142 Field Museum of Natural History — Anth., Vol. X. 



two kuei lie in one vertical zone. It will be seen that the perforation 

 (with a diameter of 5.5 cm) is not in the centre of the disk with a 

 diameter varying between 13 and 13.5 cm (1.1-1.5 cm thick). The 



kuei are very short and of 

 irregular shapes, the sides not 

 being straight, as in the pre- 

 ceding piece, but curved. The 

 surface is much decomposed, 

 owing to chemical action un- 

 derground, and has, for the 

 greater part, been changed 

 into a dark yellow-brown, 

 while in some spots, partic- 

 ularly on the edge, a light 

 apple-green of the original 

 (?) color is still visible. 



These two objects must 

 be distinguished from those 

 previously described; the lat- 

 ter are real images of Earth. These, however, are merely symbols 

 accompanying the sacrifice, and not objects of worship. Their posi- 

 tion in the cult is similar to that of the jade tablets which were sent 



along with any official 

 presents. It is a symbol 

 of rank, the degree of 

 rank being expressed by 

 the two attached kuei. 

 This is evidenced by the 

 fact that in the ordinary 

 sacrifices to Heaven and 

 in the extraordinary 

 sacrifices offered to the 

 Supreme Ruler Shang-ti a 

 similar jade disk was em- 

 ployed, but set with four 



Fig. 66. 



Tube, Isu ts'ung, of Yellow Jade, ' 'permeated by Mercury." 



JUL 



m^ 



3E^ " •** 



^ 



Fig. 67. 



Tube, tsu ts'ung, of Green Jade with Black Zone interspersed kuei fBlOT Vol I D 4.86) 

 with White Specks. ^ ' • > F - t- / > 



arranged crosswise. A 

 disk, but not perforated, with but one kuei at the upper end, served 

 in the sacrifices to the Sun, the Moon, the Planets and Constellations 

 {Ibid., p. 488), and a perforated disk to which a chang, i. e. half of a 

 kuei, was attached, served for the sacrifices offered to the Mountains 

 and Rivers. The latter could be used also in ceremonious offering of 



