264 Field Museum or Natural History — Anth., Vol. X. 



it was only an equine ornament in its origin and later transferred from 

 the horse to the man, with the idea perhaps of imparting to him the 

 strength and alacrity of the animal. This supposition, however, re- 

 mains hypothetical, though it may be suggestive. It would form a 

 notable analogy to the wearing of nose-rings by men, supposed to be 

 derived from buffalo's nose-rings to instill the buffalo's strength into 



Fig. 168. 

 Ancient Jade Buckle with the Motive "Mantis catching the Cicada' 



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



the body of man (see Laufer, Anneaux nasaux en Chine, T'oung Pao, 

 1905, pp. 321-323). 



The Ku yii Vu p'u (Chs. 57 and 58) offers several interesting jade 

 buckles which may presumably lay claim to authenticity. The one 

 represented in Fig. 168 in two views is explained to symbolize the motive 

 "the praying-mantis (mantis religiosa) catching the cicada." The man- 

 tis x forms the head of the buckle; the cicada is carved on the tail in 



1 T'ang-lang. The character here written fang (Giles No. 10774) should proper- 

 ly be written with No. 10762. 



