CHINA
on the ware itself. Among the latter are figures of the Virgin Mary, of St. Paul, of St. John, of the Twelve Apostles, and so forth. These occur on specimens in the collections of the Duke of Normandy (1363), of Charles V. (1380), and of the Duke of Berry (1416). Now it is known that from the sixth century Nestorian missionaries carried on the work of propagandism in China; that from the beginning of the fourteenth century the field which they had hitherto monopolised was shared by the Minorites; and that both fell with the fall of the Yuan dynasty of Mongols (1368), not to be replaced until the rise of the Portuguese settlement at Macao, in 1517. It might, therefore, be supposed that porcelain such as that described in the three collections mentioned above, owed its decorative designs to the inspiration of Roman Catholic priests residing in China. But it is almost certain that the Chinese potters of the Yuan era had not carried the art of painting in blue sous couverte to a point such as would be indicated by the representation of saintly personages. The student is therefore constrained to think that the examples adduced by M. du Sartel were of mother-of-pearl, not of keramic ware. The reader can judge for himself:—
Inventaire du Duc de Normandie (1363).
Un tableau de pourcellaine quarré, de plusieurs pièces, et au milieu l'ymage de Nostre-Dame, garny d'argent, doré à ouvrage d’oultremer.
Inventaire de Charles V (1380).
Un tableau quarré de pourcelaine où d’un côté est l'ymage de Nostre-Dame en un esmail d’azur et plusieurs autres
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