122 
RERAMIC STUDIO 
hood of Kingtechin and Lake Loyang is peopled with potters. 
Kilns are everywhere and eveiything that can be formed of 
clay is found in this world famous location. As my intention 
was to secure ideas for present day use I asked, through an 
interpreter, numberless question about method. I was 
finally rewarded by finding etchers who were doing extremely 
good work on glazed porcelains and from them I gleamed a 
few points that will, I trust, prove stimulating to those who 
have never tried this method of decoration. White glazed 
porcelain was first rubbed over with clay so as to take from 
the smoothness of the surface and then with a sharp pointed 
tool the design was cut through the glaze free hand. Frets 
and floral bands served as borders, and medalUons enclosing 
figures and flowers were scattered over the sides of bowls and 
vases. After the etching was finished India ink was rubbed 
into the decorations and the whole object was then wiped off 
and left to stand in the sun awhile. After polishing with a 
rough cloth the result was most attractive. 
Later when I became more familiar with the country I 
found in the streets of the native cities potters sitting before 
FLORENCE A. PETERS 
stands on which was plain white ware. These articles were 
decorated while the customers waited. Historical scenes 
were ordered by the most ordinary buyers, who wished to 
have portraits of Confucius and other celebrities etched on 
the sides of their ten cent teapots and whiskey bottles. I 
selected a rouge box which was decorated for me while I waited. 
I learned that India ink was often used for outlines be- 
tween which colors were spread and fired in a muffle kiln,and 
the gi'eat delicacy thus procured led me to examine some an- 
tiques afterward to find that the confining lines of the color 
work had been cut in the glaze and on some antique pieces 
gold had been applied between engraved lines. I could not 
discover of what the fine point was made, used by the engrav- 
ers, but no cracking of the glaze was ever apparent and ex- 
periments by American artists would, I am sm-e, prove inter- 
esting. 
DESIGNS FOR NURSERY SETS 
Mahd E. Northrop 
THE designs for the nursery sets shown in the illustrations 
are the answers to a problem involving both constructive 
and decorative design. They were worked out, by first year 
pupils, in the free hand drawing department of the Utica Free 
Academy at Utica, N. Y. In the solution of the problem the 
first consideration was, of course, that of form. Examples of 
fine shapes were shown, together with a mass of illustrative 
material, from catalogues of high grade potteries and clippings 
from the Keramic Studio and other sources. Several bowl 
shapes were cut by each pupil. The best one was selected and 
the jug cut to conform to the same general lines of the bowl. 
A circle, of suitable diameter, for the plate, completed the set 
of shapes. All were cut from an ingi^ain yellow paper, resem- 
bling in color and effect of texture, some of the inexpensive 
table pottery. 
The motif of decoration was from nursery rhyme or ani- 
mal form. After the unit was satisfactorily drawn, it was re- 
peated to form a border and as such was traced to both jug 
and bowl forms and adapted to fit the carved border of the 
plate. The designs were rendered in one or more flat tones of 
water colors and in some cases an outline was added. 
"BO-PEEP"— VERA DUNN 
'•EARLY BIRD--REGINA A. WINEBURGH 
DESIGNS FOR NURSERY SETS— UTICA FREE ACADEMY 
