870 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, IftOO. 



12. Siii((ll. hoid to hold flowers or water for use on ink slab, of white Ch'engte (1506 



to 1521) porcelain, covered outside with milky blue glaze, inside plain, 

 coarsely crackled inside and out. Mark T<t-in'ing-c}img-tc-nien-chiJi, "Made 

 during the Ch'engte i)eriod of the Great I\Iing dynasty." Height, 2| inches; 

 diameter, 4j inches. 



13. Jiir, of jjo/.(V/(e shape, of Wanli (1573 to 1619) white porcelain; decoration, flying 



fmg huang and dragons ( see No. 4 ) , with flowers between, and above a border 

 of formal pattern, resembling inverted spearheads; cover has small pattern 

 running round it with dragon on top; ornamentation throughout is engraved 

 in paste and of bright yellow upon a vivid green ground. Mark T<i-ming- 

 iruri-Ii-vioi-cJiilt, " INIade during the Wanli period of the Great Ming dynasty." 

 Height, 6| inches; diameter, 6} inches. 



14. 15. Boivh (2), with scalloped brim, of white porcelain decorated with red and 



gold j)lum-blossoms, alternating with gourd-shaped vases having a decora- 

 tion in gold on a blue ground or formal flowers, resembling pinks and chrys- 

 anthemums in white, red, and gold, or all gold, upon a salmon-colored 

 ground, with long twisted ribbons attached, the decoration passing from 

 outside over the brim to inside, where at bottom, confined by a double circle, 

 is a blue dragon in white, green, and red clouds. Round foot on outside is 

 small pattern. Mai'ked as last, but decoration and caligrai)hy of date mark 

 show the ware to be of Japanese manufacture. Height, 3 J inches; diameter, 

 7| inches. 

 16, 17. .T(irs (2), circular in shape, the walls rising perpendicularly, of Ming dynasty 

 porcelain, decorated with iris and leaves boldly outlined in relief and cov- 

 ered with thick glazes of different colors, the flowers being yellow and the 

 leaves peacock-green upon a deej) aubergine grcaind; brim green, with a 

 formal panel pattern outlined in relief round neck and colored alternately 

 with same deep glaze (yellow and peacock-green), inside thin peacock-green 

 glaze. Good specimen of this highly-prized ware. No mark. Height, 6J 

 inches; diameter, 6| inches. 

 18. Jar of white porcelain of Ming dynasty, of either Hsiiante (1426 to 1435) or 

 Ch'enghua (1465 to 1487) period. Decoration, Pei-tow (the Northern Pole 

 star) and Nan-tow (the Southern Pole star) playing chess on mountain 

 road, with boy bearing a bundle of dry branchlets, and an inscription in seal 

 (character, "Among the hills a thousand years seem but as seven days." 

 Landscape and figures in lieautiful deep blue under glaze and in pale and dark 

 green enamel colors. Above, a formal pattern encircles the jar below the 

 neck, round which are small sprays of flowers in brick-red with leaves alter- 

 nately green and blue. 



This rei)resents the well-known legend of Wang Chili, who, having wan- 

 dered in theinoimtains of Ch'i'ichow to gather fire-wood, came upon 

 two aged men, the Southern Pole star, the genius of longevity, and 

 the Northern Pole star, the genius of death, intent ujion a game of 

 chess. He laid down his ax and watched their game, in the course 

 of which the former handed him something resembling a date-stone, 

 which he was told to place in his mouth. No sooner had he tasted 

 it than he became oblivious of hunger and thirst. After some time 

 the donor turned to him and said, "It is long since you came here; 

 you should go home now." Whereupon Wang Chih, proceeding to 

 l)ick up his ax. found that the handle had moldered into dust. On 

 reaching his home he fouud that centuries had elapsed since the 

 time when he left it for the mountains, and that no vestige of his 

 kinsfolk remained. Retiring to a retreat among the hills he devoted 



