THE GEORGE EUMORFOPOULOS COLLECTION. Catalogue of the 'Chinese, Corean, and
Persian Pottery and Porcelain. By R. L. Hobson. Volume IV. The.Ming-Dynasty. (Ernest Benn. £12 12s.)—The wares made in' China under the rule of the Ming emperors had lost the subtle beauty of form so conspicuous in the pottery of the T'ang and Sung periods ; their shapes, though generally virile and dignified, do not always escape being ungainly. Colour is the master quality of Ming pottery. as a glance at the fine plates in this new volume of the Eumorfopoulos Catalogue will amply prove ; indeed, no pottery ever made surpasses in splendour of hue the blues, purples, and greens of the Ming glazes. In Sung pottery the tones, with all their exquisite beauty, arc not their equal in power, whilst in the porcelains of the eighteenth century the colours, in spite of their wide range, lack the fulness and depth characteristic of Ming. The blue-and-white. Ming poreelams were at one time little esteemed, being.regarded as inferior forerunners of the brilliant hawthorn jars and similar triumphs of the reign of Wang Hid. It is now recognized that they by far outstrip the K'ang Hsi wares in vitality' ..1:4 draughtsmanship, whilst in the lasting satisfaction tii be derived from the various shades of cobalt pigment employed they are at least their equals. These critical questions can well be studied in the volume before us, which is likely to appeal to the layman by the sheer attractiveness of the pieces depicted as much as any of its predecessors; specialist will find in it the latest results of Mr. Hobson's invaluable researches.
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