The Emperor, K’ang Hsi, was succeeded by his son, who reigned from 1723–1735 under the title Yung Chêng. The interest which the new ruler had taken as a prince in ceramic manufactures is proved by a passage in the first letter (written in 1712) of Père d’Entrecolles in which he instances among remarkable examples of the potter’s skill a “great porcelain lamp made in one piece, through which a torch gave light to a whole room. This work was ordered seven or eight years ago by the Crown Prince.” We are further told that the same prince had ordered the manufacture of various musical instruments in porcelain. These could not all be made, but the most successful were flutes and flageolets, and a set of chimes made of nine small, round and slightly concave plaques, which hung in a frame, and were played with drum-sticks. Apparently the Emperor continued to take an intimate interest in the industry after he had ascended the throne, for he commanded his brother the prince of Yi to announce personally to T’ang Ying his appointment at Ching-tê Chên in 1728. At the beginning of the reign the direction of the Imperial factory was in the hands of Nien Hsi-yao,[369] who, in his capacity of inspector of customs at Huai-an Fu,[370] dispensed the funds for the Imperial porcelain. A brief note in the _T’ao lu_,[371] under the heading “Nien ware of the Yung Chêng period,” sums up in the usual compressed style of Chinese ceramic writers the character of the porcelain made at this time. The duty of Nien, inspector of customs at Huai-an Fu, we read, was to select the materials, and to see that the porcelain was furnished to the Imperial orders. The ware was extremely refined and elegant. The coloured porcelains were sent twice monthly to Nien at the Customs, and forwarded by him to the Emperor. Among the vases (_cho ch’i_) many were of egg colour, and of rounded form, lustrous and pure white like silver. They combined blue and coloured decoration, and some had painted, engraved, etched, or pierced ornament all ingeniously fashioned. Imitation of the antique and invention of novelties, these were truly the established principles of Nien.