MARKS ON CHINESE POTTERY AND PORCELAIN
THE custom of placing on works of art the name of the maker, the date of
manufacture, or some sign or symbol indicating the intention with which
they were made, dates back in China at least as far as the Han dynasty.
Such marks occur on pottery and porcelain rarely at first, but with a
frequency which increases in proportion as we draw nearer to modern times.
They are incised or stamped in the soft body of the ware, or painted under
the glaze (usually in blue) or over it in enamel colours or gold; and they
are generally placed on the base of the ware, though there are fairly
numerous instances in which the mark is written along the mouth rim or in
some other more or less conspicuous position.
The earliest marks, as far as I am aware, are incised, and those on the
Han, T´ang, and Sung potteries, not to mention the intermediate dynasties,
should be scrutinised with the greatest care to make sure whether the
incisions were made before the pottery was baked or afterwards. There
should be no difficulty in determining this point, for the lines cut with
a sharp instrument in the fired ware are necessarily harder and less free
than those incised in the soft clay, and the edges of the incisions will
present obvious differences in the two cases. Unfortunately the early
date-marks which I have seen up to the present have almost all been cut
after the firing. It does not necessarily follow that such inscriptions
are modern additions. Indeed in many cases they are in a style which
is clearly old. But their value as evidence is very small, for it is
impossible to prove the exact time of their carving; and at best we can
only regard them as representing the opinion of some former owner as to
the date of the vessel in question. At their worst, they are deliberate
frauds added by modern vendors with intent to deceive.
Incised or stamped marks have always been common on pottery, but porcelain
is usually marked by painting with a brush, and for this purpose
underglaze blue is the commonest medium, red and other on-glaze colours
being used chiefly on the relatively modern wares decorated in _famille
rose_ enamels. Similarly the ordinary script is usual in marks, and seal
characters are quite exceptional on porcelain earlier than the eighteenth
century.
It is not safe to take the older date-marks on porcelain at their face
value. The Chinese with their proverbial veneration for antiquity
habitually placed the date-marks of the classical reigns on their
porcelain whether decorated in the style of the period mentioned or
not. Already in the sixteenth century the Hsüan Tê and Ch'êng Hua marks
were used in this way, and in the K'ang Hsi period the names of these
two classic reigns were used more frequently than that of the K'ang Hsi
period itself. In fact the Hsüan Tê and Ch'êng Hua are on the whole the
most familiar marks of all, though the actual wares of these two periods
are among the rarest. The date-marks of the other Ming Emperors are less
frequently plagiarised, except upon the deliberate imitations of the wares
of the time, such as those made at the Imperial factory in the Yung Chêng
period, which we may be sure were carefully marked with the appropriate
_nien hao_. Moreover, the Japanese, who have expended much ingenuity on
reproducing Ming wares, have made free with Ming date-marks, especially
those of Chia Ching and Wan Li.
In the year 1677 the potters at Ching-tê Chên were forbidden by an order
of the district prefect[448] to inscribe the period-name of the Emperor or
any sacred writing on their porcelain, lest the names should be profaned
in the breaking of the ware. It is certain that this prohibition was not
effective for long; but probably the current date-mark was suppressed
for a time at least, and it is quite likely that we should trace to this
interval the custom of putting symbols or conventional marks inside
the double ring which was usually occupied by the _nien hao_, a common
practice in the K'ang Hsi period. In many cases, too, the rings were left
empty; but it is a mistake to regard this as an infallible sign of K'ang
Hsi manufacture, for it is a thing which might happen at any time through
negligence, the rings being made by one person and the marks written by
another. There are, besides, well authenticated instances of the empty
double ring on Wan Li porcelain,[449] and on post K'ang Hsi wares. It
was, however, such a frequent occurrence on the K'ang Hsi wares that the
modern imitators make a common practice of leaving the rings blank on
their copies of the K'ang Hsi blue and white. It is not clear whether
the prefect's prohibition applied to the names of Ming emperors, but
probably it did not, as it is unlikely that the adherents of the reigning
dynasty would be sensitive about the titles of the house which they had
exterminated. In any case, Ming marks, especially those of the fifteenth
century, are very common on the K'ang Hsi porcelain, and the K'ang Hsi
mark itself is comparatively rare except on the specimens which must
belong to the later years of the reign.
