July, 191 2. Chinese Pottery. 25 



of the dragon-jars. Dr. Bushell l thus describes the productions of 

 this locality: "A peculiarly dense, hard, and refractory stoneware is 

 fabricated here, the body of which ranges from reddish, brown, and 

 dark gray shades to black. All kinds of things are made at this place, 

 including architectural ornaments, cisterns, fish bowls and flower pots 

 for gardens, tubs and jars for storage, domestic utensils, religious images, 

 sacred figures and grotesque animals, besides an infinity of smaller 

 ornamental and fantastic curiosities. These potteries are distinguished 

 for the qualities of the glazes with which the dark brown body is in- 

 vested. One of them, a souffle blue, was copied in the imperial porce- 

 lain manufactory by T'ang Ying [in the eighteenth century], from a 

 specimen specially sent from the Palace at Peking for the purpose." 

 Nothing accurate is known about the history of this factory, and 

 additional proof is required to show that dragon- jars were once manu- 

 factured there. It is not very likely that jars strictly identical with 

 those found on Borneo and the Philippines will ever turn up in China, 

 unless by excavations on the ancient sites of the kilns. Chinese col- 

 lectors of exquisite ceramic treasures were not interested in this com- 

 mon household ware which the religious spirit of the Malayan tribes 

 has faithfully preserved. The age of these dragon-jars is illustrated by 

 the fact stated by several observers that the Dayak refused to buy any 

 later imitations made in China which speculative dealers tried to palm 

 off on them, and that any remembrance of their Chinese origin is lost. 

 The same is the case, according to the statement of Mr. Cole, on the 

 Philippines. This fact is singular, as the natives there have been in 

 constant relations with the Chinese, as a Chinese colony has been 

 settled at Manila for centuries, and it can be accounted for only by the 

 explanation that at one remote period dragon-jars of a superior quality, 

 at least in the eyes of the natives, were fabricated which were not 

 rivaled by the later productions. This assumption will be quite plaus- 

 ible to one familiar with ceramic developments in China exhibiting 

 different aspects and ever-varying processes and qualities through all 

 periods. For this reason, I feel inclined to set these dragon-jars in the 

 epoch of the early intercourse of the Chinese with the Philippines, the 

 end of the Sung or the early Ming period, say roughly the time of the 

 thirteenth to the fifteenth century. 2 



. • Chinese Art, Vol. II, p. 13 (London, 1906). 

 ' In China, large vessels of the shape of these dragon-jars, usually of much 

 larger size, are still used everywhere for the storage of the water-supply needed in 

 the household. They find their place in a corner of the courtyard and are filled, 

 according to want, with the water drawn from wells, which is brought in by carriers 

 or on wheel-barrows. They are called kang or wing, and no doubt represent an an- 



