66 CHINESE IDEAS OF ANTIQUES 



The coarser quality of the Ch'ai (*!) porcelain is of a 

 yellowish colour and appears as if it was made of common 

 yellowish clay. 



The Ku (fk) Porcelain. 



This porcelain was made at Ru Cheo (fk 'M) 1 and there- 

 fore bears the name of that city and is called ' ' Ru Porcelain. ' ' 

 During the Northern Sung period (A.D. 960 to 1126) porcelain 

 from the " Ting Cheo " potteries was not allowed to enter the 

 precincts of the Imperial Palace ; only Ru Cheo porcelain 

 being used by the Imperial Court. The reason given for 

 this is that the Ting Cheo ceramics had a spinous rasping 

 edge : while the " Ru Cheo " pottery was smooth and plain. 

 In colour the Ru Porcelain was white like an egg shell. 

 The ' ' Sap ' ' was thick and lustrous and resembled accumula- 

 tions of fat. The exterior had an appearance resembling 

 polished marble. The pores resembled matting. Secreted 

 in its inner parts could be seen the legs and claws of the 

 crabs. On its glossy lustrous surface, spots and freckles 

 resembling hemp seed could be clearly distinguished. This 

 porcelain when compared with the (If) Kuan or official 

 porcelain, had much more moisture inherent in its composi- 

 tion. 



The Kwan (If) Porcelain. 



These Kwan potteries were in operation during the 

 Sung dynasty at Feng Huang Shan (M, M 111) near Hang 

 Cheo ($i iM). They were worked under Imperial supervision 

 and thus became known as the Kwan or official potteries. 

 The quality of the porcelain produced at these potteries 

 was much the same as that produced by the Ko (■&) potteries 

 which will be described in its proper order. The most 

 highly prized wares were of a whitish-green colour. The 

 next best in quality was of a yellowish-white colour. The 

 ashy grey oily colour was reckoned to be the poorest. Of the 

 many variegated varieties, the best was the icicle-shaped, 

 eel-blood coloured variety. The next in value was the 

 plum flower with a black ground work. The poorest 

 quality among the variegated varieties were those wares 

 having small flowers intermingled with minute pied spots. 

 These wares were purple in colour around the mouth and 

 upper parts : this gradually changed to an iron grey toward 

 the foot and base. Hence the saying which runs "Purple 

 mouth and iron foot" (il P %k J&). The reason given for 



lProbably in Honan. 



