426 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1888. 



pagniede Chine, during the short period it existed, 1685 to 1719, broughir 

 from Ohiua, together with an extensive supply of other porcelains, 

 services specially ordered, bearing the arms of France, of Penthievre, 

 and of other distinguished families. Some of the services, e. g., the 

 plates bearing the arms of England, France and the provinces of The 

 Netherlands, preserved in the Huis ten Bosch at the Hague, undoubt- 

 edly date from the first half of K'aughsi's reign, but the great majority 

 are of later origin, and possess a considerable degree of excellence both 

 as to form and decoration. 



From 1796 to 1820. 



The truly great monarchs K'anghsi, Yungcheng and Chienlung* 

 were succeeded by Chiach'ing (17iJ6 to 1820), Chienlung's idle and 

 dissolute son, whose administration was characterized by a feeble- 

 ness hitherto unknown under Manchu rule, and was so detested 

 as to occasion attempts to assassinate the vicegerent of Heaven — a 

 stupendous crime in such a country as China. The porcelain factories, 

 in common with all branches of the government service, languished un- 

 der the effects of this want of energy, and little worthy of special mention 

 was manufactured. As the result of the high excellence already at- 

 tained, good work continued to be performed, but it fell short of what 

 the court had grown accustomed to, and no initiative was taken to 

 attempt originality either in design or decoration. 



From 1821 to 1850. 



Chiach'ing was succeeded by his second sou, who assumed the title of 

 Taokuang (1821 to 1850), a ruler whose good intentions to root out the 

 abuses which had grown up during his father's reign were largely 

 neutralized by natural indolence. His difficulties were, besides, greatly 

 increased by the war with France and England, and the outbreak 

 shortly after of the great T'aip'ing rebellion, which during his reign 

 and that of his son (Hsienfeng, 1851 to 18G1) devastated sixteen out of 

 the eighteen provinces of the Chinese Empire, and threatened the over- 

 throw of his dynasty. Notwithstanding these serious causes for anx- 

 iety, he found time to devote some attention to the ceramic art, and the 

 porcelain manufactured for his own use, and marked with the designa- 

 tion he gave to his own palace, Shen-tePang, compares not unfavorably 

 with similar productions under Yungcheng and Chienlung, and is at 

 the present day much sought after by Chinese connoisseurs. 



From 1850 to 1888. 



The productions of his successor are marked by rapid decadence, and 

 the rebels, when they overran Kiangsi province, having entirely 



* Chieuluug abdicated iu order to escape disrespect to his grandfather by occupy- 

 ing the throue for so long a period as lie had reigned. 



