If the glaze is not suited to the body of the ware, and does not shrink equally with it, its surface will soon present a network of fine cracks. A glaze in this condition is said to be “crazed.” This, among potters, is considered a serious fault, and in ware intended for cooking or table use, is certainly very undesirable. Old Japanese crackle-ware, in which this condition is a distinguishing feature, is, however, much esteemed, and many, indeed, the majority of the Japanese earthernwares, both ancient and modern, display a surface of fine-crackled glaze, which may not be said to detract from their value as articles of ornament. A similar effect is also seen in old pieces of glazed ware which have seen long service as cooking utensils, in which case it has been the natural result of the usage to which they have been subjected. In some modern wares, both French and English, decorated under the glaze, this defect is seen. In these cases it has been caused by the use of a softer glaze than the body of the ware demanded. This expedient has been resorted to in order that the brilliancy and beauty of the colors might be preserved. These articles being intended only for ornament, beauty is more of an object than durability, and this defect of glaze may be permissible as the means of obtaining more brilliant effects. In certain methods of decoration this may be a necessity, but these cases are exceptional and experience leads me to believe that it is possible to obtain beauty of coloring with a glaze which will remain intact. It is to be hoped, however, that with the improvements in making colors the time may come when it will be possible to obtain colors which will retain their beauty under the degree of heat necessary to the production of an article which a practical potter would call a perfect piece of ware. Pottery can be decorated either _under_ the glaze, _with the glaze_, as in the case of majolica, in which the color is effected by the use of colored glazes and in the decoration of soft porcelain (_pâte-tendre_), where the painting is executed upon the unbaked glaze, and, lastly, _over_ the glaze. We will concern ourselves only with the first of these methods. A few words, however, may not be out of place here, upon the differences between over and under glaze painting, which are frequently compared and as frequently mistaken for each other.