The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-01-24
Rare Porcelains.
From the NeO York Tribune.

From the Nelc York Tribune.
The French war of 1860 with China was
an original cause of benefit to American
amateurs in porcelians; for in the course of
that war Prince Wang-ye fell into dis
grace with his government, and was be-
headed. His family was ennobled at the
close of the Ming dynasty over two hun
dred years ago, but the execution of the
head inflicted "A stigma upon the survivors.
Their circumstances grew more and more
straitened until the present Wang-ye was
forced to part with the family porcelains,
the gifts and purchases of two hundred
years
Such is. the story of Mr.. Robertson, who
secured these porcelians for the American
Art Association, by whom they have been
recently received. And as every consign-
ment of old and really beautiful Chinese
porcelains is likely to be the last, owing to
the manner in which the country has been
ransacked, we have thought it worth while
to call attention to these excellent exam
pies of the most skillful potters that the
world has ever known. Let us look at the
shades of red, for apart from their beauty,
these reds present secrets which no mod
ern potter has ever been able to penetrate.
At the head of the scale is stately sang
de beuf vase, twenty-five inches high SO
large specimen of this color is rarely seen,
indeed, we know of but one companion for
the vase in this city. On the body of the
vase the coloring is of wonderful richness
nd 81. Al n Al
finest mahogany OF rosewood polished and
covered with crystal Towards the foot
the coloring has been less successfully ap-
piled and the heat of the furnace has changed
it to hue duller and darker After this
rich 'bullock's blood" comes a small ''peach
blow" vase The former illustrates the
exuberance, the latter the delicate self-re-
preston, of Chinese coloring. Like most
''peach blow vases, this delicate piece of
porcelain jewelry is fecked with brighter
spots of color approaching crushed straw
berry. A rather short body and long neck
make up an outline of considerable grace,
and the gold serpent coiled around the
silver metal work of the rim is feature
not to be ignored aside from its utility.
Yet it is the softness of the vase, the fine
ness Of the paste beneath the lustrous glaze,
which will make the strongest appeal to
the collector. The coloring we find far
preferable to that of tall ashes or rose
vase, dotted with small "bullock's blood"
splashes, which is included in this collcc-
tion. Those who have visited the Walters
Galleries in Baltimore will remember his
rare examples of mirror black" Here is
"mirror black" vase twenty inches high from
the palace of / Wang-ye, not SO fine in color
nor SO admirable in shape as Mr.. Walters
vases, but yet an excellent example of one
of the rarest varieties of Chinese porcelains.
We have chosen these vases as examples
of the solid colors 10 this collection. All
are of the Khang-hi period, 1662-1722.
Two other more novel products of Chinese
potteries are an egg shell lantern and
royal vase in imitation of bronze, both Of
the Keen-lung period, 1736-1795. The
six panels of the lantern are reticulated,
with painted medallions in the centre and
enamel borders. The large vase is a por-
celain imitation of bronze, almost perfectly
like the original to the sight and touch.
No piece of this curious ware approaching
this in size has been brought to this coun-
try. OF pieces whose chief feature is the
decoration we may call attention to large,
gourd-shaped Keen-lung vase, Of the egg
shell white, with professions of children
and scenes at festival painted on the sides.
A well proportioned jar is decorated with
figure painting of the Khang-hi period A
celadon vase of excellent quality illustrates
raised decoration beneath the glaze in a
series of graceful designs we'll carried out.
We cannot refer to the blue and white and
Chinese white vases in the l Wang-ye col
lection, and we have necessarily chosen for
special mention only few examples of the
solid colors and some specimens of decora-
tions which have seemed to us representa-
tive. Lacquers rare and old, and bronzes
of imaginative design and cunning work
manship, accompanying the poreelains, give
us additional reason to be thankful that the
jealously sought-for products of the best
periods of Oriental art linger for time in
this city, and that we enjoy if not possess
them