[317] These seals are usually difficult to decipher, and the one in question might be read _shui shih chü_ (water and rock dwelling). This would be a matter of small importance did not the signature read by Bushell as _wan shih chü_ occur in the Pierpont Morgan Collection. Other instances in the same collection are _chu chü_ (bamboo retreat), _shih chü_ (rock retreat), and _chu shih chü_ (red rock retreat). The signature _chu chü_ also occurs on a dish in the Dresden collection. [318] See p. 212. [319] See p. 64. [320] Cat., vol. i., p. 156. [321] Similar bottles in the Drucker Collection have the “G” mark. [322] _Fang tung yang_, “imitating the Eastern Sea” (i.e. Japan). [323] The first specimens (according to Bushell, _O. C. A._, p. 309) to reach America came from the collection of the Prince of Yi, whose line was founded by the thirteenth son of the Emperor K’ang Hsi. [324] The general reader will probably not be much concerned as to whether the peach bloom was produced by oxide of copper or by some other process. Having learnt the outward signs of the glaze, he will take the inner meaning of it for granted. Others, however, will be interested to know that practically all the features of the peach bloom glaze, the pink colour, the green ground and the russet brown spots can be produced by chrome tin fired at a high temperature. I have seen examples of these chrome tin pinks made by Mr. Mott at Doulton’s, which exhibit practically all the peculiarities of the Chinese peach bloom. It does not, of course, follow that the Chinese used the same methods or even had any knowledge of chrome tin. They may have arrived at the same results by entirely different methods, and the peach bloom tints developed on some of the painted underglaze copper reds point to the one which is generally believed to have been used; but the difference between these and the fully developed peach bloom is considerable, and though we have no definite evidence one way or the other, the possibilities of chrome tin cannot be overlooked. [325] The form of this water pot is known (according to Bushell, _O. C. A._, p. 318) as the _T’ai-po tsun_, because it was designed after the traditional shape of the wine jar of Li T’ai-po, the celebrated T’ang poet. In its complete state it has a short neck with slightly spreading mouth. [326] See p. 146. [327] See p. 64. [328] i.e. lead glass. [329] _Chi_, lit. sky-clearing, and _chi ch’ing_ might be rendered “blue of the sky after rain.” [330] There are some bowls and bottles in the Dresden collection with glazes of a pale luminous blue which are hard to parallel elsewhere. [331] Loc. cit., section xvii. In another place (section iii.) we are told how the Chinese surrounded the ware with paper during the blowing operation, so as to catch and save all the precious material which fell wide of the porcelain. [332] I cannot recall any example of the powder blue crackle which is here described. [333] See Julien, p. 107.