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



with admirable cleverness. The rim is girt with a wreath of black 

 parallel strips; a black-veined band is thrown in a bold sweep across, 

 suggesting a flock of startled birds hurriedly seeking shelter from the 

 dark rain-clouds gathering above. On the lower side of the rim, the 

 lusus naturce has attained a still greater triumph, the black veins running 

 parallel with the rim, being suggestive of a tiger-skin, or when viewed 

 from a distance, of a snow-landscape filled with bare hill-ranges. 



The flowervase shown on Plate XLIX, Fig. i (19 cm high), is carved 

 from a Han jade, yellow-brown mottled with black streaks; it is un- 

 adorned, the artistic effect resting in the gracefulness of its shape and in 

 the natural play of the various colors. It is a work of the K'ien-lung 

 period (173 6- 1795). Figure 2 is also a flowervase of the same date and 

 likewise produced from a red-mottled milk-white jade of the Han 

 period (19 cm high). It is flat (3.5 cm wide) with rounded lateral 

 sides. The floral design in flat relief is identical on both sides. A band 

 of leaf ornaments is laid around the neck, and a fret of scrollwork around 

 the rim. The two handles are shaped into dragon-heads. 



The bowl (9.5 cm high, diameter of opening 26.5 cm), two views of 

 which are shown on Plates L and LI, is carved from a jade-like serpen- 

 tine with ornaments cut out as in cameo-work. It is posed on five 

 low feet in the shape of cloud-patterns, the entire bowl with these feet 

 being cut out of one piece of stone. The band of ornaments as seen in 

 the illustration runs around the whole vessel. It is divided into two 

 equal sections by two projecting knobs having the function of handles. 

 The pattern consists of conventional forms of chrysanthemums and 

 serrated leaves laid in elegant curves. On the bottom (Plate LI), two 

 butterflies and a design of leaves are cut out in relief. The tips of the 

 leaves on the left are rolled up into spirals and made into the appearance 

 of fungi of immortality {ling chih) , so that the rebus ling tieh is evidently 

 brought out here, "may you reach high age!" 



This piece was exposed to a fire wdiich has caused a discoloration of 

 the original leaf-green color into a pale yellow-white along the upper 

 portion both outside and inside. 1 The date of this bowl is to be referred 

 to the K'ien-lung period (i736-i795);itisa product of the great renais- 

 sance movement then going on in the perfection of design and technique. 



1 Mr. Bishop (Vol. II, p. 240) describes a jadeite armlet (cho-tse) "showing the 

 effects of fire action or heat to which it was exposed during a conflagration in 1878. 

 Previous to the fire the coloration was a mottling of pea-green, gray, and brown. 

 The purplish hue of the brown now seen on the armlet is due to stainings of the iron 

 or bronze with which it was in contact during the fire. The heat has crackled the 

 material throughout, and has completely cracked the ring at one side, the parting 

 of the crack having a width of half a millimetre. The piece has suffered more on 

 one side than the other, which still retains its polish. It is interesting as a well 

 authenticated burnt piece of iadeite." 



