The Chia Ching monochromes already mentioned include white, blue, sky blue, lustrous brown, turquoise, green, yellow, and aubergine, with or without designs engraved in the paste (_an hua_). None of these call for any further comment, unless it be the distinction between blue and sky blue of the Imperial wares. The former, no doubt, resulted from the Mohammedan blue (blended with native cobalt) mixed with the glaze, and must have been a fine blue of slightly violet tone: the latter was apparently the lavender-tinted blue which goes by the name of sky blue on the more modern porcelains. We read in more than one passage in the Chinese works that the imitation of the classical porcelains of Hsüan Tê and Ch’êng Hua was practised in the Chia Ching period, and the name of a private potter who excelled in this kind of work has been preserved. A note on this artist, given in the _T’ao lu_[139] under the heading _Ts’ui kung[140] yao_, or Wares of Mr. Ts’ui, may be rendered as follows:-- “In the Chia Ching and Lung Ch’ing periods there lived a man who was clever at making porcelain (_t’ao_). He was famed for imitations of the wares in the traditional style and make of the Hsüan Tê and Ch’êng Hua periods, and in his time he enjoyed the highest reputation. The name given to his wares was Mr. Ts’ui’s porcelain (_ts’ui kung yao tz’ŭ_), and they were eagerly sought in all parts of the empire. As for the shape of his cups (_ch’ien_), when compared with the Hsüan and Ch’êng specimens[141] they differed in size but displayed the same skill and perfection of design. In the blue and polychrome wares his colours were all like the originals. His were, in fact, the cream of the porcelains made in the private factories (_min t’ao_).” [Illustration: PLATE 74 Two Bowls in the British Museum with gilt designs on a monochrome ground. Probably Chia Ching period (1522–1566) Fig. 1 with lotus scroll with etched details on a ground of iron red (_fan hung_) outside. Inside is figure of a man holding a branch of cassia, a symbol of literary success, painted in underglaze blue. Mark in blue, _tan kuei_ (red cassia.) Diameter 4½ inches. Fig. 2 with similar design on ground of emerald green enamel. Mark in blue in the form of a coin or _cash_ with the characters _ch’ang ming fu kuei_ (long life, riches and honours!). Diameter 4¾ inches.] It is interesting to note that the imitation of the early Ming porcelains began as soon as this, and we may infer from the usual Chinese procedure that the marks of the Hsüan Tê and Ch’êng Hua periods were duly affixed to these clever copies. _Lung Ch’ing_ [chch 2] (1567–1572)