Feb., 1912. Jade. 335 



the same reason the tree chosen (Plate LXVI) is the pomegranate 

 (shih-liu, Giles No. 7258), the fruit of which is also an emblem of 

 anti-race-suicide. Five large fruits of agate carved in forms surpris- 

 ingly true to nature are hanging from the tree. The blossoming 

 trees also express the sentence tse sun ch'ang ts'ing, "may your sons 

 and grandsons always flourish!" 



The leaves are cut out partially of jade, partially of turquoise, some 

 are made of copper-foil. The petals composing the blossoms are all 

 carved out of different kinds of jade, agate, and cornelian. To the 

 right below there is a bush of red berries, and the fungus of immortality 

 (ling chih). The other pot (Plate LXVII) is less uniform in the compo- 

 sition of the plant design, but richer in color. Eight bunches of various 

 species of chrysanthemums are grouped here side by side, the petals of 

 the blossoms being cut out of jade and coral. As the chrysanthemum 

 is called fu kuei hua " flower of wealth and honorable position," the wish 

 fu kuei is expressed by the gift of this flowerpot. 



On Plate LXVIII, three objects are grouped, the one in Fig. 1 of 

 iron, the two others of jade. These objects, peculiar to the Chinese, are 

 known under the name Ju-i, a phrase meaning "as you desire, according 

 to your wish." At the present time, on the occasion of a birthday or 

 of New Year, this instrument is bestowed upon high dignitaries, or 

 by the courtiers on the sovereign, 1 simply with the idea of implying 

 good washes. Formerly, it was made also of gold, silver, rhinoceros 

 horn, bone, rock-crystal, bamboo, amber 2 and even iron, all of which 

 have now grown out of fashion; it is now usually carved from wood 3 

 which is inlaid with jade plaques in the centre, and at the two ends, as 

 shown in our Fig. 2, Plate LXVIII, while the specimen in Fig. 3 of the 

 same Plate, entirely carved from jade, occupies an exceptional place. 



1 This appears e.g. from a Ju-i in the Bishop collection (Vol. II, p. 147) engraved 

 with the inscription: "Made at the imperial manufactory. With reverential vows 

 for a succession of fertile (fing) years, and that throughout (hien) the world every 

 wish be fulfilled! Respectfully presented (to the emperor) by his servant Wu King." 

 The two words hien and fing introduced into the stanza doubtless contain an allusion 

 to the period Hien-fing (1851-1861) which allows us to infer that this sceptre was 

 presented to the emperor who reigned under this title. Dr. Bushell states that in 

 the palace of the emperor a sceptre is placed in every reception-room upon a table 

 before the throne, usually made of carved wood or red lacquer, with three plaques 

 of jade inserted and often inlaid with jewels. It figures also among imperial presents 

 to high dignitaries as a mark of special distinction. 



2 Sun K'uan, the later Wu Ta-ti (181-252 a. d., Giles, Biographical Dictionary, 

 p. 613) is recorded to have owned a Ju-i of amber, while he still was prince of Wu. 

 The story goes that he heard of P'an Fu-j£n whose father he had condemned to death, 

 being a great beauty. He ordered her portrait to be painted, and when the picture 

 was brought before him, he was seized with such joyful surprise that he exclaimed: 

 "This is a divine woman!" and struck the table with his amber Ju-i which thus 

 broke to pieces. 



3 There are also specimens of porcelain, brass, gold-plated brass, and even glass. 



