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



the Chou period. There is, further, in our collection a unique bronze 

 two-edged sword of the age of the Chou, on the handle of which the 

 fine figure of a tiger is engraved, while the blade is decorated with 

 parallel stripes in black lacquer, in all probability denoting the stripes 

 of the tiger's fur. There can be no doubt of the intention of the sym- 

 bolism here brought out; it seems to convey the belief that this sword 

 was to be imbued with the strength, spirit and prowess of the tiger, 

 and that his double picture essentially increased its power. We have 

 seen that tiger-heads are represented on the bronze pegs of the Chou 

 wheel-naves (Plate XVI) where they apparently act as defenders of 

 the chariot; they are likewise familiar to us on the bronze vases of the 

 Chou and the Han, and particularly on the Han mortuary pottery 

 vases as relief -heads on the sides. We also remember the running 

 tigers designed in hunting-scenes on the relief-bands of those vases. 

 They occur again as full figures in the bronze tallies used in the mili- 

 tary administration of the Han, 1 and in many other examples. This 

 manifold utilization of the tiger furnishes evidence for the ancient 

 belief of the Chinese in his divine powers and attributes, which cul- 

 minated in the erection of his image for the worship of that celestial 

 and terrestrial region ruled by his spirit, the West. It may be well 

 to bear this in mind in view of the great importance that the tiger has 

 later assumed in Taoism which is composed of popular notions going 

 back in their foundation to a large extent into times of earliest antiq- 

 uity. 



Another anthropomorphic creation of the ancient Chinese is the 

 monster Vao-tHeh which frequently occurs in conventionalized designs 

 on early bronzes. Dr. Bushell (in Bishop, Vol. II, p. 106) made the 

 following suggestive remark on this subject: "The gluttonous ogre 

 with a fang projecting on each side, no doubt figures the all-devouring 

 storm-god of the Chinese, with a background of clouds. The scrolls 

 indicate thunder {lei). The ancient hieroglyph representing this was 

 composed originally of a cross with the 4 ends terminating in spiral 

 curves. The Chinese believe that bronze vessels were first cast by 

 their old sovereign Yu the Great, and moulded by him with the forms 

 of the storm-gods of the hills and the waters, so that the people might 

 recognize their dreaded features and avoid them." It is matter for 

 regret that Dr. Bushell did not develop his view by giving the material 

 on which he based it. We hear indeed of a Master of the Wind and a 

 Master of the Rain in the third century b. c. and in Se-ma Ts'ien, 2 

 and Bushell's opinion would furnish a sensible explanation for the 



1 Chavannes, Se-ma Ts'ien, Vol. II, p. 466. 

 ? Chavannes, Se-ma Ts'ien, Vol. Ill, p. 444. 



