Ber so 15th Sept. In a review of the Consular Report on the trade of Kiukiang for last year which Intely appeared in these calnmus, reference was made to the once famous potteries of Kinté, in the province of Kinngsi, which turn out the porce-Min commonly known as Kiukiang ware, and regret was expressed at the state of decay into which these potteries have fallen of late years. Some particulars of these potteries, and the great work necomplished by them in former years will no doubt be read with interest, he Kiuté potteries of Kiangsi first became famous in this Empire about the beginning of the Sung Dyunsty (A.D. 960-1278), and down to the present day have furnished four-fifths of the potter's work in China, outstripping their ancient rivals of Poshanhsien in. Shiantung, which used to furnish i ancient times the beautiful porcelain that went overland through Kansu, the desert of Gobi, the Bactrian cities, and so on westwards to Persia, etc, Bven nowadays some of the best porcelain tised at the Emperor's palaces comes from Poshanhsien.
The potteries at Kinté, in, Kiangsi province, appeared to have had three eras of great prosperity since AD. 960 to the present day, when they produced some of the most beautiful and remarkable porcelain now extant. The first of these eras of fame or prosperity was some time after AD. 1068, and to this.day the most famous pieces of porcelain, greatly prized by Chinese connoisseurs, are generically named Sung Yao or porcelain from the Sang Kilns. The big jars, flower pots, vases and smaller pieces of the manufacture of this period have brought prices varying from T's. 3,000 to'T'ls. 50, according to size, which in China is considered a very high figure. There are some vases and statues of Buddhist saints now at the palaces in Peking avd Eho Park which are, at the present day, valued at more than their weight in gold, owing to the rarity of this class of porcelain, The second period of fame attained by the Kinté potteries was in the preceding or Ming dynasty (1868—1628), those made during. the reign of Ch'éng Hua (1465-1487) being: the most celebrated for their beauty and fine finish, The porcelain of this reign is called the Afiny Yao by. Chinese, or porcelain made during the Ming dynasty—Yao meaning kilns. The cloisonne ware of this reign is unequalled by preceding reigns. There are a few grand specimens of this cloisonne in the Peking palaces which but few Chinese can claim to have seen, being carefully stored in the K'w or storehouses of the palaces, and taken out only when the reigning prince wishes to admire them or show them to his Court, after which they are again consigned to their cases and stored away. The third era was during the reign of the Emperor K'ang Hsi of the present dynasty (1662-1722). The porcelain made at Kinté during that reign is much prized by native connoisseurs, and some of the cloisonne of the period quite rivals that of previous reigns, but naturally the more ancient ones sre more prized and higher prices are paid for them.
During the reign of Tao Kuang (1820-1851) an attempt was made to arouse the energies of the Kinté potters and restore the production of porcelain as of old, but this lasted only a short time, although some of the work turned out during that period proved to be of a very superior order. Since then, however, there has been a sad falling off and decadence of the artistic output of these kilns, excepting perhaps' the few pieces supplied once in every three years by the Governor of Kiangsi to the Imperial Household Department for the use of the Emperor and Court. On such occasions specially appointed deputies are sent to the kilns by the Governor, who saper-intend the making of the porcelain cups and dishes and vases for Imperial use. The prices paid for these articles are charged to the Board of Revenue and amount in value from about 'T'ls. 25,000 to 'T's. 30,000. he glost and wealthy families of China also imitate the example of the Palace and order their special porcelain ware, both for use and-ornament, from the Kinté potteries, amounting to thousands -of pieces at a time. On these occasions care is taken by the potters to turn out fine ware in order to advertise themselves, each master artisan usually putting his mark or name to his special handiwork, With these exceptions the output of the potteries is indifferent, coarse, inartistic and mediocre, while hard times have fallen on the potters through the competition in late years of the Japanese kilns, the productions of which are pouring into the country by thousands, and in many cases the imitation of Chinese figures on the ware has been such: as to ensily deceive the casual observer, so that many bay Jupanese cups, bowls, etc., thinking them to have been made at the Kiangsi potteries. Another recommendation to the thrifty housewife is the cheaper price of the Japanese ware, but when put to the test of every day use Japanese porcelain does not come up in durability to the Chinese. The clay is, as the Chinese say,, "too loose, and. therefore not atrong," and for this reason it is rarely found that a Chinese will buy Japanese ware. second time if he sees a native article exposed for sale with it, At the time when Europe was just about emerging from the thraldom of the "Middle Ages the potteries of Kinté had established a reputation throughout China which was even spreading westward, and when art found its renaissance in Europe in the 15th century, China was acknowledged as being the most worthy representative of ceramic development. But what has become of that reputation now? The spirit of emulation handied out; the devotion to art for art's sake has vanished, and with the incentive to artistic production gone no doubt the mechani-, cal skill and doeftuess of manipulation has deteriorated, and the beautiful art for which China has for ages been famous has been neglected and has virtually died out, so that our Consul at Kiukiang can only report to his Government that as a rule the Frodecies of even the best pieces from these potteries are coarse and unfinished, clumsy or grotesque, while the bulk of the vast out-turn only serves the purposes of supplying. the requirements of ordinary household wants. 'I'he decadence which has been the curse of this Empire generally has not spared the art which formerly gained for China " world-wide reputation. It is as if the well-known ceramic establishments. of Dresden and Sdvres. had descended to supplying the world with toilet sets and ordinary household utensils, useful and cheap perhaps, bat devoid of artistic merit. Unfortunately this decadence affects this country not only from an aesthetic point of view, but has a ruinous effect upon the material prosperity of tha
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.