[Illustration: GREEN FAMILY--"FAMILLE VERTE."
A rare and very beautiful oviform Vase, containing on the body two large panels, one with a bird on the branch of a plum-tree, the other with a peony on the branch of a tree under which is a large chrysanthemum and foliage. On each side there are two other panels, one circular, the other leaf shape; these contain as to the former, insects, and the latter, cocks. All the panels are surrounded with a narrow border of yellow, black, and aubergine; the body of the vase richly enamelled with flowers and foliage in blue, green, and aubergine, on a bright black ground. At the base is a broad band of formal design in aubergine, yellow, and _rouge de fer_, on apple-green. At the bottom of the neck is a broad band with flowers in _rouge de fer_, green, blue, and aubergine, on a stippled black ground; this is divided by four reserves containing carp and other fishes in _rouge de fer_, green, and black, on white, the borderings of green and yellow; under this is a band of Joo-e-heads in aubergine, blue, and green, alternately, depending from a narrow margin containing a formal design in _rouge de fer_ and green on a black ground. The neck has two leaf-shaped panels containing river scenes; the remainder decorated in uniformity to the vase. At the top of the neck is a key design in black on green; depending from this a wave pattern border in aubergine, black, and green; this is repeated at the base of the neck, having under it a narrow band containing chrysanthemums and foliage in _rouge de fer_, aubergine, green, and yellow on stippled green ground. The whole of the panels in rich "_famille verte_" colours. Kang-he period.
NOTE.--The connoisseur will at once detect in this vase qualities hardly ever met with in Chinese porcelain. The technique leaves nothing to be desired, and the quality of the enamels and porcelain is of the very highest.
From the Collection of G. R. Davies, Esq.]
[Illustration: GREEN FAMILY--"FAMILLE VERTE."
The long, slim ladies' figures so often found in the decoration of very fine Kang-He blue and white represent what were known to the Dutchmen as _Lange Lijsen_, _Lange Lysen_, or "slender damsels." This name is familiar in its English form of "Long Elizas." The older pieces gave these figures very large heads, which later were drawn smaller. The style of hairdressing is also different. Bearing in mind the fact that imitations continued right down through the dynasties, drawing alone cannot be relied on as an indication of age.