404 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM; 1900. 



suimnoned to an interview in the }ialace, where lie was received witli 

 exajigerated lionors. The Enijjeror liimself handed the dishes, his 

 favorite and liaiijrhty concnbine was required to rub the ink for his 

 use. and the chief eunucih and privy counsellor, Kao Li-Sze, had to 

 divest him of his l)oots when overcome ))y wine. The Kmi)eror's 

 favorite, smartin<i; under the indignity to which she thought herself 

 sul)jected in his honor, l)arred the door to his official employment, 

 and Li T'ai-po led "for the remainder of his life a wandering exis- 

 tence, celebrating in continual flights of verse the praises of baccha- 

 nalian enjoyment and of the beauties of nature in the various 

 localities he visited." (Mayers.) 

 288. Teapot and cover of earthenware from the Ni-hsing district in Kiangsu province. 

 Of globular shape, much flattened. Round the lower portion are pine and 

 plum trees very delicately moulded in V)old crisp relief; above, separated by 

 a band of Grecian pattern incised in the paste, a single row of "old seal" 

 characters in relief, from which it appears that the teapot was made at the 

 special order of the Emperor Chienlung. On the cover is a scroll pattern, 

 in relief, confined on either side by a band of Grecian pattern, and round 

 the knob in the center is another band of same. A very beautiful specimen 

 of this ware. Height, 2|- inches; diameter, 4i inches. 



SPECI.\L GROUP OP E(i(i-SHELL P()RCEL.\IN. 



289-294. Whie cups (6) of pure white Yunglo (1408 to 1424) porcelain of the variety 

 termed <'o-<'ai, "bodiless," or "egg-shell," witht)road, oi)en mouth. Round 

 the sides is a delicate ornamentation of fiowers and leaves faintly engraved 

 in paste under a white enamel. On foot the mark, Yung-lo-nlen-diili, in seal 

 character — "Made during the Yunglo period "—engraved in the paste. 

 Unique specimens at the present time. (See page 335. ) Height, If inches; 

 diameter, 3f inches. 



295. limrl of pure white Yunglo porcelain, called t'o-t'at, or "egg-shell," or, perhaps, 

 /)^<ni t'o-t'ai, "semi-bodiless," though a bowl of this size would have little 

 practical utility were it of less substance. Covered with white enamel over 

 imperial five-clawed dragons (see No. 4) among clouds faintly engraved in 

 the paste. Mark same as on last. The ornamentation on this and the six 

 last specimens becomes more distinct when the articles are filled with li(|uid. 

 Height, 2| inches; diameter, 8 inches. 



29()-2i»9. I'Uitea (4) small, flat, of the very thin white Ch'enghua (1465 to 1487) porce- 

 lain, termed i'o-t'ul, or bodiless. Decorated with landscapes representing 

 l)avilions with beetling rocks behind on the bank of a lake or river, i-rossed 

 by row-boats having mat awnings, and a hjfty-peaked mountain in the dim 

 haze of distance, painted in brilliant enamel I'olors above glaze. On brim, 

 (•utside, are — three on each plate — sprays of roses, pinks, chrysanthenmms, 

 iris, lotus, and coleus, also in brilliant enamel glaze. On foot, faintly en- 

 graved in paste, mark Ch^eng-lma nien-chih "Made during the Ch'enghua 

 ])eriod." Very rare sjyecimens. Diameter, 4^ inches. 



300-303. Wine cups (4), of the very thin, pure white Ch'enghua porcelain, termed 

 I'o-t'm, "bodiless," or egg-shell. Small, tall, and slender, with everted rim. 

 On each is a miniature group of the Seven Worthies of the Bamboo grove 

 (See No. 53) with an attendant bringing a jar of wine and flowers. The por- 

 celain is so thin that the design, with all the details of color, can be distinctly 

 perceived from the inside. Mark in blue characters under glaze Ta-miiKj- 

 ch'eng-Iina-nien-chih, "Made during the Ch'enghua period of the great Ming 

 dynasty." Admirable specimens of the highly prized wine cups of this 

 period, which even in the sixteenth century brought extraoidinary prices. 

 (See page 337. ) Height, 1 finches; diameter, 2 inches. 