_En revanche_, the K'ang Hsi mark is freely used on quite modern wares,
that period being now regarded as classical; so that we are confronted
with the paradox that if a specimen of fine quality[450] is marked Ch'êng
Hua, it may generally be assumed that it was made in the K'ang Hsi period,
while the bulk of the pieces which bear the K'ang Hsi mark are of modern
date.
The Yung Chêng and Ch'ien Lung porcelains are highly esteemed to-day, and
consequently the marks of these periods are considered worthy of a place
on modern imitations; but on the whole the bulk of the specimens bearing
these marks will be found to belong to the period indicated, and the
imitations are generally so coarse as to be unmistakable. The temptation
to borrow the reign marks of the subsequent periods is so slight that we
may safely accept the later marks as correct indications of date.
Marks written in enamel colours and even in gold become increasingly
common on the _famille rose_ porcelains from the Yung Chêng period
onwards, the red mark being more familiar on the modern wares than the
blue; and seal characters frequently replace the ordinary script in the
reign marks of the Yung Chêng and subsequent periods. Date marks in
seal form before the eighteenth century are very unusual, and should be
regarded with suspicion.
It will be seen from the foregoing notes that Chinese date marks must be
treated with great caution. In fact it is safer to regard them merely as
secondary evidence, first basing one's judgment on the paste and glaze,
the style of decoration and the quality of the colours. The one exception
to this declaration of unfaith is the marks on the Imperial porcelain.
These would naturally be correct and reliable, except where deliberate
imitations of the older wares were undertaken; and then, no doubt, the
mark of the period imitated would be used to make the illusion complete.
The Imperial marks were the work of calligraphers who were selected for
the purpose, and the writing is careful and in good style. In fact a
well-written mark is almost as certain a sign of Imperial ware as the
five-clawed dragon itself.[451]
At the private factories the marks were often carelessly, even illegibly,
written, and probably little trouble was taken with this part of the
decoration except on the choicer specimens. On a large proportion of the
private wares the mark was omitted altogether.
The marks on Chinese pottery and porcelain may be conveniently grouped
under the following headings:--
(1) Date marks.
(2) Hall marks.
(3) Potters' names and factory marks.
(4) Marks of dedication, felicitation, commendation, etc.
(1) _Date marks._
The date marks conform to the two Chinese systems of chronology, (_a_) the
cyclical and (_b_) the reign names of the Emperors.
(_a_) The system by which the years are divided into cycles of sixty, each
year of the cycle having a name, carries back Chinese chronology to the
year 2637 B.C., from which the first cycle is dated. We are at present in
the 76th cycle.
The year names are composed of two characters, the first being one of
the Ten Stems, and the second one of the Twelve Branches; and as the
stems and the branches are taken in strict rotation, it is clear that the
combinations will not be exhausted until sixty have been formed, that
number being the least common multiple of ten and twelve.
The Ten Stems [Chinese] _Shih kan_ are as follows:--
1 [Chinese] _chia_ }
} corresponding to the element [Chinese] _mu_
2 [Chinese] _i_ } = wood.
3 [Chinese] _ping_ }
} corresponding to the element [Chinese] _huo_
4 [Chinese] _ting_ } = fire.
5 [Chinese] _wu_
or _mou_ }
} corresponding to the element [Chinese] _t´u_
6 [Chinese] _chi_ } = earth.
7 [Chinese] _kêng_ }
} corresponding to the element [Chinese] _chin_
8 [Chinese] _hsin_ } = metal.
9 [Chinese] _jên_ }
} corresponding to the element [Chinese] _shui_
10 [Chinese] _kuei_ } = water.
The Twelve Branches [Chinese] _shih êrh chih_, which correspond to the
twelve animals of the zodiac, and through them to the twelve divisions of
the day are as follows:--
_Appertaining to the
sign of the_ _Corresponding to_
1 [Chinese] _tzŭ_ .. rat .. Aries 11-1 a.m. N.
2 [Chinese] _ch´ou_ .. ox .. Taurus 1-3 a.m. N.N.E. 3/4E.
3 [Chinese] _yin_ .. tiger .. Gemini 3-5 a.m. E.N.E. 3/4N.
4 [Chinese] _mao_ .. hare .. Cancer 5-7 a.m. E.
5 [Chinese] _ch´ên_ .. dragon .. Leo 7-9 a.m. E.S.E. 3/4S.
6 [Chinese] _ssŭ_ .. serpent .. Virgo 9-11 a.m. S.S.E. 3/4E.
7 [Chinese] _wu_ .. horse .. Libra 11 a.m.-1 p.m. S.
