THE Chün ware is said to have been first made in the early part of the Sung dynasty at Chün Chou or Chün-t´ai, the modern Yü Chou in the K´ai-fêng Fu in Honan. Like the Lung-ch´üan celadon, thanks to its strength and solidity, it has survived in sufficient numbers to give us some idea of the qualities which Chinese writers have described in picturesque terms. That it finds no mention in the _Cho kêng lu_ and the _Ko ku yao lun_ seems to imply that it was not appreciated by the virtuosi of the fourteenth century, owing, no doubt, to the fact that, as hinted in later works, it was chiefly destined for everyday uses and aimed at serviceable qualities rather than "antique elegance." By the end of the Ming dynasty, however, its beautiful glazes had won it a place among the celebrated Sung wares, although even at this time certain varieties only were considered estimable. The _Ch´ing pi ts´ang_, for instance, which appears to rank the Chün ware above that of Lung-ch´üan, gives the following criticism: "The Chün Chou ware, which is red like rouge, is highly prized; that which is _ch´ing_ like onion blue (_ts´ung ts´ui_), and that which is purplish brown (_tzŭ_) like ink, are esteemed second; single-coloured pieces, which have the numerals one, two, etc., as marks on the bottom, are choice; the specimens of this ware with mixed colours (_tsa sê_) are not worth collecting." It was not long, however, before even the despised "mixed colours" were not only appreciated by collectors, but studiously imitated by the Ching-tê Chên potters. The body of the wares, which are now classed as "Chün type," varies considerably in quality and texture. The choicest examples in Western collections, usually deep flower pots or shallow bulb bowls with lovely glazes of dove grey, lavender, crushed strawberry, dappled purple and crimson, and other tints, are made of a clay which, though dark-coloured on the exterior, shows considerable refinement and closeness of texture within. It is, in fact, a porcellanous ware of whitish grey tone. It is noticed that these pieces are almost always marked with incised Chinese numerals, and there are critics who would confine the Chün wares to this group alone. But it is clear from a passage in the _Po wu yao lan_[252] that there were other types in which the body was of "yellow sandy earthenware," coarse and thick, and without refinement, with all the characteristics, in fact, of the ware which these same critics habitually relegate to the category of _Yüan tz´ŭ_, or ware of the Yüan dynasty. But we shall return to this question later. Modern Chinese collectors, we are told,[253] in recognition of these distinctions, classify Chün wares in two groups, _tz´ŭ t´ai_ (porcelain body) and _sha t´ai_ (sandy, or coarse-grained, body).