348 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1900. 



ingenuity and of skillful workmanship. Vases of various fomis are 

 fitted with a central ring, which, while it is separate from the vase and 

 movable at will in a horizontal direction, still can not be detached. 

 Other vases there are having the bod}'^ formed of two shells, the outer 

 portion consisting in part of a geometric design or of bunches of flow- 

 ers in openwork, revealing a historical representation, or a group of 

 flowering plants beautifully painted upon the inner tube. Others, 

 again, exhibit the peculiarities of both these varieties combined, it 

 being possible to make the openwork exterior revolve, in order to 

 bring to light the painted decoration within, but without possibility of 

 separating it from the vase itself. There are still others of which the 

 exterior shell is divided into two, generally unequal, parts, each having 

 scalloped or lambrequin edges some inches in depth, which fit exactly 

 into one another, but are still movable, though neither can be detached 

 entirely from the internal body. What process was adopted to secure 

 this mobility and prevent the movable section from becoming attached 

 to the other portions of the vase in the process of baking is a mystery 

 which has never as yet, I believe, been satisfactorily explained. The 

 beautiful hexagonal and octagonal lamp shades of delicatel}^ thin porce- 

 lain, either reticulated or ornamented with paintings and reticulated 

 edges, are productions of this period equally admired and now no less 

 rare than the above. 



During Chienlung's reign a considerable change is noticeable in the 

 style of ornamentation — a change undoubtedly brought about by the 

 influence of foreign designs. During the latter portion of the Ming 

 dynasty, though arabesque decoration was known to the Chinese under 

 the title of huei-huei, or Mohammedan style, and was also utilized, the 

 ornamentation upon porcelain, when it was not floral in its character or 

 formed of historical or mythological scenes, consisted almost entirely 

 of reproductions of the patterns found upon the brocaded satins of that 

 date. Under the earlier emperors of the present dynasty, though the 

 decoration was marked by greater wealth of detail and by far greater 

 artistic skill than at any previous time, in remained in essential charac- 

 ter the same. On Chienlung porcelain, however, it exhibits a decided 

 tendency towards the styles 'of western decoration, showing in some 

 cases a close resemblance to the foliate ornamentation which plays so 

 important a part in the illumination of mediaeval missals, in others to 

 designs which are usually considered Persian or arabesque in their 

 origin. This marked modification is no doubt due in part to the influ- 

 ence of the designs sent from Persia to be copied in China on porce- 

 lain ordered from that country, and after their return home to that of 

 the Chinese potters (whom Shah Abbas I, about the year 1600, had in- 

 vited to Persia, with the object of improving the manufacture of porce- 

 lain at Ispahan), and in part to the influence of the Limoges enamels, 

 which had been sent by Louis XIV to the Emperor K'anghsi and which, 