8 [Chinese] _wei_ .. sheep .. Scorpio 1-3 a.m. S.S.W. 3/4W.
9 [Chinese] _shên_ .. monkey .. Sagittarius 3-5 a.m. W.S.W. 3/4W.
10 [Chinese] _yu_ .. cock .. Capricornus 5-7 a.m. W.
11 [Chinese] _hsü_ .. dog .. Aquarius 7-9 a.m. W.N.W. 3/4N.
12 [Chinese] _hai_ boar .. Pisces 9-11 a.m. N.N.W. 3/4W.
The table of cycles subsequent to the Christian era,[452] i.e. cycles
45-76, dating from 4-1928 A.D., will be useful in calculating the year of
the cyclical dates with the help of the accompanying table of numerals:--
(_a_) (_b_) (_c_)
1 [Chinese] .. _i_ .. [Chinese] .. [Chinese] or [Chinese]
2 [Chinese] .. _êrh_ .. [Chinese] .. [Chinese] " [Chinese]
3 [Chinese] .. _san_ .. [Chinese] .. [Chinese] " [Chinese]
4 [Chinese] .. _ssŭ_ .. [Chinese] .. [Chinese]
5 [Chinese] .. _wu_ .. [Chinese] .. [Chinese]
6 [Chinese] .. _liu_ .. [Chinese] .. [Chinese]
7 [Chinese] .. _ch´i_ .. [Chinese] .. [Chinese]
8 [Chinese] .. _pa_ .. [Chinese] .. [Chinese]
9 [Chinese] .. _chiu_ .. [Chinese] .. [Chinese]
10 [Chinese] .. _shih_ .. [Chinese] .. [Chinese] or [Chinese]
(_a_) is the normal form; (_b_) is commonly used for accounts; (_c_) is
used on drafts, pawntickets, etc.
TABLE OF CYCLICAL DATES FROM A.D. 4
CYCLE BEGINNING
4 64
304 364 124 184 244
604 664 424 484 544
Cyclical Signs. 904 964 724 784 844
1204 1264 1024 1084 1144
1504 1564 1324 1384 1444
1804 1864 1624 1684 1744
[Chinese] 04 64 24 84 44
[Chinese] 05 65 25 85 45
[Chinese] 06 66 26 86 46
[Chinese] 07 67 27 87 47
[Chinese] 08 68 28 88 48
[Chinese] 09 69 29 89 49
[Chinese] 10 70 30 90 50
[Chinese] 11 71 31 91 51
[Chinese] 12 72 32 92 52
[Chinese] 13 73 33 93 53
[Chinese] 14 74 34 94 54
[Chinese] 15 75 35 95 55
[Chinese] 16 76 36 96 56
[Chinese] 17 77 37 97 57
[Chinese] 18 78 38 98 58
[Chinese] 19 79 39 99 59
[Chinese] 20 80 40 100 60
[Chinese] 21 81 41 101 61
[Chinese] 22 82 42 102 62
[Chinese] 23 83 43 103 63
[Chinese] 24 84 44 104 64
[Chinese] 25 85 45 105 65
[Chinese] 26 86 46 106 66
[Chinese] 27 87 47 107 67
[Chinese] 28 88 48 108 68
[Chinese] 29 89 49 109 69
[Chinese] 30 90 50 110 70
[Chinese] 31 91 51 111 71
[Chinese] 32 92 52 112 72
[Chinese] 33 93 53 113 73
CYCLE BEGINNING
4 64
304 364 124 184 244
604 664 424 484 544
Cyclical Signs. 904 964 724 784 844
1204 1264 1024 1084 1144
1504 1564 1324 1384 1444
1804 1864 1624 1684 1744
[Chinese] 34 94 54 14 74
[Chinese] 35 95 55 15 75
[Chinese] 36 96 56 16 76
[Chinese] 37 97 57 17 77
[Chinese] 38 98 58 18 78
[Chinese] 39 99 59 19 79
[Chinese] 40 100 60 20 80
[Chinese] 41 101 61 21 81
[Chinese] 42 102 62 22 82
[Chinese] 43 103 63 23 83
[Chinese] 44 104 64 24 84
[Chinese] 45 105 65 25 85
[Chinese] 46 106 66 26 86
[Chinese] 47 107 67 27 87
[Chinese] 48 108 68 28 88
[Chinese] 49 109 69 29 89
[Chinese] 50 110 70 30 90
[Chinese] 51 111 71 31 91
[Chinese] 52 112 72 32 92
[Chinese] 53 113 73 33 93
[Chinese] 54 114 74 34 94
[Chinese] 55 115 75 35 95
[Chinese] 56 116 76 36 96
[Chinese] 57 117 77 37 97
[Chinese] 58 118 78 38 98
[Chinese] 59 119 79 39 99
[Chinese] 60 120 80 40 100
[Chinese] 61 121 81 41 101
[Chinese] 62 122 82 42 102
[Chinese] 63 123 83 43 103
It will be seen that cyclical dates without any indication of the
particular cycle intended are merely tantalising. On the other hand when
the reign is specified as well, the combination gives the most precise
form of date. But unfortunately there are many cases in which the reign
name is absent, and we can only judge the cycle by the style of the ware,
a calculation which is always open to dispute. It is not often that the
cycle is so clearly indicated by an indirect method as in the oft-quoted
mark _yu hsin ch´ou nien chih_ [Chinese] = made in the _hsin ch´ou_
year recurring (_yu_).This can only be 1721, when the _hsin ch´ou_ year
