sunk in the body of the metal leaving

the raised surface (chomp/eve) itself as the

divider; the technique is the opposite of

cloisonne. Painted enamel panels depict-

ing European subjects are reserved on

each piece; a coral bead serves as finial

to the ewer lid; and the four-character

Ch'ien-lung marks are on all three bases.

215

CHUEH AND STAND

Ch'ing dynasty, Ch'ien-lung reign

(1736-1796)

Cloisonne enamels on copper. H. SV, in. (17.5 cm)

This eighteenth century version of a

ceremonial bronze form, chueh, that

originated in the Shang dynasty is pro-

vided with a stand in the form of a saucer

in the center of which is a domical

protuberance with three recesses to fit

the legs of the tripod. Such sets were also

made in porcelain and both early Mingand eighteenth century examples are

known. The fact that the chiieh form

disappeared from the bronze caster's

repertory about the end of the Shang

dynasty and only reappeared in other

materials some twenty-four centurieslater has not yet been explained.

The cloisonn6 enameling on this piece

is extremely fine in quality, and serves

as the background for panels framing

enamel paintings of floral scenes and

landscapes with European figures. The

four-character Ch'ien-lung mark is in-

cised on the base of both pieces.

277

216-217 TWO CYLINDRICAL BOXES

Ming dynasty, early fifteenth century (Yung-lo)

Carved lacquer, 216 : D. T/, In. (18.5 cm)

217: D.9y,\n. (25 cm)

Both boxes have dense peony patterns on the covers and floral bands Including

peony, lotus, mallow, and chrysanthemum on the sides. In the top of the large

box is a Ch'ien-lung poem dated 1782 written in gold lacquer on the black

interior, and on the black bases of both the six-character Yung-lo mark has

been scratched as if with a needle.

The making of these fine early lacquers required an immense amount of care

and labor. After the sap of the lacquer tree (Rhus vernicifera) had been boiled,

strained, purified and colored by the addition of iron sulphate for black, mercuric

sulphide (cinnabar) for red, trisulphide of arsenic (orpiment) for yellow, etc.,

it was brushed on to a light wooden base in many thin layers. When this coatingwas complete, the design was carved through, and in the finished product

the layers are clearly visible through an ordinary pocket glass; as many as

fifty, or even more, may be present on the best early Ming pieces. The ground

coat on those with floral decoration is usually yellow, and this is revealed,

often faded to buff, as a background color in the deeply carved design. Near the

bottom, in these red wares, a black layer has been inserted, presumably to

warn the carver that he was approaching his lowest level, and this runs like

a topographical contour line all through the design. Lacquers for ordinary

use were made with far fewer layers, and cheap Imitations were (and still are)

made by moulding red paste or by painting a single coat over a design carved

in wood to simulate the early technique. But these latter deceive only the

most unwary.

Many problems remain to be solved in the dating of early carved lacquers.

Some of the finest pieces are thought to be Yuan; but though the names oftwo famous Yiian carvers, Chang Ch'eng and Yang Mao, are recorded and

a few superb pieces bearing one name or the other are known, these attributions

are still treated with the utmost caution. In the Ming dynasty, tradition holds

that Yung-lo marks were scratched with a needle and Hsiian-te marks were

carved and lacquered on gold. But the nature of the material makes it

possible to add both kinds of marks to any piece, and the presence on certain

ones of Hsuan-te marks carved and lacquered on top of scratched Yung-lo

marks raises a number of questions that are not easy to answer. Style and

quality are the most reliable guides ; and whether the Yung-lo marks on these

four pieces (Nos. 216-219) were put on in that reign or not, this type Is widely

accepted as dating from the early fifteenth century if not earlier.

''";!'

t-^

V-

279

218 BOTTLE-SHAPED VASEMing dynasty, early fifteenth century (Yung-lo)

Carv