Feb., 1912. 



Jade. 



177 



sides, shows a strongly conventionalized figure of the tiger with an 

 arrangement of spiral ornaments on the body such as is met with also 

 on other jade pieces connected with the symbolism of the quarters. 



In Fig. 84 a jade carving of a reclining tiger is reproduced after Wu, 

 which I believe was the type buried on the right side of the corpse, as 

 described in the Chou li; for 

 the lower face of this specimen 

 is flat and is provided with two 

 oval cavities intercommunicating 

 below the surface for the pass- 

 age of a thread, and exactly the 

 same method is employed with 

 other jade burial pieces of this 

 description in our collection, in- 

 dicating that they were fastened 

 to the grave-clothes. For this 

 reason, I believe to be justified 

 in this identification. 



The Ku yii Vu p'u (Chs. 22 

 and 23) has deluged us with no 

 less than twelve of these jade 

 carvings of tigers. This very 

 number is apt to cause suspicion, 

 and our suspicion must increase, 

 as all these specimens have their 

 definitions carved into their 

 lower faces and even some the 

 character hu on the front. This 

 was certainly not customaiy in 

 the Chou period. The speci- 

 mens of Wu demonstrate that 

 there must have existed a large 

 variety of these tiger-jades. The 

 Ku yii t'u p'u, however, has only one type different from those of Wu 

 and conjugated through the paradigma of the usual decorative scheme. 

 This shows that these twelve specimens are merely artificial and imagin- 

 ary reconstructions, devoid of archaeological value. In Fig. 85 one 

 may be given as example which is sufficient for all. This monster does 

 not bear any resemblance to the traditional representations of the tiger, 

 but is evidently a fish -monster with dorsal fins. This supposition is 

 confirmed by two other figures of hu in the same book which are actually 

 covered with fish-scales styled "whale -pattern" (king win). These 



Fig. 82. 



Jade Carving of Tiger's Head, Upper and Lower 



Faces. 