actually recurred in the (sixty-first year of) reign of K´ang Hsi.[453]
(_b_) The more usual form of date mark is that which gives the reign name
of an Emperor. On ascending the throne the Emperor discarded his family
name and assumed a title by which his reign was thenceforth known. This is
the name which appears in the date marks, and it is known as the _nien_
(period) _hao_ (name). After his death the Emperor received another title,
the _miao hao_, or name under which he was canonised; but though reference
might be made to him in history under his _miao hao_, it is obvious that
the posthumous name cannot occur on contemporary date marks.
In reckoning the date of an Emperor's reign it was not usual to include
officially the year in which his predecessor had died, but to date the
reign from the first day of the year following. Thus, though K´ang Hsi
became Emperor in 1661, his reign is dated officially from 1662.
The Imperial date mark is usually written in six characters beginning with
the name of the dynasty and ending with the words _nien chih_ (made in the
period): the _nien hao_ coming in the middle:--
1 2 3 4 5 6
e.g. _Ta_ _ming_ _ch´êng_ _hua_ _nien_ _chih_ = made (_chih_)
4 [Chinese] 1
5 [Chinese] 2
6 [Chinese] 3
in the Ch´êng Hua period (_nien_) of the great Ming (dynasty).
Occasionally the word _nien_ is replaced by _yü_ [Chinese] (Imperial),
_yü chih_ meaning made by Imperial command; and in place of _chih_ we
sometimes find the word _tsao_ [Chinese] or more rarely _tso_ [Chinese]
both of which have the same meaning "made."
The six characters may be written in two lines of three, or in three lines
of two, or again in one long line read from right to left; and for reasons
of space, and sometimes for no apparent reason, the first two characters
are omitted, e.g. [Chinese]. The omission of the _nien hao_ is rare except
on a few Japanese copies of Chinese porcelain, e.g. [Chinese] _ta ming
nien chih_ = made in the great Ming dynasty.
As already mentioned, the seal forms of the mark were frequently employed
from the eighteenth century onwards (see p. 209). An archaic form of seal
character occurs in the Yung Lo mark which is given below.
The use of the _nien hao_ on the Imperial wares made at Ching-tê Chên was
made obligatory by a command issued in the Ching-tê period (1004-1007),
when the name of the town was altered to Ching-tê Chên.
_Ming Dynasty_
[Illustration: [Chinese] HUNG WU, 1368-1398.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] Same in seal characters.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] YUNG LO, 1403-1424.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] Same in archaic characters.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] HSÜAN TÊ, 1426-1435.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] Same in seal characters.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] CH´ÊNG HUA, 1465-1487.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] Same in seal characters (the first two omitted).]
[Illustration: [Chinese] HUNG CHIH, 1488-1505.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] CHÊNG TÊ, 1506-1521.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] CHIA CHING, 1522-1566.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] LUNG CH´ING, 1567-1572.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] WAN LI, 1573-1619.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] T´IEN CH´I, 1621-1627.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] CH´UNG CHÊNG, 1628-1643.]
_Ch´ing Dynasty._
[Illustration: [Chinese] SHUN CHIH, 1644-1661.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] Same in seal characters.]
