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



with something quite unexpected like the figure of a monkey. Thus, a 

 girdle-ornament may attract a person's attention to the wearer and 

 lead to the making of acquaintances. The esthetic enjoyment evinced 

 by the Chinese over the sight of this carving is enhanced by a layer of 

 •/"., brown agate-like color strewn 



only over the opposite side, while 

 the front is of a pure gray-white 

 tinge. 



Figure 2, of the same Plate, 

 is the carving of an elephant (5 

 cm X 2.7 cm) covered with a 

 saddle-cloth 1 on the back of 

 which the dual symbol of Yang 

 and Yin in a circle is brought 

 out. This piece is almost rec- 

 tangular in shape and creates the 

 impression that the artist's first 

 thought was not to carve the 

 figure of an elephant, but that 

 he chanced on a piece of crude 

 jade of this shape which sug- 

 gested to him the form of an 

 elephant. Then he set to work 

 to solve his task very ingen- 

 iously. The animal is turning 

 its head back, i. e. it is carved 

 in high relief on the front side of 

 the plaque ; the four feet are cut 

 out on the lower side, as also in 

 the preceding figure of the horse. 

 In this case too, a color surprise 

 is brought in; the surface in front is gray in color framed by brown 

 tinges, while the other side is entirely imbued with a deep red- 

 brown hue. 



The carving represented in Fig. 3 of Plate XXXI is a reclining cow 

 with a young calf in the same position at her side (4.5 cm X 2.7 cm), 

 of the same jade with the same color effects as in the two preceding 

 pieces. 



In Fig. 4 two goats admirably carved from one pebble are peacefully 



1 Such elephants are frequently used as ornaments in the sense of tribute-bearers 

 with gifts for the imperial court. We have in the Mrs. Blackstone collection sev- 

 eral splendid bronze sets of the five sacrificial vessels (wu kung) mounted on elephants 

 and lions with an elaborate treatment of this motive. 



Fig. iso. 

 Jade Implement to loosen Knots 

 (from Ku yu t'u p'u). 



