Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-03-05
CHINESE PORCELAIN.
No Easy Matter to Judge o. cts Yalus
and antiquity.


No Easy Matter to Judge o. <ts YAlue
and antiquity.
While Chinese porcelain is greatly
admired, only connoisseur or dealer
of long experience can safely pass upon
the age or merits Of much OF which IS
brought to our shores. Witness the
varying estimates placed upon the IA
nous peachblow vase, which rumor de-
clares to have brought $4,000 at the
Morgan sale. Though this rumor has
never been verified, there is no doubt
that the possession of it was greatly
coveted by large number of lovers of
ceramics.
Year by year increases the difficulty
of obtaining genuine specimens of old
porcelain While the dislike and sus-
picion formerly cherished by foreign
ers are somewhat relaxed, yet antiques
are growing more rare and are most
zealously guarded. Formerly all sorts
of stories were circulated regarding
Chinese porcelain, stories which origin
ated and were fostered among the Chi
nese themselves. Their smaller enps
were sensitive to the last degree; the
materials of which they were COM
posed were restricted in quantity and
before they could be fused. All these
falsehoods on the part of the canny
Chinese were calculated to give exag-
gerated importance to their wares.
1t is less than five centuries since
the Portuguese first introduced china
ware into Europe; yet, since that time
vast amount of experimentation has
gone on in order that the manufac-
turers might equal the beauty of its
fine, translucent paste. That in good
measure they have succeeded is evil
denced by the ware now made in Sevres
and Dresden, not to mention the Lam
beth works, and even our own Trenton
porcelain. Much of the latter is sold
under the name of the imported ware
and at much higher prices than could
be obtained otherwise, so much more
highly is that regarded which bears the
foreign stamp.
The best masters of the difficult sub
iect of classification of Chinese porce-
lain divide it into four great groups.
The first, or archaic. embraces the
=
In this first stage of fine porcelain the
colors, mixed with the glaze, are fixed
in the first firing. The second class is
termed by French authorities the chrys-
anthenum-peony. so styled from the
conrentionalized flowers upon the sur
face of the china. In this family are
found many of the large jars SO much
in evidence among dealers in this class
Of faience. All colors and shades of
color were used in this class. The third
variety is termed famille verte, in
which the decorations are of religious
or historical character. These orna-
mentations were upon vases. bowls,
ETC., used in temples or in various pious
rites. Green, yellow and ivory white
are found upon these specimens.
Famille rose, the fourth and last va
riety, embraced those exquisite pieces
CT art that were for the sole use of the
imperial family. These, while perfect
in form and coloring, include great
variety of shapes. Among other de-
vices, the dragon in decoration was
favorite, that upon pieces for the use
of the emperor always having five
claws, while those next in rank were
designated by one claw less.
Differing dynasties of the Chinese
empire are known by the coloring of
their porcelain. Thus, the Tsin dy-
nasty monopolized the use of certain
blue, the Soul of green, the Thang of
white. Next to the pure egg-sheu
white, the finest and oldest of all, comes
the most highly priced, the antique por-
celain, the Tchai, which is of beauti-
full sky-blue color. Only slightly less
valued is the cracked blue, and then
green and white.
However minute written descriptions
may be, there is no possibility of beeoru-
ing expert in judging antiquity and
value save by long experience. Persons
in other respects cultured and delicate
i'll taste may be totally ignorant con-
corning the preeiousness of some old
piece of Chinese ware. Much depends
on the dynasty in which it was manu-
featured and much upon the few speci-
mems of that period that are extant.
4 few such, known to connoisseurs,
are worth almost their weight in gold.
AS they pass from hand to hand they
are marked almost as much as fine
picture by Raphael or Titian.-N. Y.
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