Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-09-06
ABOUT CERAMIC COT opo
a FE" POINTS CONCERNING Tue,
ORIGIN AND USE 'e'H

Inc origin Of the Ceramic COL.
use and significance, are s,rfi' their
much interest and well worthy ties Of
OF potters as well as prof.; 'ne study
amateur decorators. In Chimes .oHal and
les the colors are divided into EFT cram
ana many are curiously svmharl
owing their origin often to soma - ~.
or remarkable occurrence of n No. rsS'liar
1t Is well known by every one ~. sge.
has always been favorite colon ,,' Oise
the Chlnese potter or decorator br. @ .1l
each shade Of blue has its own M. tl4'
Lar use and significance which f GU siVu'
Its name is an unfamiliar fact e"T y,
same Is true, in a less degree. bor,,- tus
OF the greens and other colors
The brilliancy of the blues invou.
during the Tsin dynasty, abont A oe.
A. d., is remarkable, and is tba ~%
color demonstrating any great sro a's'
after the celadons. One of these NJ
called blue of the sky after rain S'u Is
came very popular, and by the comm. "
OF the emperor was adopted for ara- -I
article OF porcelain used in the nsloa!
The date of its adoption as tba 80 roSs;
color is placed at 954, but it is not ~ ~
exactly how long this particular sbaIl
continued in exclusive use in the I'M
rial household. 1t is assumed boworPp.
that 1t remained in favor through Gov
eraI generations of emperors.
Again in 1865 blue was adopted e..
the royal porcelains, the shade being !,
deeper hue. Previous to this dafaa
certain rich, deep blue became very +,
nous. The first porcelains brought int
Europe were blue and white, the blns
being in various shades. The blnasol
that time are nearly all of Chinese M
gin, Hie4ly &c I'LL, La,,a ,a,.o,. - We
celled and rarely approached bv En-,
pean chemists. The Chinese blues %.
also in greater variety than the blues a
any other nation; one of them is re.
markable for its rarity, appearing quite
green when contrasted with other blues
but an unmistakable blue when con.
trasted with green.
The greens produced by the Chinese
about the year 600 were particularly
noted, but it is not recorded which oDs
was the special favOrite of any dynasty.
1t Is known, however, that green was the
exclusive imperial color for over 200
years, and that it was not confined to
porcelains, but obtained in everything
connected with the court. Some beauti-
full specimens of porcelains of this period
decorated in the finest greens, are still
in existence, and their value is almost
beyond price.
The porcelains of each family or indi-
vidual bore the signs Of rank to which it
belonged, and colOrs or shades of color
selected by them were kept exclusively
for their use. Some of these colors bear
names that seem ludicrous, but are new
ertheless appropriate. One is red, called
the ''colOr of precious stone" probably
the ruby; another red, color Of Japan
pear blossom;" violet, "color of egg
plant" "color of mules liver" ''color Of
horses lung" etc.
. Owing to the unreliabilit of gold col
ors in firing they have been a SUBJECTED
SOFT PH8 enshl}sE anal Is tUpaEtimye8t. With
all these centuries of research the color
remains as unreliable as ever, meanwhile
remaining the most charming and fasci-
mating of all the mineral colors. Che
colors designated as the rose family come
under the head Of gold colors, and in
clude all the rich rose, crimson and VIC
let shades.) The date of the discoveryof
these cOlors is not known. Amateurs Of
the present day are disappointed with
failures in the gold colors; they are
either dull and lusterless, or quite purple
after firing, and, indeed, they never seem
to be twice alike.
This is probably why carmine is con-
sidered a test color, and the amateur
who can successfully use it is said tc
have conquered the mysteries of mineral
colors. The popularity of the gold col
ors is not confined to the Oriental; they
have always been prime favorites with
all nations. Our rose Pompadour and
rose Du Barry prove the estimation in
which they were held at Sevres in the
time OF these two women, from which
they derive their names, and evidenced
their popularity in all the world is as old
as the history of the decoration Of ce-
ramics.
Probably the difficulty of procuring
satisfactory results with colors Of the
rose family accounts for the value Of old
specimens decorated with these colors.
The royal color of China at one time
was brilliant yellow known as egg yel
low, which still continues to be the ad,
miration of connoisseurs and the special
ambition of amateurs. 1t is not certain
that this color was at any time deVoIe!
to the exclusive use Of the lmperlA
household, but it is assumed that II was
The composition of many Of the enaInei
colors, by which is understood all over
glaze colors except the matt colors, Sc
secret carefully guarded and transnllVeI
as an inheritance from father to son. Ou.
in a work by M. Julian, an enlneH'
authority ON eastern ceramics, many 'al
liable receipts for the manufacture u
mineral colors are given, which are VI
the greatest interest in the hga1
education. Undoubtedly the Chlhe3p
in the matter of mineral colors ana y.
decoration of porcelains, stand m5
above any other nation, and there
good reason for it. boon
The manufacture Of pottery mas De
one of the most important industries les
that country for upward of 2,OoO ysfbn Il;
and every ruler during that I lldo 40
given special encouragement to the Gen
Tation Of pottery, so great that in GER, cep5A =
periods such thing as an uncoloreat Ss
undecorated piece of pottery wa s NC
greatest rarity. The progress and andes Ies
Cess of Chinese decoration is douDStsi5
the result of royal favor, without aGu decree Tt
it cnnld never have reached tne 80