Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-03-23
CHINA Is VERY VALUABLE.
Crockery that will Bring Its Weight
in Gold from Connoisseurs.


in Gold from Conn oisseurs.
| The possessor of cups or saucers
with tive-clawed green dragon
burned upon them or bowl with dec
Grafton consisting of a sixteenpetaled
chrysa millennium can sell the fragile
ware for It's weight in purest gold.
But however richly decorated the piece
Of porcelain may otherwise be, unless
the dragon has five claws and the
| chrysanthemum sixteen petals. no
more and no less, it has no value in
one particular respect.
A green dragon with five claws is
the crest Of the Chinese emperor and
is the only porcelain manufactured for
his special use that Is permitted to
bear that device. Indeed. in China
the severest penalties are enforced
against any one even found with such
porcelain in his possession.
For similar reason search through
all the bric-abrac stores in the United
States for a little cup with a sixteen
petaled chrysanthemum on it, and the
chances are a thousand to one you will
be disappointed Cups, bowls and saul
GERS you will, of course, find in plenty
with chrysanthemums on them, but on
close inspection you will discover the
flower may have almost any number
OF petals but sixteen.
AS five-claw dragon is the crest
Of the Chinese emperor so a sixteen
petaled chrysanthemum Is that Of his
imperial majesty OF Japan. and porce
lain so decorated Is also for his use
only. TO prevent any of this porce-
lain reaching the outside market the
greatest precautions are taken both In
the factory and the palace. All pieces
not in use or rejected at the factory
as imperfect are at once destroyed by
officers appointed for that purpose
But in spite Of penaiues and precau
lions a few pieces Of both do oc
casionally escape official vigilance, and
these are likely to be found in the
most unexpected places. Here. for in
stance, Is the story of five-claw
green dragon saucer which was picked
up at sale for less than 2 cents.
y
bid in job lot at an auction on ac-
count of an old pistol which was Of
fered with several other apparently
worthless objects. But In the lot was
a saucer with a single green dragon
on the inside surface. 1t was rather
quant-looking piece, but as the
curiO hunter explained subsequently,
he was not particularly interested in
porceains and at the time would have
readily made 1t present to any one
for the asking. He figured out that
it cost him less than cents.
In year or two the owner decided
to dispose of his curios by auction.
AS his collection was well known.
many people came to inspect it before
the sale He was then not little
surprised to be asked by an apparently
much interested person whether the
saucer would be included in the SALE
as it was not entered on the catalogue
The saucer had been entirely over
looked. but 1t was finally decided to
include 1t in the sale, though 1t was
not supposed the piece would bring 10
cents.
SO, after the important numbers
had been disposed Of, the auctioneer
put up the saucer, with a few pre-
llminary facetious remarks. He asked
IL any one would bid 5 cents for the
saucer and 5 cents was promptly Of
fered. Then came bid Of 25 cents,
capped by another Of 90 cents and be-
tween two competitors the price rose
briskly to $40. At 500 1t was finally
knocked down. to the establishment Of
all the uninitiated present. But the
two bidders happened to know the
value Of five-claw dragon when they
saw one, at any rate on saucer
| The subsequent history of the saucer.
too. was not uneventful In year or
two it was again sold at auction and
was then bought by dealer at big
advance on the 500. BY him it was
taken east and resold into one of the
finest collections. where it now reposes
In a handsome glass case.
Tho I90y's Sinner