_Ch´ing Dynasty_
[Illustration: [Chinese] K´ANG HSI, 1662-1722.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] Same in seal characters.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] YUNG CHÊNG, 1723-1735.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] Same in seal characters.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] CH´IEN LUNG, 1736-1795.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] Same in seal characters.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] CHIA CH´ING, 1796-1820.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] Same in seal characters.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] TAO KUANG, 1821-1850.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] Same in seal characters.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] HSIEN FÊNG, 1851-1861.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] Same in seal characters.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] T´UNG CHIH, 1862-1874.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] Same in seal characters.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] KUANG HSÜ, 1875-1909.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] Same in seal characters.]
(2) _Hall marks._
The "hall mark," which is of frequent occurrence on both porcelain and
pottery, is so called because it includes the word _t´ang_ [Chinese]
(hall) or some equivalent such as _chai_ [Chinese] (a study), _t´ing_
[Chinese] (a pavilion), _hsien_ or _hsüan_ [Chinese] (a porch, balcony or
pavilion), _kuan_ [Chinese] (a residence or hostelry), _fang_ [Chinese]
(a room or house), _chü_ [Chinese] (a dwelling). The word _t´ang_ as
explained in Giles's Dictionary is "a hall: especially a hall of justice
or court; the ancestral hall; an official title." _T´ang ming_ is "the
family hall name--a fancy name usually consisting of two characters
followed by _t´ang_ (e.g. _wu tê t´ang chin_ = Chin of the military valour
hall), and referring to some event in family history. It is generally
inscribed in one of the principal rooms of the house, and is used in
deeds, on graves, boundary stones, etc."
The hall mark, then, may contain the studio name of the maker or of the
recipient of the ware, or it may have reference literally to the building
for which the ware was intended. The last interpretation can be generally
applied to the marks referring to halls or pavilions in the precincts
of the Imperial palace. Again, the hall may be the shop of a dealer
who ordered the goods. But in the absence of prepositions, it is not
always--not often, I should perhaps say--possible to determine which of
these alternatives is implied in any particular hallmark; e.g. [Chinese]
_Lin yü t´ang chih_ may mean "made in the Abundant-Jade Hall," or "for"
the same, or by a man whose studio name was _Lin-yü t´ang_.
As to the antiquity of hall marks, it was not considered anachronistic
to cut one on a Han granary urn which is now in the British Museum; but
unfortunately as the cutting was done after the ware was baked it is now
impossible to say at what period it was executed. A Sung example is quoted
in the _Ni ku lu_ (written in the middle of the sixteenth century) as
inscribed on a Ting Chou vase in the handwriting of the Mi family, viz.,
_jên ho kuan_ [Chinese] (Hotel of Benevolence and Harmony). A similar mark
similarly placed is [Chinese] _jên ts´un t´ang_ (Hall of Benevolence), on
a Tz´ŭ Chou jar in the Eumorfopoulos Collection.
Hall marks on Ming porcelain are rare. There is, however, one which occurs
fairly often on late Ming porcelains of various kinds, including pieces
decorated in blue and blue and white, underglaze red, blue and enamel
colours, pierced designs and slip. This is [Chinese] _yü t´ang chia ch´i_,
"beautiful vessel for the Jade Hall."
It is improbable that the _yü t´ang_ was a factory name, as the specimens
so marked have little homogeneity. Giles's Dictionary tells us that _yü
t´ang_ is a name for the Han Lin College at Peking, which was so called
in memory of Chou Chih-lin of the Sung dynasty, upon whom the Emperor
bestowed these two characters in admiration of his qualities. From this
we might infer that the wares so marked were made for the Han Lin; but
why, one asks, in that case should the examples in our collections be so
many and so evidently of the same period? On the whole I prefer to regard
the mark as of general (and complimentary) significance, i.e. "beautiful
vessel for the home of pure worth," like another mark much affected on
late Ming porcelain _fu kuei chia ch´i_ ("fine vessel for the rich and
honourable!").
Hall marks are very frequent on the porcelains of the Ch´ing dynasty, and
enough are given below to illustrate their various forms. Many of them are
no doubt hall names of makers and decorators, and as such belong to the
category of artists' signatures.
Special interest attaches to those hall marks which have been identified
as referring to pavilions in the precincts of the Imperial palace. We are
told by Bushell[454] that the "fashion of inscribing upon porcelain made
for the Imperial palace the name of the particular pavilion for which
it was intended seems to have begun in the reign of Yung Chêng," and
observation shows that these hall marks only become frequent on the later
porcelains. In fact most of the examples with which I am acquainted are
nearer in style to the Tao Kuang than to the Yung Chêng wares, and the
majority of the hall marks written in red on the glaze will be found to be
of early nineteenth century date.
