KERAMIC STUDIO 
69 
Their chief colors for masses are pale blue, pink and green; 
for small spaces dark blue, pink, green, purple, yellow, white 
and black. Triangular symmetrical arrangement is the 
ground principle of their designs, especially in "all-over" 
patterns. All Orientals seem to have the same principle, but 
the Chinese peculiarity is the relatively large size of the prin- 
cipal ornament which marks the triangulation. It is from the 
observance of this principle that we find such a strong resem- 
blance between all art of Asiatic origin, Persian, Turkish, 
Moorish, Arabian, Russian, Chinese and Japanese, though the 
latter are freer and more individual. The Chinese have no 
flowing conventional ornament. Its place is supplied by 
natural flowers interwoven with lineal ornament. In floral 
patterns they always observe the laws of radiation and tan- 
gential curvature. They have reached the extreme limit of 
conventional representation. They make an ornament out of 
every thing — cloud, wave, shell, rock and flower, rain and 
thunderbolt, animals, birds, scrolls, crystals, writing, — but their 
defect is also their beaut}-. 
It is a singular circumstance that this art, so capricious in 
Chinese 
Motifs. 
conception, is in execution characterized by such immutability 
of proceeding, and faithfulness of transmission, that hundreds 
of years pass before the slightest modification can be per- 
ceived. Their laws of conventionalization are rigid but un- 
limited. Where the representation is conventional the color is 
conventional also, and the ornamentalist remains master of his 
palette. Severity of design is thus relieved by liberty in 
chromatics. This road, always open to creative originality, 
was never abandoned by the Orientals, and in following it they 
acquired unequalled excellence. 
[To be continued.] 
Designs I to 1 1 inclusive are outlined in gold. 
1. Pale blue ground below, dark blue 
ground above. Ornament, yellow brown with 
pale green outer edge. Red ornaments on dark 
blue ground, dark blue ornaments on pale blue ground. Black- 
in rest of design, with a touch of white in the oval spot. 
2. Upper band, yellow ground, pale blue figure, with 
black inside lines. Lower band, pale blue ground, with black- 
stripes, having on either side red, dark blue and yellow stripes. 
3. Pale blue fret on dark blue ground. Inside of fret 
brown, shading into grey. Touches of red in centers of orna- 
ment. 
4. Plain ground, pale blue. Figure dark blue on green 
ground. Inside edge red. 
5. Pale blue ground. Upper scroll pale brown, lower 
dark blue, red touches in center. Three oblong ornaments 
deep yellow, flower red. 
6. Pale blue ground, green scrolls, pink shaded flowers 
with green centers. 
7. Pale blue ground. Dark blue zigzag. Triangular 
ornaments alternately light red and green with black centers 
and yellow scrolls on the green, yellow centers and black 
scrolls on the red. 
8. Red ornament on dark blue ground. 
9. Black ground. Triangular figure yellow, other figure 
green. 
10. Plain ground, pale blue. Ground of figure dark blue. 
Lines in deep yellow, ends of scrolls red. Side ornaments 
green. Diamond topped ornament white, shading into green. 
Green centers to other ornaments, which are white. 
11. Pale blue ground. Shaded green vine, stems being 
pale green, leaves and scrolls darker. Brown bats shaded from 
yellow brown to red brown. Yellow ends to scrolls. Yellow 
and red flowers with white tips. 
