Note 362 — Chapter XI · K’ANG HSI MONOCHROMES

See d’Entrecolles, loc. cit., sections iv. and v. After describing the preparation of the steatite (hua shih) by mixing it with water, he continues: “Then they dip a brush in the mixture and trace various designs on the porcelain, and when they are dry the glaze is applied. When the ware is fired, these designs emerge in a white which differs from that of the body. It is as though a faint mist had spread over the surface. The white from hoa che (hua shih or steatite) is called ivory white, siam ya pe (hsiang ya pai).” In the next section he describes another material used for white painting under the glaze. This is shih kao, which has been identified with fibrous gypsum.