HALL MARKS
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Yü t´ang chia ch´i_ = fine vessel for the jade
hall (late Ming).]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Yü hai t´ang chih_ = made for the Yü-hai (jade
sea) hall (about 1700).]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Ts´ai hua t´ang chih_ = made for the hall of
bright painting (nineteenth century).]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Ts´ai jun t´ang chih_ = made for the hall of
bright colours (nineteenth century).]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Nan hsiang t´ang_ = south aspect hall (on
eighteenth century pottery).]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Chih lan chai chih_ = made for the epidendrum
hall (seventeenth century).]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Ku yüeh hsüan chih_ = made by Ku-yüeh-hsüan.
(See Vol. ii., p. 215.)]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Yu ch´ai_ = quiet pavilion--a studio name of a
painter.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Wan shih chü_ = myriad rocks retreat; studio
name of a painter.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Chu shih chü_ = red rocks retreat; studio name
of a painter.]
PALACE HALL MARKS
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Ch´êng tê t´ang chih_ = ordered for the
Ch´êng-tê (complete virtue) hall.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Ching wei t´ang chih_ = made for the Ching-wei
(reverent awe) hall.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Hsü hua t´ang chih_ tsêng = made for the Hsü-hua
hall, for presentation.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Tan ning chai chih_ = made for the Tan-ning
(peace and tranquillity) pavilion.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Ssŭ pu chai chih_ = made for the Ssŭ-pu pavilion
(i.e. pavilion for meditation for the correction of faults).]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Shên tê t´ang chih_ = made for the Shên-tê
(cultivation of virtue) hall. (See Vol. ii., p. 264.)]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Shên tê t´ang po ku chih_ = antique made for the
Shên-tê hall.]
(3) _Potters' names, etc._
Marks which include potters' names (apart from the uncertain hall marks)
are rare on Chinese porcelain though frequent enough on pottery. But it
will be remembered that at Ching-tê Chên at any rate the porcelain passed
through so many hands that the individuality of the work was lost, and
consequently a personal mark would be, as a rule, misleading. The question
of signatures in the field of the decoration has been discussed[455] with
the conclusion that they belong rather to the artists who painted the
original copied by the pot-painters than to the pot-painter himself.
Perhaps we should include here a fairly common type of mark, usually in
the form of a small seal of a conventional and quite illegible character,
which goes by the name of "shop marks." But it is not clear whether they
refer to the maker or the firm who ordered the porcelain.
POTTERS' MARKS
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Ma chên shih tsao_ = made by ma ch´ên-shih (on a
T´ang vase).]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Chang chia tsao_ = made by the Chang family (on
Tz´ŭ Chou ware). (See Vol. i., p. 105.)]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Wang shih ch´ih ming_ = Mr. Wang Ch´ih-ming (on
Tz´ŭ-Chou ware).]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _I shêng_ = harmonious prosperity. Perhaps a
potter's name (on Kuangtung ware).]
MARKS ON KUANGTUNG WARE
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Ko ming-hsiang chih_ = made by Ko Ming-hsiang
(eighteenth century).]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Ko yüan hsiang chih_ = made by Ko Yüan-hsiang
(eighteenth century).]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Huang yün chi_ = mark of Huang-yün (nineteenth
century).]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Li Ta-lai_ = potter's name.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Hou-ch´ang_ = potter's name.]
POTTERS' MARKS--_continued_.
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Yi hsing tzŭ sha_ = brown earth (lit. sand) of
Yi-hsing.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Ming-yüan_ = a late Ming potter at Yi-hsing.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Hui mêng-chên_ = name of a late Ming potter at
Yi-hsing, copied on modern wares.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Ch´ên Ming Yüan chih_ = made by Ch´ên Ming-Yüan,
Yi-hsing.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Yü lan pi chih_ = secretly made by Yü-lan;
Yi-hsing (nineteenth century).]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Wan li ting yu ch´ên wên ching su_ = Ch´ên
Wên-ching modelled it in the ting-yu year of Wan Li (i.e. 1597).]
MARKS ON FUKIEN WHITE PORCELAIN
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Chao-chin_ = a potter's name.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Chung t´un shih_ = Chung-t´un family.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] (?) _Li-chih_ = a potter's name.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Shan jên ch´ên-wei_ = the hermit Ch´ên-wei.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Lai-kuan_ = potter's name.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Chao tsung ho yin_ = seal of Ho Chao-tsung.]
