172 Chinese Clay Figures 



square and rectangular cubes in which Chinese seals are shaped, and 

 to cut such a seal out of ox-horn is impossible. 



Finally, the memorable passage in the Chou li from which we started, 

 and that is discussed in the following chapter, regarding the manufacture 

 of hide armor, is sufficient evidence in itself that the hide in question 

 is only that of the rhinoceros. Mr. Giles renders the words se and si 

 indiscriminately by "bovine animal;" it is manifest, however, from the 

 text in question, that se and si are two distinct animals, but can by no 

 means be two distinct bovine animals. It will be seen that the Chou li 

 speaks of three kinds of cuirasses, — those made from the hide of the 

 two-horned rhinoceros (si), which consist of seven layers, and will last a 

 hundred years; those made from the hide of the single-horned rhinoceros 

 (se) , which consist of six layers, and will last two hundred years ; and those 

 made from a combination of both hides, which consist of five layers, and 

 will last three hundred years. The skin of the rhinoceros was utilized 

 for the manufacture of hide armor, because it was the thickest and 

 strongest known in the animal kingdom, 1 and because the rhinoceros 

 was justly considered a strong, warlike, and long-lived creature (see 

 p. 159); and the qualities of the animal were believed to be transfused 

 into the body of the wearer of the cuirass. The single-horned rhinoceros 

 was the bigger and stronger of the two species known ; and for this reason 

 armor from its hide was believed to last twice as long as that of the 

 two-horned kind. We notice that there is a close interrelation between 

 the number of layers of the hide and the number of years that the 

 armor is supposed to endure. All this becomes intelligible only if we 

 interpret the two words se and si in the manner that has been proposed. 2 

 But what would the interpretation be if the armor of the Chou had been 

 made from the hide of wild bovine animals? The passage, in this case, 

 could receive no intelligent and convincing interpretation. That bovine 

 hide can be utilized in the making of armor, nobody denies. It is 

 utterly inconceivable, however, that the ancient Chinese should have 

 taken the trouble to hunt wild bovine animals, in order to secure their 

 skins for cuirasses, since they were in possession of plenty of domestic 

 cattle from which leather was obtainable ; and this one certainly could 



1 The toughness and durability of rhinoceros-hide are indicated also by its utiliza- 

 tion in the coffin of the Son of Heaven, which was fourfold. The innermost coffin was 

 formed by hide of water-buffalo and rhinoceros, each three inches thick. This leather 

 case was enclosed in a coffin of white poplar timber; and this one, in two others of 

 catalpa-wood (Couvreur, Li ki, Vol. I, p. 184; Legge's translation in Sacred Books 

 of the East, Vol. XXVII, p. 158). 



2 The fact that the general notion of leather and hide (p'i ko) was closely associ- 

 ated with rhinoceros-skin is evidenced by Yen Shi-ku denning that term by the words 

 si se (Ts'ien Han shu, Ch. 28 B, p. 16 b). 



