Feb., 1912. Jade. 243 



resting side by side; the jade is also gray and brown (size 5.7 cm X 2.2 

 cm). 1 



The carving (6.5 cm X 4 cm) in Fig. 5 represents a drake and duck, 

 surrounded by lotus-flowers and leaves and holding the ends of the 

 stems in their beaks. This design has its foundation in a phonetic 

 rebus based on the word lien "lotus" written with the phonetic element 

 lien "to connect, join." The two ducks are joined (lien) in partnership 

 by the lotuses (lien), alluding to conjugal happiness. 



In the carving in Fig. 6 two mandarin-ducks are represented swim- 

 ming side by side, holding their heads together; their feet in the act of 

 swimming are brought out in flat relief on the lower side. 2 It is of a 

 jade yellow-brown in tinge interspersed with black patches. 



These six pieces represent animal-figures in plastic execution and 

 are all exquisite in the choice and workmanship of the design. They 

 must certainly belong to the sources from which the Japanese received 

 the stimulus for their Netsuke. It is difficult to fix a date for these 

 carvings with absolute certainty; the Chinese range them in the K'ien- 

 lung period (1 736-1 795 a. d.). They are certainly not modern for two 

 reasons; first, being made of a jade material no longer available, and 

 second, being of a superior workmanship not attained by any article of 

 the present time. 



The two pendants in Figs. 7 and 8 of Plate XXXI are of a different 

 technique; the one (7 cm X 4-5 cm) being a flat dragon cut out and 

 sculptured on both sides alike, of gray jade; the other (6.3 cm X 3 cm) 

 a thin heart-shaped plaque of the type chi sin p'ei (see pp. 234, 238) ; on 

 the lower face, the same escutcheon-like figure 3 with the same designs 

 is carved as in Fig. 147. On the upper face, a hydra half in open-work 

 and half in relief holding this part in its mouth gracefully encircles the 

 plaque. It is of fine milk-white jade with a thin layer of brown patches 

 in the upper surface. We note how the traditions of the Han period 

 are still alive and efficient, and how deeply and lastingly they must 

 impress the minds of the Chinese. 



The three following carvings, though not girdle-pendants, may 

 conclude these notes, as the subjects embodied in them move on similar 

 lines. 



The three carvings of animals grouped on Plate XXXII are used as 

 paper-weights, if employed for a practical purpose, and are good speci- 

 mens of this kind of work, as turned out in the K'ien-lung epoch. 



Figure 1 is a large carving of gray jade with brown spots on the lower 



^Compare A. Brockhaus, Netsuke, p. 438. Brockhaus admits the Chinese 

 origin of the Japanese goat Netsuke, since Japan has neither goats nor sheep. 



2 See Laufer, Chinese Grave-Sculptures of the Han Period, p. 18, and Plate III. 



3 It exactly agrees with what is called the spade-shield in our heraldry. 



