142 Chinese Clay Figures 



The Ling piao lu i ki l says, " The rhinoceros, in general, resembles an 

 ox in form. Its hoofs and feet are like those of the elephant. It has 

 a double armor and two horns. The one on the forehead is styled se si; 

 the other, on the nose, which is comparatively smaller, is termed hu mao 

 si. 2 The designs and spots in the anterior horn are small; many have 

 extraordinary patterns. The male rhinoceros likewise has two horns, 

 both of which are designated mao si ('hairy rhinoceros'), and are 

 provided with grain patterns. 3 They are capable of being worked into 

 plaques for girdles. 4 Among a large number of rhinoceros-horns there 



timber will suddenly break down, and the animal will topple in front without being 

 able for a long time to rise. Then they attack and kill it.' " The conclusion is 

 translated above in the text. 



1 In the Ptn ts'ao, and otherwise, usually styled Ling piao lu i. According to Bret- 

 schneider (Bot. Sin., pt. i, p. 170), it is an account of the natural productions of 

 China by Liu Sun of the T'ang dynasty. 



2 Hirth and Rockhill (Chau Ju-kua, p. 233), briefly alluding to this text, under- 

 stand the terms se si and hu mao si as two different varieties of the rhinoceros. This 

 point of view seems to me inadmissible, as Liu Sun distinctly speaks of the two-horned 

 variety only, and then goes on to specify the two horns in the same animal, which 

 differing in size and shape are, from a commercial and industrial standpoint, of dif- 

 ferent value. The term Hu mao (' cap of the Hu ' ; the Hu in general designate peoples 

 of Central Asia, Turks and Iranians) is a very appropriate designation for the anterior 

 horn of this species, which is a low, flat, roundish knob, and indeed resembles a small 

 skull-cap. In the Ming kung shi (Ch. 4, p. 8; new edition in movable types, 1910, in 

 8 chs.), a most interesting description of the life at the Court of the Ming dynasty 

 (compare Hirth, T'oung Pao, Vol. VI, 1895, p. 440), this cap is explained as coming 

 down from the T'ang dynasty, and as having been used by the heir-apparent of the 

 Ming; it was made from sable and ermine skins, and worn in the winter on hunting- 

 expeditions to keep the ears warm. It is mentioned in T'ang shu, Ch. 24, p. 8 (and 

 presumably in other passages). 



3 Li Shi-chen (p. 150) expands this theme. Fang I-chi, who graduated in 1640, in 

 his Wu li siao shi (Ch. 8, p. 20 b), states that only the rhinoceros-horn of Siam has 

 grain patterns, while they are absent in the hairy (that is, the double-horned) rhi- 

 noceros of Annam, which has flower-like and spotted designs. 



4 In the Treasure-House of Nara in Japan are preserved objects carved from 

 rhinoceros-horn coming down from the T'ang period, as leather belts with horn 

 plaques, drinking-cups, Ju-i, and back-scratchers. The girdles studded with plaques 

 carved from the horn seem to make their appearance in China under the T'ang 

 dynasty; the assertion of Bushell (Chinese Art, Vol. I, p. 119) that they were the 

 "official" girdles of the dynasty does not seem to be justified: at least, they are 

 not enumerated in the class of official girdles, but seem to have been restricted to 

 the use of princesses (compare the account of Tu yang tsa pien, translated below, 

 p. 152). Interesting texts bearing on rhinoceros-horn girdles are communicated in T'u 

 shu tsi ch'ing (Chapter on Girdles, tai p'ei, ki shi, p. 9 b). Such girdles were made 

 also in Champa: the Sung Annals (Sung shi, Ch. 489, p. 2) relate a tribute sent from 

 there in the period Hien-tg (954-962) of the Hou Chou dynasty; it was local products 

 including rhinoceros-horn girdles with plaques carved in the form of cloud-dragons. 

 A rhinoceros-horn girdle sent from the Court of the Sung to that of the Khitan is men- 

 tioned in Liao shi (Ch. 10, p. 1). Under the Kin dynasty (1 1 15-1234) the materials 

 employed for official costume were ranked in the order jade, gold, rhinoceros-horn, 

 ivory {Kin shi, Ch. 34, § 3, p. 7). The emperor wore a hat-pin of rhinoceros-horn, 

 and a girdle of black horn (wu si tai) ; the imperial saddle was decorated with gold, 

 silver, rhinoceros-horn, and ivory. Officials of the second rank and higher were en- 

 titled to a girdle of the t'ung si horn; those of the third rank, to a girdle of the hua si 

 horn; the rest, to plain rhinoceros-horn girdles (ibid., Ch. 43). They were in vogue also 