POTTERS' NAMES, ETC.
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Chiang ming kao tsao_ = made by Chiang Ming-kao
(about 1700).]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Ch´ên kuo chih tsao_ = made by Ch´ên Kuo-chih
(about 1700).]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Tao kuang ting wei wên lang shan chih_ = made by
Wên Lang-shan in the _ting-wei_ year of Tao Kuang (i.e. 1847).]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Yü fêng yang lin_ = Yang Lin of Yü-fêng. (See
Vol. ii., p. 212.)]
[Illustration: [Chinese] (?) Trader's mark on export porcelain. (See Vol.
ii., p. 136.)]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Wang tso t´ing tso_ = made by Wang Tso-t´ing
(early nineteenth century).]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Wang ping jung tso_ = made by Wan Ping-jung
(early nineteenth century).]
[Illustration: [Chinese] [Chinese] _Ling nan hui chê_ = Ling-nan (Canton)
painting. Seal of _Pai-shih_ (white rock). (See Vol. ii., p. 211.)]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Fu fan chih tsao_ = made on the borders of
Fukien. (See Vol. ii., p. 108.)]
[Illustration: [Chinese] Three examples of "shop marks."]
(4) _Marks of dedication, felicitation_, etc.
In many cases the place of a date mark, hall mark, or potter's name is
taken by a word or phrase commending or describing the ware or invoking a
benediction on the possessor. Such marks may be conveniently subdivided
into marks of (_a_) dedication, (_b_) felicitation, (_c_) commendation; to
which may be added (_d_) symbols used as marks.
(_a_) _Marks of dedication_ indicating the destination or intention of the
ware contain the name of a place or person or some word suggesting the use
to which the vessel was dedicated. This group naturally overlaps that of
the hall marks, there being no essential difference between a palace hall
mark and such a mark as _Shu fu_ [Chinese] (Imperial palace) which was
inscribed on the Imperial porcelain of the Yüan dynasty.
A few marks of dedication are mentioned in the _Po wu yao lan_[456]
e.g. [Chinese] _t´an_ (altar) on the altar cups of the Hsüan Tê period;
[Chinese] _ch´a_ (tea), [Chinese] _chiu_ (wine), [Chinese] _tsao t´ang_
(decoction of jujubes), and [Chinese] _chiang t´ang_ (decoction of
ginger), which were inscribed inside the altar cups of the Chia Ching
period, besides [Chinese] _chin lu_ (golden seal), [Chinese] _ta chiao_
(great sacrifice), and [Chinese] _t´an yung_ (altar use), which were
written beneath them; all indicating the offerings and the altars for
which the cups were destined.
Dedications to temples, institutions, and even to individuals, often of
considerable length, also occur not infrequently.
(_b_) _Marks of felicitation_ include good wishes such as _ch´ang ming
fu kuei_ (long life, riches and honour), _wan fu yu t´ung_ (may infinite
happiness embrace all your affairs), both of which have been noted on Ming
porcelain; words of good omen such as _fu_, _lu_, _shou_, separately or
together, [Chinese] _chi_ (good luck), [Chinese] _ch´ing_ (prosperity),
etc.
(_c_) _Marks of commendation_ are also frequent, especially in the K´ang
Hsi period and on blue and white porcelain. They allude to the beauty of
the ware, comparing it with jade or gold or gems, or to the subject of
the decoration; and they vary in length from a single character such as
[Chinese] _yü_ (jade) to a sentence like _ch´i shih pao ting chih chên_ (a
gem among precious vessels of rare stone).
(_d_) A sacred symbol or emblematic ornament often replaces the mark
on K´ang Hsi porcelain; but as these will be found among the symbols,
etc., described in vol. ii., ch. xvii., there is no need to discuss them
any further. The most frequently used are the _pa pao_ (Eight Precious
Things), and the _pa chi hsiang_ (the Eight Buddhist Emblems of Happy
Augury).
MARKS OF FELICITATION, ETC.
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Shun_ = harmony.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Lu_ = prosperity.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Shou_ = longevity (seal form).]
[Illustration: [Chinese] The same, with the Swastika interwoven.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] The "spider" mark, a fanciful form of _shou_.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _hsi_ (joy) repeated = double joy, a
wedding symbol.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _tê hua ch'ang ch'un_ = virtue culture and
enduring spring; enclosed by _Wan li nien tsao_ = made in the Wan Li
period (1573-1619).]
