The iron rust is a dark lustrous brown glaze strewn with metallic specks (due to excess of iron), and in the best examples clouded with passages of deep red. But these are only two examples of skill displayed by the Ch’ien Lung potters in imitating artistic effects in other materials. Special success was attained in reproducing the many tints of old bronze and its metallic surface. Bright-coloured patina was suggested by touches of _flambé_, and the effects of gilding or gold and silver inlay were rendered by the gilder’s brush. The appearance of inlaid enamels was skilfully copied. “In fact,” to quote from the _T’ao shuo_,[441] “among all the works of art in carved gold, embossed silver, chiselled stone, lacquer, mother-of-pearl, bamboo and wood, gourd and shell, there is not one that is not now[442] produced in porcelain, a perfect copy of the original piece.” Nor is this statement much exaggerated, for I have seen numerous examples in which grained wood, red lacquer, green jade, bronze, and even _mille fiori_ glass have been so closely copied that their real nature was not detected without close inspection. Reverting to T’ang’s achievements, we find special mention made of the reproductions of Chün yao which have been already discussed in detail,[443] and of the revived manufacture of the large dragon fish bowls. The latter are the great bowls which caused such distress among the potters in the Wan Li period. They are described in the _T’ao lu_[444] as being fired in specially constructed kilns, and requiring no less than nineteen days to complete their baking. The largest size is said to have measured 6 ft.[445] in height, with a thickness of 5 in. in the wall, one of them occupying an entire kiln. The old Ming dragon bowl found by T’ang Ying[446] at the factory was one of the smaller sizes, and measured 3 ft. in diameter and 2 ft. in height. They were intended for the palace gardens for keeping gold-fish or growing water-lilies, and the usual decoration consisted of Imperial dragons. They are variously described as _lung kang_ (dragon bowls), _yü kang_ (fish bowls), and _ta kang_ (great bowls). [Illustration: PLATE 123 Eighteenth Century Glazes Fig. 1.--Square Vase with tubular handles, and apricot-shaped medallions on front and back. _Flambé_ red glaze. Ch’ien Lung period (1736–1795). Height 6¾ inches. _British Museum._ Fig. 2.--Bottle-shaped Vase with deep blue (_ta ch’ing_) glaze: unglazed base. Early eighteenth century. Height 15¾ inches. _British Museum._ Fig. 3.--Vase with fine iron red enamel (_mo hung_) on the exterior. Ch’ien Lung period (1736–1795). Height 5 inches. _Salting Collection (V. & A. Museum)._]