"There is a considerable variety in the colored glazes which are thus crackled. Some colors, such as turquoise-blue and apple-green, seem nearly always to assume a crackled appearance; others, such as the reds, are rarely affected. The color chiefly selected is a grayish white; the forms are archaic, and with ornaments in dark brown, occasionally gilt. The crackled appearance, though now always artificial, doubtless owes its origin in the first instance to accident, and at an early period. Some of the vases of the Sung dynasty (A. D. 960 to 1270) are noticed as being crackled. The productions of the two brothers Chang, who lived under that dynasty, were distinguished by one being crackled and the other not. Crackled vases were called 'Tsui-khi-yao,' under the southern Sung dynasty (1127 to 1279), and are thus described in the 'History of King-te-chin:' 'The clay employed was coarse and compact, the vases were thick and heavy; some were of a rice-white, others pale blue. They used to take some Hoa-chi (steatite), powder it, and mix it with the glaze. The vases exhibited cracks running in every direction, as though broken into a thousand pieces. The cracks were rubbed over with Indian-ink or a red color, and the superfluity removed. Then was seen a network of charming veins, red or black, imitating the cracks of ice. There were also vases on which blue flowers were painted on the crackled ground.' [Illustration: FIG. 113.--_Crackle Vase._] "A different mode of making the crackles is described in another Chinese work, and is as follows: 'After covering the vases with glaze, they are exposed to a very hot sun, and, when they have become hot, they are plunged into cold water for a moment. On being baked, they appear covered with innumerable cracks.' The way in which the size of the crackle is regulated seems to be indicated in one of the receipts for making crackle-vases, given in the 'History of King-te-chin' (page 214), from which we learn that the material of the glaze was to be finely or coarsely washed, according to the size of the crackle required. "The difference between the paste and the thick glaze is well illustrated by fragments of ancient vases, some of which are exhibited. The interior is of a coarse paste, nearly resembling stone-ware, and of a buff or even pale-red color. This is coated on both sides with a white material, in which alone the crackles appear. This illustrates a passage in the 'History of King-te-chin,' where porcelain is spoken of as having red bones. Such vases would not be transparent." [Illustration: FIG. 114.--_From Mr. Avery's Collection._] The Japanese now produce a crackle under the glaze, and also a very fine crackle in the glaze itself; which last is probably much the easiest to do. Fig. 113, copied from M. Jacquemart's work, represents a rather clumsily-shaped vase with the larger crackle, which is less prized. Fig. 114 is finely crackled, and is most subtile in form. It is in Mr. Avery's collection.