[Illustration: [Chinese] Mark resembling a "cash" or coin inscribed
_ch'ang ming fu kuei_ = long life, riches, and honours!]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _fu kuei ch'ang ch'un_ = riches, honours,
and enduring spring!]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Wan fu yu t'ung_ = a myriad happinesses embrace
all (your affairs)!]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Kung ming fu kuei Hung fu ch'i t'ien_ = a
famous name, riches and honours, vast happiness equalling heaven!]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _t'ien t'i yi chia ch'un_ = spring time for
the whole family of heaven and earth.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _ta ya chai_ = pavilion of grand culture.
The Empress dowager's mark.]
MARKS OF COMMENDATION
[Illustration: [Chinese] _t´ien_ = heaven.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Chên_ = a gem.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Ya wan_ = elegant trinket.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Ch´üan_ = complete.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Yü_ = jade.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Chên wan_ = precious trinket.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _fu kuei chia ch´i_ = fine vessel for the rich and
honourable.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Nan ch´uan chin yü_ = embroidered jade of
Nan-ch´uan (i.e. Ching-tê Chên).]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Ch´i shih pao ting chih chên_ = a gem among
precious vessels of rare stone.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _Ai lien chên shang_ = precious reward of the
lover of the lotus.]
[Illustration: [Chinese] _han hsing_ = to contain fragrance.]
For other marks on porcelain and pottery see _Marks on Pottery and
Porcelain_, by W. Burton and R.L. Hobson, and _The New Chaffers_.
MISCELLANEOUS MARKS AND SYMBOLS
[Illustration: Conch-shell.]
[Illustration: Incense-burner (_ting_).]
[Illustration: _ju-i_ head.]
[Illustration: Knot (_chang_).]
[Illustration: Swastika (_wan_).]
[Illustration: Swastika in a lozenge symbol.]
[Illustration: Stork (on a late Ming blue and white dish).]
[Illustration: The moon hare.]
[Illustration: The moon hare.]
[Illustration: The moon hare.]
[Illustration: Artemisia leaf.]
[Illustration: Fungus (_ling-chih_).]
[Illustration: Fungus (_ling-chih_).]
[Illustration: _Fu_ (one of the twelve ornaments on ancient embroidery).]
END OF VOL. I.
PRINTED BY
CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED, LA BELLE SAUVAGE,
LONDON, E.C.
F 15.115
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 448: See _T'ao lu_, bk. viii., fol. 14 verso (quoting the _I
chih_): "In the sixteenth year of K'ang Hsi the district magistrate, Chang
Ch'i-chung, a man of Yang-ch'êng, forbade the workmen of Ching-tê Chên to
inscribe on the porcelain vessels the _nien hao_ of the Emperor or the
handwriting (_tzŭ chi_ [Chinese]) of the holy men, to prevent their being
broken and injured."]
[Footnote 449: See _Catalogue B.F.A._, 1910, E 4.]
[Footnote 450: This qualification is very necessary, because there are
plenty of inferior pieces with the Ch'êng Hua mark which are quite modern.]
[Footnote 451: The Ch´ien Lung enamelled Imperial ware is frequently
marked in red within a square panel reserved in the opaque bluish green
enamel which so often covers the base.]
[Footnote 452: For the complete tables of cycles see Mayers, op. cit., p.
362.]
[Footnote 453: Though the reign of K´ang Hsi officially dates from 1662,
in reality it began with the death of the previous Emperor in 1661; see p.
216.]
[Footnote 454: _O. C. A._, p. 79.]
[Footnote 455: Vol. ii., p. 167.]
[Footnote 456: Vol. ii, p. 34.]
* * * * *
+------------------------------------------------------------+
| Transcriber's Notes: |
| |
| P. xxi. 'browish green', changed 'browish' to brownish'. |
| Taken hyphen out of 'Kuang-tung' to Kuangtung. |
| Taken hyphen out of 'Shan-tung' to Shantung. |
| 'Kiang-nan', not taking out hyphen. |
| 'Po-lo' not taking out hyphen. |
| Taken hyphen out of 'Kiang-su' to Kiangsu. |
| Taken hyphen out of 'Chih-li' to Chihli. |
| Taken hyphen out of 'Kuan-yin' to Kuanyin. |
| Added hyphen in 'Pakhoi' to 'Pak-hoi. |
| Corrected various punctuation. |
+------------------------------------------------------------+