Historical Notes on Kaolin 113 



alleged medicinal properties, yet maintain strict reticence in regard 

 to porcelain vessels, though these were positively known at the time 

 of their publication, for the simple reason that this topic was beyond 

 their scope. Neither the Cheng let pen ts'ao nor the Pen ts'ao kang mu 

 discusses porcelain, but both books are content to recommend prescrip- 

 tions of kaolin for certain complaints. While Su Kung upholds that 

 of Ting-chou, and Li Shi-chen that of Jao-chou (in Kiang-si), as par- 

 ticularly efficient, this is merely the outcome of a more specialized 

 medical subtlety. 



It would likewise be preposterous to assume that T'ao Hung-king 

 is the first author to mention kaolin. On the contrary, he is forestalled 

 by at least one predecessor. The work Pie lu, 1 which existed prior to 

 his time, as quoted in the Pen ts'ao (I. c), states that "white clay (pat 

 ngo) originates in the mountains and valleys of the district of Han-tan 

 t$ ?P, 2 and that it may be gathered at any season." This restriction 

 to a single locality certainly does not betoken the scarcity of the mate- 

 rial, which is indeed common in many localities: it reflects solely the 

 limitations of local experience. Under the Sung we hear from the lips 

 of Su Sung that this variety of clay was then ubiquitous, and was 

 throughout used by the people for the washing of their clothes. 3 This 

 view is confirmed by Li Shi-chen, who observes that white clay occurs 

 everywhere, and is employed for the baking of white pottery vessels. 

 However common the occurrence of kaolin in China may be, the fact 



from white ware." From a grammatical point of view this translation is perfectly 

 correct. It is, however, somewhat difficult to understand why the pharmacists of 

 the T'ang period should have extracted kaolin from finished ceramic products, even 

 though it was only from fragments of such, if kaolin could so easily be obtained in 

 nature; or it is conceivable also that kaolin inherent in pottery was vested with more 

 efficient magical and increased healing-power, as it had undergone a transmutation 

 in the furnace. We have to know more about the development of alchemy in China 

 before we may hope to settle many interesting questions and beliefs connected with 

 pottery. 



1 See Chinese Clay Figures, p. 135, note 4. 



* It comprised what now forms the two prefectures of Kuang-p'ing and Cheng-te, 

 in the southern part of Chi-li Province, and in particular referred to Ts'e-chou. In 

 ancient times it was the capital of the state of Chao (Chavannes, M6moires his- 

 toriques de Se-ma Ts'ien, Vol. II, p. 92). It is an attractive suggestion of Hobson 

 (/. c, p. 147), that the kaolinic deposits of Han- tan should have supplied material 

 for the Ting-chou potters. 



* K'ou Tsung-shi, in his Pen ts'ao yen * of 1 1 16 (Ch. 6, p. lb; ed. of Lu Sin-yuan), 

 makes the same observation, adding that the substance was made into square blocks 

 sold in the capital under the name "white earth powder" ( pat t'ufen Q Jt |^ )• 

 According to the Ling piao lu i (Ch. A, p. 4; ed. of Wu ying tien) by Liu Sun of the 

 T'ang period, a white and greasy earth was gathered north of the city of Fu chou 

 ^ j\\ (in the prefecture of Wu-ch'ang, Hu-pei) and traded over southern China, 

 where the women used it as a face-powder. This probably was a kind of pipe-clay. 



