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



used as amulets for the protection of the corpse, and we have two large 

 jade carvings of fishes originating from graves (Plate XLI, Figs. 1 and 2) 

 so that we can but imagine that the fish must have had a particular 

 relation to the dead. 



Figure 79 is derived also from Wu, a huang of white jade in which 

 "mercury is absorbed;" but the author says nothing to elucidate this 

 specimen. 



The Ku yii Vu p'u offers a variety of these huang in Ch. 24, the first 

 of which is here reproduced in Fig. 80. It would be all right as a 

 specimen, if the alleged inscription on the huang of Lii Shang, above 

 referred to, were not carved on the back of this piece in a neat style 

 of ancient characters, so that in all likelihood the whole affair is a daring 

 forgery of the Sung period. And it is positively asserted in the text 

 that this object is identical in fact with the legendary tablet of Lii 

 Shang discovered in the carp's belly! All the other huang are of the 

 same shape with a variety of patterns and all nicely inscribed; it is 

 not worth while speaking of them. 



The Chou li says (p. 120) that homage is rendered to the region of 

 the East with "the green tablet kuei." We remember that Wu Ta- 

 ch'eng has figured a specimen under this name (Fig. 28). But the 

 commentaries to the Chou li insist upon this jade emblem being pointed 

 like a lance-head, and remark that it symbolizes the spring (correspond- 

 ing to the East) and the beginning growth of creation (wu ch'u sheng). 

 It was, in consequence, a symbol of fertility indicating the awakening 

 of nature in the spring, and therefore also green in color. And in its 

 origin, as we pointed out also for other reasons, it was no doubt a phallic 

 emblem. 



With the red tablet chang, worship is paid to the region of the South 

 corresponding to the summer to which the red color refers. We gained 

 some idea of the appearance of this symbol from Figs. 34 and 35. As 

 far as I know, no specimen which would allow of identification with 

 this particular symbol of worship has survived. The commentators 

 interpret that the chang, being half of the tablet kuei, symbolizes the 

 dying of half of the creatures during the summer. It was, accordingly, 

 found by way of geometric construction and symbolism. In the Ritual 

 Code of the Present Dynasty (Huang ch'ao li k'i Vu shih, Ch. 1, p. 14 b) 

 it is expressly remarked that no unanimity regarding the shape of this 

 chang has been reached, and that it is therefore no longer used in the 

 worship of the sun. In 1748 it was stipulated that the disk pi of red 

 color with a diameter of 4 \% inches, a perforation of i 4 inch in diameter, 

 and i 5 o inch in thickness should be employed in the imperial Temple of 

 the Sun (Ji Van) for the worship of the Sun. In other words, this means 



