MANDARIN PORCELAIN--KEEN-LUNG PERIOD (1736-1795) AND LATER
A mandarin is a Chinese official, either civil or military, but the
word itself is not Chinese. It is a name given indiscriminately by
foreigners to designate any Chinese official of whatever rank. The
recognised official grades of mandarins are nine, each distinguished
by its dress. The so-called button on the hat--the mandarin button--is
conspicuous. It is really a very valuable jewel, and, like the rest of
the dress, is worn under precise regulations. It will be interesting to
notice how the mandarin's rank is shown by the dress. The coats were
always embroidered with gold and were of coloured silk.
In the first order, the button on the hat was a bead and above that
an oblong button of transparent ruby red--_transparent red_. The coat
was violet, with a square plaque on the breast and back decorated, in
the civil class with a pelican, in the military class with a kylin,
whilst the belt was ornamented with four agate stones set in rubies.
In the second class, the button was a red coral button resting on the
ruby bead--_red opaque_. The coat had embroidered plaques decorated
with a hen for the civil class, and a lion for the military class.
The belt was ornamented with four embroidered plaques with rubies.
The third class had a sapphire button--_blue transparent_. The coat
had embroidered plaques decorated with peacock's plumes, each feather
having only one eye. The symbolical peacock represented the civil
class, and the panther the military class. The belt was ornamented with
four plaques of worked gold. In the fourth class an azure-coloured
button of lapis lazuli--_blue opaque_--rested upon a small sapphire
bead. The coat had embroidered plaques decorated with the crane for
the civil, and the tiger for the military mandarins. The belt was
ornamented with four plaques and a silver button.
The fifth class had a rock crystal button--_white transparent_--resting
on the small sapphire bead; the embroidered plaques were decorated
with the white pheasant for the civil, and the bear as the symbolical
emblems. The belt was similar to the last class. The sixth class had a
button of white polished opalescent shell--_white opaque_--with a blue
feather. On the embroidered plaques of the coat were the emblems of a
stork for the civil, and a little tiger for the military divisions.
Four tortoise-shell plaques and a silver button ornamented the belt.
The seventh class had a button of plain gold--_yellow brilliant_--on a
crystal bead. The embroidered coat had a partridge for the decoration
of the civil division, and a rhinoceros for the military. The belt
was ornamented with four round silver plaques. The eighth class had
two buttons, one upon the other, of worked gold--_yellow opaque_. The
embroidered plaque of the coat bore the quail as the symbol of the
civil division, and the stork as the symbol of the military division.
The belt had four ram's head plaques and a silver button. The ninth
or last class had the second button of worked silver--_blank opaque_.
The embroidered coat showed the sparrow as the emblem of the civil
mandarins, and the sea-horse as the emblem of the military. Four black
horn plaques and a silver button decorated the belt.
It will be seen that Chinese porcelain decorated with figures such as
these dressed in their robes received the name of Mandarin china. The
actual word comes from the Portuguese "Mandar, to command." Much could
be said upon the subject of Chinese dress, as applied to porcelain in
decoration, but it is only necessary to contrast the style of the Ming
and the Tartar dresses.
The Ming long, flowing robes are held up with sashes, and the hair,
turned up over the head, is either covered with a soft head-dress or
with the Court ceremonial head-dress.
The Mandarin dress of the Tartar shows the robe principally, but there
are besides the pantaloons and the high boots with thick soles. The
hair is dressed in pigtail fashion, for from their earliest youth the
Chinese children are shaved. The boys are shaved all over the head
except at the top, and in the case of girls two tufts are left, one
over each ear. These facts, while furnishing no actual clue to the
age of Mandarin china, showed that at least it could not have been
manufactured before the Tartars came into power in 1644. Probably the
date of its manufacture is later.
We can understand that these Tartars, who had enforced their own dress
upon the conquered people, but who had at the same time adopted their
religion, would continue copying the holy persons such as the eight
immortals, the genii, &c., in the same dresses which had been in use
for hundreds of years. More than this, there seems to be a strong
element of truth in the statement that the Mandarin decoration was due
to the desire of the European traders to carry home porcelain which
should illustrate the people, and the style and the colour of their
clothes. If this is so, then the Yung-ching period would be the first
in which Mandarin china was produced. At any rate we do know that most
of it was made in Keen-lung's reign, and that the potters of the later
Emperors, to our own times, have been manufacturing large quantities
for commercial purposes.
In Mandarin china the figures vary in boldness and in general
character, but the colouring is of one class--pinks, reds, yellows,
blues, and greens, so distinct in tone as to receive the name of
Mandarin colours. The decoration of this kind of china includes boys
and men at games, such as kite-flying; warriors fighting, marching,
or resting; men and children in masks; figures walking, riding on
horses or on vehicles; lantern shows with scores of people, besides
many other designs. This Mandarin decoration is associated with great
varieties in the ground colours and patterns. Such are the swastika
ground, the red ground, the blue ground mottled over the glaze, and
the scroll ground. There are also many diaper patterns and a variety
of borders of flowers, butterflies, dragons, sometimes in low relief,
whilst often examples are met with in which the vases are recessed
so as to furnish a flat surface in which the decorative painting of
figures, flowers, and birds lies flat in a shaped compartment or
reserve, which may be joo-e-shaped, leaf-shaped, kakemono-shaped, or
makemono-shaped. In studying the vases given as illustrations these
varieties of shaped panels should be noted, as they are constantly used
in catalogue descriptions of the decoration. Amongst the most beautiful
vases of this period are the conical-shaped eggshell vases with short
necks, covered with the most delicate scroll work in gilt, having
large reserves decorated with Mandarin figures painted with the utmost
delicacy, and the small reserves with rose and other flowers most
carefully drawn.
The question has been raised as to whether transfer printing as a
mechanical process was ever applied to Oriental porcelain. In England,
Dr. Wall, of Worcester, is said to have invented transfer printing as
early as 1751, and Sadler and Green, of Liverpool, lay claim to the
honour of its discovery at about the same time, whilst on the Continent
a similar honour is claimed for the factory at Marieberg in 1760. There
is no proof that any blue and white Oriental china, except during the
most recent times, was ever decorated on a transfer-printed ground. All
of the blue and white Nankin and Canton ware was painted by hand under
the glaze. When we consider the immense amount of labour necessary
to keep up the supply of porcelain to Europe, and also to the United
States early in the nineteenth century, it is astonishing that no
process work showing transfer printing can be discovered, although the
invention must have spread to China before 1796 when Keen-lung died.
We shall treat of "_blanc de chine_" later, when we discuss the colours
of Oriental china, but it must be remembered that most of the Chinese
ware of this type was made during this period. Such were the statuettes
of Kwan-Yin and many other gods and goddesses. This cream-white
porcelain may date from any period even before Kang-he. The earliest
specimens are distinguished by being transparent, although thick, and
by the creamy smoothness of their glaze. Some authors, however, ascribe
the origin of this ware to the Keen-lung period.
XII
KEA-KING,
TAOU-KWANG,
AND THE
LATER
EMPERORS