inas, and do not rate them as true
porcelains. Only a hard paste, or kaolin ware, is acknowledged by
experts to be genuine porcelain. Now all this sounds very simple. By
putting the kaolin and the petuntse together in the right proportions,
moulding the clay, and afterward applying to it a glaze of some sort
the Chinese made their porcelain, and very beautiful porcelain it
was. Some day I will tell you more about it. This porcelain was not
only very hard but was semi-translucent; by that I mean that if it was
held to the light one could see the glow through it. It was not, of
course, transparent like glass. These two qualities of hardness and
translucence help us to distinguish porcelain from pottery."

Again Mr. Croyden stopped.

"For example, Canton ware, commonly known as Canton china, is not
really china at all, but is instead a fine quality of stone, or
earthenware, coated over with a slip or glaze containing porcelain.
Nor is the exquisite Satsuma ware china; that too is a pottery."

Theo listened intently.

"Now all this time the Chinese kept the secret of how they made their
wares to themselves, not sharing their knowledge with any outside
peoples. Many a nation would have given almost anything to know from
what materials the beautiful bowls, vases, and dishes were made. It
would have saved years and years of the toil of patient men. But the
Chinese had no mind to tell any one. Instead, they went on making more
and more pottery and porcelain, improving their work with each
successive generation. It is amusing to recall that while our
ancestors in England were barbarians, and were eating out of the
crudest clay vessels or from trenchers of wood, the Chinese were
enjoying the luxury of the finest pottery and porcelain."

Theo's eyes opened very wide.

"Undoubtedly the Chinese deserved the good results they obtained, for
they selected their clays with extreme care; ground and mixed them
most skilfully; modeled each piece with the keenest feeling for its
beauty and perfection; and decorated it in a truly artistic spirit.

"In the meantime they constantly became more and more expert. They
began to learn the use of colors, and to perfect them. Some of the
blues or cobalts they employed have never been surpassed. One for
instance is the blue used on their Nankin china, and known as Nankin
blue."

"Did the Japanese make pottery too?" questioned Theo.

"Yes, but we do not know exactly how early they began to m