Abstract
IN a charming series of essays on “Fallen Idols,” the late Mr. M. L. Solon, of Stoke-on-Trent-one of our most learned students of the history of ceramics-discussed some types of antique pottery which he ranked among the “transient glories of the world,” because at one period these vessels, made from common clay, were the idols of the hour, and exceeded in value vessels made from the most precious materials. The idols were but fleeting fashions which have now lapsed into obscure tradition. It is the work of the archaeological ceramist to inquire into the nature and character of the pottery of ancient days. In many cases the greater the obscurity and the fewer the number of available facts, the more persistent have been the attempts to illumine dark and hazy tradition by extravagant conjectures. By a curious aberration of the human mind, the absence of positive evidence is very prone to engender assurance and confidence; this condition has ever been an ignis fatuus, luring the unwary into quagmires of fancy. What whimsical and grotesque views have grown about the murrhine vases, the ollae fossiles, and the buccaro vases! What curious myths have been current with respect to the origin of Chinese porcelain!
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MELLOR, J. The Beginnings of Porcelain in China. Nature 100, 88–89 (1917). https://doi.org/10.1038/100088a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/100088a0