Feb., 1912. Jade. 165 



On the disk in Fig. 3(7 mm thick) a running ch'ih, a hydra of lizard 

 shape in fiat relief, is brought out; on the obverse four pairs of double 

 spirals. The diameter is 6 cm, that of the perforation 2 cm, so that 

 it equals the width of the jade ring and the definition of the pi does 

 not fit exactly this case. 1 But judging from the style of ornamentation, 

 it belongs to this class. The color of jade is apple-green in various shades 

 clouded with numerous russet specks on both faces and the edge. 



The disk in Fig. 4 (8 cm in diameter and 4 mm thick) is of a gray- 

 white lustrous jade with a yellow-brown zone in the centre (called tai 

 "girdle" by the Chinese) cut out of the stone in this way intentionally. 

 The ornaments are here all engraved and perfectly identical on both 

 faces. The two designs above and below the circle are similar to those 

 on the dance hatchets of the Han period (Figs. 2 and- 3) and even seem 

 to imitate the outline of such a hatchet. 



The flat disk (Fig. 5 of Plate XXIII, diameter 4.5 cm) of irregular 

 thickness (1-2 mm) is covered with angular meander ornaments 

 scratched in on both sides. It is a light-green transparent jade with a 

 black yellow -mottled stratum in the left lower portion. 



The rectangular piece of green jade in Fig. 7 (4.7 cm long, 3.4 cm 

 wide, 3 mm thick) appears to me a fragment, though the four lateral 

 sides are polished. The decoration consists of rows of single spirals 

 known under the name "sleeping silkworm cocoons" which, as in- 

 dicated by the circular line below on the left, were arranged in a circular 

 band; hence it is probable that this piece originally formed part of a 

 disk. The lower face is unornamented. 



Another fragment which is easier to recognize as belonging to this 

 class is shown on Plate XXV, Fig. 3, which, if wholly preserved, would 

 doubtless be a specimen of great beauty; it is made of a sea-green jade 

 ground into a very thin slab not thicker than 1 mm and even only }4 

 mm at the outer edge. ' On the lower face, the same geometrical orna- 

 ments as on the upper face are carefully and deeply engraved, and it 

 seems as if the artist, when the pattern on one face was finished, held the 

 thin transparent plaque against the light to make a tracing of these 

 ornaments on the opposite face. When found, all the engraved lines 

 of this piece were filled with vermilion. 



The disk, the two faces of which are illustrated on Plate XXIV, 

 a and b, is a brilliant carving of light-gray jade (11.2 cm in diameter; 

 diameter of perforation 3.5 cm; 5 mm thick). The one side (a) is 

 decorated with geometric ornaments in undercut flat reliefs, the single 

 components consisting of the double spiral single or grouped by three, 

 raised dots and pointed wedges acting as space-fillers between. 



1 Pieces of these proportions are classed also by Wu among the pi. 



