Feb., 191 2. Jade. 289 



of luck in itself, but besides this, the color is supposed in this case to be 

 readable with its name hung "red" which is punned upon with another 

 word hung "great." A pun is also underlying the cloud symbolism, as 



Fig. 192. 

 Jade Court-Girdle of the Officials of the T'ang Dynasty, ornamented with Bats and Clouds 



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



the compound yiin hia "clouds and vapor" is used; and the word kia, 

 in the compound chu kia "to implore blessings," is written with the 

 same phonetic element as the word hia "vapor;" here, accordingly, is 

 a double symbolism, phonetic and one of subject-matter. 



While the designs on these three girdles are plainly Chinese, we meet 

 on the plaques on the next girdle in Fig. 193 a floral design of Persian 



