[Illustration: POWDER-BLUE WITH "FAMILLE VERTE" AND WITH BLUE AND WHITE DECORATION.
(_a_) A powder-blue Pot and Cover. The body has two large square-shaped panels decorated with flowers, birds, &c., in "_famille verte_"; it also has two panels form of pomegranate fruit decorated in greens and red, and two fan-shaped panels with flowers in black on a yellow ground. The lid has two panels form of peach fruit in greens and red, and two fan-shaped panels with flowers, &c., in "_famille verte_" Very unusual specimen. Kang-he.
A pair of powder-blue teapots relieved with panels decorated with flowers in "_famille verte_." The lids are surmounted with so-called kylins, dogs of Fô, or Corean lions. Kang-he.
(_b_) An elegant-shaped powder-blue Vase, relieved with various Joo-e-head panels, decorated with flowers, &c., beautifully enamelled in "_famille verte_," with gold pencilling between panels. Mounted with a rim of ormolu. Kang-he.
A pair of powder-blue bottle-shaped Vases with three Joo-e-head-shaped panels on the body, decorated with vases, utensils, &c., in blue and white, and three leaf-shaped panels decorated with flowers, butterflies, &c., on the neck, also in blue and white. Kang-he period. The panels of vases, &c., are often decorated with emblems of the seasons by means of flowers and landscapes. Thus, spring may be shown by a mountain scene with the prunus or peach in bloom before its leaves appear, or by another with two ladies under the willow. Spring flowers are the large white magnolia or the yulan with the peony. The yulan magnolia is often confounded with the guelder-rose, though the former, like the peach, blossoms before its leaves appear. It is a magnolia, one of eighty-five species. Summer is pictured by pines, poplars, reeds, lotus, hydrangea, pinks, and flags; autumn by chrysanthemums, birds, butterflies, russet leaves of the oak and its acorns, by scenes of ladies gathering fruit, and of swollen rivers and autumn tints generally. Winter is indicated by the prunus or plum, by early roses or winter scenes.]
[Illustration: POWDER-BLUE WITH "FAMILLE VERTE" DECORATION.
A pair of very fine quality, large size, powder-blue Plates with Joo-e-shaped panels in the centre, and eight small panels or reserves round the border. It will be noticed that the patterns of the decoration on the two plates is not the same. The central panel on the left has a fine landscape with figures in conversation. The smaller panels are alternately decorated with a small landscape, and with flowers. The gilt pattern, too, so often used with powder-blue, and so quickly lost, is clearly shown on the blue ground, giving a further decoration of flowers not alone in compartments, but also over all the blue surface. The other plate has the central panel decorated with a landscape and some striking cloud forms. The small panels are all decorated with flowers. There are only traces of the formal golden chrysanthemum pattern, which, besides, is again different to that on the other plate. Both have a mountainous coast scene in the distance with a pagoda and trees. Both, too, in middle distance a house and a weeping willow. Besides this class of powder-blue with green family decoration, it is also very effective, though not so brilliant, with blue under-glaze landscapes, figures, and flowers in similar panels to those we have described-that is, the Joo-e-head panel. Special attention should be paid to the variation of the Joo-e outline. The Joo-e-head itself is given amongst the symbolical marks. The catalogue description is sometimes like this, "Joo-e head-shaped reserves," or again "Joo-e-head-shaped Y diaper." Kang-he period.]