CEBAMIC ART IN CHINA. 333 



issued durinji- the Lunjrch'ing- (15H7 to 1572) and Wanli (1573 to 1619) 

 periods that has provided the bulk of the specimens in the possession 

 of modern collectors of what has come to be considered (though, in view 

 of the much higher artistic merit of the ware produced under earlier 

 eiuperors, very unfairly considered) the characteristic Ming* porcelain, 

 porcelain somewhat coarse in make, fault}" in shape, and decorated 

 with paintings which, though characterized })y boldness of design, are 

 usually marked l)y want of care in execution. 



While, however, the work of the government factories showed these 

 unmistakable signs of decadence, strenuous efforts were made b}' a 

 few isolated private manufacturers to raise the art to its earlier level 

 of excellence. The imitations b}" Chou Tan-ch'iian of the beautiful 

 old Tingchow ware, and the cups of Hao Shih-chi of a "'dewy -dawn 

 red" and of eggshell (the latter at times only weighing one-fortieth 

 of an ounce apiece), are spoken of in terms of the highest admiration, 

 and brought fabulous prices. But though these efforts were, if the 

 statements of Chinese writers can be relied upon, crowned with com- 

 plete success, so far as the artist's individual productions were con- 

 cerned, they were inadequate to prevent the downward tendency 

 exerted by the government establishments at Chingte-chen, which had 

 already for a long while almost monopolized the production of porce- 

 lain in China. 



During the remainder of the period that the Ming dynasty held the 

 throne its energies were so much occupied in endeavoring to suppress 

 internal disorder and in resisting the attacks of the Manchu Tartars 

 on it« northern frontiers that no attention was paid to the ceramic art. 



From 1403 to 1424. 



During the Yunglo period (1403 to 1421:) much white porcelain, with 

 ornamentation in blue under the glaze, commonl}^ known in Europe as 

 "blue and white china," Avas manufactured, which holds third place in 

 regard to excellence among this class of ware produced during the 

 Ming dynasty, that of the Hsiiante period (1-126 to 1435) occupying the 

 first and that of the Ch'enghua period (1465 to 1487) the second place. 

 The blue employed is said, in the annals of Fouliang, to have been 

 brought from some Mohammedan country as tribute, and was thence 

 known as Mohammedan ]>lue. During the Yunglo and Hsiiante periods 

 it was termed Su-//u(-/i or SH-hia-n/h\u.e, andduring the latter aSh-h/'-j/o 

 also. Where this blue came from and whether these Chinese designa- 

 tions are the reproductions of the name of a country or of a color has 

 never been determined. Doctor Hirth. while pointing out the resem- 

 blance of the former in sound to smalt (medijcval Latin xz/ta/tia/t). and 

 of the latter to Schneeberg, "under which name the Saxon blue after- 

 wards became famous all over the world," ' thinks a search into Araljian 



' F. Hirth, Ancient Chinese Porcelain, p. 65. 



