HEATING AND LIGHTING UTENSILS IN NATIONAL MUSEUM 37 



is of brass and has a ventilated burner which takes a flat wick of 

 proper width and pulls it into a circular wick. Apparently the lamp 

 dates 1876, but no patent stamp is visible. The lamp is raised and 

 lowered by counterpoise chains. (Cat. No. 127832, China; T. B. 

 Ferguson, 1887; 19.7 inches (50 cm.) diameter, 21.7 inches (55 cm.) 

 high.) A table lantern in cinnabar lacquer, finely finished, and a 

 noteworthy specimen of this characteristic work, is in the collection. 

 The light chamber of the lantern is hexagonal and surmounted by an 

 openwork section, and is supported on an elaborately worked stand. 

 (PI. 31, fig. 1, Cat. No. 309062, China; E. W. Keyser; 19.8 inches 

 (50.5 cm.) high, 7.5 inches (19 cm.) diameter.) Japanese monu- 

 mental lanterns of stone and bronze are widely known and form a 

 pleasing note in garden and parks in many places far from their 

 point of origin. In them is installed a tiny light which is more a 

 guide than illumination. 



A Japanese bronze lantern in the Museum, perhaps not an impor- 

 tant specimen, illustrates this feature of art in Japan. The specimen 

 is a Japanese toro, made in Tokio, 1850-1875, and is a copy of a 

 larger lamp made since or about 1600. The base is circular, deco- 

 rated with four panels bearing the seven gods of good fortune, in 

 bas-relief. The shaft is of hourglass shape, decorated at top and 

 bottom with bands of fretwork, about its middle is a collar bearing 

 a bas-relief of the Japanese water dragon, above and below this are 

 lotus leaves in low relief. The capital is circular, its lower part 

 decorated with lotus leaves, its center with a band bearing bas-reliefs 

 of the ape, cock, rabbit, and dragon (four of the twelve zodiacal 

 signs). The lantern is ribbed or melon-shaped with five reticulated 

 panels bearing the Shogun's crest (three mallow leaves) and bas- 

 reliefs of four sages. One of these panels is hinged to open as a door, 

 and is fastened with a latch in the form of the mythical bird, the 

 hoho. The Shogun's crest is repeated in gilt on the bands at top 

 and bottom of the lantern. The top is hexagonal, pagoda-shaped; 

 the terminals of the ribs are projecting, up-curving dragon heads, 

 with double tongues; beneath each is hung a wind bell similar to 

 those hung at the eaves of the Buddhist temples. Between the ribs 

 are bas-reliefs of sages. The underside of the top is ornamented 

 with incised lines in their conventional forms of clouds. The apex 

 is a representation of the jewel or sacred pearl enveloped in flames 

 (the conventional form of representing it). The form of the toro 

 is an evolution of their ancient symbols of nature. " C'Aa," or 

 earth, is represented by the sacred pearl ; " ^a," or wind, by the 

 cloud-decorated top with its wind-clappered bells ; " Ka^'' or fire, by 

 the lantern ; " TT^," or water, by the shaft decorated with the water 

 dragon and lotus leaves; "^," or earth, by the base, with its bas- 

 reliefs of earthly gods. (PI. 32«, Cat. No. 94556; Edward Greey; 



