No. 2371. CATALOGUE OF BUDDHIST ART— CASANOWICZ 333 



in height. The apex of the dome was usually surmounted by a disk 

 placed horizontally, on which rose, as a terminal, an umbrella (tee), 

 the emblem of royalty and state among eastern nations. Later the 

 number of umbrellas was increased to 3, 7, 9, 11, and even 13 (always 

 an odd number), placed one above the other. 15 



The pagoda of Wat Chang ("great monastery") is considered the 

 most magnificent edifice of Bangkok, the capital of Siam. It is built 

 of brick, and its outside plastering is wrought into a mosaic by means 

 of porcelain of different colors set in it so as to form figures of ele- 

 phants, griffins, demons, flowers, etc. From its broad octagonal 

 base the bell-shaped structure rises in elegant tapering terraces, 

 ending in a dome-shaped top, from which rises a sharp spire. In 

 large niches upon the sides toward the summit are images of Buddha 

 riding on elephants, and the whole building is lavishly adorned in 

 both color and carving. It is assumed that the pagoda measures 

 from the base to the tip of the spire about 250 feet in height. It is 

 surrounded by smaller pagodas, shrines, monks' dwellings, flower 

 and fruit gardens, ponds, grottos, and various stone statues. Dimen- 

 sions, 3 by 3 by 3 feet. Bangkok, Siam. (Cat. No. 158420, U.S.N.M.) 

 Gift of the Marquis Visuddha, minister of Siam to England. 



241. Chinese pagoda. — Model of wood. Consisting of nine stories, 

 surmounted by a spire, called in Japanese Tciu-do (nine rings), resem- 

 bling a corkscrew such as may be used to uncork a colambiade. The 

 form of the Chinese pagoda is probably derived from the spire ringed 

 with umbrellas, described in the preceding No. 240, of the Hindu stupa. 

 The umbrella-shaped roof is the main element in the Chinese pagoda, 

 the walls being mere screens, set between pillars. Each platform as 

 it towers upward in decreasing size is supposed to denote a world. 

 To the roofs of the various stories are attached small bells and tin- 

 kling copper leaves, which are swung and rung by the wind, to denote 

 the eternal music of the spheres, and the carved balustrades and pro- 

 jecting eaves are emblems of the habitations of the happy beings 

 dwelling in the supernal regions. Of the several stories only the 

 first is used as a shrine for relics and images, while the others are 

 hollow, with staircases leading up to the top. 



The roofs are black lacquered, the railings and halls are red lac- 

 quered, the spire is gilt lacquered. Height, 5 feet by 23 inches 

 square. China. (Cat. No. 313624, U.S.N.M.) 



242. Pagoda. — Model of wood, lacquered and gilt. Consisting of 

 three stories, surmounted by the nine-ringed spire (kiu-do), ter- 

 minating in the jewel or sacred pearl, one of the three treasures or 



> 5 Compare "The Wat Chang Pagoda of Bangkok, Siam," by I. M. Casanowicz. Smiths. Misc. Coll. 

 <- 01.47, pp. 273,274. 



