Feb., 1912. Jade. 339 



ings, p. 32, Note). 1 It may very well be that the implement is Chinese 

 in origin and even prebuddhistic, and that, as in so many other things, 

 a kind of compromise took place, resulting in the assimilation and amal- 

 gamation of two ideas and two forms. 



Also Prof. Giles (I. c, p. 321) justly arrives at the conclusion that 

 the prevalence of the lotus-flower as a decoration, though due of course 

 to the influence of Buddhism, is scarcely sufficient evidence of "a 

 religious origin" (versus Davis). There is no doubt that the original 

 significance of this implement has been lost long ago. It seems to me 

 that it may have grown out of one of the early jade emblems of the 

 Chou period which, as we saw in Ch. II, were developed from ancient 

 types of implements, and that in the beginning it was a symbol of light, 

 generative power and fertility. The fact that on the occasion of his 

 marriage the emperor writes the character for dragon (lung) on a slip 

 of paper to be placed by four princesses in the palanquin of the em- 

 press, together with two jade Ju-i (Deveria, /. c), is doubtless an out- 

 come of that ancient idea. As said above, there are no ancient speci- 

 mens left, and material of this kind must be awaited, before a satisfactory 

 conclusion can be reached. 



Figure 1 on Plate LXVIII represents a Ju-i of iron, which may be 

 considered as one of the original forms of this instrument, the orna- 

 ments being incrustated with silver and gold wire (K'ien-lung period) ; 

 presumably, the oldest type of this implement is preserved in this 

 specimen. On the blade curved downward two dragons soaring in 

 the clouds are playing around the sun-ball. On the handle, eight 

 emblems are represented which are, — a fan consisting of a banana-leaf, 

 a two-edged sword, the sacrificial vase tsun, a pair of castanets, a cala- 

 bash, a flute, a blossoming flower, and a basket with handle. 



The sceptre in Fig. 2 (47.5 cm long) is carved from blackwood on 

 which three medallions carved from white jade are mounted with pic- 

 tures of plum-blossoms, fungus and chrysanthemums in relief. That 

 in Fig. 3 (40.7 cm long) is entirely carved from white jade with repre- 

 sentations of the gods of luck rowing over a lake in boats with a basket 

 supposed to contain their supernatural gifts. Rocks and pine-trees 

 fill the scenery. These three varieties represent all the essential types 

 of this implement. 



1 As is well known, the Ju-i occurs also in the hands of Taoist deities and priests, 

 Buddhist monks and nuns, especially on commemorative portraits of the latter in 

 temples. There is nothing of special interest in these that could throw light on the 

 subject. The Japanese seem to have nothing to say regarding it; at least, in their 

 great Buddhist Pantheon published under the title Shoso Butsu zo dzu-i (Vol. 5, 

 p. 16), only an outline figure of the Ju-i (nio-i) is given, without any comment. 



