THE WORLD'S ANCIENT PORCELAIN CENTER 



401 



A POTTER AND HIS UNFINISHED WARE 



Almost large enough to have served as the jars in which Ali Baba's Forty Thieves 

 concealed themselves! Those jars of "Arabian Nights" fame might have been made in Ching- 

 teh-chen, for China's ancient porcelain center was manufacturing such wares as early as 

 220 A. D. 



Two very descriptive words are used 

 by the Chinese in referring to the com- 

 position of porcelain — "c'hi ku," or porce- 

 lain bone, and "c'hi ro," or porcelain 

 flesh. The former gives strength and 

 brittleness to a vase or bowl, while the 

 latter adds resiliency and toughness. 

 Unless these clays are mixed in the right 

 proportions, the vessels will either sag 

 or crack when placed in the furnace. 



Technically, the "bone" clay is kaolin, 

 or China clay. It is an infusible sub- 



stance derived from decomposed feldspar 

 or granite. The "flesh" clay is a white, 

 fusible material formed from a mixture 

 of feldspar and quartz. 



HOW THE POTTERS WHEEL IS OPERATED 



All of these clays are hauled to Ching- 

 teh-chen in the form of soft, white bricks 

 by small, flat-bottomed boats. Thousands 

 of Chinese boatmen are engaged in this 

 work. 



After the clavs are thoroughlv cleansed. 



