Feb., 1912. 



Jade. 



101 



in reality basins to hold aromatic wine, but another opinion is expressed 

 by Cheng K'ang-ch'eng who says: "For the great mountains and 

 rivers, the great chang is used, with 

 the addition of ornaments; for the 

 middle mountains and rivers, the mid- 

 dle chang is used, with proportionately 

 smaller ornaments; for the small 

 mountains and rivers, the pien chang 

 was used, with only a half decoration, 

 — which may be recognized from the 

 fact that only the upper half of the 

 chang is carved with ornaments." 



The jade tablet in Fig. 34 has been 

 identified by Wu with this tablet 

 chang, and it is possibly a pien chang. 

 The linear ornaments in the triangular 

 portion are engraved only on the upper 

 face, the lower face being plain. It 

 is stated to be of green jade with russet 

 speckles. 



The Chou li (Biot, Vol. II, p. 527) 

 mentions a jade tablet called ya chang, 

 i. c. the tablet chang with a tooth 

 which serves to mobilize troops, and 

 to administrate the military posts. 

 Hence, says Wu Ta-ch'eng, its form 

 has been chosen from among military 

 weapons, and its head resembles a 

 knife, while its long sides have no 

 blade; it usually goes under the name 

 of " jade knife" (yii tao); in all kuei 

 and chang, the two sides are straight 

 whereas this one is the only type with 

 sides curved like teeth, and hence the 

 name. Figure 35 illustrates the spec- 

 imen thus described which is of dark- 

 green and white jade; it has the 

 shape of a knife with sloping upper 

 and lower edges and a pierced handle clearly set off from the 

 body. The commentator Cheng Se-nung remarks: "The ya chang 

 is carved into the shape of a tooth; teeth symbolize warfare, 

 and hence troops are levied by means of this instrument, for 



o 



Fig. 34. 

 Jade Tablet, chang. 



