Site of Ming Factory To the Editor of the "Nonrm-CHiNA Dany News"
Sm,—The report in your issue of July 7, concerning ancient, Kiln sites at Chingtechen, has just come to my notice, I should be grateful it ow will give me space to add some facts to the latter report.
Mr. Sterling S, Beath, who has been to Chingtechen, was supplied with information which is only half true. He states that "The present Ching-te-chen came into existence with the Ch'ing Dynasty."
T was in Chingtechen from June 7 to 10, this year and went for the special purpose of studying the methods of manufacture, which have not changed for several hundreds of years, and to examine the ancient kiln sites.
In Chingtechen most of the potfers know the site of the Ming Im perial Factory, apparently Mr. Beath's informant did not; the site is in the centre of the town and is not at present being disturbed by the.construction of a new road. One may pick up many marked and authentic fragments of early Ming wares on this site. They are collected by potters who try to imitate the handwriting of the marks and the colours anà glaze of that period, Outside the city there are many earlier kilns, at the Hu Tien which means Yake Net" and is so called probably because there are surround ing the site cultivated marshes where lotus is grown. This is about four miles east of Chingtechen and is probably Mr. Beath's "Hothien."
At the latter site ying ching or shadow blue' porcelain was made in tle Sung Dynasty, also where decorated wares were made in the Mth and 15th centuries, This site appears to have been abandoned early in the Ming Dynasty probably for economic reasons. Other wares of less importance were made at the same factory.
At Nan Shan, about three miles south of Chingtechen, and at Hsiang Hu, about eight miles. north-east. there are other sites which appear to be earlier than Hu Tien. There are wares at Hsiang Hu which are almost indistinguishable from Yueh wares of the T'ang Dynasty. It is quite probable that the kilns started during that period, 2
The writer has brought back several hundreds of fragments and soggats. from these sites. Their existence is not news in China because the officials of the Palace Museum and others, already ca certain wares by these names. outside China, their significance is unknown, No detailed report of these kilns has appeared in the English- language.
A. D, Bnnxksrox Peiping. July 17.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.