Ching-te Chen pottery kilns became famous early in the 7th century, under the name of Cleang-nan, with the Imperial Court patronage; the ware was termed *Ceramic Jade" (Tao Yu). But, during the Wei Dynasty (220-265) the Tung-ou kilns produced refined ware. In the T'ang Dynasty (618-906) Shou yao (yel lowish ware) was made in Anhui province; Yueh yao (greenish ware), Shu yao (white ware of Sau-chuan), Pi-se yao, or *secret color" ware (for Imperial use only), belong to these T'ang pieces. The process of "marbling" was also used in Tang yao. But the finest ware prior to the Sung Dynasty was the noted Ch'ai yao, made middle of the 10th century. It was *sky color, mirror clear, paper thin, reso nant, glossy," etc. T'ang ware was of "plaster like" body and ran from faience to stoneware, even to true porcelain. Soft lead glazes were used colored with metallic oxides to green, purplish brown, blue, amber. Some ware has felspathic glazes in white, brownish green, chocolate brown, purplish black, "tea-dust" green; some have *frothy" patches, same as Sung ware, in gray or bluish gray. Ornament is mostly incised with a point, or stamped or carved low relief. Colored glaze fills in the cavities.
Sung Dynasty Wares This period is called the Golden Age by the Chinese. Court patronage brought successful potters into the artist class. Sung wares were as follows: Ting yao, made at Ting-chou (in the North) first, then moved to Ch'ang-nan (South), the present Ching-te Chen. Yu Tao, made at Yu chou ; Kuan yao, made at K'in-feng Fu; Luso ch'uan yao, Chiin yao, Chien yao. There were also a number of minor kilns. Ting yao was a •semi-porcelain* and has been called 'father of our white porcelain.* It was covered with a glaze thicker and less transparent than later• porcelains, and its soft appearance has caused it to be erroneously termed by Westerners 'soft' porcelain. Dillon calls it gkaolinic stone ware.* Forms, at first, were copied from bronze vessels. Product was: Plates, saucers, wide mouthed bowls, etc., Often, being baked in verted, foot is glazed but rim bare. Rarely crackled. Some pieces plain, others have molded relief peonies, phoenix, day lilies, scroll work, 'key' pattern, etc. The Yuan Dynasty, following the Sung, contained the same wares, evolving little new. Forms of these dynasties are bold. Some pieces show ornament painted in red, blue and green enamels, but carving, molding and incised work are most frequent, depending on beautiful opalescent felspathic glazes. In a study of these early Chinese wares it must be borne in mind that the main inspira tion of the potter was to make from clay the closest possible imitation of jade — the most precious stone of the Celestial. Hence we get these glazes of opalescent ('tallow-fat') depths of faint greenish yellows,yellowish blues, etc.; they are the celadons. They are the ultima Thule of present-day collectors.
Chinese Porcelain Period.— In discussing Chinese porcelain we must always have the clear understanding that there are three oven heats entering into the First there is the (1,350° Centigrade) heat needed rifi to create a vitrification of kaolin and petuntse, producing the porcelain body and glaze, and fusing the underglaze colors. Next comes the feu obtained by placing pieces in those parts of the oven which have the least heat. Lastly there is the muffle oven heat (from
830° to over 1,000°) which fuses the enamel colors to the surface of the already baked ware.
Ming Dynasty Kaolinic (felspathic) wares had been made (7th cen tury) long prior to actual porcelain. These, usually opaque, are at times slightly translucent and resonant, but are classed as stoneware. A true porcelain, of mediocre quality, was made by the 10th century (Sung Dynasty), and blue under-glaze decorated pieces were produced in the 14th century (Yuan Dynasty). But it is to the Ming Dynasty we must look for the first real supplies of true porcelain. The Ching-ti Ching kilns had become now so numerous and important as to leave all others forgotten. These potters favored blue-and-white and poly chrome decoration. The gclassic* types fall into the 15th century. From Yung Lo's reign (1403 24) we get white bowls extremely thin and translucent; the decoration is incised or traced with fine slip (liquid paste). The finer ex amples extant are the noted so-called 'egg shell,' the t'o t'ai ('bodiless') of the Chinese connoisseur. The decoration is unnoticeable unless held up to the light, and it is almost paper thin. Few of the many similar pieces extant can date so far back. In the Hsiian Te period (1426-35) we find the Hsien hung ('bright red' or 'rouge vif') transmutation glaze. Few examples of this exist, even in China. It is similar to the later Lang yao, the Western collector's sang de bceuf. The Pao ('precious stone red"), is also trans mutation glaze and likewise derived from sili cate of copper. The next important period is the reign of Wan Li (1573-1619). More speci mens of this period are extant than probably any other of the Ming reigns; mostly blue-and white. The wonderful 'Mohammedan' blue of former periods was no longer procurable and we notice the blue has acquired a purplish tinge. Extant are some boxes for holding cakes, sweetmeats, etc.; they are oblong, square, round and have mostly dragon designs in dark blue. Shipments are now being made abroad and pieces show frequently hurried workman ship of export ware already. The body is white and termed 'unctuous)); glaze is lustrous but bluish. The kilns of Yi-hsing were turning out a reddish yellow or brown earthenware; it is the ware known in Europe at that time as boccaro,° and has relief decoration, like other wares • of this period. Relief and pierced work in combination are found. Large polychrome jars show raised outline designs, carved and filled in with feu glazes (turquoise, violet, purple, yellow, green). . Flat wash dec oration appears in sun ts'ai (three-color) green, yellow, aubergine. Red underglaze in various tones is used now. Enamel overglaze decoration is done largely; a characteristic of this reign being enamel decoration in combina tion with underglaze blue. Marked mono chrome Wan Li pieces are rare. The last three emperors of the Ming Dynasty are not men tioned in Chinese ceramic works, and what wares we know of are inferior; of coarse body, crude design, impure colors. China had serious internal troubles and potters were not patron ized by the wealthy.