74 CHINESE IDEAS OF ANTIQUES 



time of the Ch'eng Hua reign this supply was completely 

 exhausted and the manufacturers were forced to use poorer 

 clay. The five coloured wares of the Suen Teh reign were 

 thick and strong, but of inferior quality. The five coloured 

 wares of the Ch'eng Hua period were thin, and the shades 

 and colours of such a delicate nature that they might 

 almost pass as hand painted wares. The antiquarian will 

 not be deceived by such appearances, though such wares 

 might be sufficient to satisfy the eye of the uninitiated. 



The Kia Ch'ing (H if) Porcelain. 



The Kia Ch'ing porcelain is classed under two distinct 

 heads, namely the green flower and five coloured varieties. 

 These ceramics when compared with the Suen Teh and 

 Ch'eng Hua wares are found to be decidedly inferior. 

 Though Rao Cheo was the centre of production during 

 the three reigns, the wares produced were vastly different. 

 It is said that as the clay pits increased in depth, the clay 

 deteriorated in quality, and thus accounts for the difference 

 in the porcelain produced during these reigns. 



Among the Kia Ch'ing porcelain were found such 

 articles as white tea cups and saucers on which was inscribed 

 the characters for " tea," "date," "ginger," etc. These 

 were used by the Emperor Kia Ch'ing when sacrificing at 

 the Altar and were therefore called " Altar jjlates." Tho 

 mouth of the cups was bell shaped, while the foot was 

 perfectly round. The inside was adorned with the picture- 

 of a roll of bread painted on the bottom. 



This reign also produced what is known as the "twisted 

 plates " on which was painted fishes of three colours. 



There were also small red lipped boxes which were 

 adorned all over with ting flowers. These boxes were only 

 about the size of a single cash piece, and were sometimes 

 decorated with ting green flowers painted in the most 

 delicate style of Chinese art. These delicate ceramics are 

 now well nigh impossible to find anywhere. 



The Wan Lih (MM) Porcelain. 



The porcelain manufactured during the Wan Lih (H Y&) 

 reign is also inferior to that produced during the Kia Ch'ing 

 (H *9) reign. The porcelain was thick and coarse, and had 

 many icicle like marks, and is not much in demand among 

 antiquarians. 



Excavated Porcelain. 



Ancient porcelain which has been buried in the earth 

 for a long period of years, has its exterior either wholly or 



