806 REPORT OF NATIONAL MrSEUM, 1900. 



the Chinese the oxides are, on the contrary, dissolved. This peculiarity, 

 no less than their appearance, closeh' connects the Chinese colors with 

 "enamels." Both present the same coloring, obtained from the same 

 oxides and a composition of flux verv similar, sometimes identical. 

 Transparent enamels are vitreous compounds, the composition of which 

 varies, according to the amount of fusibility required, and which are 

 colored h\ a few hundredths of oxides. Blues are supplied by oxide 

 of cobalt, greens by protoxide of copper, reds by gold. Opaque 

 enamels, yellow or white, owe their color and opacity either to anti- 

 mony or to arsenic or stannic acids, together or alone. It had, how- 

 ever, been found impossible to utilize these enamel substances in the 

 decoration of European porcelain, owing to the fact that thej^ scaled 

 off: and when the Chinese colors (as sent by MM. Itier and Ly) were 

 experimented upon at Sevres, they did precisely the same thing. 

 "When placed upon Chinese porcelain, however, they developed at a 

 temperature below that used at the Sevres manufactoiy for retouching 

 flowers, and did not scale. The explanation is no doubt to ])e found 

 in the fact that the paste of Chinese porcelain being more fusible than 

 the European, the glaze nuist also be more easily fusible, and the lime 

 introduced into it to increase the fusibility adapts it in some manner 

 for closer union with the compounds forming the enamel. 



If, then, the appearance of Chinese porcelain differs from that of 

 European productions, if the harmony of their paintings offers greater 

 variet}^, it is the necessarj^ result of the process employed in China. 

 All the colors used contain but little coloring matter and have no 

 worth unless applied in a depth which gives their paintings a relief 

 impossible to obtain by other means. The harmony of their decora- 

 tion results from the nature and composition of their enamels. 



SuiiniKirij of collfclion. 

 Porcelains : Speoimens. 



Sung dynasty (A. D. 960-1259) 1,2 



Yiian dynasty (A. D. 1260-1849) 8 



Ming dynasty, Yunglo (A. D. 1403-1424 ) 4 



' Hsiiante (A. D. 1426-1435) 5-9 



Ch'^nghua (A. D. 1465-1487) 10, 11, 134 



Ch'engte (A. D. 1506-1521 ) 12 



Wanli (A. D. 1573-1629) 13-25, 171-175 



Ching or present dynasty, K'anghsi (A. D. 1662-1722) 26-84 



Yungc'heng (A. D. 1 723-1 735 ) 85-170 



Chienlung (A. D. 1736-1796) 176-288 



Chiach 'ing ( A. D. 1 796-1820 ) 337-344 



Taokuang (A.D.I 820-1 850 ) 346-375 



Eggshell porcelain: 



Ming dynasty ( A. D. 1403-1649) 289-303 



Ching dynasty (A. D. 1664 to date) 304-322 



Vitreous ( Ku Yiieh-hsiian) ware and porcelain reproductions of it 323, 336 



Snuff bottles 345, 376-416 



Bronzes 41^-134 



Lacquer and ivory 435-438 



