Excerpt from Chinese Porcelain, Vol. 1 In addition to the works quoted from, there are others in both this and the French language, many of which might have been used with advantage; but to have employed them would have extended the size of this little volume beyond the limit of a hand-book, which it has already somewhat exceeded. Mr. T. J. Larkin has been good enough to read through the proofs, and the notes he has kindly appended the reader will find add greatly to the value of the work. Thanks are also due to Mr. Arbuthnot, of Shanghai, for sundry Chinese books. In conclusion, it only remains to thank Mr. Charles H. Read for kindly consenting to this book being dedicated to the memory of his old friend Sir W ellaston Franks. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This scholarly work traces the origins and development of porcelain in China, from its early production in the Tang dynasty through the Ming and Qing dynasties. Laufer and Nichols provide a comprehensive history of Chinese porcelain, including its artistic and cultural significance both in China and abroad. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Excerpt from Old Chinese Porcelain About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from A History and Description of Chinese Porcelain I cannot begin a preface to the last work of my much-regretted friend Mr. Cosmo Monkhouse without a word to express my deep feeling of his irreparable loss. The vanished hand will be more especially missed as that of a cultivated critic of the fascinating art of the Chinese potter. His loving appreciation of the decorative value of the porcelain of the Far East was fully shown in the scholarly introductions he wrote for the catalogues of the collections of Blue and White and Coloured Oriental Porcelains, which were exhibited at the Burlington Fine Arts Club in 1895 and 1896. No pen has ever painted more vividly the charm of the changes which the Chinese ring with varied tones of cobalt blue pulsating from the depths of a pellucid glaze; the brilliant ruby-like depth of the sang-de-boeuf and the soft sheen of the peau-de-pe'che, in which they have ennobled the copper silicates; or the perfect harmony of the pictures painted with delicate enamel colours upon a translucent egg-shell ground, which marks the cul minating point of their consummate mastery of the technique of the potter's art. But all these points are better emphasised in the pages of the book which it has been my privilege to look through before its publication. The text was really ready for the Press, and I have only ventured to add an occasional ex planatory note, always carefully initialed. The coloured plates were also finished, so that it only remained for me toselect a series of typical pieces for reproduction in black-and white, and to write a short description of the illustrations. There is such a wonderful exhibition of Chinese ceramic art at the present moment in the halls of the Victoria and Albert Museum at South Kensington that it must be my own fault if a fairly representative series is not presented here. I am sure that Mr. Monkhouse would not have been sparing in his thanks to Mr. G. Salting for the generous way in which he has placed his magnificent collection at our disposal, and to Mr. A. B. Skinner for the personal interest he has taken in furthering the preparation of the pictures. Acknowledgments are also due to M. Solon, foremost of art potters of the day, for kindly revising the proofs; so that any of the technical points involved may be taken without further question. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from How to Identify Old Chinese Porcelain To several kind friends I also tender thanks for their kindness in allowing their valuable porcelain to be photographed. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Chinese Porcelain, Vol. 2 In the sixteenth century porcelain was so highly esteemed in Europe that many pieces were mounted in silver, and it is reasonable to suppose that the best specimens were selected for this honour. N ow, except, perhaps, where historical value attaches, as in the case of the Trenchard and Warham bowls, the mountings, as samples of early silver work, are of more value than the china they were originally designed to protect and ornament. The reason for this being that much finer porcelain has since come to hand; while to give value, artistic merit is necessary, as well as mere antiquity; and in the former qualification the Ming productions have been greatly distanced by the Tsing. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.