The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1918-11-28
Chinese Porcelain
"A Most Entertaining Paper on This Lost
Art illustrated by Direct Photographs.


Belfast Free Library, who has made a
special study for some time of the rarest
OF Chinese porcelains, presented a most
entertaining and instructive paper on this
lost art, illustrated by direct photographs,
hand -colored, before the Unitarian ALI
ance last Thursday afternoon at the home
of Mrs. Albert M. Carter and Miss Char
lotte W. Colburn, and Tuesday afternoon
at the home of Mrs. VIM. v. Pratt. who
entertained the Travellers Club on that
occasion.
All who heard Miss Barr will certainly
hereafter enjoy the history and technique
of this wonderful art, now practically
lost to the world and seen only in art
museums in all it's beauty.
The early history and even words de-
noting porcelain are subjects of controv-
ersy. The Latin root of porcelain is
porous, pig; and its diminutive porcella,
little pig; and they were suggested by the
beauty of highly polished shell, called
the Venus, its upper side resembling a
pigs back In the last half of the six
teenth century porcelain was applied to
shells, to mother of pearl, and to this
oriental ware.
Miss Barr minutely described its chem
istry and as far as known it's component
parts, machinery used and furnaces, etc.
True porcelain was made previously to
600 A. D. 1t is classed by experts into
five periods from the most primitive to
modern and the products were named for
the places where they were manufactured
or from the rulers at the time of their
production. Its wonderful glaze is known
as the Elder Brother glaze or crackle-
from the simple fact that the elder
brother of firm manufacturing porce-
lain discovered the art and his younger
brother also discovered peculiar shade
of green which was known only to their
firm.
These ancient artists were said to have
no knowledge of chemistry, but appar-
emily discovered the beautiful tints and
tones of deep red to pale pink from, it is
said, powdered rubies. They also discov
cred rare peach bloom and delicate moon
light tones never since duplicated.
Porcelain had its golden age when its
texture was as thin as paper in some
styles, imperial decorations came into
prominence and IT'S wealth of coloring
never since initiated. The more common
the imitators' ware in the shops of present
day China, the more ancient the design
used Japan has produced some beautiful
specimens in their limitations, but they
ring with deceptive note when tested.
The city of Ching-tu- Chen is the home
of the wonderful and imperial patterns.
The enjoyment of the beautiful colorings
is to many the principal delight afforded
in the study of porcelain. Their designs
and decorations are taken from the most
common in their religion, deities, birds,
beasts, flowers and fruits. Even children
at play, ETC., are made use of. The
dragon is, perhaps, the best known of
their favorite decorations and has from
three to five claws according to rank.
The tive-clawed creation is known to the
world as the imperial dragon, hence the
artists were never permitted to add
another claw. 1t means to that
imaginative nation in the East, spring,
the emperor, the Son of Heaven, the
dragon seat of authority. Among the
most common flowers are the chrysan-
themum, the peach blossom and the
pr imrose.
After the paper two valuable books
were shown containing pictures of Chin
ese porcelain in the Walters Gallery in
Baltimore. These books were two vol
umes of set of ten which were loaned
for the occasion. They were published
according to plan made by Mr.. Walters
who chose for the author, DR.. Stephen
W. Bushell, one of the most noted Eng
lish students of the ancient Chinese liter
ature of procelain. The plates in color
with which the work is illustrated were
made by Louis Prang of Boston, who was
chosen after several experimental plates
had been made abroad, and the work of
every European house of importance ex-
amined. The process is called chrome
lithograph, and it is conceded that these
plates represent the highest type of work
that has been produced in that branch of
art
At the Travellers Club meeting Tues
day afternoon Mrs. Pratt's travel talk on
China was entertaining and instructive.
She is familiar with the books the club
has been studying and was able, through
her actual knowledge of visits to China,
to present many things not mentioned in
those books. Among other things she
described the deforestation of the whole
country; in fact, there is rarely tree
seen. Scattered graves are everywhere
and only occasionally is cemetery en-
closure seen. Poor roads are everywhere.
Their roads are rarely ever repaired, but a
new one takes the place of another worn
out until they present an actual terraced
effect. There is no open country or sub
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