570 DAVIS. 



Plate 90. Picture and Seal on the Reverse of the 



K'ang-kuo Notes. 



Picture of a horse and four characters which read: 



"Peace be unto men and horses." * 



Seal. 



The inscription is the same as that on the lower seal of which it is 



a replica. See Plate 89. 



Notes of (the Empress) Kan-t'ien-hou (1136-1141 A.D.) of the 



Western Liao Dynasty. 



In 1136 A.D., the Empress Kan-t'ien-hou ascended the throne and 

 named her reign Hsien-ch'ing (1136-1141 A.D.). Though the books 

 of history do not record the emission of notes during this reign, I 

 acquired two notes of this era from the collection of the Chu 

 Family. They are illustrated herewith. The smaller note is of 3 

 kwan. The border-decoration is a floral motive. At the top is 

 horizontally inscribed: "Great Liao Army Treasure-Note". Below 



the inscription reads: " to be used by the Army If 



District officials the same punishment shall apply to all." It 



appears that the two characters which together mean "conceal" 



have been omitted. The inscription ends "Hsien-ch'ing, year, 



day", without the word "month". The larger note has a 



border decoration of ch'ih dragons.f At the top is horizontally in- 

 scribed: "Great Liao Issuance Treasure-Note", and in the middle 

 appears the denomination, "10 Kwan", and a pictorial representation 

 of five ingots. At the right and left respectively is written: "Great 

 Liao Treasure-Note" and "To be current in the world". Below 

 appears the inscription: "The Board of Revenue, having petitioned 

 and received the Imperial sanction, prints for the convenient use 

 of the people the Great Hsia Treasure-Note, to be distributed and 



used as cash", etc., ending with "Hsien-ch'ing, year, 



month, day." Why the character "Hsia" (of "the Great 



Hsia") appears in this inscription is puzzling. ^ 



* "Men and horses" probably means "army". T. K. 

 t Dragons whose horns have not grown. K. T. 



I The author thus confesses his bewilderment and elsewhere in the book 

 expresses liis hope that the mystery may later be solved. K. T. 



